Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu. He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level. Supported labour movements. Parts of this Ghazal are about superstitions and blind religious belief. Other parts are an answer to the call of the Progressive Writers’ Association to discard classical themes of love and look at the condition of society. There is a touch of sufi thought too.
1
aqaa’ed¹ vahm² haiN mazhab Khayaal-e Khaam³ hai saaqi
azal⁴ se zahn-e insaaN⁵ basta⁶-e auhaam⁷ hai saaqi   1.beliefs 2.superstition 3.defective thinking 4.eternity, beginning 5.human mind 6.closed, imprisoned 7.superstitions
Beliefs are superstitions, religion is defective thinking. From the very beginning the human mind has been imprisoned by superstitions/fears.
2
haqiiqat-aashnaaii¹ asl meN gum-karda-raahi² hai
uroos³-e aagahi⁴ parvarda⁵-e ib’haam⁶ hai saaqi   1.familiarity with truth, used here in the sense of ‘thinking that you know the truth’ 2.losing your way 3.bride of 4.awareness, knowledge 5.nurtured by 6.ambiguity, questioning
If you think/are certain that you know, it means that you have lost your way. Knowledge (personified here as a bride) is nurtured by questioning, not by being certain or believing.
3
mubaarak ho za’iifi¹ ko Khirad² ki falsafa-raani³
javaani⁴ be-niyaaz⁵-e ibrat⁶-e anjaam⁷ hai saaqi   1.literally ‘old age’ but used here in the sense of conservative orthodoxy 2.wisdom, but used here in a sarcastic way 3.philosophizing 4.youth but used here in the sense of new thinking 5.unmindful, willing to take risk 6.example, lesson, warning 7.result, consequence
Let conservative orthodoxy philosophize all it wants about the wisdom of traditions. New ways of thinking are unmindful of consequences and willing to take risks.
4
havas¹ hogi asiir²-e halqa³-e nek-o-bad⁴-e aalam⁵
mohabbat maavaraa⁶-e fikr⁷-e naNg⁸-o-naam⁹ hai saaq 1.lechery, debauchery 2.prisoner of 3.circle/domain of 4.virtue and vice 5.world 6.beyond 7.worry 8.disrepute 9.reputation
Debauchery surely falls within the domain of what the world considers vice and virtue but (true) love is beyond worrying about its reputation – good or bad.
5
abhi tak raaste ke pech-o-Kham¹ se dil dhaRaktaa hai
mera zauq-e talab² shaayad³ abhi tak Khaam⁴ hai saaqi 1.twists and turns 2.literally taste for desire but used to mean desire for love 3.perhaps 4.defective
This has sufi undertones … true love/desire of love if it is indeed true, will not be fearful of the twists and turns of the path of love. But since his heart still pounds with fear/anxiety, it must be that his love is not yet mature/pure.
6
vahaaN bhejaa gayaa huuN chaak¹ karne parda-e shab² ko
jahaaN har subah ke daaman³ pe aks⁴-e shaam hai saaq 1.tear 2.evening, darkness, ignorance 3.hem of the robe 4.shadow
I have been sent to tear the veil of ignorance where even the dawn is still in the shadow of darkness.
7
mere saaGhar¹ meN mai² hai aur tere haathoN meN barbat³ hai
vatan ki sar-zamiN⁴ meN bhook se kohraam⁵ hai saaqi 1.flask/cup 2.wine 3.lute 4.homeland 5.tumult, havoc
This may be associated with Progressive Writers’ Association to write about social issues rather than about wine and drink. Thus, I hold a cup of wine in my hand and you hold a lute to play musice, while there is such havoc in the homeland due to hunger.
8
zamaana¹ barsar-e paikaar² hai pur-haul³ sho’lauN⁴ se
tere lab⁵ par abhi tak naGhma-e Khayyaam⁶ hai saaqi 1.the times, the world 2.engaged in struggle 3.fearsome 4.flames 5.lips 6.song of Khayyaam, of wine and dance
The world is engaged in a struggle against fearsome fires and you are still singing of wine and dance.