Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. This is an ‘invitation to the fire of hell’ … the poet is so irreverent that he fully expects to be condemned to hell, even seems to welcome it. There are two versions of this nazm/Ghazal. The other entitled ‘soo-e sanam Khaana chaleN’ is probably an earlier version. This is modified here and there and a few ash’aar are added. There is enough difference that both versions are posted.
1
aao kaabe se uTheN suu¹-e sanam-Khaana² chaleN
ba Khum³-e Khusrav⁴ o paimaana⁵-e shaahaana⁶ chaleN    1.towards 2.house of idols, temple 3.barrell, flask (of wine) 4.amir Khusro 5.measure, cup 6.royal
Come, let us get up from the kaaba and go towards the house of idols (temple). Let us fill the royal cup with wine from the flask of Khusro and go. The wine of Khusro represents a strong dose of the sufi tradition and inclusiveness.
2
darKhur¹-e kaif² nahiN hoor-o-magas³ ki duniya
saathh bilqiis⁴ ko leN aur sulaimaanaN⁵ chaleN    1.deserving of 2.joy, pleasure, ecstacy 3.fly, bee 4.Queen of Sheba 5.in the style of sulaimaan/Solomon
‘hoor o magas ki duniya’ is probably heaven because of the hoor and (I am stretching) ‘magas’ – honey bee can imply rivers of honey flowing in heaven. Thus, heaven is not deserving of his expectations of pleasure. He wants to do something else. He wants to win the heart of the beloved and go triumphantly like Solomon won the heart of the Queen of Sheba and carried her away.
3
kaaNp¹ uThe haram² o sirr-e-afaaf³-e tauheed⁴
yuN pai⁵-e sajda⁶-e saNg⁷-e dar⁸-e but-Khaana⁹ chaleN    1.tremble (with fear) 2.sanctuary 3.mystery of the sanctity of 4.one god, exclusive of others 5.with the intention of 6.prostrating 7.stone, threshold 8.door 9.house of idols, temple
Let the kaaba/sanctuary tremble in fear of losing the mystery of the sanctity of the concept of one god. In such a style let us go with the intent of bowing at the threshold of the house of idols.
4
aah¹-e shab-giir² o munajaat³-e sahr-gaahi⁴ ko
n’aara⁵-e huu⁶ pe nachaate soo⁷-e sanam-Khaana⁸ chaleN    1.sigh, lament 2.dawn 3.prayer, hymn 4.dawn 5.call, cry, shout 6.allaah-huu, god 7.towards 8.house of idols
The lament and prayer of dawn are particularly orthodox practices, asking for forgiveness and blessings. The poet seems not to care much for their exclusivity. He wants to make them dance on cries of ‘allah-huu’ and go towards the house of idols. sanam-Khaana can also be the tavern of the saaqi. It is symbolic liberal, free thinking space where the poet wants to turn.
5
mash’al¹-e husn² ke atraaf³ meN sannaaTa⁴ hai
aao sapnoN⁵ meN liye aatish⁶-e parvaana⁷ chaleN    1.torch 2.beauty, beloved 3.surrounding, circle 4.silence 5.dreams 6.fire, passion 7.moth
The moth circles its beloved (fire) and sacrifices its life in an attempt to achieve union. But there is silence around the torch of the beauty of the beloved. The poet calls upon his friends to dream of the passion of the moth and go circumambulate around the beloved.
6
aao aye zamzama¹-sanjaan²-e sara-parda³-e gul⁴
ba-havaa⁵-e nafas⁶-e taaza⁷-e janaana⁸ chaleN    1.music 2.expert 3.tent, shelter 4.rose 5.with the wind 6.breath 7.fresh 8.beloved
‘zamzam’ is a spring in the vicinity of the kaaba. Water is supposed to be gurgling out of the ground. This sound is often used as an analogy for music. Thus, zamazama-sanjaan are experts in music. ‘sara-parda-e gul’, protective cover over the rose perhaps implies a lover/protector of the rose. This could be the bulbul (in poetic tradition gul o bulbul are lovers). The bulbul is also an expert music maker. This music is like the fresh breath of the beloved. Thus with this music and fresh breath let us go to the idol-house.
7
but¹ agar² raah³ meN mil jaayeN jhukeN bahr⁴-e salaam
aur Khuda raasta roke to hareefaana⁵ chaleN    1.idols, beloved 2.if 3.way, path 4.with the intent of 5.rival, rebel, resist
If we encounter idols on the way, we bow in greeting, but if god were to block our way, then we walk on in the style of a rebel. This is an act of rebellion NOT against god, but against blocking the way. He does not recognize exclusivity but accepts/welcomes diversity … all the essence is the same.
8
taa¹ na mahsoos² ho vaamaandagi³-e raah⁴-e daraaz⁵
zulf⁶-e pur-pech⁷ ka chheRe⁸ hue afsaana⁹ chaleN    1.so that 2.feel 3.tiredness, fatigue 4.path 5.long 6.hair 7.curls 8.narrate 9.story
So that we don’t feel the fatigue of the long journey let us narrate stories of the curly hair of the beloved along the way. Said maKhdoom …
chashm-o-ruKhsaar ke azkaar ko jaari rakkho
pyaar ke naame ko doharaao keh kuchh raat kaTe
9
phaiNk kar subbah¹ o sajjaada² o dastaar³ o kulaah⁴
ba-rabaab⁵ o daf⁶ o tanboora⁷ o paimaana⁸ chaleN    1.tasbeeh, rosary 2.prayer mat 3.crown 4.cap 5.with a lute 6.cymbals 7.drone 8.cup, goblet (of wine)
Setting aside the rosary, prayer mat, crown and cap, let us pick up the lute and cymbals along with a goblet of wine and be on our way.
10
baada¹ o saGhar² o taauus³ o Ghazal ke hamrah⁴
zarre-zarre⁵ pe luTaate hue maiKhaana⁶ chaleN    1.wine 2.goblet 3.peacock 4.along with 5.every grain of sand 6.tavern
Let us go in celebration along with wine and goblet and colourful dance. Let us go spilling/sprinkling wine on every grain of sand along the way.
11
Khaak¹ qadmoN² se uRe sar pe dhanak³ ban jaaye
yuN su⁴-e gul-kada⁵-e ishva⁶-e jaanana⁷ chaleN    1.dust 2.steps 3.rainbow 4.towards 5.flower house 6.coquetry 7.beloved
Let the dust rise from our feet and cast rainbow colours over our heads. Let us go in such style towards the rose-decked chamber of coquetry of the beloved.
12
farsh¹-e sahra² pe machal jaaye javaani ki taraNg
sabt³ karte hue yuN laGhzish⁴-e mastaana⁵ chaleN    1.floor 2.desert 3.stamp, inscribe, engrave 4.stagger 5.drunken
Walk with such drunken stagger over the floor of the desert that the impression of the music of your youthful feet gets stamped into the sand (for others to follow).
13
ruKhsat¹ aye banda-Kharaami² keh vo daur³ aa pahuNcha
jis pe jhukte the ab us Khaak⁴ pe yazdaana⁵ chaleN    1.depart, begone 2.slavish gait 3.time 4.dust 5.lordly
Begone O slavish gait, for the time has come, for us to walk with lordly style on the dust on which we used to bow down.
14
aao phir josh¹ ke hamrah² do-aalam³ ko liye
Khidmat⁴-e piir-e-muGhaaN⁵ meN pai⁶-e nazraana⁷ chaleN    1.pen-name of the poet 2.along with 3.two worlds – here and hereafter 4.service 5.chief wine-maker 6.with the intention of 7.offering
Come again, along with josh, taking the here and hereafter with you in the service of the chief wine-maker with the intent of making a devotional offering to him … the chief wine-maker is symbolic of the chief liberal thinker, the tavern being a welcoming and open place for all.