For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خاکِ درِ بُوتُراب ہے ساقی ۔ نصیر گیلانی
۱
سُبُو اُٹھا کہ شبِ ماہتاب ہے ساقی
خروشِ بربط و چنگ و رباب ہے ساقی
۲
پلا شراب کے عہدِ شباب ہے ساقی
ہر اِک گناہ میں غلطاں ثواب ہے ساقی
۳
عطائے بادہ میں تعجیل کر کہ عمرِ رواں
عِناں گسستہ و پا در رکاب ہے ساقی
۴
کرم میں دیر نہ فرما کہ یہ شبِ ہستی
بہ قدرِ فرصتِ رقصِ حباب ہے ساقی
۵
حِجاب کیسا، تغافل ہے کیوں، نظر تو اُٹھا
کہ عہدِ مستی و دورِ شباب ہے ساقی
۶
وہ جس نے پی ہو تری مے گسار آنکھوں سے
وہ بے نیازِ عذاب و ثواب ہے ساقی
۷
ہر ایک قطرہ ہے آئینہ دارِ رنگِ نشاط
ترا کرم وہ برستا سحاب ہے ساقی
۸
نگاہ جم نہ سکی اس لئے مظاہر پر
وفورِ جلوہ تو خود اِک حجاب ہے ساقی
۹
اُسے بھی بادۂ حُبّ نبی عطا کر دے
نصیر خاکِ درِ بُوتُراب ہے ساقی
ख़ाक-ए दर-ए बूतुराब है साक़ी – नसीर गीलानी
१
सुबू उठा के शब-ए माहताब है साक़ी
ख़रोश-ए बर्बत ओ चंग ओ रबाब है साक़ी
२
पिला शराब के अहद-ए शबाब है साक़ी
हर एक गुनाह में ग़ल्तां सवाब है साक़ी
३
अता-ए बादा में ता’जील कर के उम्र-ए रवाँ
इनाँ गुसस्तह ओ पा दर रकाब है साक़ी
४
करम में देर न फ़रमा के ये शब-ए हस्ती
ब-क़द्र-ए फ़ुर्सत-ए रक़्स-ए हबाब है साक़ी
५
हिजाब कैसा, तग़ाफ़ुल है क्यूँ, नज़र तो उठा
के अहद-ए मस्ती ओ दौर-ए शबाब है साक़ी
६
वो जिस ने पी हो तेरी मैगुसार आँखों से
वो बेनियाज़-ए अज़ाब ओ सवाब है साक़ी
७
हर एक क़तरा है आईनादार-ए रंग-ए निशात
तेरा करम वो बरसता सहाब है साक़ी
८
निगाह जम न सकी इस लिए मज़ाहिर पर
वुफ़ूर-ए जल्वा तो ख़ुद एक हिजाब है साक़ी
९
उसे भी बादा-ए हुब्ब-ए नबी अता कर दे
नसीर ख़ाक-ए दर-ए बूतुराब है साक़ी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed Ghulam naseeruddin naseer giilani (1949–2009), also known as pir naseeruddin naseer, was a distinguished pakistani sufi scholar, poet, and spiritual leader. he served as the custodian (sajjada nashin) of the golra sharif shrine near islamabad, a significant center of the chishti qadiri sufi order in pakistan.
1
subuu1 uThaa keh shab2-e maahtaab3 hai saaqi
Kharosh4-e barbat5 o chaNg6 o rabaab7 hai saaqi 1.wine 2.night of 3.bright moon 4.sound 5.lute 6.harp 7.rabaab/sitaar
Bring out the wine and cup, for the moon is bright tonight, O saaqi; the sound of lute, harp, and rabaab fills the air, O saaqi. In a mystical reading this could be the wine of love and the music could be mystical chants all representing a moment ripe for spiritual ecstasy and mystical trance.
2
pilaa sharaab keh ahd1-e shabaab2 hai saaqi
har ek gunaah meN GhaltaaN3 savaab4 hai saaqi 1.period, time 2.youth 3.immersed 4.virtue
Pour the wine, for it is the time of youth, O saaqi; in every sin, the merit of virtue is immersed, O saaqi. In a hedonistic interpretation, this appears to wave away the ‘sin’ of drinking because youth is a time for enjoyment and this pleasure is characterized as the virtue that does along with the sin. There might be a mystical interpretation where the wine is that of mystic love and the intoxication it induces is the trance in the love of the divine and hence the virtue.
3
ataa1-e baada2 meN taa’jiil3 kar keh ‘umr4-e ravaaN5
inaaN-gusasta6 o paa-dar-rakaab7 hai saaqi 1.bestowing, granting 2.wine 3.delay 4.life 5.flowing, fleeting 6.free running, without reins 7.feet in stirrups
Do not delay the gift of wine, for life is fleeting, O saaqi; the steed of life is free to run with no reins and feet are in stirrups i.e., we are racing uncontrollably towards the end of life. Again, this could be mystical wine of love.
4
karam1 meN d’er na farma2 ke yeh shab4-e hasti5
ba-qadr6-e fursat7-e raqs8-e habaab9 hai saaqi 1.kindness, generosity 2.perform, do, act 4.night 5.existence 6.in proportion to 7.time, opportunity 8.dance 9.bubble
Delay not your generosity, for this night of existence is but a brief moment like the fleeting dance of a bubble, O saaqi.
5
hijaab1 kaisaa, taGhaaful2 hai kyuN, nazar3 to uThaa
keh ahd4-e masti5 o daur6-e shabaab7 hai saaqi 1.veil 2.indifference 3.glance, gaze, eyes 4.time, period 5.intoxication 6.period, era 7.youth
Why this veil, why such indifference – raise your eyes, for this is the era of rapture and youth, O saaqi.
6
voh jis ne pii ho teri mai-gusaar1 aaNkhoN se
voh beniyaaz2-e ‘azaab3 o savaab4 hai saaqi 1.intoxicating 2.unmindful 3.punishment 4.reward
The one who has drunk from your intoxicating eyes is unmindful of reward and punishment, O saaqi – divine love transcends heaven and hell. One who truly tastes divine beauty sheds concern for religious dualities of reward and sin.
7
har ek qatra1 hai aa’inaadaar2-e raNg3-e nishaat4
teraa karam5 voh barastaa6 sahaab7 hai saaqi 1.drop 2.mirroring, reflecting 3.colour, character 4.joy 5.benevolence 6.raining 7.cloud
Every drop of wine is like a mirror reflecting the color of joy, your grace is like a pouring cloud, O saaqi. In a mystical interpretation saaqi could be god him/herself.
8
nigaah jam1 na saki is liye mazaahir2 par
vufuur3-e jalva4 to Khud ek hijaab5 hai saaqi 1.settle, focus 2.manifestations 3.excess, numerous 4.manifestations, effulgence 5.veil
The seeker’s gaze could not focus on any of the manifestations, because their radiance itself was like a veil.
9
us’e bhi baada1-e hubb2-e nabi3 ‘ataa4 kar de
naseer5 Khaak6-e dar7-e buu-turaab8 hai saaqi 1.wine 2.love 3.messenger, mohammed 4.grant 5.pen-name 6.dust 7.door 8.one of the names of ali ibn-e abi-taalib
Grant him, too, the wine of the love of the messenger (of god), for naseer is but the dust at buu-turaab’s door, O saaqi. Thus, it appears that the path to the love of mohammed, for this seeker, is through the door/mediation of ali ibn-e abi taalib.
syed Ghulam naseeruddin naseer giilani (1949–2009), also known as pir naseeruddin naseer, was a distinguished pakistani sufi scholar, poet, and spiritual leader. he served as the custodian (sajjada nashin) of the golra sharif shrine near islamabad, a significant center of the chishti qadiri sufi order in pakistan.
1
subuu1 uThaa keh shab2-e maahtaab3 hai saaqi
Kharosh4-e barbat5 o chaNg6 o rabaab7 hai saaqi
1.wine 2.night of 3.bright moon 4.sound 5.lute 6.harp 7.rabaab/sitaar
Bring out the wine and cup, for the moon is bright tonight, O saaqi; the sound of lute, harp, and rabaab fills the air, O saaqi. In a mystical reading this could be the wine of love and the music could be mystical chants all representing a moment ripe for spiritual ecstasy and mystical trance.
2
pilaa sharaab keh ahd1-e shabaab2 hai saaqi
har ek gunaah meN GhaltaaN3 savaab4 hai saaqi
1.period, time 2.youth 3.immersed 4.virtue
Pour the wine, for it is the time of youth, O saaqi; in every sin, the merit of virtue is immersed, O saaqi. In a hedonistic interpretation, this appears to wave away the ‘sin’ of drinking because youth is a time for enjoyment and this pleasure is characterized as the virtue that does along with the sin. There might be a mystical interpretation where the wine is that of mystic love and the intoxication it induces is the trance in the love of the divine and hence the virtue.
3
ataa1-e baada2 meN taa’jiil3 kar keh ‘umr4-e ravaaN5
inaaN-gusasta6 o paa-dar-rakaab7 hai saaqi
1.bestowing, granting 2.wine 3.delay 4.life 5.flowing, fleeting 6.free running, without reins 7.feet in stirrups
Do not delay the gift of wine, for life is fleeting, O saaqi; the steed of life is free to run with no reins and feet are in stirrups i.e., we are racing uncontrollably towards the end of life. Again, this could be mystical wine of love.
4
karam1 meN d’er na farma2 ke yeh shab4-e hasti5
ba-qadr6-e fursat7-e raqs8-e habaab9 hai saaqi
1.kindness, generosity 2.perform, do, act 4.night 5.existence 6.in proportion to 7.time, opportunity 8.dance 9.bubble
Delay not your generosity, for this night of existence is but a brief moment like the fleeting dance of a bubble, O saaqi.
5
hijaab1 kaisaa, taGhaaful2 hai kyuN, nazar3 to uThaa
keh ahd4-e masti5 o daur6-e shabaab7 hai saaqi
1.veil 2.indifference 3.glance, gaze, eyes 4.time, period 5.intoxication 6.period, era 7.youth
Why this veil, why such indifference – raise your eyes, for this is the era of rapture and youth, O saaqi.
6
voh jis ne pii ho teri mai-gusaar1 aaNkhoN se
voh beniyaaz2-e ‘azaab3 o savaab4 hai saaqi
1.intoxicating 2.unmindful 3.punishment 4.reward
The one who has drunk from your intoxicating eyes is unmindful of reward and punishment, O saaqi – divine love transcends heaven and hell. One who truly tastes divine beauty sheds concern for religious dualities of reward and sin.
7
har ek qatra1 hai aa’inaadaar2-e raNg3-e nishaat4
teraa karam5 voh barastaa6 sahaab7 hai saaqi
1.drop 2.mirroring, reflecting 3.colour, character 4.joy 5.benevolence 6.raining 7.cloud
Every drop of wine is like a mirror reflecting the color of joy, your grace is like a pouring cloud, O saaqi. In a mystical interpretation saaqi could be god him/herself.
8
nigaah jam1 na saki is liye mazaahir2 par
vufuur3-e jalva4 to Khud ek hijaab5 hai saaqi
1.settle, focus 2.manifestations 3.excess, numerous 4.manifestations, effulgence 5.veil
The seeker’s gaze could not focus on any of the manifestations, because their radiance itself was like a veil.
9
us’e bhi baada1-e hubb2-e nabi3 ‘ataa4 kar de
naseer5 Khaak6-e dar7-e buu-turaab8 hai saaqi
1.wine 2.love 3.messenger, mohammed 4.grant 5.pen-name 6.dust 7.door 8.one of the names of ali ibn-e abi-taalib
Grant him, too, the wine of the love of the messenger (of god), for naseer is but the dust at buu-turaab’s door, O saaqi. Thus, it appears that the path to the love of mohammed, for this seeker, is through the door/mediation of ali ibn-e abi taalib.
