For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خونی شام ہے ساقی ۔ اجے پانڈے سحابؔ
۱
وہی ہیں قتل و غارت اور وہی کہرام ہے ساقی
تمدن اور مذہب کی یہ خونی شام ہے ساقی
۲
کمالِ فن مرا اب تک نِہاں ہے ایسے دنیا سے
کہ جیوں عبدالحئی میں اِک الف گمنام ہے ساقی
۳
مری گنگ و جمن تہذیب کی دختر ہے یہ اُردو
اسے مسلم بنانے کی یہ سازش عام ہے ساقی
۴
کریں گے امن کی باتیں دلوں میں بغض رکھیں گے
یہی رسمِ جہاں اور فطرتِ اقوام ہے ساقی
۵
قدِ شاعر کے بدلے دیکھیے معیار شعروں کا
فقط اِتنا مری غزلوں کا یہ پیغام ہے ساقی
۶
عروض و علم کی تعلیم مجھ کو کب رہی حاصل
مرا اُستاد تو بس یہ غمِ ایّام ہے ساقی
۷
وہی غالب ہے اب تو جو خریدے شہرتیں اپنی
رُباعی بیچنے والا عمر خیامؔ ہے ساقی
۸
یہ غزلیں غیب سے نازل نہیں اشکوں کا حاصل ہیں
مرا یہ درد ہی سب سے بڑا اِلہام ہے ساقی
ख़ूनी शाम है साक़ी – अजय पांडे सहाब
१
वही हैं क़त्ल-ओ-ग़ारत और वही कोहराम है साक़ी
तमद्दुन और मज़हब की ये ख़ूनी शाम है साक़ी
२
कमाल-ए फ़न मेरा अब तक नेहां है ऐसे दुनिया से
के ज्यूं अब्दुलहई में एक अलिफ़ गुमनाम है साक़ी
३
मेरी गंग-ओ-जमन तहज़ीब की दुख़्तर है ये उर्दू
इसे मुस्लिम बनाने की ये साज़िश आ’म है साक़ी
४
करेंगे अम्न की बातें दिलों में बुग़्ज़ रक्खेंगे
यही रस्म-ए जहां और फ़ितरत-ए अक़्वाम है साक़ी
५
क़द-ए शा’एर के बदले देखिए मे’यार शे’रों का
फ़क़त इतना मेरी ग़ज़लों का ये पैग़ाम है साक़ी
६
अरूज़-ओ-इल्म की ता’लीम मुझ को कब रही हासिल
मेरा उस्ताद तो बस ये ग़म-ए अय्याम है साक़ी
७
वही ग़ालिब है अब तो जो ख़रीदे शोहरतें अपनी
रुबाई बेचने वाला उमर ख़य्याम है साक़ी
८
ये ग़ज़लें ग़ैब से नाज़िल नहीं अश्कों का हासिल हैं
मेरा ये दर्द ही सब से बढा इल्हाम है साक़ी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ajay paanDe sahaab (1969-living) ICS officer, commisioner GST, jhaarkhanD. Grew up in surroundings completely devoid of urdu. Read saahir, firaaq and faiz in devanagiri and fell in love with urdu. Taught himself reading and writing and started composing at the age of 16-17. He writes …
seekha isi se dard ye hindostaan ka
bachpan se mujh pe qarz hai urdu zabaan ka
This Ghazal derives its inspiration from sahir ludhianavi’s ‘mazhab Khayaal-e Khaam hai saaqi
1
vahii haiN qatl1-o-Ghaarat2 aur vahii kohraam3 hai saaqi
tamaddun4 aur maz’hab5 ki ye Khooni shaam hai saaqi 1.killing 2.destruction 3.mayhem 4.culture, civilization 5.religion
This is perhaps a reaction to another bloody riot/organized killing. Once again it is the same killing and destruction and the same mayhem, O saaqi. This is the bloody evening of culture and religion, O saaqi. The second misra can be read in two ways … culture and religion are being killed and bloodied or they are causing the killing. I prefer to read it in the second way.
2
kamaal1-e fan2 meraa ab tak nehaaN3 hai aise duniyaa se
keh jyuuN4 abdulha’ii5 meN ek alif6 gumnaam7 hai saaqi 1.excellence 2.art, skill, talent 3.hidden 4.just like 5.see note below 6.the first letter of the arabi alphabet 7.unknown, unseen
When the word abdulha’ii is written out in arabi script the word appears as abd-al-ha’ii but because of the sandhi, the alif (represented by a in -al-) is never pronounced explicitly. Thus, it is silent or unknown. The excellence of my art is hidden from the world just like alif is hidden in the word abdulha’ii.
3
meri gaNg-o-jaman tahziib1 ki duKhtar2 hai ye urdu
is’e muslim banaane ki ye saazish3 aa’m4 hai saaqi 1.culture 2.daughter 3.conspiracy 4.common, widespread
My urdu is the daughter of the culture resulting from the confluence of gaNga jamuna. The conspiracy to turn it into a muslim language is widespread, O saaqi.
4
kareNge amn1 ki baateN diloN meN buGhz2 rakkheNge
yahii rasm3-e jahaaN4 aur fitrat5-e aqvaam6 hai saaqi 1.peace 2.malice, hostility 3.tradition, ritual 4.world 5.nature, habit 6.nations
They talk peace but harbour hostility in their hearts. This is the tradition of the world and the nature of nation states, O saaqi.
5
qad1-e shaa’er ke badle2 dekhiye me’yaar3 sheroN kaa
faqat4 itnaa meri GhazloN kaa ye paiGhaam5 hai saaqi 1.stature, status 2.instead of 3.standard 4.only 5.message
Instead of looking at the status of the poet, consider the standard of the verse. Only this much is the message of my Ghazal, O saaqi.
6
aruuz1-o-ilm2 ki ta’alim3 mujh ko kab rahi haasil4
meraa ustaad5 to bas ye Gham-e-ayyaam6 hai saaqi 1.prosody, rules of versification 2.knowledge 3.teaching, learning 4.available 5.teacher 6.sorrow of the days, pain of daily living, sorrow of the world
The formal learning of versification and knowledge of poetry was never available to me. The only one that taught me to compose Ghazal, the only one that is my teacher is the pain of the world i.e., the poet is inspired to write when he sees suffering around him.
7
vahi Ghaalib1 hai ab to jo Kharide shohrateN2 apni
rubaa’ii3 bechne vaalaa umar-Khayyaam4 hai saaqi 1.victorious, prevailing (here it does not mean the poet Ghalib) 2.fame 3.four line verse 4.faarsi poet famous for his rubaa’ii
Here omar Khayyaam is used a symbol of a talented poet but not a rich person rubaa’ii is used to represent all verse. Only they prevail, only they are victorious who buy fame. The poor poet tries of sell his verse to make a living, O saaqi.
8
ye GhazleN Ghaib1 se naazil2 nahiN ashkoN3 kaa haasil4 haiN
meraa ye dard5 hi sab se baRaa ilhaam6 hai saaqi 1.unseen, unknown, beyond 2.descend 3.tears 4.net result, product 5.pain 6.inspiration
I don’t think that the poet uses this to be critical of Ghalib but to assert that his own feet are firmly grounded on earth. Ghalib said that his ash’aar were divine messages or at least divinely inspired …
she’r-e Ghalib na buvad vahii va na-guuyam val’e
tuu va-yazdaaN, na-tavan guft keh ilhaamii-ast
The verse of Ghalib is not divine revelation I concede
But tell me by god, is it not divinely inspired
aat’e haiN Ghaib se ye mazaamiiN Khayaal meN
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai
These themes descend into the mind from the unknown, O Ghalib
The scratching of the pen on paper is but the sound of the wings of an angel
No divine inspiration for this poet. These Ghazal do not descend from the unknown, but the product of tears of sorrow. My pain is the most important inspiration for me.
ajay paanDe sahaab (1969-living) ICS officer, commisioner GST, jhaarkhanD. Grew up in surroundings completely devoid of urdu. Read saahir, firaaq and faiz in devanagiri and fell in love with urdu. Taught himself reading and writing and started composing at the age of 16-17. He writes …
seekha isi se dard ye hindostaan ka
bachpan se mujh pe qarz hai urdu zabaan ka
This Ghazal derives its inspiration from sahir ludhianavi’s ‘mazhab Khayaal-e Khaam hai saaqi
1
vahii haiN qatl1-o-Ghaarat2 aur vahii kohraam3 hai saaqi
tamaddun4 aur maz’hab5 ki ye Khooni shaam hai saaqi
1.killing 2.destruction 3.mayhem 4.culture, civilization 5.religion
This is perhaps a reaction to another bloody riot/organized killing. Once again it is the same killing and destruction and the same mayhem, O saaqi. This is the bloody evening of culture and religion, O saaqi. The second misra can be read in two ways … culture and religion are being killed and bloodied or they are causing the killing. I prefer to read it in the second way.
2
kamaal1-e fan2 meraa ab tak nehaaN3 hai aise duniyaa se
keh jyuuN4 abdulha’ii5 meN ek alif6 gumnaam7 hai saaqi
1.excellence 2.art, skill, talent 3.hidden 4.just like 5.see note below 6.the first letter of the arabi alphabet 7.unknown, unseen
When the word abdulha’ii is written out in arabi script the word appears as abd-al-ha’ii but because of the sandhi, the alif (represented by a in -al-) is never pronounced explicitly. Thus, it is silent or unknown. The excellence of my art is hidden from the world just like alif is hidden in the word abdulha’ii.
3
meri gaNg-o-jaman tahziib1 ki duKhtar2 hai ye urdu
is’e muslim banaane ki ye saazish3 aa’m4 hai saaqi
1.culture 2.daughter 3.conspiracy 4.common, widespread
My urdu is the daughter of the culture resulting from the confluence of gaNga jamuna. The conspiracy to turn it into a muslim language is widespread, O saaqi.
4
kareNge amn1 ki baateN diloN meN buGhz2 rakkheNge
yahii rasm3-e jahaaN4 aur fitrat5-e aqvaam6 hai saaqi
1.peace 2.malice, hostility 3.tradition, ritual 4.world 5.nature, habit 6.nations
They talk peace but harbour hostility in their hearts. This is the tradition of the world and the nature of nation states, O saaqi.
5
qad1-e shaa’er ke badle2 dekhiye me’yaar3 sheroN kaa
faqat4 itnaa meri GhazloN kaa ye paiGhaam5 hai saaqi
1.stature, status 2.instead of 3.standard 4.only 5.message
Instead of looking at the status of the poet, consider the standard of the verse. Only this much is the message of my Ghazal, O saaqi.
6
aruuz1-o-ilm2 ki ta’alim3 mujh ko kab rahi haasil4
meraa ustaad5 to bas ye Gham-e-ayyaam6 hai saaqi
1.prosody, rules of versification 2.knowledge 3.teaching, learning 4.available 5.teacher 6.sorrow of the days, pain of daily living, sorrow of the world
The formal learning of versification and knowledge of poetry was never available to me. The only one that taught me to compose Ghazal, the only one that is my teacher is the pain of the world i.e., the poet is inspired to write when he sees suffering around him.
7
vahi Ghaalib1 hai ab to jo Kharide shohrateN2 apni
rubaa’ii3 bechne vaalaa umar-Khayyaam4 hai saaqi
1.victorious, prevailing (here it does not mean the poet Ghalib) 2.fame 3.four line verse 4.faarsi poet famous for his rubaa’ii
Here omar Khayyaam is used a symbol of a talented poet but not a rich person rubaa’ii is used to represent all verse. Only they prevail, only they are victorious who buy fame. The poor poet tries of sell his verse to make a living, O saaqi.
8
ye GhazleN Ghaib1 se naazil2 nahiN ashkoN3 kaa haasil4 haiN
meraa ye dard5 hi sab se baRaa ilhaam6 hai saaqi
1.unseen, unknown, beyond 2.descend 3.tears 4.net result, product 5.pain 6.inspiration
I don’t think that the poet uses this to be critical of Ghalib but to assert that his own feet are firmly grounded on earth. Ghalib said that his ash’aar were divine messages or at least divinely inspired …
she’r-e Ghalib na buvad vahii va na-guuyam val’e
tuu va-yazdaaN, na-tavan guft keh ilhaamii-ast
The verse of Ghalib is not divine revelation I concede
But tell me by god, is it not divinely inspired
aat’e haiN Ghaib se ye mazaamiiN Khayaal meN
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai
These themes descend into the mind from the unknown, O Ghalib
The scratching of the pen on paper is but the sound of the wings of an angel
No divine inspiration for this poet. These Ghazal do not descend from the unknown, but the product of tears of sorrow. My pain is the most important inspiration for me.
