For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مذہب خیالِ خام ہے ساقی ۔ ساحر لدھیانوی
۱
عقائد وہم ہیں مذہب خیالِ خام ہے ساقی
ازل سے ذہنِ انساں بستۂ اوہام ہے ساقی
۲
حقیقت آشنائی اصل میں گم کردہ راہی ہے
عروسِ آگہی پروردۂ ابہام ہے ساقی
۳
مبارک ہو ضعیفی کو خِرد کی فلسفہ رانی
جوانی بے نیاز عِبرتِ انجام ہے ساقی
۴
ہوس ہوگی اسیر حلقۂ نیک و بد عالم
محبت ماورائے فکرِ ننگ و نام ہے ساقی
۵
ابھی تک راستے کے پیچ و خم سے دل دھڑکتا ہے
مرا ذوق طلب شاید ابھی تک خام ہے ساقی
۶
وہاں بھیجا گیا ہوں چاک کرنے پردۂ شب کو
جہاں ہر صبح کے دامن پہ عکس شام ہے ساقی
۷
مرے ساغر میں مے ہے اور ترے ہاتھوں میں بربط ہے
وطن کی سر زمیں میں بھوک سے کہرام ہے ساقی
۸
زمانہ برسر پیکار ہے پر ہول شعلوں سے
ترے لب پر ابھی تک نغمۂ خیام ہے ساقی
मज़हब ख़याल-ए ख़ाम है साक़ी – साहेर लुधियानवी
१
अक़ाएद वहम हैं मज़हब ख़याल-ए ख़ाम है साक़ी
अज़ल से ज़हन-ए इंसाँ बस्ता-ए औहाम है साक़ी
२
हक़ीक़त-आश्नाई अस्ल में गुम-कर्दा राही है
उरूस-ए आगही परवर्दा-ए इब्हाम है साक़ी
३
मुबारक हो ज़ईफ़ी को ख़िरद की फ़लसफ़ा-रानी
जवानी बे-नियाज़-ए इब्रत-ए अंजाम है साक़ी
४
हवस होगी असीर-ए हल्क़ा-ए नेक-ओ-बद-ए आलम
मोहब्बत मावरा-ए फ़िक्र-ए नंग-ओ-नाम है साक़ी
५
अभी तक रास्ते के पेच-ओ-ख़म से दिल धड़कता है
मेरा ज़ौक़-ए तलब शा’एद अभी तक ख़ाम है साक़ी
६
वहाँ भेजा गया हूँ चाक करने पर्दा-ए शब को
जहाँ हर सुब्ह के दामन पे अक्स-ए शाम है साक़ी
७
मेरे साग़र में मय है और तेरे हाथों में बरबत है
वतन की सर-ज़मीं में भूक से कोहराम है साक़ी
८
ज़माना बरसर-ए पैकार है पुर-हौल शो’लों से
तेरे लब पर अभी तक नग़्मा-ए ख़य्याम है साक़ी
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.
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 saaqi
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 saaqi
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.
