saaqi naama – mohammed iqbal
Introduction

saaqi naama is one of iqbal’s more celebrated urdu compositions.  It is composed in seven distinct sections strung together as a longer thematic nazm.  It is linguistically beautiful and powerful and presents an intertwined composition of disparate strains including a call for rejuvenation of the ummah, a call for restoring the old glory of islam, political observations about colonialism, sufi concepts of universal love and iqbal’s own development of “Khudi”.  “Khudi” as proposed by iqbal is an amorphous mixture of sense of self, pride, self-reliance, self-respect and ego.  It is iqbal’s concept of the “ideal man” and has echoes of Nietzshe’s “Superman” although iqbal explicitly rejects Nietzshe’s atheism.  The “saaqi” in saaqi naama is god to whom iqbal addresses an appeal.  “saaqi naama” is a well established sub-genre of farsi and urdu poetry – there are long compositions of the same title by hafiz and zuhuri.  Very short introductions to each of the seven sections is given below.

Section 1 – Preamble

The preamble describes the beauty of spring and the throbbing energy of new life, calling upon the “saaqi” (the divine) to reveal secrets/mysteries of divinity.  It is supposed to set the stage for a spring like awakening or re-birth in Islam.

Section 2 – Decay under Colonialism

In this section iqbal observes the many changes taking place in the world as people throw off the yoke of colonialism.  At this stage iqbal is still enamoured with the Russian Revolution and speaks highly of that change as well as of Chinese rising up against British Colonization (Opium Wars).  He laments that every community is waking up but the Muslim is still somnambulant.

Section 3 – Restoration

In the preamble iqbal starts with the idea of spring as a metaphor for renewal.  But this metaphor does not lead to a call for reformation but rather to a call for restoration of an imagined ancient glory.  He gives up on the older generation and hopes that the younger generation will be an improvement.  He makes an impassioned plea to the “saaqi” to endow the younger generation with the same passion (divine love akin to Sufism) that drives him.

Section 4 – vahdat-al-vujood

What drives iqbal is the concept of one-ness of all – the creator and creation.  This sufi concept of “vahdat-al-vujood” akin to the Vedic concept of “advaita” is described in a few beautiful asha’ar which also bring out “apparent” contradictions of multiplicity of manifestations of the same spirit, therefore not a contradiction.

Section 5 – manzil

Life is not defined as reaching a “manzil – destination”, says iqbal but as a constant movement, constant struggle.  Life likes the struggle/process more than the destination.  It is this struggle that overcomes death and rejuvenates itself.

Section 6 – Khudi

iqbal defines “Khudi” in linguistically beautiful terms as a combination of almost super-human qualities of self-reliance and individuality.  The underpinning is to call on youth to acquire “Khudi”.  “Khudi” is one with the “divine spirit” going back to the concept of vahdat-al-vujood.

Section 7 – The Message

The concluding section is largely a further definition of “Khudi” combined with a call to action.  “Khudi” does not bow to power.  Basic sustenance is but the first stage of “Khudi” and there are many worlds beyond this waiting for your onslaught, waiting to be conquered.  Says iqbal, “there is much more in my heart, but if I fly beyond this, my wings will be singed”.  It is up to you, O reader, to take it forward.

saaqi naama – mohammed iqbal
Section 3

See Background Tab for full introduction.  Click here for intro to this section and on any passage for meanings and discussion.  In the preamble iqbal starts with the idea of spring as a metaphor for renewal. But this metaphor does not lead to a call for reformation but rather to a call for restoration of an imagined ancient glory. He gives up on the older generation and hopes that the younger generation will be an improvement. He makes an impassioned plea to the “saaqi” to endow the younger generation with the same passion (divine love akin to Sufism) that drives him. See “Background tab” for a full introduction.

sharaab-e kuhan¹ phir pila saaqiya
vahi jaam² gardish³ meN laa saaqiya
mujhe ishq⁴ ke par laga kar uRa
meri Khaak⁵ jugnu bana kar uRa1.ancient 2.cup 3.circulation 4.(divine) love 5.clay/ashes
O saaqi (god) give me that same ancient wine (of love, that you gave to the early sufis/muslims). Bring that same cup back into circulation. Give me wings of (divine) love and enable me to fly. Let my dust/clay (according to tradition man was made out of clay) rise up again and twinkle/shine.

Khirad¹ ko Ghulaami se aazad kar
javaanauN ko piirauN² ka ustaad kar
hari shaaKh-e millat³ tere dam se hai
nafas⁴ is badan meN tere dam se hai1.knowledge 2.seniors, old people 3.community 4.breath
iqbal appears to be giving up on the older generation. O saaqi, free up knowledge from slavery/oppression (of the established orthodoxy). Let the young become teachers of the old. It is because of you (O, saaqi) that young shoots/branches of the community are green. It is because of you that there is still breath left in the body of the community.

taRapne phaRakne ki taufeeq¹ de
dil-e murtaza², soz³-e siddiq⁴ de
jigar se vahi tiir phir paar kar
tamanna⁵ ko seenauN meN bedaar⁶ kar1.ability, courage 2.another name of ali 3.fire/passion 4.abu-bakr 5.desire 6.awake
(O Saaqi) Grant the courage to bear pain and be restless (in search of divine love). Grant the heart of ali and the passion of abu-bakr (both names evocative of early glory of Islam). Shoot the same arrow (of divine love) through my heart. Re-awaken desire in our bosom.

tere aasmanauN ke taarauN ki Khair¹
zaminauN ke shab zinda-daarauN² ki Khair
javaanauN ko soz³-e jigar⁴ baKhsh⁵ de
mera ishq meri nazar⁶ baKhsh de1.used here to mean long live 2.people who stay up late into the night (offering devotional prayers) 3.fire/passion of 4.liver/heart 5.grant 6.sight, insight
The “zinda-daar” – people who stay up late into the night offering devotional prayers – are likened to stars which also shine all night long – thus, may the stars of the sky and “zinda-daar” of the earth live long. Grant to young people the passion/fire of the heart. Grant them the same (divine) love and insight that I have.

meri naau¹ girdaab² se paar kar
ye saabit³ hai tu is ko sayyar⁴ kar
bata mujh ko asraar⁵-e marg⁶ o hayaat⁷
ke teri nigaahauN⁸ meN hai kaayenaat⁹  1.boat 2.whirlpool, storm 3.stationary 4.moving 5.mysteries, secrets 6.death 7.life 8.eyes, sight 9.creation, universe
(O saaqi/god) Get my boat across this stormy sea. It is stuck (stationary), get it moving again. Reveal to me the secrets of life and death. After all, you see/know the whole universe.

mere deeda-e tar¹ ki be-KhwaabiyaaN²
mere dil ki poshida³ betaabiyaaN⁴
mere naala⁵-e neem-shab⁶ ka niyaaz⁷
meri Khilwat⁸ o anjuman⁹ ka gudaaz¹⁰  1.tearful eye 2.sleeplessness 3.hidden 4.yearning 5.wailing 6.midnight 7.(devotional) offering 10.solitude, recluse, withdraw 9.gathering, company 10.fire/pain (O, saaqi/god)
Grant them the sleeplessness of my tearful eye, the hidden yearnings of my heart. Grant them the art of midnight cries of devotional offerings. Grant them ability to feel this fire/passion/pain in solitude or in company.

umaNgeN¹ meri, aarzueN² meri!
ummeedeN³ meri, justajueN⁴ meri!
meri fitrat⁵ aaiina⁶-e rozgar⁷
Ghazalaan⁸-e afkaar⁹ ka marGhzaar¹⁰  1.ambition, enthusiasm 2.desires 3.hopes 4.search, pursuit 5.nature 6.mirror, reflection 7.used here to mean the times 8.deer 9.thought, philosophy 10.meadow
(O, saqi) Grant them (the young people) my ambition, my desires, my hopes and my pursuits. Grant them my ability to reflect/understand the times. Grant them my nature where thoughts (herds of deer) come to graze.

mera dil meri razmgaah¹-e hayaat²
gumaanauN³ ka lashkar⁴ yaqiN⁵ ka sabaat⁶
yahi kuchh hai saaqi mataa⁷-e faqir⁸
isi se faqiri meN huN maiN amir⁹  1.field of conflict 2.life 3.doubts, questions 4.armies 5.certainty, conviction 6.steadfastness, firmness 7.possessions, wealth 8.mendicant, poor, dervish 9.wealthy
(O, saaqi) Grant them (young generation) my heart where the struggle for life takes place, where armies of doubts/questions attack the firmness of conviction. It is all of these that are the meager possessions of the mendicant. It is in this destitution that I find wealth.

mere qaafile¹ meN luTa de ise
luTa de Thikaane laga² de ise1.caravan, following, community 2.bring to fruition
Take all of this and distribute/spread/sprinkle it in my community. Grant it to them and bring it to fruition.