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 5

See “Background tab” for full introduction.  Click here for overall comments on this section and click on any passage for meanings and discussion. 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. See “Background tab” for a full introduction.

fareb¹-e nazar hai sukoon² o sabaat³
taRapta⁴ hai har zarra⁵-e kaa’enaat⁶
Thahrta nahiN kaarvaan-e vujood⁷
ke har lahza⁸ hai taaza⁹ shaan¹⁰-e vujood1.maya, illusion 2.comfort, satisfaction 3.stability, permanence 4.restlessness, pulsation 5.particle of 6.the universe 7.existence 8.moment 9.refresh, rejuvenated 10.glory
Stability and comfort are nothing but an illusion. Every particle of the universe pulsates constantly. The caravan of existence does not stop, for every moment, the glory of life is renewed.

samajhta hai tu raaz¹ hai zindagi
faqat² zauq³-e parvaaz⁴ hai zindagi
bahut is ne dekhe haiN past⁵ o baland⁶
safar⁷ is ko manzil⁸ se baRh kar pasand1.secret, mystery 2.only 3.desire of 4.flight, soar 5.low 6.high 7.travel, movement, struggle 8.destination
You think life is a mystery. It is not. It is only the desire to soar (acheive). It (life) has seen many ups and downs (along the way). It like the struggle more than the destination.

safar¹ zindagi ke liye barg o saaz²
safar hai haqiqat³, hazar⁴ hai majaaz⁵
ulajh⁶ kar sulajhne⁷ meN lazzat⁸ ise
taRapne⁹ phaRakne¹⁰ meN raahat¹¹ ise1.travel, movement, struggle 2.travel kit, life’s provisions 3.reality 4.staying put, inertia, stagnation 5.unreal, illusion 6.entanglement 7.disentanglement 8.pleasure 9.restelessness 10.eagerness 11.comfort
Movement is the provision of Life (Soul/Spirit). Movement is reality, stagnation is illusion. It (Life) enjoys getting entangled (involved) and struggling out of its traps. It finds comfort in restlessness and eagerness.

hua jab ise saamna¹ maut ka
kaThin² tha bahut thaamna³ maut ka
utar kar jahaan-e mukafaat meN
rahi zindagi maut ki ghaat meN1.confrontation, coming face to face 2.difficult 3.stop, overcome
When it (Life) came face to face with Death, it discovered that controlling/overpowering it was difficult. It did not give up but descended into the world of struggle and retribution and lay in wait to ambush it (Death). Editorial Comment: Life through its constant struggle and renewal extracts retribution from Death.

mazaq¹-e doii² se bani zauj³ zauj
uThi dasht⁴ o kohsaar⁵ se fauj⁶ fauj
gul is shaaKh se TooTte bhi rahe
isi shaaKh se phooTte⁷ bhi rahe1.zauq, taste, relish 2.duality 3.pair, couple 4.wilderness 5.hills 6.army, horde, multitude 7.emerging, blooming
Life relishes company and because of this, multitudes arose from the wilderness and hills (of this earth). (Life is like a branch). From the same branch flowers kept falling off even as new blooms emerged. Thus Life continues even if an individual passes.

samajhte haiN nadaaN¹ ise be-sabaat²
ubharta³ hai miT⁴ miT ke naqsh⁵-e hayaat⁶
baRi tez-jaulaaN⁷, baRi zood-ras⁸
azal⁹ se abad¹⁰ tak rum¹¹-e yak nafas¹²   1.simpleton, ignorant 2.without permanence, ephemeral 3.emerges 4.erase 5.sketch, picture 6.life 7.fleet footed 8.far reaching, of quick reach 9.beginning 10.end 11.one breath/moment.
The simpleton thinks that life is ephemeral. But from every erasure of the picture of life, a new picture emerges (making life enduring). It is fast, fleet footed and reaches (its goal) quickly. It travels from the beginning to the end in but one moment.

zamaana¹ ke zanjir² ayyaam³ hai
damauN⁴ ke ulaT-pher⁵ ka naam hai1.times, epoch, era 2.chain 3.day and night 4.breathing 5.in and out
The times are but a continuous chain of days and nights like breathing in and breathing out.