Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi chandr bhaan kaifi dehlavi (????-1941). He taught faarsi and urdu and was editor of a bi-weekly magazine called ‘hamaari zabaan’. Much of his work was lost. One of his shaagird, sheesh chandr taalib dehlavi, collected and published it ten years after his death. He wrote Ghazal in classical style on classical themes but also wrote many nationalistic nazm.
1
zaahid¹-e Khushk² ko baahir karo maiKhaane³ se
jo riakaar⁴ haiN aisoN ki yahaaN kaam nahiN    1.observant 2.dry … but zaahid-e Khushk means one who is observant only for show 3.tavern 4.hypocrite
Get this superficial observant out of the tavern. There is no place for hypocrites here.
2
shaiKh bhi kaifi ThiThak jaata hai maiKhaane ke paas
muNh meN bhar aata hai paani daur¹-e saaGhar² dekh kar 1.circulation, passing around 2.cup (of wine)
Even the shaiKh tarries at the tavern door as he passes by. He salivates when he sees the wine cup being passed around. Said Ghalib …
kahaaN maiKhaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante haiN, kal vo jaata tha ke hum nikle
The door to the tavern Ghalib, and the preacher there
But this much I know that yesterday, he entered as we came out
3
kaifi ko rind¹ jaan ke jaane nahiN diya
hai baargaah²-e Khaas³ meN vo baaryaab⁴ kab 1.one who drinks, drunkard 2.court, palace 3.special 4.admitted, allowed to enter
The “special court” could be a place of worship or heaven itself. When the orthodox (or angels) was kaifi coming, knowing that he was an imbiber (therefore a sinner) they stopped him. When (i.e. never) is he allowed in this special court.
4
kaifi hai ek baat Khuda ki nigaah¹ meN
kaafir² bana diya ke musalmaaN bana diya 1.eyes 2.believer of a different faith
O, kaifi, it is the same (no difference) in the eyes of god. He made you musalmaan or of another faith (it is the same to him – it is we who think it is different).
5
shaiKh hooraan-e behishti se lage ji kyuNkar
koii gulfaam nahiN, koii gul-andaam nahiN 1.angels 2.of heaven 3.fragrant like flowers 4.flower bodied, delicate, graceful
O shaiKh, how can I be happy with the angels of heaven. They are not as graceful and fragrant as the beloved. Also see number 13 below. Said daaGh dehlavi …
jis meN laakhoN baras ki hooreN ho
aisi jannat ka kya kare koii
That which has angels a thousand years old
What can one do with heaven like that
6
ek bhi banda¹ nahiN jis ka ho mazhab² bandagi³
koii kaafir⁴ ho gaya koii musalmaaN ho gaya   1.servant, follower, person 2.religion 3.obeying, following (the will of god) 4.non-believer
The word “banda” (especially in punjabi) is used to mean a person. Also, “kaafir” is used many times to mean “person of faith other than islam”. It does not have to necessarily mean non-believer in the sense of being without any faith. Thus there is no one here whose religion it is to follow the will of god. They have either become muslim or of some other faith – but no one follows god.
7
kufr¹ o eemaaN² meN na rahti ye kashaakash³ kaifi
k’aaba o dair⁴ ko maiKhaana⁵ banayaa hota    1.other belief (hinduism) 2.faith (islam) 3.struggle, conflict 4.temple 5.tavern
There would not have been a conflict between hinduism and islam, O, kaifi, if he (god) or they (orthodoxy) had made temple and mosque into a tavern.
8
mahaNgi¹ sharaab ho gayii, kaifi ne chhoR di
kaafir² ko muflisi³ ne musalmaaN bana diya 1.expensive 2.non-believer, hindu 3.poverty, destitution
Wine has become expensive now and kaifi/the poet has given up drinking. This poverty has converted a non-believer into a muslim.
9
bata duN kya tujhe zaahid, jo dekha hai vo dekha hai
teri aaNkoN meN kyuNkar Daal duN zauq-e nazar apna 1.observant, religious 2.how, I wish I could 3.desire, refinement, ability (to see) 4.sight
How can I show you O, shaiKh, that which I see. How I wish I could put into your eyes the taste/refinement/finesse of sight that I have.
10
mai¹-e kauser² milegi jab milegi ab to aye vaa’ez³
bahaar aaii hai jalse ho rahe haiN baada-KhwaaroN⁴ meN 1.wine 2.river (of wine) in heaven 3.preacher 4.revelers, patrons of the tavern
We will get the river of wine in paradise whenever we get it (sometime in the distant and uncertain future) but now, it is spring, and wine drinkers are gathered to celebrate, O, preacher.
11
Ghilaaf¹-e k’aaba-e dil gaiiN un ki siyah² zulfeN³
hifaazat⁴ kufr⁵ ki haathoN meN hai ab deen-o-eemaaN⁶ ki 1.curtain 2.dark 3.hair 4.protection 5.non-belief 6.islamic belief and faith
The heart is often referred to as the seat of god and therefore it is the same as the k’aaba, the house of god. The k’aaba has black drapes all around it. The beloved’s dark tresses have won the poet’s heart and it is like they are the protective curtain around the k’aaba. Thus, the imagery of the poet’s heart (which is non-belief) covered by the protective curtain of dark hair represents k’aaba. Therefore, his unbelief now is under protection of faith.
12
shaiKh ka jannat meN, kaifi ka hai maiKhaane¹ meN shuGhl²
har jagah hai maikada¹ maiKhwaar³ hona chaahiye     1.tavern 2.pastime, indulgence, drinking 3.one who drinks
It is commonly believed/said that heaven has rivers of wine flowing and it will be available there. Therefore, the shaiKh when he goes to heaven will indulge in drinking wine. The poet/kaifi on the other hand has the same pastime/indulgence in the tavern. Thus there is a tavern everywhere, here and in heaven. Therefore, one must become an imbiber.
13
maiN to kaafir¹ hi sahi, eemaan² se laikin bata
shaiKh ye naaz³, ye andaaz⁴ kahiN dekha hai   1.unbeliever 2.honesty 3.coquetry 4.style
I may be an unbeliever, but honestly, tell me, O, shaiKh, have you ever seen such coquetry and such style anywhere else. Recall that in she’r (number 5) above, he was suggesting that he could be happy with the angels of heaven.
14
aye shaiKh mil chuki rah¹-e irfaaN² namaaz se
jaa maikade³ meN poochh kisi paakbaaz⁴ se 1.path 2.(mystic) salvation 3.tavern 4.pious
O, shaiKh, you can (sarcastically, not) find the path to salvation through ritual prayer. Go ask any pious (sarcastic) patron of the tavern. This implies that he will confirm that you cannot find the path to salvation in namaaz or that he will tell you that the path lies through the tavern.
15
zikr¹-e kausar² jo kare shaiKh to kaifi kahna
ye bata baada³-e aNgoor kahiN aur bhi hai   1.narration, mention 2.river of heaven 3.wine
If the shaiKh talks about rivers of wine in paradise, ask him O, kaifi – is wine of grapes available anywhere else. The implication is that it is available right here on earth in taverns. So why wait until we get to heaven when we can have it right here.