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Recitation

مطلعِ  انوار  ہے  ساقی  ۔  جوشؔ  ملیح  آبادی

۱

تجھے  کیا  دورِ  گُل  ہے  یا  زمانِ  خار  ہے  ساقی

تو  خود  اپنی  جگہ  اِک  دولتِ  بیدار  ہے  ساقی

۲

حقیقت  کچھ  سمجھ  ہی  میں  نہیں  آتی  دو  عالم  کی

جو  کچھ  آتی  بھی  ہے  ناقابلِ  اِظہار  ہے  ساقی

۳

ترے  مستوں  کو  روز  و  شب  کی  آویزش  سے  کیا  مطلب

یہاں  تو  تیرگی  بھی  مطلعِ  انوار  ہے  ساقی

۴

ترے  خدمت  گزاروں  کو  حق  و  باطل  سے  کیا  مطلب

یہاں  تو  خیر  بھی  شر  کی  رفیقِ  کار  ہے  ساقی

۵

یہاں  ہر  عقدہ  اِک  کُھلتا  ہوا  در  ہے  فراغت  کا

یہاں  ہر  قید  اِک  گِرتی  ہوئی  دیوار  ہے  ساقی

۶

قسم  اِس  جان  کی  رقصاں  ہے  جس  میں  کیف  و  سرمستی

کہ  اِس  مُٹّھی  میں  روحِ  ثابت  و  سیّار  ہے  ساقی

۷

عقائد  کے  ہزاروں  عقل  فرسا  کاروانوں  کا

فقط  اِک  واہما  ہی  قافلہ  سالار  ہے  ساقی

۸

نہ  گھبرا  اِنتہائی  صبر  و  نرمی  سے  مداوا  کر

کہ  عقل  انسان  کی  اِک  عمر  سے  بیمار  ہے  ساقی

۹

بہت  عجلت  نہ  فرما  کاروبارِ  دل  کے  اِجرا  میں

کہ  یہ  دنیا  اسیرِ  اندک  و  بسیار  ہے  ساقی

۱۰

ذرا  آہستہ  لے  چل  کاروانِ  کیف  و  مستی  کو

کہ  سطح  ذہنِ  عالم  سخت  ناہموار  ہے  ساقی

۱۱

مرا  ایمان  ہے  اِک  لرزہ  بر  اندام  بے  دینی

مرا  اقرار  اک  سہما  ہوا  اِنکار  ہے  ساقی

۱۲

نظر  کر  جوشؔ  پر  اپنے  کہ  اِتنی  بے  خودی  پر  بھی

یہ  رندِ  لااُبالی  کس  قدر  ہشیار  ہے  ساقی

मत्ला’-ए अनवार है साक़ी – जोश मलीहाबादी

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Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii about the beauty of dawn can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This is one of several Ghazal ham-radeef Ghazal that josh wrote. It is linked to other Ghazal of the same radeef on the Refrain Index page.

josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution.  He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy.  His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing.  He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn.  His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii about the beauty of dawn can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’.  This is one of several Ghazal ham-radeef Ghazal that josh wrote.  It is linked to other Ghazal of the same radeef on the Refrain Index page.

1.time of flowering, spring 2.time of 3.thorns 4.yourself 5.living/vibrant treasure

Whether it is the season of flowers (spring, joy, ease) or thorns (autumn, dry, hardship), it doesn’t matter, O saaqi (cupbearer). You yourself are a living/vibrant treasure.  The saaqi symbolizes inspiration, life-force, or divine energy – independent of external circumstances.  No matter what happens outside, true wealth lies in the inner awakening the saaqi represents.

1.reality 2.comprehend, understand 3.two worlds, here and hereafter 4.unable to, unworthy of 5.expression

The reality (meaning, purpose) of this world or the next, the here and hereafter, cannot be truly understood; and whatever little is understood cannot be expressed (or is so little that it is not worthy of expression).  This reflects the mystical theme: truth transcends human comprehension and language.  Whatever glimpses of reality we do perceive are too profound to be shared with words.

1.intoxicated, ecstatic 2.day and night 3.conflict 4.concern, care 5.darkness 6.emergence 7.rays of light

Those intoxicated with love of you, O saaqi, care little about conflicts between day (light) and night (darkness).  Even darkness appears like rays of light at dawn to them i.e., the sufi steeped in mystic knowledge can see/comprehend the unity in differences/opposites.

1.servants, devotees 2.truth 3.falsehood 4.concern, care 5.good 6.evil 7.ally, co-worker

Your devotees are unconcerned with discussions/fine points of right and wrong; here, even goodness is allied with evil, O saaqi.  In the world of divine intoxication, rigid moral distinctions (right vs wrong) blur.  There is a recognition of grey areas, mutual acceptance, no rigid judgement like orthodoxy.  The tavern is a forgiving and accepting place.

1.knot, mystery 2.door 3.freedom, leisure 4.confinement

josh continues the thought of soft borders, acceptance and liberalism of the tavern.  Here, every knot is a door opening into freedom; here, every prison is a collapsing wall.

1.dancing 2.ecstacy 3.intoxication 4.fist, grip 5.spirit 6.stationary, stars 7.moving, planets

saabit o sayyar the stationary and the moving, stars and planets signifies the whole universe.  josh swears by the life of the tavern – spent in ecstacy and intoxication (the tavern of liberalism or perhaps even of sufi liberalism).  He declares that this dancing/celebratory life has in its grip the whole universe.

1.(blind) belief 2.intellect 3.rubbing, erasing, eradicating 4.only 5.superstition 6.caravan leader, guide

Here kaarvaan is a belief system, rigid dogmas of blind belief.  Such a caravan erases/eradicates intelligence because its guide is only blind superstition.

1.worry, anxiety 2.limitless 3.patience and gentleness 4.healing 5.intelligence, reason 6.lifelong, ages

O saaqi don’t be anxious cure gently with unlimited patience, for human reason has been sick for ages.

1.haste 2.to affirm, to declare, to make 3.affairs, workings 4.to execute, to perform 5.captive, imprisoned 6.little and plenty, scarcity and abundance, profit and loss

O saaqi do not be too hasty in carrying out the business of the heart (love and spirit); this world is obsessed with material values of abundance and scracity.

1.ecstasy 2.intoxication, trance 3.surface 4.mind 5.world 6.extremely, very 7.bumpy

The caravan of ecstasy and intoxication is liberal thinking, sufi practice and open-ness.  O saaqi guide this caravan slowly, for the surface of the world’s mind is very uneven.   The poet advises careful nurturing of joy and spiritual intoxication because humanity’s collective mind is troubled, rough, and unstable.

1.faith, belief 2.trembling all over 3.faithlessness 4.acceptance 5.scared 6.denial

Thoughts of grey areas continue.  My faith is a trembling godlessness; my acceptance is a fearful denial, O saaqi.  This is a recognition of the existence of uncertainty which is the driving force for inquiry/learning and progress.

1.pen-name 2.intoxication 3.wine lover, liberal thinker 4.careless, insolent, rebellious 5.so much 6.alert, wise

O saaqi take a careful look at josh, even in this state of complete abandon, how alert this carefree drunkard is!

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