Ashaar #030 - 'saaqii'

Date: 10-Feb-2000
Topic: 'saaqii'


The topic for the 30th edition of Ashaar was 'saaqii'. Apart
from the literal meaning of saaqii, the word is also used to
allude to God. 'saaqii' is seen as the one who fulfills all
needs of those who visit a travern. In a similar manner, we
are merely travellers passing through this traven called the
world and God is our 'saaqii', the provider of all our needs.


Many poets of Urdu have lamented the fact that their ashaar
related to 'saaqii' and 'jaam' have been miscontrued by most
people. A classic example is the famous ghazal by Akbar
Allahabadi, immortalized by Ghulam Ali - 'hangaamaa hai kyuu.N
barpaa tho.Dii sii jo pii lii hai'.


Of course there is no dearth of poets, specially 'modern' day
poets who do use the word literally andthi reflects a general
downward trend in the understanding of a ghazal. People do not
want to spend time in learning how to appreciate a good ghazal
nor do they want to understand the symbolism that is so intrinsic
to Urdu poetry. That is the reason that in recent times, there
has been an increase in the 'halke-phulke sher', and ghazals
and nazms without depth or complexity of thought.


However, having attended the annual 'Laal Qilaa' mushaira in
Delhi, I feel reassured that Urdu poetry cannot be losing all
its fans and that there are people out there who care about
it and who are willing to spend time in understanding it. That
is also amply reflected in the growing number of visitors and
members to my web sites and mailing lists. I would like to thank
you all for doing your part in keeping this language and poetic
form alive.


Before we move on to ashaar on 'saaqii', let me announce the
topic for the next post of Ashaar. The topic is 'mulaaqaat'.
If you would like to share your favourite ashaar by established
poets with others on the list, please send them via e-mail to
moderator@urdupoetry.com or use the online form at

http://www.ashaar.net/contact.html

The deadline for sending in your ashaar on 'mulaaqaat' is
February 19th, 2001.

You will be pleased to know that the Ashaar web site was awarded
the Golden Web Award for Design and Content for 2000-2001. Also,
the membership of the Ashaar mailing list crossed the 600 mark
this month. A big THANK YOU to all of you for making this possible.

And now, to the topic of the week...


Contributed by S.Sheriff:
------------------------

mujh tak kab un kii bazm me.n aataa thaa daur-e-jaam
saaqii ne kuchh milaa na diyaa ho sharaab me.n
[Mirza Ghalib]


Contributed by M. Narsing Raj:
-----------------------------

pilaa de ok se saaqii jo ham se nafrat hai
pyaalaa gar nahii.n detaa na de sharaab to de
[Mirza Ghalib]

mast kar ke mujhe auro.n ko lagaa muu.Nh saaqii
ye karam hosh me.n rah kar nahii.n dekhe jaate
[Ali Ahmed Jaleeli]

zikr-e-saaqii hii kaafii nahii.n ai 'Fana'
be-piye maikade me.n guzaaraa nahii.n
[Fana Nizami Kanpuri]

shaayad aa jayegaa saaqii ko taras ab ke baras
mil na paayaa hai un aa.Nkho.n kaa ras ab ke baras
[Rai Rampuri]

aa.Nkh ko jaam samajh baiThaa thaa anjaane me.n
saaqiyaa hosh kahaa.N thaa tere diivaane me.n
[Shamim Shahabadi]


Contributed by Eeshat Ansari:
----------------------------

ye rang-e-bahaar-e-aalam hai kyuu.N fikr hai tujh ko ai saaqii
mahafil to terii suunii na hu_ii kuchh uTh bhii gaye kuchh aa bhii gaye
[Majaz]


Contributed by Ajoy Bhatia:
--------------------------

laa pilaa de saaqiyaa paimaanaa paimaane ke baad
hosh kii baate.N karuu.Ngaa hosh me.n aane ke baad
[Unknown]


Contributed by Nadeem Ahsan:
---------------------------

tere shiishe me.n mai baaqii nahii.n hai
bataa kyaa tuu meraa saaqii nahii.n hai
samandar se mile pyaase ko shabanam
bakhiilii hai ye razzaaqii nahii.n hai
[Unknown]


Contributed by Swati Sani:
-------------------------

saaqiyaa! saaqiyaa! saaqiyaa! saaqiyaa!
raham kar, raham kar, raham kar, raham kar
mai na de, mai na de, mai na de, mai na de
ek nazar, ek nazar, ek nazar, ek nazar
[Unknown]


Contributed by Ibrahim Taj:
--------------------------

tere nisaar saaqiiyaa jitanii piyuu.N pilaaye jaa
mast nazar kaa vastaa mast mujhe banaaye jaa
[Unknown]

ye alag baat hai saaqii ki mujhe hosh nahii.n
hosh itanaa hai ki mai.n tujh se faraamosh nahii.n
[Unknown]


Contributed by Chandresh Pant:
-----------------------------

baat saaqii kii na Taalii jaayegii
kar ke taubaa to.D Daali jaayegii
[Habib Jaleel]


ko_ii samajhaaye ki kyaa rang hai maiKhaane kaa
aa.Nkh saaqii kii uThe naam ho paimaane kaa
[Iqbal Sufipuri]

chashm-e-saaqii mujhe har gaam pe yaad aatii hai
raastaa bhuul na jaa_uu.N kahii.n maiKhaane kaa
[Iqbal Sufipuri]


Here is an entire ghazal addressed to 'saaqii' 
by Sudarshan Faakir. This was contributed by 
Chandresh Pant:

Dhal gayaa aaftaab ai saaqii
laa pilaa de sharaab ai saaqii

yaa suraahii lagaa mere muu.Nh se
yaa ulaT de naqaab ai saaqii

maikadaa chho.D kar kahaa.N jaa_uu.N
hai zamaanaa Kharaab ai saaqii

jaam bhar de gunaah_gaaro.n ke
ye bhii hai ik savaab ai saaqii

aaj piine de aur piine de
kal kare.nge hisaab ai saaqii


Contributed by Abhimanyu Bhola:
------------------------------

saaqii nazar na aaye to gardan jhukaa ke dekh
shiishe me.n maahataab hai sach bolataa huu.N mai.n
[Unknown]


Contributed by Farooq:
---------------------

thii agar mai se suraahii terii Khaalii saaqii
to chiraaG-e-dar-e-maiKhaanaa jalaayaa kyuu.N thaa
[Unknown]

fazaa maGamuum hai saaqii uThaa chhalkaaye.n paimaanaa
andheraa ba.Dh chalaa hai laa zaraa qandiil-e-maiKhaanaa
[Unknown]


And finally, here are some more ashaar on saaqii:

mast karanaa hai to Khud muu.Nh se lagaa de saaqii
tuu pilaayegii kahaa.N tak mujhe paimaane se
[Jaleel Manikpuri]

sab kii nazaro.n me.n ho saaqii ye zaruurii hai magar 
sab pe saaqii kii nazar ho ye zaruurii to nahii.n 
[Khamosh Dehlvi]

saaqii kii har nigaah pe bal khaa ke pii gayaa 
laharo.n se khelataa huaa laharaa ke pii gayaa 
[Jigar Moradabadi]

fareb-e-saaqii-e-mahafil na puuchhiye "Majrooh" 
sharaab ek hai badale hue hai.n paimaane 
[Majrooh Sultanpuri]