Post 65: Yeh Hai Maiquada Yahan Rind Hai
ये है मय-कदा यहाँ रिंद हैं यहाँ सब का साक़ी इमाम है
Jigar Morabadi an Indian poet (6th April 1890- 9th September 1960), was a legend in his lifetime especially known for his philosophical treatment of everyday issues. His given name was Sikandar Ali. He received his education in Arabic, Urdu and Persian. He spent a greater part of his life at Gonda, near Lucknow.
For his poetry collection ‘Atish-e- Gulaal’ he received the prestigious ‘Sahitya Academy Award’ in 1958. He was the second poet to be awarded honorary D.Litt by the Aligarh Muslim University, the first being Muhammed Iqbal. He was a mentor to Sahir Ludhianwi the famous song writer in Hindi film world.
This is a Sufi ghazal and has a philosophical context where the tavern is meant to be this World, this life.
Important words:
मय-कदा: Tavern; रिंद:Free from all dogma,drinker, open minded; साक़ी: the one who offers wine, lover, the one who showers gifts; haram: sanctuary, the sacred territory of Mecca, also means where the ladies of the ruler resided; पारसाई: restraint on self, self control,restriction on ones desires; हराम:what is banned as per Islam ,painful, तंग-नज़र: narrow minded; अहल-ए-ज़र्फ़: gentle, cultured, well bred; तिश्ना-लब: with dried lips, thirsty, deprived; निज़ाम: management, system,the way things happen; काएनात: the World, Universe; ख़्वाहिशों: desires,wishes;
ये है मय-कदा यहाँ रिंद हैं यहाँ सब का साक़ी इमाम है
ये हरम नहीं है ऐ शैख़ जी यहाँ पारसाई हराम है
This is the tavern, here are drinkers who are free from all religious dogma!
Here the saqi( the lady offering wine) is the one who leads the congregation!( Not the quazi)
This is not the sacred territory of Mecca ,house of God, O preacher!
Here any restraint, any constraint is unwanted, prohibited, forbidden!!
जो ज़रा सी पी के बहक गया उसे मय-कदे से निकाल दो
यहाँ तंग-नज़र का गुज़र नहीं यहाँ अहल-ए-ज़र्फ़ का काम है
One who becomes intoxicated, looses his senses on drinking a little, throw him out of the tavern!
Herein is no place for the narrow minded, he can not survive here!
Here only well cultured, gentle and noble are allowed!!
कोई मस्त है कोई तिश्ना-लब तो किसी के हाथ में जाम है
मगर इस पे कोई करे भी क्या ये तो मय-कदे का निज़ाम है
Someone is under intoxication while others are thirsty and still others have a drink in their hands!
What can one do about it? This is the way things happen in the tavern, that is the tradition of the tavern!!
( This is a philosophical thought about life in general, where the world is seen as a tavern! It illustrates the inequalities in life.)
ये जनाब-ए-शैख़ का फ़ल्सफ़ा है अजीब सारे जहान से
जो वहाँ पियो तो हलाल है जो यहाँ पियो तो हराम है
The wise preacher has a strange way of looking at the World!
Drinking in heaven is permitted but drinking in this World is against the tenets of Islam!!
इसी काएनात में ऐ 'जिगर' कोई इंक़लाब उठेगा फिर
कि बुलंद हो के भी आदमी अभी ख़्वाहिशों का ग़ुलाम है
O Jigar, a revolution will rise again from this Universe, the whole creation!
Although Man is strong and bold, still he is a slave to his desires!!
Aziz Mian was a Pakistani singer ( born 17th April 1942 -died 6th December 2000, aged 58 years).He still holds the record for singing the longest commercially released quawwali, ‘ Hashr ke roz yeh poonchunga’. This quawwali ran for more than 150 minutes! He was well educated having pursued degree courses in Urdu literature, Persian and Arabic. His carrier took off in 1966, when he performed before the Shah of Iran Reza Shah Pahalvi. Watch him weave his magic!!!!
Sabri Brothers, namely Ghulam Farid Sabri ( born 1930 — died 5th April 1994) and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (born 12 October 1945- died 21st September 2011 in South Africa) were a musical band from Pakistan , closely connected to Chishti Order. They were the first band to perform quawwali in the USA, in 1975 and other western countries. They were active from 1956 to present.
Munni Begum is a renowned Pakistani singer, in her sixties ( born 20th June 1946), who has appeared in my blogs previously also. she was born in Murshidabad , West Bengal, India although her parents shifted to then East Pakistan in early fifties, where the common language was Bangla. She shifted to Pakistan in 1970. Urdu was not her mother tongue but she showed remakable acumen in selecting ghazals in simple language. she has a voice characterised by clarity and strength. she was a good harmonium player. she married in 1980 and went through a divorce in 1988.
Samie Muhammad has superimposed this ghazal on a Sufi dance sequence. Samie Muhammad was born on 8th October 1988 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He studied Business Administration (2010–2012) and became a qualified Chartered Accountant in 2016. He is a Sufi singer who learnt music through self training techniques! Harmonium is his favourite instrument. He is very active in Pakistan music scene.
Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi ( born 19th August 1951 — aged 70 years) is a Pakistani singer, born in Punjab Pakistan. Music was strictly forbidden in his home! Owing to adamant opposition from his parents to singing or any form of music he left his home at the age of 18. He was invited to perform on Radio Pakistan in 1972 and started recording folk songs and gradually appeared on TV. He performed Naat and Kalam of Sufi poets like Mian Muhammad Buksh, Bulleh Shah and Sadiq a poet in provincial language Saraiki . Here he sings in his soulful voice.
Mehtab Malhotra is a barrister in London practicing family law, human rights and immigration laws. She is a well respected singer and has her own way of singing.
This is a thought provoking ghazal that needs an interpretation wherein the World and your situation needs to be assessed very carefully. Enjoy what the God has given and be thankful for all his blessings.
Take care!
