Is collection se writer-diverse top picks for quick reading.
kahan mai-khane ka darvaza 'ghhalib' aur kahan vaaiz
par itna jante hain kal vo jaata tha ki ham nikle
wherefrom the 'saintly' priest, and where the tavern's door
but as i entered he was leaving, this much i do know
ghalib uses wit and irony to expose the hypocrisy of religious figures who preach morality but practice vice in secret. by contrasting the supposed piety of the preacher with the sinfulness of the tavern, the poet reveals that while he admits his own faults openly (leaving the tavern), the 'holy' man was sneaking in when he thought no one was watching.
hangama hai kyun barpa thodi si jo pi li hai
hangama hai kyuun barpa thodi si jo pi li hai
daaka to nahin maara chori to nahin ki hai
barely have i sipped a bit, why should this uproar be
it's not that i've commited theft or daylight robbery
na-tajraba-kari se vaaiz ki ye hain baten
is rang ko kya jaane puchho to kabhi pi hai
the preachers prattle can be to inexerience ascribed
how does he know the joys thereof, has he ever imbibed
us mai se nahin matlab dil jis se hai begana
maqsud hai us mai se dil hi men jo khinchti hai
that wine is of little use which causes loss of sense
i seek the wine that imbues the heart with love intense
ai shauq vahi mai pi ai hosh zara so ja
mehman-e-nazar is dam ik barq-e-tajalli hai
her heart wishes to torture, mine wants to tolerate
a strange heart she possesses, an odd one i do rate
vaan dil men ki sadme do yaan ji men ki sab sah lo
un ka bhi ajab dil hai mera bhi ajab ji hai
each speck does glitter with heavens brilliant glare
each breath proclaims if i, exist god too is there
har zarra chamakta hai anvar-e-ilahi se
har saans ye kahti hai ham hain to khuda bhi hai
stains besmirch the sun, it's nature's miracle
idols call me a heretic, it too must be god's will
suraj men lage dhabba fitrat ke karishme hain
but ham ko kahen kafir allah ki marzi hai
taalim ka shor aisa tahzib ka ghhul itna
barkat jo nahin hoti niyyat ki kharabi hai
sach kahte hain shaikh 'akbar' hai taat-e-haq lazim
haan tark-e-mai-o-shahid ye un ki buzurgi hai
hangama hai kyun barpa thodi si jo pi li hai
daka to nahin mara chori to nahin ki hai
barely have i sipped a bit, why should this uproar be
it's not that i've commited theft or daylight robbery
na-tajraba-kari se waiz ki ye hain baaten
is rang ko kya jaane puchho to kabhi pi hai
the preachers prattle can be to inexerience ascribed
how does he know the joys thereof, has he ever imbibed
us mai se nahin matlab dil jis se hai begana
maqsud hai us mai se dil hi mein jo khinchti hai
that wine is of little use which causes loss of sense
i seek the wine that imbues the heart with love intense
ai shauq wahi mai pi ai hosh zara so ja
mehman-e-nazar is dam ek barq-e-tajalli hai
her heart wishes to torture, mine wants to tolerate
a strange heart she possesses, an odd one i do rate
wan dil mein ki sadme do yan ji mein ki sab sah lo
un ka bhi ajab dil hai mera bhi ajab ji hai
each speck does glitter with heavens brilliant glare
each breath proclaims if i, exist god too is there
har zarra chamakta hai anwar-e-ilahi se
har sans ye kahti hai hum hain to khuda bhi hai
stains besmirch the sun, it's nature's miracle
idols call me a heretic, it too must be god's will
suraj mein lage dhabba fitrat ke karishme hain
but hum ko kahen kafir allah ki marzi hai
talim ka shor aisa tahzib ka ghul itna
barkat jo nahin hoti niyyat ki kharabi hai
sach kahte hain shaikh 'akbar' hai taat-e-haq lazim
han tark-e-mai-o-shahid ye un ki buzurgi hai
kuchh apni jo hurmat tujhe manzur ho ai shaikh
kuchh apni jo hurmat tujhe manzur ho ai shaikh
tu bahs na mai-khvaron se chal duur ho ai shaikh
masjid men zara vaqt-e-sahar dekh to ja kar
shayad koi us chashm ka makhmur ho ai shaikh
sad dana-e-tasbih rakhe haath men apne
chaunke to jo yak-dana-e-angur ho ai shaikh
tu mujh ko kahe ek main sau tujh ko sunaun
ai kaash ki itna mujhe maqdur ho ai shaikh
aaya hai vo badmast liye haath men shamshir
majlis se shitabi kahin kafur ho ai shaikh
karta hai hamen mana tu paimana-kashi se
paimana tiri umr ka maamur ho ai shaikh
albatta kare mana hamen ishq-e-butan se
tujh sa jo koi aql se maazur ho ai shaikh
phir dum hai vo shimla jo hua had se ziyada
rakh shimla tu shimle ka jo dastur ho ai shaikh
har harf men sakhti hai tire sang-e-jafa se
darta huun na phir shisha-e-dil chuur ho ai shaikh
kya huur ki baton se lubhave hai tu mujh ko
hasha ki mujhe arzu-e-hur ho ai shaikh
shekhi men to sunta hi nahin baat kisi ki
is dadhi par itna bhi na maghhrur ho ai shaikh
kyuun 'mushafi' ko itni tu karta hai nasihat
sar chadh na bahut us ke jo majbur ho ai shaikh
kuchh apni jo hurmat tujhe manzur ho ai shaikh
tu bahs na mai-khwaron se chal dur ho ai shaikh
masjid mein zara waqt-e-sahar dekh to ja kar
shayad koi us chashm ka makhmur ho ai shaikh
sad dana-e-tasbih rakhe hath mein apne
chaunke to jo yak-dana-e-angur ho ai shaikh
tu mujh ko kahe ek main sau tujh ko sunaun
ai kash ki itna mujhe maqdur ho ai shaikh
aaya hai wo badmast liye hath mein shamshir
majlis se shitabi kahin kafur ho ai shaikh
karta hai hamein mana tu paimana-kashi se
paimana teri umr ka mamur ho ai shaikh
albatta kare mana hamein ishq-e-butan se
tujh sa jo koi aql se mazur ho ai shaikh
phir dum hai wo shimla jo hua had se ziyaada
rakh shimla tu shimle ka jo dastur ho ai shaikh
har harf mein sakhti hai tere sang-e-jafa se
darta hun na phir shisha-e-dil chur ho ai shaikh
kya hur ki baaton se lubhawe hai tu mujh ko
hasha ki mujhe aarzu-e-hur ho ai shaikh
shekhi mein to sunta hi nahin baat kisi ki
is dadhi par itna bhi na maghrur ho ai shaikh
kyun 'mushafi' ko itni tu karta hai nasihat
sar chadh na bahut us ke jo majbur ho ai shaikh
umid-e-hur ne sab kuchh sikha rakkha hai vaaiz ko
ye hazrat dekhne men sidhe-sade bhole-bhale hain
allama iqbal uses sharp satire to expose a preacher whose piety is driven by reward, not sincerity. “hope of houris” symbolizes greed dressed up as religion, which trains him in cunning. the couplet contrasts outer simplicity with inner calculation, highlighting hypocrisy and self-deception. the emotional core is disgust at moral showmanship.
javani ko bacha sakte to hain har daaghh se vaaiz
magar aisi javani ko javani kaun kahta hai
pi shauq se vaaiz are kya baat hai dar ki
dozakh tire qabze men hai jannat tire ghar ki
kahte hain jis ko jannat vo ik jhalak hai teri
sab vaizon ki baaqi rangin-bayaniyan hain
miri sharab ki tauba pe ja na ai vaaiz
nashe ki baat nahin e'tibar ke qabil
aaen hain samjhane log
hain kitne divane log
people come to counsel me
how silly, crazy can they be
dhoke se pila di thi use bhi koi do ghunt
pahle se bahut narm hai vaaiz ki zaban ab
through guile we have managed to ply him with
now the priest's tone is much gentler than before
vaaiz mai-e-tuhur jo piina hai khuld men
aadat abhi se daal raha huun sharab ki
vaaiz ki ankhen khul gaiin piite hi saqiya
ye jam-e-mai tha ya koi dariya-e-nur tha
mujhe kafir hi batata hai ye vaaiz kam-bakht
main ne bandon men kai baar khuda ko dekha
niyaz-e-be-khudi behtar namaz-e-khud-numai siin
na kar ham pukhta-maghhzon siin khayal-e-kham ai vaaiz
koi ilaj-e-ghham-e-zindagi bata vaaiz
sune hue jo fasane hain phir suna na mujhe
kya madrase men dahr ke ulti hava bahi
vaaiz nahi ko amr kahe amr ko nahi
sadaqat ho to dil sinon se khinchne lagte hain vaaiz
haqiqat khud ko manva leti hai maani nahin jaati
vaaiz na tum piyo na kisi ko pila sako
kya baat hai tumhari sharab-e-tuhur ki
ghalib employs biting sarcasm against the religious preacher who forbids earthly wine while promising 'sharab-e-tahoor' (the pure wine of heaven). the poet argues that a reward which is purely theoretical, cannot be consumed now, and allows for no communal sharing, is essentially useless compared to the immediate joys of life.
apni jannat mujhe dikhla na saka tu vaaiz
kucha-e-yar men chal dekh le jannat meri
na vaaiz hajv kar ek din duniya se jaana hai
are munh saqi-e-kausar ko bhi akhir dikhana hai
