Meaning
The gathering presided over by the cupbearer.
Literally: assembly of the cupbearer
See it in the verse
Bazm-e-Saaqi in Iqbal’s couplets
Nahin hai naumeed Iqbal apni kisht-e-veeran se
Zara nam ho to ye mitti badi zarkhez hai saqi
Zara nam ho to ye mitti badi zarkhez hai saqi
Iqbal is not without hope, even from his barren field — let there be a little moisture, cupbearer, and this soil is wonderfully fertile.
Hope · Aspiration
Bhari bazm mein raaz ki baat keh di
Bada be-adab hun saza chahta hun
Bada be-adab hun saza chahta hun
In the crowded gathering I blurted out the secret — I am terribly insolent; I ask for my punishment.
Courage · Love
Bohat dekhe hain main ne mashriq-o-maghrib ke maikhane
Yahan saqi nahin paida wahan be-zauq hai sahba
Yahan saqi nahin paida wahan be-zauq hai sahba
I have seen many a wine-house in both East and West: here no cup-bearer worth the name, there a wine with no savour at all.
Awakening · Self-Knowledge
Bahut dekhe hain maine mashriq-o-maghrib ke maikhane
Yahan saaqi nahin paida, wahan be-zauq hai sahba
Yahan saaqi nahin paida, wahan be-zauq hai sahba
I have seen many a tavern of the East and the West — here no cup-bearer is born, and there the wine itself is without relish.
Awakening · Self-Knowledge
Nasha pila ke girana to sab ko aata hai
Maza to jab hai ki girton ko thaam le saqi
Maza to jab hai ki girton ko thaam le saqi
Anyone can pour the wine and let people fall — the real worth is when the cup-bearer catches those who are falling.
Leadership · Humility · Action
Digar-gun hai jahan taron ki gardish tez hai saqi
Dil-e-har-zarra mein ghaugha-e-rusta-khez hai saqi
Dil-e-har-zarra mein ghaugha-e-rusta-khez hai saqi
The world is changing, the wheeling of the stars is swift; in the heart of every atom there is the tumult of a rising.
Awakening · Hope · Restlessness