Persian · noun, masculine · The Tavern & the Cup
Saaqi-naama
साक़ी-नामा
said saa-qee-naa-ma
also written: Saqi-Nama
Meaning
A 'Book of the Cup-bearer'; a poetic genre addressed to the saqi, calling for wine and reflecting on life, fate, and the spirit.
Literally: letter/book of the cup-bearer
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal's own celebrated Saqi-Nama in the Baal-e-Jibreel revives the genre as a summons for the wine of a new age to awaken East and self alike. He turns the cup-bearer's song into a manifesto of spiritual and civilisational renewal.
See it in the verse
Saaqi-naama 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
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
Faqir-e-rah ko bakhshe gae asrar-e-sultani
Baha meri nava ki daulat-e-parvez hai saqi
Baha meri nava ki daulat-e-parvez hai saqi
To the wayfaring beggar were granted the secrets of kingship; the price of my song is the whole treasure of Parvez.
Self-Knowledge · Humility · Selfhood
Ishq ki tegh-e-jigar-dar uda li kis ne
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Who has carried off love's brave, heart-piercing sword? Knowledge holds only an empty scabbard now.
Love · Action · Courage
Related words
ARABIC
Saaqi
The cup-bearer who pours the wine; in Sufi verse, the beloved, the spiritual guide, or God as the giver of the wine of love.
PERSIAN
Mai
Wine; in Sufi poetry, a symbol for the intoxicating love and ecstatic knowledge of the Divine.
PERSIAN
Jaam
A wine-cup or goblet; the vessel that holds the wine of divine love.