Persian · phrase · The Tavern & the Cup
Saqi-e-Azal
साक़ी-ए-अज़ल
said saa-qee-e-a-zal
also written: saqi e azal, saqie azal
Meaning
The eternal cupbearer; the primordial Saqi (God or destiny) who pours the wine of existence.
Literally: saqi (cupbearer) + azal (pre-eternity)
See it in the verse
Saqi-e-Azal 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
Use subh-e-azal inkar ki jurat hui kyunkar
Mujhe malum kya wo raaz-dan tera hai ya mera
Mujhe malum kya wo raaz-dan tera hai ya mera
How did he find the daring to refuse at the dawn of time? How would I know whose confidant he is, yours or mine.
Courage · Selfhood
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