Ashaar #035 - 'sharaab'

Date: 18-Jun-2001
Topic: 'sharaab'


'sharaab', 'mai', 'baadaa' - Whatever be the name, there are 
literally thousands of couplets (ashaar) on this topic in 
Urdu poetry. In quite a few cases, specially in earlier times, 
the intoxication (mastii) mentioned in the ghazals was not
due to sharaab but was the intoxication of being lost in the 
love for one's beloved, which was actually God. Over time, 
poets starting using 'sharaab' literally in their ghazals. 

It is impractical and impossible to list all ashaar on 'sharaab'
so here is a selection from the works of great 'ustads' (also 
called the 'asatizaa'), along with a few contributions sent by 
some of the Ashaar members. 

Ghalib is undoubtedly the most quoted poet, and this topic 
is no exception. Here are some of his ashaar:


zaahid sharaab piine de masjid me.n baiTh kar
yaa vo jagah bataa jahaa.N par Khudaa na ho
- Mirza Ghalib

go haath ko jumbish nahii.n aa.Nkho.n me.n to dam hai
rahane do abhii saaGar-o-miinaa mere aage
- Mirza Ghalib

vo chiiz jis ke liye ham ko bahisht aziiz
sivaaye baadaa-e-gul_faam-e-mushk_buu kyaa hai
- Mirza Ghalib

piyuu.N sharaab agar Khum bhii dekh luu.N do chaar
ye shiishaa-o-qadah-o-kuuzaa-o-subuu kya hai
- Mirz aGhalib

'Ghalib' chuTii sharaab par ab bhii kabhii-kabhii
piitaa huu.N roz-e-abr-o-shab-e-maahataab me.n
- Mizar Ghalib


Contributed by Pramod Shersia:
-----------------------------

mujh tak kab un kii bazm me.n aataa thaa daur-e-jaam
saaqii ne kuchh milaa na diyaa ho sharaab me.n
- Mirza Ghalib

pilaa de ok se saaqii jo ham se nafarat hai
pyaalaa gar nahii.n detaa na de sharaab to de
- Mirza Ghalib

[ok = cupped hand]

dekhaa kiye vo mast nigaaho.n se baar baar
jab tak sharaab aaye ka_ii daur ho gaye
- Shad Azeemabadi

gar aag maikasho.n kii sazaa hai to yaa Khudaa
dozaKh me.n ek nahar bahaa de sharaab kii
 - Unknown
 
 [dozaKh = hell; nahar = canal]

merii sharaab kii kyaa qadr tujh ko ai vaa_iz
jise mai.n pii ke duaa duu.N vo jannatii ho jaaye
- Unknown]

merii tabaahii kaa ilzaam ab sharaab pe hai
mai.n aur karataa bhii kyaa tum pe aa rahii thii baat
- Unknown

shiishaa rahe baGal me.n jaam-e-sharaab lab par
saaqii yahii mazaa hai do din kii zindagii me.n
- Unknown

Gam-e-duniyaa bhii Gam-e-yaar me.n shaamil kar lo
nashaa ba.Dhataa hai sharaabe.n jo sharaabo.n me.n mile.n
- Ahmed Faraz


Contributed by Rehman Sayed:
---------------------------

rah ga_ii jaam me.n anga.Daa_iyaa.N leke sharaab
ham se maa.Ngii na ga_ii un se pilaa_ii na ga_ii


Contributed by Megha Saxena:
---------------------------

hijr me.n kaif-e-iztaraab na puuchh 
Khuun-e-dil bhii sharaab honaa thaa 
- Majaz

[hijr = separation; iztaraab = restlessness]


Contributed by Ishrat:
---------------------

mere ashk bhii hai.n is me.n ye sharaab ubal na jaaye
meraa jaam chhuune vaale teraa haath jal na jaaye
- Anwar Mirzapuri

ruuh kis mast kii pyaasii ga_ii maiKhaane se
mai u.Dii jaatii hai saaqii tere paimaane se
- Unknown
			
na dil me.n ko_ii Gam rahe na merii aa.Nkh nam rahe
har ek dard ko miTaa sharaab laa sharaab de
- Ibrahim Ashk

yahaa.N ko_ii na jii sakaa, na jii sakegaa hosh me.n
miTaa de naam hosh kaa, sharaab laa sharaab laa 
- Madanpal

aaye kuchh abr kuchh sharaab aaye 
us ke baad aaye jo azaab aaye 
- Faiz Ahmed Faiz


Contributed by Seema Kichwadi:
-----------------------------

garche ahal-e-sharaab hai.n ham log
ye na samajho Kharaab hai.n ham log
- Jigar Moradabadi

tum nahii.n Gam nahii.n sharaab nahii.n 
aisii tanhaa_ii kaa javaab nahii.n 
- Saeed Rahi

chhalak ke kam na ho aisii ko_ii sharaab nahii.n
nigaah-e-nargis-e-r'anaa teraa javaab nahii.n
- Firaq Gorakhpuri

-----------------------------------------------------------
Moderator' Note:

I am grateful and tahnkful to all of you for being so 
patient and bearing with me during my move and the 
unintentionally long silence that ensued. Ashaar is 
back to its original format. I think it is best if I 
collected and formatted the ashaar before posting it 
for you to enjoy.

Can you guess the topic for the next edition of Ashaar? 
As a hint, here is Mirza Ghalib's famous sher:

jii Dhuu.NDataa hai phir vahii fursat ke raat din
baiThe rahe tasavvur-e-jaanaa.N kiye hue

Got it? The topic is 'tasavvur' or imagination. You can 
e-mail your favourite ashaar to moderator@urdupoetry.com  

The deadline for the next edition of Ashaar is June 29th.