This intensely intoxicating qawali, written by Fana Buland Shehri and made famous by the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, needs absolutely no introduction. It is just there to immerse oneself in the beauty of its words. No wonder it appeared in so many bollywood and lollywood movies.

These are the best lines from this great poem for me…
چاند کے سائے میں اے میرے ساقیا
تو نے ایسی پلائی مزہ آ گیا
….
نشہ شیشے میں انگڑائی لینے لگا
بزمِ رنداں میں ساغر کھنکنے لگے

(Hindi transliteration)
चाँद के साये मे ए मेरे साक़ीया
तू ने ऐसी पिलाई मज़ा आगया
…
नशा शीशे में अंगड़ाई लेने लगा
बज़्म-ए-रिंदा में साग़र खनक ने लगे

Just feel the play of words! How can I describe it? Impossible to translate into any other language . The meaning can only be ‘felt’. For a literal translation of the entire poem, see Hamzashad’s page…he has done a masterful job.

Here is the YouTube link for my favorite rendition of the qawali. Pure, absolute, untinctured pleasure! No need for any jaam or saaqi…


TTYL