It is dawn and the mosque calls for prayer fill the air,
The saqi* closes the tavern which, some feel, is unfair:
I look at the cup-bearer and a deep glance is exchanged,
With a meaningful message which none else can share.
One by one the drinkers bid adieu to the wine giver,
One by one they look at each other and then at her;
She points them the door with a wave of her hand,
As everyone, but me leaves, we smile at each other.
Then the moment comes when the veil is cast away,
And radiance fills the place with her gaze and her sway;
After which she takes out the divine drink meant just for us,
With a few sips we both kneel and bow in thanks to the Giver.
The tavern is not just a place where people come and drink,
Nor is it a place of escape for hearts pining at the brink,
Of hopelessness and despair...nay, it's not what most think,
It's a mosque for men and women whose faith does not stink.
Author's Notes/Comments:
SAQI: An Arabic/Persian/Urdu word which is used for the person who quenches the thirst of the thirsty ones with drink. The drink can be water, juice or wine. The saqi can be a man or a woman. Over the centuries Arabic, Persian, Urdu and even Hindi poets especially the likes of Omar Khayyam of Iran, have romanticized the word in their poetry and now it is exlusively used for a veiled woman with graceful form and figure, good manners, courteous generosity and blessed with beautiful, intoxicating eyes.
The saqi also refers to God and His prophets and their devout followers. It also refers to God Almighty too in its loftiest sense and meaning.
The reader of poems with eastern touch and nuances should always keep in mind that the way the poet/poets use the word in their poem should be considered in the meaning he/they want to convey as a part of the theme and message of their poetry.
Similarly the tavern is also used with several different meanings and the reader will have to consider and analyse the entirety of the poem while seeking to interpret the term. The bar can never be a tavern. I have been to both ...bars and taverns in the east and the west so I believe I can safely assert that a tavern can never be a bar.
