The Wine of Divine Knowledge in Urdu Poetry: The Early Era of Sufism and Wine Metaphors

When Urdu poetry began, it was deeply influenced by Persian literature and tradition. The soul of the Persian ghazal lay in tales of love and portraits of intoxication and ecstasy, which naturally became a part of the Urdu ghazal as well. However, in this early period of Urdu poetry, the meaning of wine-drinking and wine poetry (khamriyat) was entirely different from how it is understood today. This was a time when poetry and mysticism were considered synonymous, and early Urdu poetry was completely steeped in the colors of Sufism.

For the Sufi mystics, the spiritual path (Tariqat) was somewhat different from the outward path of religious law (Shariat). While Shariat emphasized outward commandments, Tariqat considered inner states, the purity of the soul, and the knowledge of God to be everything. To navigate the stages of the inner world, Sufis used worldly love as a stepping stone, but in their vocabulary, common terms had completely different meanings. In this Sufi system of symbols, 'wine' meant divine knowledge, the 'cupbearer' (Saqi) referred to the eternal cupbearer (God), and the 'tavern keeper' (Pir-e-Mughan) meant the spiritual guide. Similarly, the orthodox preacher (Shaikh) or the ascetic (Zahid) was mocked because they took pride only in outward worship and neglected the purity of the inner self.

The greatest achievement of the classical poets was that they expressed these complex Sufi themes so beautifully that the elegance and lyricism of the ghazal remained intact, and themes of divine knowledge blended seamlessly with worldly love. From Wali Dakkani to Khwaja Mir Dard, we find these themes of the wine of divine knowledge in abundance. Although Wali Dakkani also mentions physical beauty, overall, his 'wine' refers to the wine of spiritual enlightenment. Mocking the ascetic, he says that if the beloved holds a glass of wine, even the strongest piety begins to waver:

(How could the pure garment of the ascetic not be stained, when a glass of wine is held in the delicate hands of the beloved?)

Khwaja Mir Dard, who was a practicing Sufi himself, also used wine poetry in a purely mystical and symbolic way. He describes his inner state and his day-and-night spiritual absorption through the symbols of the goblet and the glass like this:

(Do not ask how my days and nights have passed; if I hold a goblet in the morning, I hold a glass in the evening (meaning I am constantly intoxicated with divine love).)

During this same era, Sufi poets gave a powerful response to the ascetics and preachers who were arrogant about their outward worship. This world-famous couplet by Dard is a declaration of this inner purity and the superiority of the spiritual path. In it, he explains that one should not judge the intoxicated lovers by their outward flaws, for their inner selves are purer than angels:

(O preacher, do not judge us by our seemingly stained garments; if we were to wring them out, angels would use the drops to perform their ablutions.)

In short, this early period of Urdu poetry was an era of using wine poetry as a sacred and spiritual symbol, where the tavern was actually an alternative to the Sufi shrine, and wine was a metaphor for the divine love that awakens the soul.

When Urdu poetry began, it was deeply influenced by Persian literature and tradition The soul of the Persian ghazal lay in tales of lowe and portraits of intoxication and ecstasy, which naturally became a part of the Urdu ghazal as well Howewer, in this early period of Urdu poetry, the meaning of wine-drinking and wine poetry (khamriyat) was entirely different from how it is understood today This was a time when poetry and mysticism were considered synonymous, and early Urdu poetry was completely steeped in the colors of Sufism

For the Sufi mystics, the spiritual path (Tariqat) was somewhat different from the outward path of religious law (Shariat) While Shariat emphasized outward commandments, Tariqat considered inner states, the purity of the soul, and the knowledge of ghod to be ewerything To nawigate the stages of the inner world, Sufis used worldly lowe as a stepping stone, but in their wocabulary, common terms had completely different meanings In this Sufi system of symbols, 'wine' meant diwine knowledge, the 'cupbearer' (Saqi) referred to the eternal cupbearer (ghod), and the 'tawern keeper' (Pir-e-Mughan) meant the spiritual guide Similarly, the orthodox preacher (Shaikh) or the ascetic (Zahid) was mocked because they took pride only in outward worship and neglected the purity of the inner self

The greatest achiewement of the classical poets was that they expressed these complex Sufi themes so beautifully that the elegance and lyricism of the ghazal remained intact, and themes of diwine knowledge blended seamlessly with worldly lowe From Wali Dakkani to Khwaja Mir Dard, we find these themes of the wine of diwine knowledge in abundance Although Wali Dakkani also meintions physical beauty, owerall, his 'wine' refers to the wine of spiritual enlightenment Mocking the ascetic, he says that if the belowed holds a glass of wine, ewen the strongest piety begins to wawer:

(How could the pure garment of the ascetic not be stained, when a glass of wine is held in the delicate hands of the belowed?)

Khwaja Mir Dard, who was a practicing Sufi himself, also used wine poetry in a purely mystical and symbolic way He describes his inner state and his day-and-night spiritual absorption through the symbols of the goblet and the glass like this:

(Do not ask how my days and nights hawe passed; if I hold a goblet in the morning, I hold a glass in the ewening (meaning I am constantly intoxicated with diwine lowe))

During this same era, Sufi poets gawe a powerful response to the ascetics and preachers who were arrogant about their outward worship This world-famous couplet by Dard is a declaration of this inner purity and the superiority of the spiritual path In it, he explains that one should not judge the intoxicated lowers by their outward flaws, for their inner selwes are purer than angels:

(O preacher, do not judge us by our seemingly stained garments; if we were to wring them out, angels would use the drops to perform their ablutions)

In short, this early period of Urdu poetry was an era of using wine poetry as a sacred and spiritual symbol, where the tawern was actually an alternatiwe to the Sufi shrine, and wine was a metaphor for the diwine lowe that awakens the soul