POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir تسبیح کو مدتوں سنبھالا ہم نے Tasbeeh ko muddaton sambhaala hum ne ●sher 1 of 2

تسبیح کو مدتوں سنبھالا ہم نے

Tasbeeh ko muddaton sambhaala hum ne

خرقہ برسوں گلے میں ڈالا ہم نے

Khirqa barson gale mein daala hum ne

We kept the rosary for ages.
We wore the mendicant's cloak for years.

اب آخر عمر میرؔ مے کی خاطر

Ab aakhir umar Mir mai ki khaatir

سجادہ گرو رکھنے نکالا ہم نے

Sajjada giro rakhne nikaala hum ne

Now, at life's end, Mir, for the sake of wine,
We brought out the prayer mat to pawn.

Context

This ruba'i by Mir Taqi Mir poignantly explores a spiritual or existential shift. The poet, having spent a lifetime engaging in conventional religious practices, symbolized by the rosary and dervish's cloak, expresses a dramatic turn in old age: the willingness to pawn his prayer mat for wine. This often reflects a Sufi poetic tradition where 'wine' can symbolize divine love and spiritual intoxication, suggesting a move beyond rigid piety towards a more direct, perhaps unconventional, pursuit of truth or solace. It captures a deep introspection about life's journey and the evolving nature of one's quest.