‘Certainly I am the bridegroom of Lahore’

Reading Sadequain’s quatrains on his 35th death anniversary

February 10 this week marked the 35th anniversary of the death of the world-renowned painter, poet, calligrapher and draughtsman Sadequain. He is known for his Islamic calligraphy and painting.

For the expression of his thoughts, Sadequain chose the most difficult genre of the genres of poetry meaning rubai (quatrain). The quantity of his rubaiyat is between 2,500 and 3,000 and there are very few poets who have written rubaiyat in such a great number.

For this commemorative piece today I have chosen to translate a couple of his selected quatrains, which were written while he was in Lahore preparing for a major exhibition in the Gulf, and published in 1978.

As per his own admission, these quatrains are based on merely the experience of the art of calligraphy and the condition resulting from it. I have chosen to translate the illuminating appendix that comes at the fag-end of Sadequain’s booklet of quatrains and contains the two quatrains mentioned before. This appendix is more of a frank conversation with the reader, which is nevertheless important in understanding the craft of this underrated artist-poet and his enigmatic relationship with Lahore.

‘Due to a particular sort of the temperament of this fakir, the connection of spiritual attachment, devotion and metaphysical manner to Lahore; this sinner has expressed it generally in conversation, in verses and in writing. The capitals of the nations of most of the world have opened their embrace and the bride of cities has opened its doors for him, and spurning world fame and wealth, he is encamped in Lahore; though there is absolutely absolutely no compulsion for him to keep lying here. Here he very much got both things, love and hate. Limitless love; and the hate of a few self-seekers within the sugar of thousands of tons of love does not carry more weight than a few tolas of a salt packet. The faithful dogs of the capitalists barked at him and his caravan of creation and innovation and invention of the arts laden with the feelings of human love kept advancing and will keep doing so, God willing. In this situation, simultaneously with the grace of God, the prayers of the benefactors of the city, the sages of the city and the beauties of the city have also been a part.

In this shining city, this aesthete fakir went into God knows how many artistic seclusions, made God knows very much how many sketches, made oil paintings, did limitless calligraphies, wrote rubais readily and countlessly. By the special kindness of God, I very much was in love by way of a spiritual pastime within my art, God forbid I never worked for a wage; made huge ceiling and wall paintings in the museums, libraries, hospitals and educational institutions of the city, and in other public buildings with my feeble life and little wealth; and hung at these places by way of a mendicant’s gift.

I fulfilled thousands of requests and distributed written ‘Bismillahs’ alongwith various kinds of new samples. The fakir can say with great confidence and complete trust:

‘I definitely did some labour in my affection

Though the lane of the beloved is a far destination

Should I put up paintings there, one can certainly reach there

The lines will reach there should I write down my versification.’ 

The paintings are such that they are very much still being made, the calligraphies are still being done, the rubais are such that rare ideas continue to be invented for them from Paradise and now before saying goodbye to you, on the way a fresh rubai which has just descended, that too is being presented, pay attention:

‘I am neither a student of anyone nor a teacher

I do create and am an inventor

If the daughter of Lahore is the lover of skill

Then certainly I am the bridegroom of Lahore.’

 Goodbye, may you be in the protection of Allah

Yours: the sinful fakir Sadequain may his sins be forgiven

 *All the translations from the Urdu are by the writer*

 

 

 

Raza Naeem is a Pakistani social scientist, book critic and award-winning translator and dramatic reader based in Lahore, where he is also the president of the Progressive Writers Association. He is currently working on a book, ‘Sahir Ludhianvi’s Lahore, Lahore’s Sahir Ludhianvi’, forthcoming in 2021. He can be reached through email at [email protected].