سُوئے مے کدہ نہ جاتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی
sū-e-mai-kada na jaate to kuchh aur baat hotī
Had I not gone toward the tavern, it would have been another matter
آغا حشر کشمیری
سُوئے مے کدہ نہ جاتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی سُوئے کعبہ ہو گئے ہوتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی
sū-e-mai-kada na jaate to kuchh aur baat hotī sū-e-ka'aba ho ga.e hote to kuchh aur baat hotī
Had I not gone toward the tavern, it would have been another matter; Had I gone toward the Ka'aba, it would have been something else entirely.
اُس کی گلی میں جاتے ہوئے ڈر لگا تھا مجھ کو راہِ خار زار ہو جاتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی
us kī galī meñ jaate hue Dar lagā thā mujh ko rāh-e-ḳhār-zār ho jaate to kuchh aur baat hotī
I was afraid while going to her street; Had I taken the path of thorns, it would have been something else entirely.
اُس کے در پہ جا کے ٹھوکریں کھائیں ہم نے اپنے گھر میں بیٹھ جاتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی
us ke dar pe jā ke Ṭhokareñ khā.iiñ ham ne apne ghar meñ baiTh jaate to kuchh aur baat hotī
We went to her door and were kicked away; Had we stayed at home, it would have been something else entirely.
عشق میں جو ذلتیں اُٹھائیں ہم نے 'حشرؔ' عقل سے کام لے جاتے تو کچھ اور بات ہوتی
ishq meñ jo zillateñ uThā.iiñ ham ne 'hashr' aql se kaam le jaate to kuchh aur baat hotī
The humiliations we endured in love, 'Hashr'; Had we used our reason, it would have been something else entirely.
📖Metaphorical & Poetic Meaning
This ghazal explores the theme of 'the almost'—the path not taken, the choice not made. Each couplet contrasts what happened with what could have been, creating a sense of regret and longing.
Couplet 1: The Tavern vs. The Ka'aba
The poet chose the path of Love (the mai-kada, the tavern) over the path of orthodox religion (the Ka'aba). He acknowledges that had he chosen differently, his life would have been 'something else entirely.' This is not necessarily regret—it's an acknowledgment of the fork in the road.
Couplet 2: Fear and the Path of Thorns
He was afraid to go to the beloved's street (perhaps fearing rejection or scandal). He wonders if taking the harder, more painful path (rāh-e-ḳhār-zār) would have led to a different, perhaps better, outcome.
Couplet 3: Rejection at the Door
He went to the beloved's door and was humiliated (kicked away). He reflects that staying home would have spared him this pain—but also would have meant never trying.
Couplet 4: Love vs. Reason
The final couplet is the most Sufi-inspired. The poet, 'Hashr,' says he endured countless humiliations (zillateñ) in the path of Love (ishq). Had he used reason (aql), his life would have been different. But the implication is clear: the path of Love, despite its pain, is the highest path. The 'something else' would have been safer, but spiritually inferior.
📖Glossary of Highlighted Words
▶️Listen to the Poem
Sung by Farida Khanum