A strange art your intoxicated eyes know
**This poem is a powerful expression of Sufi pantheism—the idea that God is in everything.**
Rejection of Orthodoxy: The poet contrasts the "wise" (hoshiyār), the "ascetic" (zāhid), and the "preacher" (vā'iz) with the "madman" (dīvāna). He says that the beloved's (God's) intoxicating gaze makes even the wisest seek "madness" (ecstatic love).
Tavern vs. Mosque: The "secret of the wine and cup" (bāda-o-paimāna) is mystical knowledge. One who understands this secret leaves the formal masjid (mosque) for the mai-ḳhāna (tavern), a place of unfiltered spiritual ecstasy, free of dogma, because his eyes have seen "Reality" (haqīqat).
Oneness vs. Multiplicity: The core of the poem. Kasrat (multiplicity, the material world) is just a "veil" that cannot hide Vahdat (the Oneness of God). The poet sees God in everything.
The "Blasphemy" of Idol Worship: This is the poem's central metaphor. The poet sees the "splendor of the Beloved" (jalva-e-jānāna) even in an "idol" (but). This is why he prostrates in a "temple" (dair). To the orthodox, this is kufr (blasphemy). To the poet, it is kufr-e-ulfat (the blasphemy of love), the highest form of realization.
The Final Victory: The poet becomes so consumed by this "idol-worship" (seeing God everywhere) that he is labeled an "infidel" (kāfir). He loses his own ego (apnī hastī). The final couplet is the ultimate triumph: after his death, the zāhid (the symbol of piety who condemned him) stands at his grave and concedes that the poet's "blasphemous" life was, in fact, a path to God.
Performed by Maulvi Haider Hassan Vehranwale Qawwal • The Dream Journey Sessions