O censor, do not throw it away, my censor do not spill it. O cruel one, understand that this is wine!
In this playful yet heartfelt plea, the speaker begs the moral censor (mohtasib) not to spill his precious cup of wine. The wit lies in the repetition of the word 'zalim' (cruel)—it is simultaneously an accusation thrown at the unfeeling censor for wasting divine ecstasy, and a fond tribute to the potent, intoxicating tyranny of wine itself. It captures the eternal duel in Urdu poetry between rigid orthodoxy and the passionate, free-spirited lover.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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