ŷ������

Oh man, reading this (at times aloud) was so much fun!

This is a set of Rubāʿīs (or stanzas with 4 lines each) based on the recurring metaphor of a madhushala (wine house), saki (someone, usually a woman, who serves alcohol), pyaala (goblet), madhu (wine), and the drinker. There's no central theme here - the poet talks about everything and anything, and that's intentional:

मेरी हाला मे�� सबने पा�� अपनी-अपनी हाला,
मेरे प्याले मे�� सबने पाया अपना-अपना प्याला,
मेरे साक़ी मे�� सबने अपना प्यारा साक़ी देखा;
जिसकी जैसी रूचि थी उसने वैसी देखी मधुशाल�� |

Madhushala takes on the form of a lover, a painting, a veena, a season, youth, life, the world, and this poem itself! While Bacchan doesn't talk about anything new, or something that hasn't been already been said, it's pure joy to see madhushala become a metaphor for countless feelings and experiences, and it's hard not to think of your experiences/emotions when you read those. For example:

बहुतेर�� मदिराल�� देखे, बहुतेरी देखी हाला,
भाँत��-भाँत�� का आय�� मेरे हाथो�� मे�� मध�� का प्याला,
एक-एक से बढ़क��, सुन्दर साक़ी, ने सत्कार किया,
जँची �� आँखो�� मे��, पर, को�� पहली-जैसी मधुशाल�� !

A good part of the poem is extolling the virtues of a madhushaala from the point of view of the drinker (and this is so much fun too):

सजें �� मस्जिद और नमाज़ी, कहता है अल्लाताल��,
सजधजकर, पर, साक़ी आत��, बन ठनकर, पीनेवाला,
शे��, कहाँ तुलन�� हो सकती मस्जिद की मदिराल�� से
चि��-विधव�� है मस्जिद तेरी, सद��-सुहागि�� मधुशाल�� !

Or,

और रसों मे�� स्वा�� तभी तक, दू�� जभी तक है हाला,
इतरा ले�� सब पात्�� �� जब तक, आग�� आत�� है प्याला,
कर ले�� पूजा शे��, पुजारी तब तक मस्जिद-मन्दिर मे��
घूँघ�� का पट खो�� �� जब तक झाँक रही है मधुशाल�� |

Or,

एक बर�� मे�� एक बा�� ही जलती होली की ज्वाला,
एक बा�� ही लगती बाज़ी, जलती दीपो�� की माला;
दुनियावालो��, किन्तु, किसी दि�� �� मदिराल�� मे�� देखो,
दि�� को होली, रा�� दिवाली, रोज़ मानती मधुशाल�� |

I loved how charged with youth and rebellion this poem is. I can understand how its recitations would have driven the crowds crazy back in the day.

Damn, I should've read it as part of my plea in front of my college's disciplinary committee! ¯\_(��)_/¯