nglish Translation:

Seeking wine, the drinker leaves home for the tavern.

Perplexed, he asks, “Which path will take me there?”
People show him different ways, but this is what I have to say,
“Pick a path and keep walking. You will find the tavern.”
Hark! The wine gurgles and splashes as it falls from the goblet.
Hark! It sounds like the tinkling of bells on the feet of an intoxicated girl.
We have reached there, a few steps are we from the tavern,
Hark! Hear the laughter of the drinkers, as the fragrance of the tavern wafts through the air.
Call it not lava, though it flows red, like a tongue of flame.
Call it not the blistered heart, for it is only foaming wine.
Lost memories serve the wine, that intoxicates with pain.
If you find happiness in suffering, come to my tavern.
He who has burnt all scriptures with his inner fire,
Has broken temples, mosques and churches with carefree abandon,
And has cut the nooses of pandits, mullahs and priests —
Only he is welcome in my tavern.
Alas, he that with eager lips, has not kissed this wine,
Alas, he that trembling with joy, has not touched a brimming goblet,
He that has not drawn close the coy wine-maiden by her hand,
Has wasted this honey-filled tavern of Life.
My beloved wine-maiden seems a priest; her wine as pure as the Ganga’s waters.
With unbroken pace, she rotates the rosary of wine glasses.
“Drink more! Drink more!” she intones in prayer.
I am Shiva incarnate and this tavern is my temple.
Only once every year, the fires of Holi are lit.
Only once is the game played and are garlands of lamps lit.
But, O, those who are lost in the world, come and see the tavern any day,
The tavern celebrates a Holi, every morning and a Diwali every night.
Whatever the taste on my lips, it tastes like wine.
Whatever the vessel in my hands, it feels like a goblet.
Every face dissolves into the features of my wine-maiden,
And whatever be in front of my eyes, they fill only with visions of the tavern.
Ah, Beautiful, your lovely face is like a crystal bowl,
Whose precious gem is your beauty, sparkling like sweet, intoxicating wine.
I am the wine-maiden and I am the guest.
Where sit we together, there indeed is the tavern.
A mere two days she served me but the young maiden is sulking now.
She fills my goblet and passes it curtly to me.
Her coquetry and charms are lost arts;
All the tavern wishes now is to fulfil its obligations.
Life is short. How much love can I give and how much can I drink?
They say, “He departs,” at the very moment that he is born.
While he is being welcomed, I have seen his farewell being prepared.
They started closing the shutters of the tavern, as soon as they were raised.
O maiden! Which burning heart has been pacified by drinking?
Every drinker repeats only one chant, “More! More!”
 Seeking satisfaction, he leaves behind so many desires.
Of how many such hopes is this tavern a tomb?
Yama will come as the wine-maiden and bring his black wine,
Drink, and know no more consciousness, O carefree one.
This is the ultimate trance, the ultimate wine-maiden and the ultimate goblet.
O traveller, drink judiciously, for you will never find the tavern again.
Each day, O companion, spills more wine from my life.
Each day, O fortunate one, this goblet, my body, is burnt.
Each day, O lovely woman, this wine-maiden, my youth, distances itself from me.
Each day, O beauty, this tavern, my Life, is drying up.
When from the earthen jar of my body, the wine of life is emptied,
When the final wine-maiden comes with her bowl of poison,
When my hand forgets the touch of the goblet, and my lips the taste of wine,
Whisper in my ears, “the wine, the goblet, the tavern!”
Touch not my lips with tulasi, but with the goblet, when I die.
Touch not my tongue with the Ganga’s waters, but with wine, when I die.
When you bear my corpse, pallbearers, remember this!
Call not the name of God, but call to the truth that is the tavern.
Weep over my corpse, if you can weep tears of wine.
Sigh dejectedly for me, if you are intoxicated and carefree.
Bear me on your shoulders, if you stumble drunkenly along.
Cremate me on that land, where there once was a tavern.
Pour on my ashes, not ghee, but wine.
Tie to a vine of grapes, not a waterpot, but a wine-goblet.
And when, my darling, you must call guests for the ritual feast,
Do this – call those who will drink and have the tavern opened for them.
If anyone asks my name, say it was, “The Drunkard”.
My work? I drank and passed the goblet to everyone.
O Beloved, if they ask my caste, say only that I was mad.
Say my religion worshipped goblets and then chant with your rosary, “The tavern, the tavern!”
O son, raise not water at my final rites, but wine in your palms.
And sit somewhere, having filled the Ganga with wine.
If you can wet the earth somewhere, my soul will be satisfied.
Offer your libations to your ancestral spirits by reading repeatedly, “The tavern, the tavern.”
Background:
It is written by the great poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan who was very famous for his romantic
poetry at the time. He is noted to be responsible for the romantic surge in the Hindi literary of
early 20th century. He is best-known for his early work of this poem Madhushala. This poem was
published in 1935 and was translated into many languages. It was also used in many songs and
movies.
Structure:
This is a long poem with 135 verses. It shows some traces of Persian Sufi style which makes it
unique and special.
Analysis:

mridu bhaavon ke angooron ki

aaj banaa laayaa haalaa,
priyatam, apne hi haathon se
aaj pilaaoongaa pyaalaa;
pehle bhog lagaa lu teraa,
 phir prasaad jag payegaa;
sabse pehle teraa swaagat
karti meri madhushala.
The poet starts off the poem by praising his book and poetry. He says that I am presenting this
book to you as I present to you a glass of wine. I have written it with great care and concern, and
so she shall present it himself. He said he has filled this book/wine with love and so this love is
only for you.

pyaas tujhe to, vishwa tapaakar

purna nikaloongaa haalaa,
ek paav se saaki bankar
nachoongaa lekar pyaalaa;
jivan ki madhutaa to tere
oopar kab kaa vaar chukaa,
aaj nichaavar kar doongaa mai
tujhpar jag ki madhushala.
Now here again he expresses his great concern and care towards the book/wine. He says that
for his book he can go to any extent. He has written it with great care like a man makes wine
with great care and so he will go through anything to protect it. He says like a wine man boils to
make wine and thus he can also stand on one foot to make his collection of Madhushala
appealing to the reader.

bhavuktaa angoor lataa se

kheech kalpanaa ki haalaa,
kavi saaki bankar aayaa hai
bharkar kavitaa kaa pyaalaa;
kbhi na kan-bhar khaali hogaa
laakh piyen, do laakh piyen!
pathakgan hain peenewale,
pustak meri madhushala.
He says like a wine man uses grapes to make wine and makes it delicious by adding other
ingredients. He says I have made this collection likewise and its full of great meanings and deep
thoughts . He says that me the author is just like a wine man who has brought a glass full of wine
meaning a book full of amazing poetry. He says that no matter how many people drink from it, it
would still last as he has filled it with so many wine i.e so many poetic ideas.

madiraalaya jaane ko ghar se

chaltaa hai peenewaalaa,
‘kis path par jaaoon ?’ asamanjas
me hai wah bholaa bhaalaa;
alag alag path batlaate sab
par mai yah batlaataa hun –
‘raah pakad tu ek chalaa chal,
paa jayegaa madhushala.’

Now here he talks about a drinker who is so drunk that doesn’t know which path to follow.
He starts his journey by leaving his home perplexed and confused with different thoughts.
He asks many people around as to which path to follow and everyone guides him
 differently. Some tell him to go right and some left. But the poet says that my advice to the
person is that he should choose one way and keep walking and there will be a time when he
will finally reach his destination i.e the travern. Here the poet is trying to say that a person
shouldn’t rely on others but should do what his heart says, he should choose one way and
by walking on it he will eventually reach his destination.

chalne hi chalne me kitna

jivan haay, bita dala!
‘door abhi hai’, par, kahta hai
har path batlaane waalaa;
himmat hai na badhu aage ko,
saahas hai a phiru peeche;
kinkartavyavimoodh mujhe kar
door khadhee hai madhushala.

Now he says that while walking on the road to the destination the walk would be difficult.
You might lose a lot of things like wine in this case. But you should keep walking no matter
what and there will be a time when you will finally reach your destination.

mukh se tu avirat kahtaa jaa

madhu, madira, maadak haalaa,
haathon se anubhav kartaa jaa
ek lalit kalpit pyaalaa,
dhyaan kiye jaa man me sumadhur
sukhkar, sundar saaki kaa;
aur badhaa chal, pathik na tujhko
door lagegi madhushala.

He says that in the way you may meet memories of yours and they would affect you but you
should stop and keep going because your main aim is to reach your destination.

madira peene ki abhilaashaa

hi ban jaaye jab haalaa,
adharon ki aaturtaa me hi
jab aabhaasit ho pyaalaa,
bane dhyaan hi karte-karte
jab saaki saakaar, sakhe,
rahe na haalaa, pyaalaa, saaki,
tujhe milegi madhushala.

Here he says that only those people can reach their destination who have dealt with
everything in life and who have outcrossed all the wrong things in life. Who have left all
wrong people behind and who are ready to give up all wrong doings.

haathon me aane se pahle

 naaz dikhaayegi pyaalaa,
adharon par aane se pahle
adaa dikhaayegi haalaa,
bahutere inkaar karega
saaki aane se pahle;
pathik, na ghabraa jaanaa, pahle
maan karegi madhushla.

Here the poet says that the walk to your destination can be extremely difficult. And it might
make discourage you but that is what you shouldn’t be. You should be brave enough to fight
this and stand still until you reach your destination.

Priyatam, tu meri haala hai,

mai tera pyaasa pyaala,
apne ko mujhme bharkar
tubanta hai peenevaala;
mai tujhko chak chalka karta
mast mujhe pee tu hota
ek doosre ko ham dono
aaj paraspar madhushala

Here he calls himself the Cup and refers the reader as the wine.He says that the wine is
incomplete without the cup and by filling the cup with the wine the reader will become an
alcoholic. He says that the book (madhushala) is incomplete without both the reader and
the author like a tavern is incomplete without a cup and wine.

Bhavukta angur latha se

kheench kalpana ki haala
kavi saaki bankar aaya hai
bharkar kavita ka pyaala
kabhi na kan bhar khaali hoga
lakh piye do laakh piye
paathak gan hai peene vaali
pusthak meri madhushala

sHere he praises his poetry in a unique way and states that even though you have read this
poetry million times but still it wont go meaningless. Like no matter how many drinkers
come to the tavern but still the wine doesn’t finishes and so he refers to his book as the
wine and readers as the drinkers.
Theme:
It is a sad poem based on life experiences and struggles. It is based on the pathetic scarcity, the
pain of disappointment, the certainty of death and a patient reception of defeatism as the only
shield for the soul and the adoring craving of the soul for beauty ending only in defeat.
Summary:
This is based on four primary words:
Madhushala (The Tavern), Saaki (The wine bearer), Haala (The Wine) and Pyala (The wine cup). By
using these four words, the poet has tried to focus different aspects of life like Unconditional
love which won’t be activated if we don’t strive for it. A goal, we should always have a goal in our
life which we should follow. As everyone has a goal and if not they will be misguided by random
people and would wander here and there wasting time. It teaches self-confidence. The poem has
different meaning for each of his readers. Love , Beauty , Pain , Sorrow and death have been
discussed very well in the poem.