About the Poem
| Author | Ibn-e-Insha |
| Time Period | Late 20th century CE |
| Language | Urdu |
| Type | nazm |
Introduction
“Sab Maaya Hai” is an Urdu nazm written by the Pakistani poet Ibn-e-Insha (1927-1978). Insha was a leftist intellectual, writer, and translator whose real name was Sher Muhammad Khan. Known for his humor and wit, he wrote both poetry and prose in a playful, conversational style. According to translator Raza Naeem, Insha’s language is “reminiscent of Amir Khusro [Ameer Khusrau] in its use of words and construction that is usually heard in the more earthy dialects of the Hindi-Urdu complex of languages.” Some of his other famous poems include “Insha Ji Utho”, “Kal Chaudhveen Ki Raat”, and “Ye Baaten Jhooti Baaten Hai”.
Insha grew up in East Punjab in the cities of Ludhiana and Jalandhar, where he started writing poetry as a pre-teen. As an adult, he spent most of his life in Lahore and Karachi, but also traveled widely while serving as a diplomat for the Pakistani government. This led to his publication of several travelogs, including Ibn-e Battoota Ke Ta’aqub Men (In Pursuit of Ibn Battuta) in 1974. Ibn-e-Insha also translated Russian, German, English, and Chinese literature into Urdu. Sadly, he died of cancer in 1978 at the age of 50.
In “Sab Maaya Hai”, the poet describes his disillusionment from the world, declaring love and loyalty to be false pretenses. He references the tragic romances of Qais (who became Majnoon in pursuit of Laila), Ranjha (who lost his life along with his beloved Heer), and Farhad (who was punished with the Sisyphean task of digging a canal through mountains). Seeing the cruel fate of these romantic heroes, the poet chooses not to be fooled by love. Rather, he detaches himself from society and builds a hut in the middle of nowhere to live as a recluse.
The poem’s central concept of “maaya”, meaning “illusion” or “appearance”, stems from Hinduism and is also found in other Indic religions like Buddhism and Jainism. In the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, “maaya” refers to the soul’s erroneous perception of the body and its physical experiences as reality. On the contrary, Advaitists believe that the world is illusory and that the Aatman (the eternal soul) of all beings is identical with Brahman (the ultimate reality). Everything in existence is essentially a different manifestation of the same divine force. This is similar to the Sufi concept of wahdat-ul-wujood, which emphasizes the unity of creation with the divine.
“Sab Maaya Hai” was published in Insha’s compilation Is Basti Ke Ek Kooche Men (In An Alley of This Neighborhood) in 1976. It is possible, though, that the poem was published in a periodical prior to that. Excerpts of it have been sung by the Pakistani folk singer Ataullah Khan Esakhelvi. The translation that follows, though, is of the entire nazm.
Featured Rendition
Text, Transliteration, and Translation
سب مایا ہے سب ڈھلتی پھرتی چھایا ہے
सब माया है सब ढलती फिरती छाया है
sab maaya hai sab DHalti pHirti chHaaya hai
It’s all an illusion, it’s all an ever-shifting shadow.
اِس عشق میں ہم نے جو کھویا جو پایا ہے
इस इश्क़ में हमने जो खोया जो पाया है
is ‘ishq meN ham ne jo kHoya jo paaya hai
All that I have gained and lost in love,
جو تم نے کہا ہے فیضؔ نے جو فرمایا ہے
जो तुमने कहा है ‘फ़ैज़’ ने जो फ़रमाया है
jo tum ne kaha hai faiz ne jo farmaaya hai
Whatever you have said, and whatever Faiz has declared:
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
ہاں گاہے گاہے دید کی دولت ہاتھ آئی
हां गाहे गाहे दीद की दौलत हाथ आई
haaN gaahe gaahe deed ki daulat haatH aa’i
Yes, occasionally the fortune of her sight came into my grasp.
یا ایک وہ لذت نام ہے جس کا رسوائی
या एक वह लज़्ज़त नाम है जिसका रुस्वाई
ya ek vo lazzat naam hai jis ka rusvaa’i
Or, [call it] that delight whose name is disgrace.
بس اِس کے سوا تو جو بھی ثواب کمایا ہے
बस इस के सिवा तो जो भी सवाब कमाया है
bas is ke siva to jo bHi savaab kamaaya hai
Beyond this, any other good deed that I have earned:
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
اِک نام تو باقی رہتا ہے گر جان نہیں
इक नाम तो बाक़ी रहता है गर जान नहीं
ik naam to baaqi rehta hai gar jaan naheeN
A single name remains even if one’s life does not.
جب دیکھ لیا اِس سودے میں نقصان نہیں
जब देख लिया इस सौदे में नुक़सान नहीं
jab dekH liya is saude meN nuqsaan naheeN
After seeing there would be no loss in this exchange,
تب شمع پہ دینے جان پتنگا آیا ہے
तब शम्अ पे देने जान पतिंगा आया है
tab sham’a pe dene jaan patinga aaya hai
Then the moth has come to give its life to the flame.
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
معلوم ہمیں سب قیس میاں کا قصہ بھی
मालूम हमें सब क़ैस मियां का क़िस्सा भी
ma’aloom hameN sab qais miyaaN ka qissa bHi
I know the entire story of that fellow Qais too!
سب ایک سے ہیں یہ رانجھا بھی یہ اِنشاؔ بھی
सब एक से हैं यह रांझा भी यह ‘इंशा’ भी
sab ek se haiN ye raanjHa bHi ye insha bHi
They are all the same, this Ranjha too and this Insha too!
فرہاد بھی جو اِک نہر سی کھود کے لایا ہے
फ़रहाद भी जो इक नहर सी खोद के लाया है
farhaad bHi jo ik neher si kHod ke laaya hai
And Farhad too, who has dug out an entire canal!
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
کیوں درد کے نامے لکھتے لکھتے رات کرو
क्यों दर्द के नामे लिखते लिखते रात करो
kyuuN dard ke naame likHte likHte raat karo
Why write tales of pain till night falls?
جس سات سمندر پار کی نار کی بات کرو
जिस सात समुंदर पार की नार की बात करो
jis saat samundar paar ki naar ki baat karo
The girl that lives seven seas away, who you speak of,
اُس نار سے کوئی ایک نے دھوکا کھایا ہے؟
उस नार से कोई एक ने धोका खाया है?
us naar se koi ek ne dHoka kHaaya hai?
Has just a single person been fooled by that girl?
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
جس گوری پر ہم ایک غزل ہر شام لکھیں
जिस गोरी पर हम एक ग़ज़ल हर शाम लिखें
jis gori par ham ek ghazal har shaam likHeN
The fair lady about whom I write a ghazal each evening:
تم جانتے ہو ہم کیوں کر اُس کا نام لکھیں
तुम जानते हो हम क्योंकर उसका नाम लिखें
tum jaante ho ham kyooNkar us ka naam likHeN
You know how I write her name.
دل اُس کی بھی چوکھٹ چوم کے واپس آیا ہے
दिल उसकी भी चौखट चूम के वापस आया है
dil us ki bHi chaukHaT choom ke vaapas aaya hai
My heart kissed her threshold and has already returned!
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
وہ لڑکی بھی جو چاند نگر کی رانی تھی
वह लड़की भी जो चांद-नगर की रानी थी
vo laRki bHi jo chaand-nagar ki raani tHi
That girl who was the queen of Moon City!
وہ جس کی الھڑ آنکھوں میں حیرانی تھی
वह जिसकी अल्हड़ आंखों में हैरानी थी
vo jis ki alhaR aankHoN meN hairaani tHi
She, whose innocent eyes contained wonder!
آج اُس نے بھی پیغام یہی بھجوایا ہے
आज उसने भी पैग़ाम यही भिजवाया है
aaj us ne bHi paighaam yahi bHijvaaya hai
Today, she too has sent me this same message:
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
جو لوگ ابھی تک نام وفا کا لیتے ہیں
जो लोग अभी तक नाम वफ़ा का लेते हैं
jo log abHi tak naam vafa ka lete haiN
Those people that still talk of loyalty:
وہ جان کے دھوکے کھاتے دھوکے دیتے ہیں
वह जान के धोके खाते धोके देते हैं
vo jaan ke dHoke kHaate dHoke dete haiN
They deliberately deceive themselves and deceive others!
ہاں ٹھوک بجا کر ہم نے حکم لگایا ہے
हां ठोक बजा कर हमने हुक्म लगाया है
haaN THok baja kar ham ne hukm lagaaya hai
Indeed, I have struck the gavel to issue this commandment:
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
جب دیکھ لیا ہر شخص یہاں ہرجائی ہے
जब देख लिया हर शख़्स यहां हरजाई है
jab dekH liya har shakhs yahaaN harjaa’i hai
After seeing that every person here is false-hearted,
اِس شہر سے دور اِک کٹیا ہم نے بنائی ہے
इस शहर से दूर इक कुटिया हमने बनाई है
is sheher se door ik kuTiya ham ne banaa’i hai
Far from this city, I have made my own little hut.
اور اُس کٹیا کے ماتھے پر لکھوایا ہے
और उस कुटिया के माथे पर लिखवाया है
aur us kuTiya ke maatHe par likHvaaya hai
And upon the pediment of the hut, I have had engraved:
سب مایا ہے
सब माया है
sab maaya hai
It’s all an illusion!
Further Reading and References
- Is Basti Ke Ek Kooche Men (1976) by Ibn-e-Insha. You can find this poem on pages 49-51 of 199. [link]
- On Rekhta, you can read other works by Ibn-e-Insha. [link]
- Raj, Ali. “Ibne Insha – The Wanderer of Chand Nagar.” The Express Tribune. 10 January 2016. [link]
- Paracha, Nadeem F. “The Cursed Song.” Dawn. 1 November 2015. [link]
- Naeem, Raza. “Ibne Insha: The Romantic Revolutionary.” The Wire. 15 June 2019. [link]
- “The Concept of Maya.” Vedanta Society of Southern California. [link]
- Kshetri, Sandip. “Maya In Hinduism: Understanding the Divine Play.” Medium. 15 April 2023. [link]
- “Maya.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 9 March 2015. [link]
Further Listening
- An older live performance by Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi [link]
- Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi’s version with his son Sanwal Esakhelvi on season 10 of Coke Studio in 2017 [link]
- Faisal Latif version [link]
- Cover by Sonu Nigam, with modified lyrics [link]
- Udit Narayan version from the 2005 Bollywood movie Sitam, with significantly modified lyrics [link]
Suggested Citation
Shad, Hamza. “Sab Maaya Hai: It’s All an Illusion”. The Khusrau Circle. 3 January 2024. khusrau.com/sab-maaya-hai.