This is a beautiful qawaali, sung by Subhan Ahmad Nizami. It invokes the Persian word/concept of Kharabaat. It is combination of two opposite spiritual yet coherent emotions. Kharab and aabad. The former (kharab) means self- destructive, and (abaad) stands for well being. In line with that it invokes tavern which gives you comfort because that is where you are at ease with your hypocrisies.
The Ghazal ends with the couplet or maqtaa, the poet’s, that is Jami’s nom de plume.
Een tauba-o-taqwa shud az Jami-e-be-deene
Dar koo-e-Malamaati, hairaan-e-Kharabaatam
All this piety and this supplication, from the heretic Jami
Living in a den of Malaamatis, I am wonderstruck in Kharabaat.
The Malaamatis referred here were kind of mystics, who believed that religion/rituals should be matter of personal. The Malamaatis were humble and never boasted or made public demonstration of their knowledge. They were self-reflective and wanted to identify their own hypocrisies. It is said to be one of the common strands of Sufism. Surrender, inward looking search for truth, are considered as spiritual practice in Sufism
The author of this beautiful poem is Nuruddin Jami, a celebrated Turkish poet of the 15th Century.
Jamal Kidwai 