Kalam - Job Kurien

Kalam – Job Kurien

Composition – Job Kurien

Lyrics – Engadiyoor Chandrasekharan

Singer – Job Kurien

Prelude – The song “ Kalam “ by Job Kurien is a haunting melody which is a tribute to his great- grand aunt, who led a respectful and dignified life being a spinster in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, which was a tough decision to make at that point of time . She was a teacher and toiled hard in the land to grow crops . Half of the fortune she had was given to charity, and the other half was passed on to her kith and kin . This song is picturised on the theme of the spirit of the great-grand aunt who comes to visit the home which the singer had built on the land which was passed on to him from her through his father . The singer shows his respect to his great grand aunt and welcomes her into his home to show that her riches were taken care of with love and the singer has immense respect towards her . 

Kalam

Kalam pon poovin kalam

Season, season of the spring with golden blossoms . 

En nejin eenam thedunith are

I don’t know whom the tune in my heart searches for.

Elelam padanai varavai mayathe oro janmangal bandangal nirvale

Various lifetimes and relationships come abound unerased to sing together.

En kannil parunnoru alayale teliyunne etho nalangal thalangal nirayale

Rising waves ,  flames and beats of music are formed in a line before my eyes.

En jeeva nalam ennile nalam alunu nile kannun en chare

The flame of my soul , the flame of my life, burns bright and is seen near me .

 

Kalam pon poovin kalam

Season, season of the spring of golden blossoms.

En nejin eenam thedunith are

I don’t know whom the tune in my heart searches for

Mele mukil adum nerath niram ezhum manath kanavellam cheloth

The dreams are nearby when the cloud swings and the rainbow shines in the sky.

Ariyathen athmavil aliyunne

Marayathen akathalril theliyunne

You unknowingly  melt in my heart .You shine , undying , deep within my mind.

Ariyathen athmavil aliyunne

Oro tarayum nerayum theliyunne

You unknowingly melt in my heart . You show me the honest way to lead life and to differentiate between what is right and wrong .

Postlude – The song “ Kalam “ is a celebration of relationships, which are primary for the well -being of any human being . The first stanza of the song reminisces about the various relationships and lifetimes which pass with the seasons of time . The rising waves and the igniting flames are compared to the heartbeat of the singer . The singer is indebted to his ancestors with whom he shares the relationship of blood,  and he senses their presence near him always . The second stanza of the song shows how the singer is indebted to his ancestors for instilling good values in him and showing him the right way to lead life by setting a high benchmark with the way they led their lives during their lifetimes . 

Ab Ke Hum Bichde - Mehdi Hassan

Ab Ke Hum Bichde – Mehdi Hassan

Composition – Mehdi Hassan

Lyrics – Ahmed Faraz

Singer – Mehdi Hassan 

Prelude – “ Ab Ke Hum Bichde “ is a poem penned by Ahmed Faraz and sung by ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan . “ Raag Bhupeshwari “ to which the song is set,  brings out the pangs of separation of the lover from the beloved . As the withered flowers inside the pages of a book are a testimony to the saccharine feeling of love when they were in full bloom and full of life , this song brings out the lamentation of the beloved in memories of the past . 

Ab he hum bichde to shayad khwabon main mile

Jis tarah sukhe hue phul kitabon main mile

Now that we have parted,maybe we will meet in dreams, just like how wilted flowers meet inside the pages of books .

 

Dhoondh ujde hue logon main wafa ke moti

Yeh khazane tujhe mumkin hain kharabon main mile

Search for pearls of loyalty among the miserable and dejected people   . You are likely to find this treasure in ruins.

 

Gham- ye – duniya bhi gham-e – yar main shamil kar lo

Nasha badhta hain sharaben jo sharabon main mile

The intoxication of the wine deepens with each glass of wine, just like the grief of the world is added to the grief of separation from the beloved .

 

Tu khuda hain na mira ishq farishton jaisa

Donon insan hai toh kyuun itne hijaboon main mile .

You are neither God nor my love, like that of the angels . If we both are humans , why do we have to meet each other in veils of secrecy ?

 

Ab na vo main na woh tu hai na vo maazi hai “ faraz “

Jaise do shaks tamanna ke sarabon men milen .

Oh Faraz ! Neither you nor I remain the same . It is not like the times of the past .  It’s like two people meet in the mirage of their desires .

Postlude – The emotive poetry by “ Ahmad Faraz “ in the silhouette of ethereal singing by Mehdi Hassan in “ Raag Bhupeshwari “ brings out the yearning of the lover . From the words of the poetry, it seems like two people who have fallen in love amidst class differences . Due to the resistance from the family of the beloved , the couple had to part ways . Now that they have parted ways, the only possibility for the lover to meet the beloved is in dreams,  just like the withered flowers which meet inside the pages of the book . Red roses have always symbolised love and are usually kept as a souvenir by the lovers inside books as a memory to cherish . 

The lyricist speaks of how fidelity and faithfulness in relationships are found in the unlikeliest of the places, as the lover belongs to a low class of society . The third couplet describes how the world causes grief every day to the lover ,which, along with his separation from the beloved , multiplies the sorrow by leaps and bounds .The lover resorts to drinking to forget his sorrows and is in an inebriated state after drinking wine, one glass after the other .   In the fourth couplet , the lover questions the norms of the society where the lover is barred from meeting the beloved . The meeting between a male and a female was resisted by elders in olden times,  as it was considered against the modesty of a woman to mingle with a man. Men and women were generally segregated into groups considering the safety factor of women . The lyricist questions such strict standards of the society as to why he should meet his beloved in secrecy when they both are not exalted like the God and the angels . 

The fifth couplet tells how the lover and his beloved have undergone changes to the different experiences of life . Their present reflects and is a result of their past experiences . The lover feels like their whole union is just like two people meeting in an illusion of desires . The lyricist wants to convey that there can be plenty of desires in people, but one cannot guarantee that all of them get fulfilled . The lover has lost his hope of uniting with his beloved . The song is really an ode to all the star-crossed lovers who had dreamt of a happily ever after that turned into nights nursing the mental wounds of separation and heartache . 

Bhooli Bisri Chand Umeedein - Mehdi Hassan

Bhooli Bisri Chand Ummedein – Mehdi Hassan

Composition – Mehdi Hassan

Lyrics – Razi Tirmizi

Singer – Mehdi Hassan 

Prelude – The song “ Bhooli Bisri Chand Umeedein “ is a dulcet melody which has captivated me since the time it was performed by Shuja Haider and Aima Baig in Coke Studio Pakistan . It was only recently I came to know the original song was sung by ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan Saheb . The lyrics are penned by Razi Tirmizi . 

Bhooli bisri chand ummedein

Chand fasane yaad aye

I remembered a few hopes and tales from the past .

Tum yaad aye

Aur tumhare saath zamane yaad aye

I remembered you and the times spent with you .

 

Dil ka chaman shadab tha

Phir bhi khaak si udti rehti thi

The garden of my heart was verdant with greenery, yet the dust of withered petals drifted in the air . 

Kaise zamane e gham e jana

Tere bahane yaad aye

I remembered all the moments of grief of the past because of you.

 

Hasne walon se darte they

I feared people who laughed at me . 

Chup chup kar ro lete they

I used to cry in silence.

Gehri gehri soch main doobe

Do deewane yaad aye

I remembered two lovers who were immersed in deep thoughts .

 

Thandi sard hawa ke jhonke

Aag lagakar chod gaye

The cold mild blow of air left, igniting a fire in mind.

Phool khile shakon pe naye

Aur dard purane yaad aye

Flowers bloomed upon the boughs, and I remembered the old wounds .

Postlude – I tried to travel through the mind of the lyricist, and from what I could decipher , it’s the emotions of the lover who has got separated from the beloved . Love is a complex emotion, and there are only a few in the world who are able to work it through its ups and downs . The first line of the song explains how the emotion of love has its own expectations and desires . The lover reminisces about the moments the lover spent with his beloved . It is not always possible to fulfil all the expectations due to many constraints . In the beginning stages of love , the heart of the lover felt like a garden blooming with vibrant colours of flowers, and there was joy everywhere as he celebrated the feeling of love with nature . But at the same time there was the apprehensiveness of the unpredictability of love, like  the dust of wilted flowers blowing off in the air due to separation from the beloved. 

The lover remembered all the moments of grief felt when the beloved got separated from him . The separation of the beloved from the lover had such a drastic impact on him that he used to get scared when people used to mock and laugh at him in his state . He used to cry silently, dealing with his emotions alone . His plight made him remember about two lovers deeply immersed in thoughts, thinking of bringing their love to fruition and dreaming of a happily ever after . The cold blow of air ignited a fire in the mind of the lover as he recollected all his memories spent with his love . The blooming of the flowers in the boughs made the lover remember about the old wounds . The vicissitudes of nature bring myriad memories into the heart of the lover .  

Baat Karni Mujhe Mushkil - Mehdi Hassan

Baat karni mujhe mushkil – Mehdi Hassan

Composition – Mehdi Hassan

Lyrics – Bahadur Shah Zafar

Singer – Mehdi Hassan 

Prelude – The ghazal “ Baat Karni Mujhe Mushkil “ brings the breeze of the mountain in “ Raag Pahadi “ enthralling music lovers . The song was written by Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar who was also a poet . This ghazal by Mehdi Hassan Saheb takes one to a trance with its mellifluent melody . 

Baat karni muje mushkil kabhi aisi toh na thi

Jaisi ab hai teri mehfil kabhi aisi toh na thi

I feel difficult speaking to you - I was never like that  before . Your soiree is so elegant . It was never like that before .

 

Le gaya chin ke aaj kaun tera sabr-o-qarar

Beqarari tujhe aae dil kabhi aisi toh na thi

Oh heart ! Who has taken away your patience and calm ? The heart is restless .It was never like that before .

 

Unki ankhon ne khuda jaane kiya kya jaadu

Ki tabiyat miri maaeil kabhi aisi toh na thi

Only God knows what magic she has done to me with her eyes that I am attracted to it . It was never like that before .

 

Chasm-e – qaatil meri dushman thi hamesha lekin

Jaise ab ho gayi qaatil kabhi aisi toh na thi

The murderous,  intoxicating eyes were always my foes . But now I have been slain by the entrancing eyes of yours .It was never like that before .

 

Kya sabab tu jo bigdata ‘zafar’ se har bar

Khu teri hur- shamail kabhie aisi toh na thi

Oh beloved ! What is the reason that you get offended with Zafar every single time . Your attributes are like those a celestial nymph of exquisite beauty . It was never like that before .

Postlude – The lover speaks about the time when he  realises he is in love and compares it with the time he never felt such an emotion . The lover is feeling shy and nervous to talk to the beloved after he realizes he is in love with her . He starts feeling her soiree is resplendent as never before as he feels butterflies in his stomach . The heart of the lover is always anxious these days,  anticipating and thinking about the beloved every moment . The dazzling eyes of the beloved, which tell many unspoken  stories,  have captivated the lover . The lover says that the beloved behaves like a celestial nymph of unmatchable beauty,  and he doesn't know the reason why she gets offended with him every time after throwing tantrums . Bahadur Shah Zafar’s poem is a playful unspoken tete -e – tete between the lover and her beloved in their minds . 

Shola Hoon - Jagjit Singh

 

Shola Hoon – Echoes by Jagjit Singh

Composition – Jagjit Singh

Lyrics – Muzzafar Warsi

Singer – Jagjit Singh

Prelude – The raag “ Yaman Kalyan “ -based ghazal “ Shola Hoon “  from maestro Jagjit Singh is music to the ears . This song has enthralled ghazal lovers from time to time . I came across this song when I was searching for raag “ Yaman Kalyan “ songs on the internet . The lyrical word play by Muzzafar Warsi is a revelation in itself with hidden insights in the core of the song 

Shola hoon bhadakne ki guzaarish nahi karta

I am a flame , I don’t request to burn brighter.

Sacha muh se nikalta hai , koshish nahi karta

The truth comes out of my lips, though I don't make an effort for it .

 

Girti hui deewar ka hamdard hoon lekin

Chadte hue sooraj ki parastish nahi karta

I sympathise with the plight of the falling wall, yet I don’t worship the rising sun .

 

Maathe ke pasine ki mahek aye n ajis se

Who khun mere jism main gardish nahin karta

The odour of the sweat which doesn’t appear on my forehead - that blood doesn't circulate through my body. 

Hamdard-e-ehbaab se darta hun muzzafar

I fear , Muzaffar, the sympathy of friends and loved ones.

Main zakhm toh rakhta hoon , numaish nahin karta

I keep wounds in my heart,  though I don’t show it outwards .  

Postlude – I thought about this song multiple times when I played it but was able to decipher it after a long time . The first line of the song describes the ambitiousness and motivated nature of the lyricist in achieving his goals and grinding through daily life without giving up in times of adversity . The second line describes the ways of the world when everyone lies multiple times to survive and escape the contemptuousness of the society . They lie blatantly so that the society doesn’t judge them and paint a rosy picture of their life where everything is perfect . In this complex world of lies , truth comes out of the lyricist’s mouth,though he doesn’t try for it . It gives us a hint about the lyricist’s character,  where he is an odd one out among the majority of the people who follow the crowd . 

The second couplet is quite thoughtful, where the majority worship people in high echelons of society and superiors to be in their good books . This can be their knack to get benefits out of them and for selfish reasons to stride through life . But our lyricist is a person who sympathises with people in times of strife and hardships , but at the same time, he doesn’t worship or do sycophancy of elites and the establishment . He prefers to give respect to people based on their merit , quality , knowledge and talent . 

The third couplet tells us about the stress and strain which the lyricist undergoes in developing his skills through hard work  and sheer determination. It means if he doesn't attain his  goals through painful effort producing sweat , it is not a part of his life force, which is blood.  The fourth couplet speaks about how the lyricist keeps his wounds and hurt in his heart rather than sharing it with friends and displaying his emotions . He believes in keeping one’s wounds in one’s own heart rather than expecting sympathy from others by sharing them which doesn’t help us in any way in healing . He prefers time to heal his wounds rather than humans . This ghazal acts as a driving force for those who find themselves at odds with society in following a path not followed by the majority . The lyricist motivates us to follow our own unique path to achieve our goals even though it may take time, but at last we will find our feet in this long journey of life . 

Pyar Ka Jazba - Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain

 

Pyar Ka Jazma Naya Rang Dikha Deta Hai - Shaam-e-Ghazal 

Composition – Ahmed Hussain , Mohammed Hussain

Lyrics – Mohammed Usman Arif Naqshbandi

Singers – Ahmed Hussain , Mohammed Hussain

Prelude – The song “ Pyar Ka Jazba “ is a gift from the musical duo of the Hussain brothers , Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain, to music lovers across the world . I came across this song accidentally on You Tube and was immediately drawn to the song . The lyrics are by Mohammad Usman Arif Naqshbandi, which explore the theme of love . 

Pyar ka jazba naya rang dikha deta hain

The passion of love reveals new colours everywhere.

Ajnabi chehre to mehboob bana deta hain

It turns the face of the stranger into that of a beloved. 

 

Mausam- e- gul heen nahin phoolon ka tohfa – e-dosth

The season of spring is not only a vagary of nature but also a friendly gift of a bouquet of flowers.

Mausam-e -gul kabhi kante bhi bicha deta hain

Sometimes the spring season also spreads a carpet of thorns in the way.

Ajnabi chere to mehboob bana deta hain

Pyar ka jazba

 

Apne chehre ke kise daag nazar aate hain

Who notices the blemish on one's own face?

Waqt har shaqs ko aaina dikha deta hain

Time shows the mirror to everyone.

Ajnabi chere to mehboob bana deta hain

Pyar ka jazba

 

Shab ki tanhai ke sannate main aksar koi  

Dil ki dhadkan pe tera geet suna deta hain

In the stillness of night's solitude , often one hears your song in the heartbeat .

Ajnabi chere to mehboob bana deta hain

Pyar ka jazba

Postlude – The starting line of the song by the lyricist strikes a chord with the listeners when the love in the nascent age brings colour to our lives and there is splendour everywhere around . The lines describe how a face unknown to us till this time suddenly changes to that of the lover in no time . 

The second stanza describes the pleasure and pain of being in love . Love brings along with it a bouquet of flowers,  just like the gift of the spring season spreading exuberance everywhere . At the same time it brings along with it impediments , uncertainties and turmoils in the form of thorns . The lyricist has used the flower and its parts to describe the emotions in the mélange of love . 

The third stanza goes in a philosophical way, speaking about how the people of the society, instead of looking at flaws in their own character, rejoice by blaming others . But time shows the mirror to everyone as destiny teaches a lesson to everyone for their vanity and ego . I think this stanza means how the people in love are looked down upon by society for going against its mores .The third stanza shows the grief that separation from the beloved brings to the lover . In the absence of the beloved in the solitude and darkness of the night , the lover hears her song in the heartbeat . This is a lilting song from the melodic repertoire of the Hussain brothers .  

 

Aaaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo - Badal Aur Bijli

Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo – Badal aur Bijli

Composition – Sohail Rana

Lyrics – Fayyaz Hashmi

Singer – Habib Wali Mohammad

Prelude – Words are too short to describe the emotions in this timeless classic “ Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo “ penned by Fayyaz Hashmi and composed by Sohail Rana . The song was originally sung by Habib Wali Mohammed Saheb for the film “ Badal aur Bijli “ and popularised by Malike – e – Ghazal ( Queen of Ghazal ) Farida Khanum ji . I first came across a cover version of this song by Akriti Kakkar on You Tube . I have spent innumerable nights thinking about this song and the raag “ Yaman Kalyan “ compelling us to travel to a celestial land . 

Aaj jane ki zid na karo

Oh beloved ! Don’t be persistent in going away from me.

Yoon heen pehlu main baithe raho

Please sit beside me.

Aaj jane ki zid na karo

Oh beloved ! Don’t be persistent in going away from me

Haye mar jaayenge hum toh lut jaayenge

Aisi baatein kiya na karo

Oh beloved ! I will die in lamentation . I will be robbed of my happiness . Don’t say such words to me .

Aaj jane ki zid na karo  

 

Tum heen socho zara kyun na rokein tumhain

You just think why I shouldn't stop you from leaving. 

Jaan jaati hain jab uthke jaate ho tum

I cease to live when you get up and leave me.

Tum ko apni kasam jaan ­- e -  jaan

I swear by you, my dearest, every word I have just said. 

Baat itni meri maan lo

Oh beloved ! just listen to me

Aaj jane ki zid na karo

 

Waqt ki qaid main zindagi hai magar

Life is imprisoned by time . 

Chand gadiyan yahi hain jo azad hain

There are only a few moments which are free.

In ko kho kar meri jaan – e – jaan

Umr bhar na taraste raho

Oh beloved ! Don’t lose these precious moments and yearn for them for the rest of your life. 

Aaj jane ki zid na karo

 

Kitna masoom rangeen hai yeh sama

How innocent and colourful is the soiree.

Husn aur ishq ki aaj meeraaj hai

Today is the pinnacle of beauty and love.

Kal ki kis ko khabar jaan -e- jaan

Rok lo aaj ki raat ko

Oh beloved ! Who knows what awaits tomorrow . Hold onto today’s night .

Aaj jane ki zid na karo

Postlude – The lamentation of the lover when the beloved is persistent in going away is beautifully captured in this song . Love is a mysterious emotion. The rapturous moments it gives to the lover by just being with the beloved are just enthralling . There is an unknown joy of just spending moments together in silence even if there is nothing to speak of. The aching which is brought to the lover just by the thought of separation from the beloved is an eternal theme which poets have explored since time immemorial . 

The second stanza speaks about how human beings are imprisoned by time, spending their lives in pursuit of earning their living and fulfilling their obligations, when love comes as a magical visitor which gives them meaning in this earthly life . The moments spent in love are the only priceless moments which make life worth living . Life is too short to be rushed upon , and it’s important to take it one day after the other and enjoy the feeling of just being with our love and make treasured memories so that we don’t regret it later . 

The third stanza speaks about how the atmosphere is filled and at the zenith of beauty and splendour of the beloved . We are beings who wish that that time would just stop moving forward so that we can capture the precious moments and just be with our love . The poet speaks about how our life should revolve around the present and not in anxiety of the future because we never know what awaits us . The song “ Aaj jane ki zid na karo “ will be eternal ,evoking the echoes of all the people who have experienced love .