Bahaar Aai - Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Tina Sani

 

Bahaar Aai – Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Tina Sani

Lyrics – Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Singer – Tina Sani

After a little musical respite in my home ,  the song “ Bahaar Aai “, penned by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and sung by Tina Sani, made me think about why I am rushing through life. As we pace through life chasing fame and milestones to cement a place in the world , Faiz Saheb asks us to just take a moment and watch the flowers bloom in full splendour in the spring . Faiz Saheb’s words take us to a world where there is a gathering between ourselves, the present and the past .

Bahaar aai to jaise yak – bar
Laut aae hai phir adam se
Vo khwab sare shabab sare
It’s as if all the dreams and liveliness of the youth have come altogether out of nothing in the spring season .

Jo tere honton pe mar - mite the
Jo mit ke har baar phir jiye the
Those who perished upon your lips , and dying , were born each time. (Those who kissed you died and got erased . The ones who were erased were born again ) 
 
Nikhar gaye hai gulab saare
Jo teri yaadon se mushkbu hain
Jo tere ushshaq ka lahu hain
The red roses are in splendour . They give fragrance just as the musk-scented memories of yours . The roses are red like the blood shed by your devoted lovers. 
 
Ubal pade hain azaab saare
Malal- e - ahval - e - dostan bhi
All old torments have surged again,  even the sorrow of estranged friends .  
 
Khumar - e - aghosh - e - mah – vashaan bhi
Ghubar - e – khatir ke baab saare
Tire hamare
Savaal saare javaab saare
I am intoxicated by the thoughts of embraces by moon- faced beauties. I remember the chapters of our mental agony . I remember our arguments .
 
Bahaar aai toh khul gaai hain
Naye sire se hisab saare
The arrival of the spring has reopened the accounts of the past.

Muskurahat Ko Reprise Version - Sukoon

 

Song – Muskurahat Ko Reprise

Album – Sukoon

Composition – Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Lyrics – A M Turaz

Singer – Shail Hada

The song “ Muskurahat Ko reprise “ version sung by Shail Hada in the album“ Sukoon “ is one that haunts you even after hearing it so many times . The ornamentation of the song is in such a way that it gives us the happiness of seeing someone smile at us . There are a billion questions which are unanswered in this human life . The answers to these questions have been searched for since time immemorial, but nobody has a convincing answer . The only permanent things in this uncertain life are the happiness and sorrow, like tides in the sea . A M Turaz has captured the essence of smiling in times of adversities . A smile gives us the zeal to move on in life after a setback . The piano sequences in the song  add a poignancy to the song, and it feels like we are free diving deep into the ocean of bliss . The song tells us that once a heart forgets to smile,  there will be no life left in our expressions . The heart asks us to smile and make others smile without any reason . I really don’t have any clue how Sanjay Leela Bhansali comes up with such eternal songs . Maybe this song is another pearl from the repertoire of his “ Yaman raag “ compositions .

Aye Rangrez - Tanu Weds Manu

Singer – Krsna

Lyrics – Rajshekar

Composition – Krsna

Prelude – I remember watching this song in the spring of 2011 . This song from the film stood out for me for being a qawwali track in which metaphors were used to show us a divine nature of love. The song composed by Krsna is enough to understand his calibre as a musician . The lyrics by Rajshekar celebrate the feeling of being in love in its juxtaposition of union and separation. 

 

Ae rangrez mere ,Ae rangrez mere

Oh my dyer !

Yeh baat bata rangrez mere

Oh my dyer ! Tell me this thing.
Yeh koun se pani main tune
Kaun sa rang ghola hai
Which colour did you mix in the water ?
Ke dil ban gaya saudai
My heart has become crazy.
Mera basanti chola hai
Mera basanti chola hai
My garment is hued yellow.
 
Ab tumse kya main shikwa karun
Now how do I complain to you ?
Maine hee kaha tha zid karke , rang de chunri pi ke rang main
It was me only who was insistent that my shawl should be coloured in the hue of my beloved.
Rang de rang de chunri pi ke rang main
Par mue kapas pe rang na ruke
Ki rang itna gehra ki jaano jigar tak bhi rang de
Jigar rang de
But it was not the lifeless cotton cloth that was only coloured ; even my life and heart were hued since the colour was so intense.
 
Rangrez tune afeem kya hai kha li
Jo mujhse tu ye pooche ki kaun sa rang ?
Oh dyer ! Are you so intoxicated under the effect of opium that you ask me which colour is mixed in water ?
Rangonka karobar hai tera
Yeh tu heen to jaane kaun sa rang
You trade in the dyes of various colours . Only you know which colour you have mixed in water .
 
Mera balam rang , mera sajan rang
Colour my beloved.
Mera katik rang , mera aghan rang ,mera phagan rang
Mera sawan rang
Colour the month of Kartik ( October – November ) , my autumn , my spring and my monsoon
Pal pal rangte rangte mere athon peher man bhawan rang
Keep on colouring every second that my whole day gets hued in the colours pleasing to my heart.
Ek boond ishkiyan daal koi tu
Ek boond ishkiyan daal koi tu
Mere saaton samandar jaye rang
Put a drop of love in the coloured dye so that my whole world and the seven seas are coloured.
 

Meri hadd bhi rang , Sarhad bhi rang

Colour my limit and boundary
Behad rang de , anhad bhi rang de
Colour me excessively and infinitely
Mandir masjid maikad rang
Colour the temple , mosque and tavern
Rangrez mere rangrez mere
Rangrez mere do ghar kyun rahe
Ek heen rang main dono ghar rang de , dono rang de
Oh dyer ! Why do we live in two houses ? Colour both houses in the same colour.
Pal pal rangte rangte rangte rangte
naihar peehar ka angan rang
Colour every second and colour the courtyard of the bride’s home.
Pal pal rangte rangte rangte rangte
mere athon peher man bhawan rang
Keep on colouring every second that my whole day gets hued in the colours pleasing to my heart.
Neendein rang de , karwat bhi rang
Colour my sleep and drowsy stretch of my arms. 
Khwabon pe pade salwat bhi rang
Colour the creases of my dreams
 
Ye tu heen hain , hairat rang de
Colour my amazement for the love of my beloved . 
Aa dil main sama hasrat rang de
Colour the desire which has developed in my heart.
Fir aaja aur vaslat rang de
Come and colour the meeting with my beloved.
Jo aa na sake toh furqat rang de
If you can’t come , colour our separation.
Darde hijra liye dil main darde hijra liye dil main darde main zinda rahoon
Main zinda rahu , zurrat rang de
I am living with the pain of separation in my heart . Colour my courage so that I stay alive.
 
Rangrez mere , Rangrez mere
Tera kya hain asal rang , ab toh yeh dikhla de
Oh my dyer ! Please show your real character.
Mera piya bhi tu , mera sej bhi tu
Mera rang bhi tu , rangrez bhi tu
Mera naiyya bhi tu , majhdhaar bhi
You are my beloved ,my bed scattered with flowers , my colour , my dyer ,  my boat and my whirlpool
Tujhme doobon tujhme ubaroon
Let me be immersed in you and surge in you.
Teri har ek baat sar ankhon pe
Every word of yours will be followed and fulfilled.
Mera malik tu , Mera sahib tu
You are my master and lord.
 
Meri jaa meri jaan , tere haathon main
Oh beloved ! My life is in your hands.
Mera qaatil tu , mera munsif tu
You are my murderer and arbitrator.
Tere bina kuch suje na , tere bina kuch suje na
I don’t know what to do without your cognisance. 
 
Meri raah bhi tu , mera rehbar tu
You are my path as well as guide.
Mera sarwar tu , mera akbar tu ,
You are my master and you are my greatness.
Mera mashriq tu , mera magrib tu
You are the direction in which the sun rises and sets.
Zahid bhi mera murshid bhi tu
You are my hermit and as well as spiritual master.
Ab tere bina ab main jaun kahan
Ab tere bina ab main jaun kahan
Ab tere bina ab main jaun kahan
Tere bina tere bina tere bina
Where do I go without you ?

Postlude – The song is played in the movie when the character played by Madhavan , “ Manu”, takes the character played by Kangana , “ Tanu “ , for her wedding shopping . The song has been beautifully shot with Tanu wearing a white salwar suit, waiting for her attire to be coloured in the hue of love . The unspoken love between the characters Tanu and Manu has been written with utmost perfection,taking into account the various tribulations of love . The exuberant feeling of love when the whole world and the seasons appear to be in sync with one’s emotions is penned greatly by Rajshekar . The lyricist has taken care to infuse the feeling of being one in love and how the world of a person gets concentrated on the lover .

Sree Padangal - Njan

Singer – Kottakal Madhu

Lyrics – Rafeeq Ahamed

Music – Bijibal

Prelude – The song captured my attention  when the Dulquar Salman movie “ Njan “ was released in 2014 . The song is an ode to the old vintage charm of rustic life .

Sree padangal mandam mandam hridaya shree kovilinte

Thiru nada kadann ethum usha sandhayil

You come slowly placing your auspicious feet on the steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple at daybreak . 

Nira deepa dipti kudath akka kannil manaswini

mama rupam orikkal nee arinn erunno

Oh wise one ! Even without the light from the lamp , did you decipher my form with your insight and inner eye ?

Nava nava chitra lekha chaturayam nisha devi

Chamakunna swapna chitra churilil ullil

The clever goddess of the night is drawing a new beautiful picture, decorating the vortex of a dreamy painting . 

Maru janma karakalil yugangalkku munporu orma

Chimizhili priya roopam pathinn erinno ?

Did you attach my form in a small fancy wooden box of your memories when we were in the banks of another birth aeons ago ?

Veru marthya mizhikalal agocharam anuraga lipikalal ezhuthiya hridaya kavyam

You wrote poetry from your heart with the letters filled with love not perceived by  the  normal human eye .  

Turakkath mizhikalil olipicha rashmiyal ni thurukakil thimirandha hridaya geham

Open the dwelling of your heart which is blinded by darkness using the light hidden in your never-opening eyes .

Malinami nadu muttam manasakum shankil urum

Shubha theertha kanangalal thalichalum nee

Please purify the littered courtyard by sprinkling holy water droplets kept in the conch shell shaped like a heart. 

Ilam manjil thullikalal alankrithayakum omal pularithan naru pushpa dalam kanakke

All the petals of the new flowers of the beloved morning are decorated by the tender dew drops . 

Dhanu masa nilavinte vala ani kaikkal ale dasha pushpam thirayunna kulirupole

The coolness of the moonlight of the Sagittarius month, adorned with bangles in its hands, searches for the ten sacred herbs or flowers .

Varike nee manaswini mam janma vidhikalil edam cheran anu yathra thudarnnu pokam

Oh wise and virtuous one ! Please join me by finding a place in the road of my life and, let us continue this journey together . 

Postlude – The lyricist Rafeeq Ahamed had written the verses of the song poignantly to showcase the emotions during the wedding of the hero to a blind girl . The sensitivity and responsibility taken by the lyricist to evoke the feelings of the bridegroom welcoming a girl who can’t see and lives in a world of darkness to his world by entering into matrimony is laudable. The verses are like a breath of fresh air, giving the freedom and rights to a girl to dream and lead a life not affected by her disability . 

Padoo Padoo Lokame - Lalitham Sundaram

Singer – Harishankar

Lyrics – BK Harinarayanan

Composition – Bijibal

Prelude – I was in awe on hearing the song “ Padoo Padoo Lokame “ from the film Lalitham Sundaram . A classical music-based song in a movie after a long time was really enticing . I would like to thank Harishankar , BK Harinarayanan and Bijibal for coming up with such a heart-throbbing song which is meditative . 

Padoo padoo lokame manam oronnum mitti nee

Oh world ! Sing a song, plucking the mind's strings of every soul .

Njanum neeyum ekamay our ganathin enamay

We both become one, like the tune of a song.

Ner athrukale mattam thammil thoo virulakalil korkkam thantri

Let’s remove the differences between us by plucking the strings of the lute with the beautiful fingers .

Vendum athinu mozhi basha sarvam ganam

To communicate our thoughts with clarity  , we need speech , language and, above all , song . 

Vanathil ariya oru maruthil nira sarithil oru jathi unarnne

A dear breeze in the forest produced waves in the stream . A jathi ( rhythmic syllable - based patterns performed within the rhythmic cycle ) arose when the waves moved in the stream . 

Our vari paravakal maru vari malarukal idayile varikal nammalum

One line is about  birds and,  the other line is about flowers . The line between these two lines is about us .

Oro jeevanil onai cherthidum sneha ananda nila noolayay

Music unites everyone on earth through love and happiness like the thread of moonlight . 

Shilayum kelkukil mizhi neer thukana maya ninadam ayi

The rocks , on hearing music, shed tears,which form an illusionary stream with the gentle sound of water . 

Karuna rasam arnoru marandham shruthi chernnu ulayachithuethu  prapancham

The music has a benevolent expression like nectar.  The music is the world created by varying the pitch of the voice . 

Ethunundo verunundo ethil param mahatarram mannake

Is there anything as great and noble as music in this world ?

Vedana than kula kachiya muth ethu vedana ethinum aushadam

Music is the most precious pearl,like a decoction made after a lot of hardwork. It is used as a medicine to remove any sorrow from one’s life . 

Madi aruthu oru pozhuth ennale

May I never go idle at any moment in mastering this divine art of music.

Paadu hridaya ragam

Sing a song from your heart which enchants everyone . 

Postlude – I thought a lot to find out what the song really meant . BK Harinarayanan’s mysterious wordplay has come out beautifully, celebrating the richness of the art form music, which never fails to calm even the most melancholic person in the world with its therapeutic effect . Nature sings her song with the rivers , leaves , air and birds joining the ensemble .   

 

Shivadam Shiva Namam - Mazhavillu

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Lyrics – Kaithapram

Composition – Mohan Sithara

Prelude – Shivadam Shiva Namam is a song that carries the nostalgia of my school days when my classmates and seniors performed a dance to this song during our annual day of 2000 . When I watched the song in the cinema in 1999 , it had a scintillating effect on me as a 6th grader .Composed in raag Darbari Kannada , the song is enriched by the meandering ornamentation of KJ Yesudas’ and Chitra’s voices . 

Shivadam shiva namamshree parvatheeshwara naman

Chanting the name of Lord Shiva uproots the threefold miserable conditions of life . The three fold miseries in this world are those inflicted on the material body and mind , from other living beings and natural catastrophes like earthquakes , floods , epidemics etc .

Shubadam Shivacharitam papaharam

The story of Lord Shiva is auspicious, and chanting it destroys all sins committed by humans.

Nandi mridangi ninaada tharangita kailas eshwara namam

The beats of the drum played by the holy bull of Lord Shiva , Nandi, and the sound of waves chant Lord Shiva's name . 

Saphalamee jeevitham prema poornam

Parvathi lola nin karunayale

My life is content and filled with love due to the kindness of the delicate Goddess Parvathi.

Thiru jadak ullil ilaki unarunnu loka dhatriyam shiva ganga

The universal mother of humanity , river Ganga, moves and rises from the matted locks of Lord Shiva.

Layam unarthunnu swaram unarthunnu

Thudikkum ushashil nabhasil uyarnnu

Mriga mada thilakitha surajanam akhilam

Shivadam Amrutha nadana dharana thillana

The musical notes with rhythm arise due to the waves in the river Ganga . The cosmic dance of lord Shiva, like nectar,rises with the throbbing dawn in the sky. It is witnessed by the celestial gods  of the whole universe who are marked by intoxication like the musk deer . 

Saphalamee jeevatham raga lolam

Kavya kallolini theera bhoovil

My life is content with the wavering melodies and poetic compositions of the waves hitting the riverbank on the earth . 

Hridayam unmada lahari nukarunnu

Tharalam uyarunnu thillana

The heart is delighted by the intoxicating rhythm of the cosmic dance by Lord Shiva.

Pranaya kallolam ilaki marayunnu

The waves of love are moving and disappearing in the heart.

Vasantha sugandha taranga rajaniyil

Kavithakal ozhukkum madabhara nimikalil

Shivadam Amrutha nadana dhirana thillana

Poems flow in the intoxicating blinking of your eyes in the excited fragrant night of the spring season . 

Postlude – The lyricist Kaithapram has written the verses symbolising the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva . Through his dance, Lord Shiva embodies the acts of creation, preservation, destruction and the liberation of the soul . Lord Shiva dances his way, destroying the sins and illusions of human beings, endowing them with intellect and knowledge . 

Sawariya Sawariya - Swades

Singer – Alka Yagnik

Lyrics – Javed Akthar

Composition – AR Rahman

Prelude – Sawariya Sawariya from Swades captured the imagination of teenagers in 2004 when the film was released . The lyrics written by Javed Akhtar bring out the spell that is cast by love . 

Sawariya Sawariya

Main toh hui bawariya

Dear beloved ! I have become crazy in your love.

Tune man moh liya

Sawariya ho

You have captured my heart.

 

Uljha sa yeh man hai , Sulga sa yeh tan hai

My heart is restless and puzzled ; my body is aflame with love . 

Sapnon ka sawan hai , nainon ka angan hai  

There is a monsoon of dreams , the eyes have turned into a courtyard of love.

Chhalke man gagariya sawariya ho

The love has spilt out of my heart just like water from an earthen pot.

 

Jo tu yoon paas aya hai , jo tu yoon dil pe chaya hai

Toh maine kya paya hain kaise kahoon

I cannot say what I have gained since you came close and settled in my heart. 

Kahin dhadkan ki kaliya hain , kahin sapnon ki galiyan hain

Jo mann main rang raliyan hain kaise kahoon

A flower blooms for every heartbeat ; there are lanes of dreams . There is a celebration in the heart. How do I say it ?

Tu jo mujhe aise behkaaye , kabhi kabhi toh badi laaj si aaye

When you enchant me like this , I get shy sometimes . 

Bhooli hoon main jaise apni dagariya , jabse hai dekhi maine prem nagariya

I have lost my way after I saw the town of love.

 

Tu jo mila toh yeh sara sama badal gaya

When you came into my life, the world around me changed.

Khilne lagi phool se meri raah main

Flowers began to bloom on my way.

Phir yun laga mujhe ki yeh dharti nayi hui naya ambar hua

Teri aur meri chah main

I felt as if the earth and sky had become new, renewed by our love. 

Chanchal hawa tarana koi gaye , nadiya bhi koi kahani kehti jaaye

The playful breeze sings a melodic song with rhythmic syllables ( tarana), and rivers narrate a story.

Jabse mili sajna tujhse najariya , kho gayi hai sudh budh ki mujhse ghatariya

When my eyes met your gaze , I lost the bag of my senses . It means when the heroine's eyes met the hero's gaze , she lost all her senses and power of reasoning. 

Postlude – The rhyming words used by Javed Akthar bring us a slice of village life with narrow streets , isolated paths , earthen pots to cool water and the tulsi vrindavan ( an altar for housing the basil plant ) in the courtyard .