Dil Dhadkane ka Sabab…Celebrating Heartache

Shafqat Amanat Ali’s music is a reflection of what has been passed onto him as a legacy. He never fails to remember his roots and always finds a way to pay tribute to this inheritance. His album Saagar when he was part of the Fuzon Band had a repackaged Patiala Gharana thumri in Raag Khamaj. Then Tabeer had his father’s famous Darbari.

The album Kyun Dooriyan had a song called Naukar Tere, the tune of which is inspired by a traditional Saraiki wedding song that his grandmother used to sing. (His grandmother was the sister of Ustad Umeed Ali of the Gwalior Gharana. She had extensive knowledge of music and in fact was in charge of the training the children in the family while Shafqat was growing up )

One of the highlights of Shafqat Amanat Ali’s recently released album, Muh Dikhai is a Ghazal –“ Dil dhahdkane ka sabab yaad aaya” Written by the very famous urdu poet Nasir Qazmi this ghazal was originally composed by Shafqat’s father, Ustad  Amanat Ali Khan

Born as Raza Kazmi in Ambala, India, he wrote under the pseudonym Nasir. A great admirer of Meer he is often credited as one of the founders of modern ghazal. Simplicity of thought and of words helped him connect to mass audiences. A peer of Faiz,who was massively popular, he was still able to carve a  special mark in the world of poetry.

What is common in most of what he has written is an undercurrent of resigned sadness. It is believed he was very affected by the partition which forced him to move to Pakistan and that sadness is reflected in his words.

But besides the sadness of losing his roots, his poetry,is also about having lost love and friendship.  The expression of loneliness and the helplessness of it is, a theme that runs through many of his poems .

Intizar Hussain, a renowned Urdu fiction writer of Pakistan said in his tribute to Kazmi at a seminar-“Nasir Kazmi is the poet who, through his poetry, taught people the etiquette of sadness” Going through his works make you nod in agreement to that statement.

Silence is a sign of  a level of comfort in a relationship but sometimes it is the sign of a relationship gone bad…

Aaj toh wo bhi kuch khamosh sa thaa

Maine bhii us-se koi baat na kii

He too seemed a little quiet today

And I didn’t talk to him either

Nasir laments here about the relationship that ceased to be

Yaad aata hai roz o shab koi

Hamse rootha hai besabab koi

Haunted by his memory day and night

The one who is  upset without a reason

He expresses so beautifully on what all is missed when a relationship ends

Vo dosti toh khair ab naseebe dushmana hui

Wo choti choti ranjishon ka lutf bhi chala gaya

The friendship met its fate and ended in animosity

And with that went away the joy of those petty tiffs

It was Nasir Kazmi who said

Dil mein aur kya rakha hai

Tera dard chuppa rakha hai

What else would you find inside my heart

Only the pining and pain for you

And the phrase was borrowed probably by Anjaan for this song from the movie Imaandar ?

The need to be connected with the world and to be alone at the same time is a feeling that everyone knows, but how many  can say it like he does

Diwangi e shauq ko ye dhun hai in dino

Ghar bhi ho aur be dar o divar sab hi ho

A frenzied desire overwhelms me these days

Of having a house sans its walls and doors

It isnt the world around us that is usually responsible for our woes, it is mostly ourselves who cause it- and he talks about it in his popular ghazal Apni dhun mein rehta hun

Apnii lahar hai apna rog

Dariya hun aur pyaasa hun

My being is what ails me

Like a flowing river that thirsts

And music lovers from the subcontinent often have swayed to  Dil mein ik lehar si uthi hai abhi– sung beautifully by none other than Ghulam Ali Sahab.

Some profound thoughts in this one too

Bhari duniya mein dil nahin lagta

Jaane kis cheez ki kami hai abhi

In this bustling world, my heart finds no solace

What is it that is lacking, what is that it is seeking?

And

Tu sharik e sukhan nahi hai to kya

Hum sukhan teri khamoshi hai abhi

So what if you are no longer participating

Your silence is still a part of our conversation

A rare and surprisingly optimistic note pops up sometime-  struggling and possibly succeeding in living with the pain- a comfortably numb state if you may

Kuch ab sambhalne lagi hai jaan bhi, badal chala daur e aasman bhi

Jo raat bhari thi tal gai hai jo din kada tha guzar gaya wo

My heart finds a new strength, the times are changing

That trying night has finally passed, that hard day has finally ended

Dil Dhadkne ka Sabab – Translation

When I felt my heart beat,  I remembered why

I was remembering you…  that is why

My friend, as I struggled to stay afloat , 

The effort just made me miss you like never before

The day was hard to get by as it is and then I remembered

That promise of an evening rendezvous

O  your long forgotten vows of fidelity

Recalling them is but a death wish

Then so many people came by and were gone

Reminding  me of that  joyful place

I’d have had no qualms about sharing my woes

Alas I remembered them, only when he was gone

I  then sat in lesiure, in the  shadow of the bossoms ,missing him

And  cried to my heart’s content

Even  Mallika e Tarannum has lent her voice  to a film version of this ghazal – (Music by Ustad Nazar Hussain? )

And how can we not listen to the Ghulam Ali version

And there’s an Asha Bhosle version for the album Meraj e Ghazal

Catch Jagjit Singh singing it 12:50 onward here :

I wish I had access to Ustad Amanat Ali’s original rendition… but this one re created and sung beautifull by his son is brilliant, by any standards.

Reading Nasir moves you… his dignity in pain amazes you. His subtle and sophisticated references to what he is going through almost makes you ask him..in his own words…

Tu jo itna udaas hai nasir

Tujhe kya ho gaya bata to sahi

Why this feeling of gloom Nasir

What the hell is wrong with you……

All poetry taken from http://www.rekhta.org

Rabb- The Poem (Muh Dikhai)

The album Muh Dikhai showcases one of the poems of Prof Mohan Singh– the title song of the album uses extracts of his Punjabi poem Rabb.

Prof Mohan Singh is one of the greatest names in modern Punjabi poetry and has written several poetry collections. Here is the entire poem. The translation is not exact but I have tried to capture the essence of the words

Prof. Mohan Singh with Shiv Batalvi

रब्ब इक्क गुंझलदार बुझारत

रब्ब इक गोरख-धन्दा ।

खोल्हण लगिआं पेच एस दे

काफ़र हो जाए बन्दा ।

God- such an intricate riddle

He’s that ultimate puzzle

That the one who tries decipher

Often gets pronounced a cynic

काफ़र होणो डर के जीवें

खोजों मूल ना खुंझी

लाईलग्ग मोमन दे कोलों

खोजी काफ़र चंगा ।

But the fear of being labeled that

Shouldn’t be the reason to stop seeking

For a cynic in quest is so much better

Than the blind believer, who is clueless

तेरी खोज विच अकल दे खंभ झड़ गए

तेरी भाल विच थोथा ख़्याल होया ।

लक्खां उंगलां गुंझलां खोल्ह थक्कीआं,

तेरी ज़ुलफ़ दा सिद्धा ना वाल होया ।

In seeking You, all wisdom shed

In waiting for You, all thoughts meaningless

The tired fingers untangled countless knots

But failed to unravel even one tiny bit

घिग्गी बझ्झ गई संखां दी रो-रो के,

पिट्ट-पिट्ट के चूर घड़्याल होया ।

चीक-चीक के कलम दी जीभ पाटी,

अजे हल्ल ना तेरा सवाल होया ।

The blowing conchs choked

The striking gong crumbled

The scribbling pen’s nib splintered

Yet, the mystery remained

तेरी सिक कोई सज्जरी सिक तां नहीं,

इह चरोकणी गले दा हार होई ।

इह उदोकणी जदों दा बुत्त बणिआ,

नाल दिल दी मिट्टी त्यार होई ।1।

This love for You isn’t new

It’s an old part of our being

It started while the body found shape

And was being infused with feelings

तेरे हिजर विच किसे ने कन्न पाड़े

अते किसे ने जटां वधाईआं ने ।

बूहे मार के किसे ने चिले कट्टे,

किसे रड़े ‘ते रातां लंघाईआं ने ।

Grieving in your separation some pierced their ears

And some wore their hair so long

Some tortured and harmed themselves

Some walked the path of austerity

कोई लमकिआ खूह दे विच पुट्ठा,

अते किसे ने धूणिआं ताईआं ने ।

तेरे आशकां ने लक्खां जतन कीते,

पर तूं मूंह तों ज़ुलफ़ां ना चाईआं ने ।

Some dangled into wells upside down

Some smeared their body with ashes

A thousand tricks were tried a thousand times

But You refused to reveal Yourself

तेरी सिक्क दे कई तेहाए मर गए,

अजे तीक ना वसल दा जुग लभ्भा ।

लक्खां सस्सिआं मर गईआं थलां अन्दर,

तेरी डाची दा अजे ना खुरा लभ्भा ।2।

Many died with their wish of attaining your love

Till now no one knows the way for a union

Thousands of Sassis have since died in the desert

Failing to find a trace  of Your camel’s footprint

किसे फुल्ल-कुरान दा पाठ कीता,

किसे दिल दा पत्तरा खोल्हआ वे ।

किसे नैणां दे सागर हंगाल मारे,

किसे हिक्क दा खूंजा फरोलिआ वे ।

Some read all the Holy Scriptures

Some followed their heart’s calling

Some cried an ocean, all in vain

Some chose to silently introspect

किसे गल्ल्हां दे दीवे दी लोअ थल्ले,

तैनूं ज़ुलफ़ां दी रात विच टोलिआ वे ।

रो रो के दुनिआं ने राह पाए,

पर तूं हस्स के अजे ना बोलिआ वे ।

Some frantically with flushed cheeks

Sought You in the nothingness, so dark

The whole world thus struggles on

And is yet to win your affections

दीदे कुलंज मारे तेरे आशिकां ने,

अजे अत्थरू तैनूं ना पोहे कोई ।

तेरी सौंह, कुझ रोण दा मज़ा ही नहीं,

पूंझण वाला जे कोल ना होए कोई ।3।

In their incessant crying your lovers lost their eyes

But the tears had no effect whatsoever

By God, what use is shedding them

When the one supposed to wipe them isn’t around

तेरी मांग दी सड़क ते पिआ जेहड़ा,

उस नूं हील्आं नाल परताइआ तूं ।

हरसां, दौलतां, हुसनां, हकूमतां दा,

उहदे राह विच चोगा खिंडाइआ तूं ।

The one who chose the road to You

You obstructed his path with dangers

Worldly happiness, riches, good looks and power

You strew in his way like bait

किसे कैस नूं लग्गा जे इशक तेरा,

उस नूं लेली दा लेला बणाइआ तूं ।

किसे रांझे नूं चढ़आ जे चा तेरा,

उस नूं हीर दी सेजे सवाइआ तूं ।

If a Qais fell truly in love with you

You made him as passionate as Laila’s majnu

One who sought you madly like Raanjha

You made him experience Heer’s love

साडे हंझूआं कीता ना नरम तैनूं,

साडी आह ने कीता ना छेक तैनूं ।

असीं सड़ गए विछोड़े दी अग्ग अन्दर,

लागे वसद्आं आया ना सेक तैनूं ।4।

Our tears couldn’t soften you

Our sighs couldn’t affect you

We crumbled under the fire of separation

But you didn’t wince or feel the heat

किसे छन्ना बणाइआ जे खोपरी दा,

तूं बुल्ल्हिआं नाल छुहाईआं ना ।

किसे दिल दा रांगला पलंघ डाहआ,

तेरे नाज़ नूं नींदरां आईआं ना ।

Some made a cup of their skull as offering

You refused to put your lips to it

Some offered their adorned heart as a bed

But it wasn’t good enough for you to rest

किसे जुत्तिआं सीतिआं चंम दिआं,

तेरी बे-परवाही ने पाईआं ना ।

रगड़-रगड़ के मत्थे चटाक पै गए,

अजे रहमतां तेरिआं छाईआं ना ।

Some offered you shoes fashioned from their skin

But you remained indifferent to the offering

The forehead was bruised bowing down to you

But you refused to acknowledge and give your blessings

मार सुट्ट्या तेरिआं रोस्आं ने,

फूक सुट्ट्या बे-परवाही तेरी ।

लै के जान तूं अजे ना घुंड चाइआ,

ख़बरे होर की ए मूंह विखाई तेरी ।5।

Your disregard destroyed us

Your indifference set us ablaze

Even offering our life wasn’t enough

What else would it take to get just one glimpse

जे तूं मूंह तों ज़ुलफ़ां हटा देवें,

बिट बिट तक्कदा कुल संसार रह जाए ।

रह जाए भाई दे हत्थ विच संख फड़्या,

बांग मुल्लां दे संघ विचकार रह जाए ।

If you would choose to show yourself

The world would stand and stare in awe

The priest would be left with the conch in his hand

The mullah would be left in the midst of his prayer call

पंडत हुरां दा रह जाए संधूर घुलिआ,

जाम सूफ़ी दा होया त्यार रह जाए ।

कलम ढह पए हत्थों फ़िलासफ़र दी,

मुनकिर तक्कदा तेरी नुहार रह जाए ।

The Pandit would be left with his sindoor paste

The Sufi would not touch his ready cup

The pen would slip off the philosopher’s hand

The angels would in awe just  stand and stare

इक घड़ी जे खुल्हा दीदार दे दएं,

साडा नित्त दा रेड़का चुक्क जावे ।

तेरी ज़ुलफ़ दा सांझा पिआर होवे,

झगड़ा मन्दर मसीत दा मुक्क जावे ।6।

One glimpse only, and

Our daily struggle would be over

We would all be united in your love

The eternal strife in the name of religion would be no more