POST 48: Na Kisi Ki Aankh Ka Noor Hun
न किसी की आँख का नूर हूँ
This is a ghazal written by Muztar Khairabadi. His given name was Iftikhar Hussain but he wrote under the pen name Muztar Khairabadi. He lived to be 62 ( born 1865 — died 27.03.1927) , a very old age considering that life expectancy even in 1947 was 40 years! He was the grandfather of Javed Akhtar and great grandfather of Farhan Akhtar .His son Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914–1976) was also a renowned poet. In an interview Farhan Akhtar had claimed that shayari has been an unbroken tradition for seven generations, in his family. The claim appears to be genuine. Even grandfather of Muztar Khairabadi, Fazi-e-haq Khairabadi was a famous poet. There is some dispute about authorship of this ghazal, as some think it was written by Bahadur Shah ‘Zafar’.
Muztar means restless, impatient.
This ghazal is a very sad one with an acute sense of worthlessness and evokes sympathy and pathos for the shayar.
I don’t really enjoy sad ghazals but have included this ghazal as without this ghazal, the bouquet offered would not have all shades and varieties of thought, expression, feeling and display of craftsmanship of shayari.
Some of his better known shers:
1. वक्त दो ही मुझ पर कठिन गुज़रे, सारी उम्र में।
इक तेरे आने से पहले ईक तेरे जाने के बाद। ।
2. मुसीबत और लम्बी जिंदगानी।
बुजुर्गो कि दुवाऔ ने मार डाला
3.ईलाजे दर्द ऐ दिल तुम से मसीहा हो नहीं सकता
तुम अच्छा कर नहीं सकते मैं अच्छा हो नहीं सकता
4.बुरा हूँ मैं जो किसी की बुराईयों मैं नहीं।
भले हो तुम जो किसी का भला नहीं करते।
- Farhan Akhtar is a popular film artist ,director, playback singer, and television host and a shayar in his own right.( born 09/01/1974). His recital of the ghazal has a charm of its own.
2. Mohammed Rafi,( born 1924 -death 1980) the iconic singer of Indian films has sung this ghazal in a very sensitive and heart touching manner bringing out the finer nuisances of the ghazal. He was awarded ‘Padma Shree’ in 1967. He received six Filmfare awards.
Important words:
नूर: light, illumination;क़रार: solace;मुश्त-ए-ग़ुबार: Handful of dust;दवा-ए-दर्द-ए-जिगर: medication for pain in the heart;शकेब:endurance, patience; ख़िज़ाँ:winter;फ़ातिहा: First surat of the Kuran; नग़्मा-ए-जाँ-फ़ज़ा: lively song; हबीब:close friend, lover;
न किसी की आँख का नूर हूँ न किसी के दिल का क़रार हूँ
जौ किसी के काम में जो न आ सके मैं वो एक मुश्त-ए-ग़ुबार हूँ
Neither am I the light of anybody’s eyes nor am I the calmness of anybody ’s heart.
I am of use to nobody as though I am as worthless as a handful of dust!
न दवा-ए-दर्द-ए-जिगर हूँ मैं न किसी की मीठी नज़र हूँ मैं
न इधर हूँ मैं न उधर हूँ मैं न शकेब हूँ न क़रार हूँ
Neither am I the medicine to relieve the pain in the heart,
nor am I the recipient of fond looks of the beloved.
Neither am I here, nor am I there
Neither am I the patience nor the solace of the heart!
मिरा वक़्त मुझ से बिछड़ गया मिरा रंग-रूप बिगड़ गया
जो ख़िज़ाँ से बाग़ उजड़ गया मैं उसी की फ़स्ल-ए-बहार हूँ
My good fortune has left me, my good looks have deserted me!
I am like a garden which has been destroyed because of old age ,
I am the out come of that wilted bloom!!
पए फ़ातिहा कोई आए क्यूँ? कोई चार फूल चढ़ाए क्यूँ ?
कोई आ के शम्अ' जलाए क्यूँ? मैं वो बेकसी का मज़ार हूँ
Why would anyone come to read the fatheha( first verse of Quran)?
Why would anyone place flowers on my grave?
Why would anyone light a lamp?
I am that monument of helplessness!
न मैं लाग हूँ न लगाव हूँ न सुहाग हूँ न सुभाव हूँ
जो बिगड़ गया वो बनाव हूँजो नहीं रहा वो सिंगार हूँ
Neither am I that fondness nor am I that attachment!
Neither am I that married bliss, nor am I that good mannerism!
I am like that battered creation ,I am like spoiled make up!!
मैं नहीं हूँ नग़्मा-ए-जाँ-फ़ज़ा मुझे सुन के कोई करेगा क्या
मैं बड़े बिरोग की हूँ सदा ,मैं बड़े दुखी की पुकार हूँ
I am not that lovely song, why would anyone bother to listen to me?
I am the wail of immense distress, I am the call of a very broken heart!
न मैं 'मुज़्तर' उन का हबीब हूँ न मैं 'मुज़्तर' उन का रक़ीब हूँ
जो बिगड़ गया वो नसीब हूँ जो उजड़ गया वो दयार हूँ
Oh Muztar, I am not her loved one, neither am I a rival for her favours,
I am like a fortune gone wrong, I am like a land that has been devastated!
3. Iqbal Bano was a Pakistani singer (born 1935-Died 2009), who is remembered for her semi-classical urdu ghazals. She is known to have sung many ghazals written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She initially trained under ustad Sabri Khan and Ustad Chaand Khan , in Delhi.
4. Mahendra Kapoor (1934–2008) was a very popular singer who sang nearly 1150 songs . He had the capability of singing in higher notes and most of his songs, bhajans, ghazals had this quality. Some of his memorable songs included’ Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jayae hum dono’,’ Neele gagan ke talae..’, ‘ Chalo bulava aya hai…’ He was awarded ‘ Padma Shree’ in 1972. He won Filmfare award at least four times.
5. Habib Wali Mohammed (1921–2014) was a Pakistani singer. He was a very well educated person, having received MBA from Syracuse University , New York, in 1947. He stayed in Mumbai and migrated to Pakistan in about 1956. He was adjudged the best singer in a Bombay music competition , out of about 1200 contestants including Mukesh Chand Mathur! His winning performance was this very ghazal!!
6. Shruti Sadolikar ( born 09/11/1951), is an Indian ghazal singer, who sings in the khayal style, developed by the Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. She earned masters degree in music and wrote a thesis on Haveli music, which is a type of temple music. She worked as the Vice- Chancellor of Bhatkhande Music Institute University Lucknow, from 2009 to 2020.
It is such a popular ghazal that I could not resist myself from including six singers- some may feel far too many, but the whole idea is to add pleasure to your weekend. Have a wonderful weekend!
The weather Gods have been kind, it is not very hot but then staying indoors, it does not really matter.
Take care!
05.06.2021
