POST 83: Yeh na thee hamari kismet ke visal-e-yar hota
ये न थी हमारी क़िस्मत कि विसाल-ए-यार होता
Mirza Ghalib ( born at Agra 27.12.1797,- died 15.02.1869) , whose full name was Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, was one of the greatest gazal writers in the Urdu literature. He lived all his life in rented accommodation in Gali Quasim Jan or its proximity , in Delhi. He used two pen names Asad and Ghalib, in his compositions.
His shayari speaks for him!
1.हम को मालूम है जन्नत की हक़ीक़त लेकिन
दिल के ख़ुश रखने को ‘ग़ालिब’ ये ख़याल अच्छा है
2.इश्क़ ने ‘ग़ालिब’ निकम्मा कर दिया
वर्ना हम भी आदमी थे काम के
3.इस सादगी पे कौन न मर जाए ऐ ख़ुदा
लड़ते हैं और हाथ में तलवार भी नहीं
4.मोहब्बत में नहीं है फ़र्क़ जीने और मरने का
उसी को देख कर जीते हैं जिस काफ़िर पे दम निकले
5.हज़ारों ख़्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख़्वाहिश पे दम निकले
बहुत निकले मिरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले
Important words: विसाल-ए-यार: meeting with lover; ए’तिबार: confidence, faith, trust; नाज़ुकी:fragility; अहद:time, reign; बोदा: coward; उस्तुवार: stable, permanent; तीर-ए-नीम-कश: half drawn arrow; ख़लिश: throbbing pain, anxiety; नासेह : preacher, well wisher; चारासाज़:someone who finds a solution; ग़म-गुसार: a comfortor, one who consoles; रग-ए-संग: vein in the stone; शरार: a spark; जाँगुसिल : Painful; ग़म-ए-इश्: pain of love; ग़म-ए-रोज़गार: pain of business; ग़र्क़-ए-दरिया: drowning in river; मसाईल-ए-तसव्वुफ़: spiritualism:
Begum Akhtar has appeared in my blogs more than ten times and I have already written about her all that I thought was worthwhile. Enjoy her singing!
Muhammed Rafi (Born 24.12.1924- died 31.07.1980) was the favourite singer of at least two generations of Indian film goers and music lovers. He sang more than 26,000 songs in Indian languages as also several in other languages. He even appeared in a movie ‘Laila Majnu’, in 1945,singing the song ‘ Tera jalwa jisne dekha’! He sang in film’ Anmol Ghadi’ in 1946 and a duet with Noor Jehan in film Jugnu, in 1947.
ये न थी हमारी क़िस्मत कि विसाल-ए-यार होता
अगर और जीते रहते यही इंतिज़ार होता
It was not to be my good fortune to have a meeting, a tryst with the beloved!
Even if I had lived longer, I would have waited and waited for that meeting!!
तिरे वा’दे पर जिए हम तो ये जान झूट जाना
कि ख़ुशी से मर न जाते अगर ए’तिबार होता
I lived on your promise, I took your word as true!
I would have died happily, if only I had faith in you!!
कोई मेरे दिल से पूछे तिरे तीर-ए-नीम-कश को
ये ख़लिश कहाँ से होती जो जिगर के पार होता
Let some one ask my heart, why this half driven arrow?
I would have missed this penetrating pain if it had crossed my heart!
ये कहाँ की दोस्ती है कि बने हैं दोस्त नासेह
कोई चारासाज़ होता कोई ग़म-गुसार होता
What is this claim to friendship while you act as the preacher?
I needed someone to share my grief, someone to console me!!
रग-ए-संग से टपकता वो लहू कि फिर न थमता
जिसे ग़म समझ रहे हो ये अगर शरार होता
Blood would have oozed out of the veins in the stone, and not stopped!
What you think is grief, sorrow if only it had been a spark!!
ग़म अगरचे जाँगुसिल है पर कहाँ बचें कि दिल है
ग़म-ए-इश्क़ गर न होता ग़म-ए-रोज़गार होता
How can my heart escape pain, grief of love knowing it is life consuming?
If not the pain of love, it would have been travails of earning a living!!
कहूँ किस से मैं कि क्या है शब-ए-ग़म बुरी बला है
मुझे क्या बुरा था मरना अगर एक बार होता
Whom should I tell that the night of sorrow is a nasty thing!
I would not have minded dying, if it had to happen only once!!
हुए मर के हम जो रुस्वा हुए क्यूँ न ग़र्क़-ए-दरिया
न कभी जनाज़ा उठता न कहीं मज़ार होता
When I departed this world despondent ,why was I not consigned to the river?
Neither would have been a funeral procession nor a grave or tomb!
ये मसाईल-ए-तसव्वुफ़ ये तिरा बयान ‘ग़ालिब’
तुझे हम वली समझते जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता
These spiritual discourses, such felicity of expression, O Ghalib!
We would have considered you divinity incarnate, if only you were not a drunkard!!
Chitra Singh and Jagjit Singh sing this gazal in the serial Mirza Ghalib, which featured Nasiruddin Shah as Ghalib, besides Tanvi Azmi , as Umrao Begum and Neena Gupta as Nawab Jaan. It was screened on Doordarshan in 1988. It was directed by Gulzar. Jagjit Singh was the music composer. Shafi Inamdar acted as Sheikh Muhammed Ibrahim Zouk.
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh ( born 15.06.1929-died 31.01.2004) the legendary actor singer of the last generation sings this gazal under the music direction of Ghulam Muhammad in the film Mirza Ghalib released in 1954. Bharat Bhushan portrayed Ghalib. Others in the film were Suraiya, Nigar Sultana, Durga Khote etc.
Suraiya (15.06.1929 death 31.01.2004) was active in Hindi film world from 1936 to 1963. Incidentally Suraiya’s parents wanted her to marry DEV ANAND but was prevented by her grandmother. Suraiya did not marry all her life. She died of cancer.
Kader Khan ( 22.10.1937–31.12.2018)the popular film personality narrates the gazal in his deep bass voice. He appeared in more than 300 films generally as a comedian although he was an established director also.
Anup Jalota ( born 29th July 1953) is best known for his rendition of bhajans but he is also a prolific gazal singer. He was honoured with Padma Shree in 2012. Here Anup Jalota sings with Nihaarika Sinha ( Born 31.08.1982). She won the Miss Earth India award in 2005.
Tina Sani was born in Dhaka in pre liberated East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. She graduated from Karachi American School and was perusing a career in commercial arts. In 1977 she was fully involved in all aspects of commercial advertising including listening to music and evaluating its various dimensions. She took to the world of professional singing in 1980. She was greatly influenced by greats like Begum Akhtar, Farida Khanam, Malika Pukhraj, Mehdi Hasan but developed her own style of singing. She had been singing gazals of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, but in later years turned to singing of verses of 13th century mystic poet Rumi, in Urdu.
Ustad Ahmed Hussain ( Born 03.2.1951) and Ustad Mohammed Hussain ( born 02.12.1953), popularly known as Hussain brothers, have sung this gazal giving it a fresh vibrancy. They specialise in singing gazals, Naat, folk and devotional compositions. They hail from Jaipur, Rajasthan. They are exponents of Indian classical music also. They have released about 50 albums so far.
Pratibha Singh Baghel ( born 1991) is a prolific singer. She is active in Indian film industry having lent her voice in films like ‘Issaq’, ‘ Bollywood Diaries’, ‘Shorgul’, Humpty Sharma ki dulhania’ , ‘Manikarnika’ ,etc.
Sabri brothers , Maqbool Ahmed Sabri ( born12.10. 1945- died 21.09.2011) and his elder brother Ghulam Farid Sabri ( Born 1930- died 05.04.1994) performed in a band founded by the younger brother at the age of 11. They performed Sufi Quawwali and were trained in Indian Classical music. They were closely associated with Chisti Order.
Habib Wali Muhammed ( born 16.01.1921 -died 03.09,2014) was a Pakistani singer . He was born in Rangoon, Burma and grew up in Bombay and lived there up to 1957, before moving to Pakistan. He was well educated and obtained his MBA from Syracuse University USA, in 1947. Here he sings the same gazal under the music direction of Saraswati Devi. It was recorded in early 1950.
Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (Born 1922- died 18.09.1974) was the grandson of Ali Baksh Jarnail, who was one of the founders of Patiala Gharana. Amanat Ali shifted to Pakistan after the partition.
This is such a popular gazal that many many more singers have sung this gazal. I am not able to accommodate any others. Enjoy these varied styles of singing. All the best!
23rd October was the birthday of my sister-in- law Rashmi, wife of my younger brother. Happy birthday Rashmi! 25th October was the marriage anniversary of my elder daughter Pallavi, married to Ashish. Happy anniversary Pallavi and Ashish! Also 28th was the birthday of my daughter-in- law Dipali, whom Ansa and I call Aali. Happy birthday Aali.
Take care!
