This evening, while I was practising tabla, Sharmila came into the music room and as we talked, she casually mentioned about Amjad Sabri. Being somebody who avoids news de jure (no TV, no newspaper for me), I did not realize that Amjad Sabri had been murdered in Pakistan a couple of days back.

For those who are not aware, Amjad came from a musical family that went back four centuries in undivided India!! His father and uncle are my first recollection of Sabri Qawwalies. Their family sang devotional songs in the Sufi style. Sufism is one of the mystic strains of Islam that is liberal in nature (e.g. A lot of Sufi music is in praise of alcohol).

Appparently, he was gunned down by Taliban who professes a very conservative militant version of Islam day before yesterday in Karachi in Pakistan – where his family lived after the dividing of India. The world makes a lot less sense to me now. What can anybody have anything against music?

This evening, I spent hours practising tabla with Amjad Sabri songs (you should be able to see him if you zoom in to the iPad)

It was a hectic week with three subsequent mornings starting at 3:45 am to catch 6 am flights. This evening’s choice of singer was Munni Begum. She was actually born in a village – not too far from where I come. Born a Bengali muslim called “Nadira”, her family had moved to Bangladesh and then Pakistan. I understand she lives in US now.

“Kis ko khabar thi sanwli badal
Bin barse urh jate hain
Sawan aya lekin
Apni qismat mein barsaat nahin
Toot gaya jab dil to phir
Sanson ka naghma kya maani”

Who knew the dark clouds
Would fly away without raining
The rainy reason was here
But it did not rain for me
When the heart is broken
Music has no meaning..

(Somebody should translate the “sanson ka naghma” part better – literally it is the song of our breath? )

“Hum jeet na sake woh aisi shart laganey lagey
Hamari aankhon ko apni aankhon se ladaney lagey
Jeet jaate, par palak humne jhukali
Kyon ki unki palkon se aansoo jo aane lagey”

Tranlsated,
She started making bets that I couldn’t possibly win
As she locked her eyes upon my eyes
I could still have won, but I relented and looked down
Because I saw the tears roll down her eyes”

Samandar peer ka andar hai
Lekin ro nahin sakta
Yeh aasoon pyaar ka moti hai
Isey kho nahin sakta
Meri chahaht ko apna tu bana lena
Magar sun le
Jo mera ho nahin paaya
Wo tera ho nahin sakta

Beautiful sher from the immortal Mirza Ghalib –

“Zahid sharaab peene dey masjid mein baith kar,
Ya woh jagaah bata jahan Khuda nahin…”

(Let me drink sitting in the mosque
Or show me a place where God isn’t)

To which Allama Iqbal, who was far more conservative replied…

“Masjid khuda ka ghar hai, peene ki jaagah nahi,
Kaafir ke dil mein ja, wahan khuda nahin…”

(Mosque is the abode of God; not a place for you to drink
Go to a non-believer’s soul and drink, there is no God there)

And to which Ahmad Faraz put in the last words…

“Kaafir ke dil se aya hoon main yeh dekh kar
Khuda maujood hai wahan, par usey pata nahi”

(I went to the non-believer’s soul and this is what I saw
God was very much present there; just that he (the non-believer) was no aware of it)

I believe the poet was K.G.Mustafa. Talat Mahmud was the original singer. Many others including Ferdous Ara popularized this song later… This is the first stanza.

“Tomarey legechhe eto je bhalo
Chand bujhi ta jaaney
Rater-o bashore, doshor hoye
Tai se amaarey taaney”

That I have liked you so much
Perhaps the moon has gotten to know
(That’s why) befriending me in tonight’s party,
It keeps tugging at me

I was pointed to this song first by my friend Shahid Charania. I do not know the name of the original poet who composed this but my favorite rendition of this is by Ataullah Khan. The tune is the same as a Hindi movie song of the past (“Tumhi mere mandir Tumhi meri pooja”). I do not know which came first.

The poem starts in the following way:

“Idhar zindagi ka janaza uthega

Udhar zindagi unki dulhan banegi

Qayamat se pehle qayamat hai yaaro

Mere samne mere duniya lutegi

Jawani pe meri sitam dhaaney walon
Zara soch lo kya kahega zamana

Idhar mere armaan kafan pehen lenge
Udhar unke haathon pe mehndi lagegi”

Roughly translated… all improvements are very welcome..

“Here (my) life’s funeral will be held
And there (her) life will be a bride
My day of judgment has come before my day of judgment
In front of mine own eyes, my life will be plundered.

Oh! you who brought suffering to my youth
Just think about what the world is going to say
Here all my wishes will covered by a shroud
There her hands will be decorated with henna”

“Peeta hu gham-e-duniya bhulane ke liye,
Jannat me kaunsa gham hai, isliye waha pine me maja nahi ”

Roughly translated…
“I drink to forget the pain in this world.
What pain is there in heaven? That is why there is no joy in drinking there”

I have never found out who the original poet is. There have been many singers that have rendered these words in various tunes. One of my favorite ones is the way done by the young Nooran sisters (most of the vocals is from Jyoti with support from her sister Sultana).

The context is that the lover whose love remained unrequited has passed away and the lady who he longed for had come to visit his grave. The words are:

“Tumne Jo Meri Kabr Par, Aakar Yun Muskura Diya

Bijli Chamak Kar Gir Padi, Sara Kafan Jala Diya
Main So Raha Tha Chain Se, Yun Hi Kafan E Mazaar Mein,

Yahan Bhi Sataane Aa Gaye, Kisne Pata Bata Diya

Tumne Chadhaye Phool To, Ehsaan Kya Kiya

Humne Tumhare Ishq Mein, Sara Chaman Loota Diya
Pucha Na Jeete Ji Kabhi, Dard E Dil Ka Haal

Aaye Ho Kabr Par Meri, Mitti Mein Jab Mila Diya”

Roughly translated (and as always people with far better understanding of Hindi and Urdu are always welcome to suggest changes / alternatives)

“The moment you came upon my grave, and let that faint smile escape your lips
Lightning struck from the sky, and completely burnt down my shroud
I was sleeping at peace with the world, in the coffin at my tomb,
You have came here too to tease me, Oh! Tell me who gave you my address?

So, you have laid a flower on my tomb; what big favor have you done?
I, lost in your love, had spread out the whole garden for you
When I was alive, not even once you asked after my aching heart
Now you have come to me when I have become one with the ground”