The song of this evening was an unforgettable number sung by Ustad Sultan Khan and Chitra. I know the beautiful tune was given by Sandesh Shandilya but never found out who was the original poet behind the words.

The first two stanzas go thusly…

“Teri yeh surmayi aankhen
Panaahon mein bulaati hain
Kahin se main guzarta hoon
Yahin tak kheench laati hain

Teri yeh pyaar ki khushboo
Mujhe har pal sataati hai
Kahin se main guzarti hoon
Hazaaron gul khilaati hai”

To translate this, I have to explain what “surmayi” is. In Indian (and I think the Middle East and the whole subcontinent), ladies often apply this black stuff under the lower eyelid that accentuates their beautiful eyes. That black “stuff” is called “kohl” in Hindi and “surma” in Urdu. So, “surmayi” is referring to beautiful eyes duly decorated with “surma”.

[Indian ladies, did I do any justice to the term??? Should I have just said a “bold and beautiful version of eyeliner”?]

Anyways, the translation would roughly be…

“Your beautiful “surmayi” eyes,
Keeps beckoning to my world of imagination,
Whichever path I take to escape by,
They (the eyes) drag me right back to here (in front of you)

The sweet fragrance of your love,
Tortures me every single moment of my life,
Whichever path I take to escape by,
It (the fragrance) blooms thousands of flowers (along that path)”

Friday evening. One more time. Another long, intense week. Another Friday evening of music to wind down… And another Friday evening intersection point to launch another week… Who knows where next week will take me?

In Gulzar’s words…
“Is mod se jaate hain
Kuchh susth kadam raaste, kuchh tej raahe
Patthar ki haveli ko, sheeshe ke gharaundo mein
Tinko ke nasheman tak, is mod se jaate hain

Aandhi ki tarha ud kar, ik raah guzaarti hai
Sharmaati hooyi koyi, kaadmo se utarti hai
In reshmi raaho mein, ik raah to woh hogi
Tum tak jo pahonchti hai, is mod se jaati hai

Ik door se aati ha,i paas aake palat-ti hai
Ik raah akeli si rukti hai, na chalti hai
Ye soch ke baithhi hu, ik raah to woh hogi
Tum tak jo pahonchti, hai is mod se jaati hai”

Somebody with a better grasp of Hindi should be translating this. But here is my attempt with my feeble understanding of the language….

From this (intersection) point traverses
Some very lazy paths, and a few fast paced lanes.
Towards a mansion made of stones, in a house of glass
Or a nest made of straws and twigs, we can go from this point.

One road, like a raging storm, passes by
And another one takes its steps cautiously, demurely
Of all these silken roads, I think to myself, there must be one
That’ll take me to you, when I take that turn

One road comes from far away and then suddenly takes a sharp turn
And there’s another road – rather lonely, that neither stops nor goes anywhere.
And all I do is sit here thinking, that there must be a road out there
That’ll take me to you, when I take that turn

… With a few classical qawwalies by the Sabri brothers from Pakistan.

A memorable sher from the “mukhra” of their song “Ab ke saal poonam mein”…

“Tujhse milke bhi dil ko na chain aa saka,
Tujhse milna bhi ik haadsa ho gaya;
Tu nahi tha to furqat ka gham tha mujhe;
Ab ye gham hai ki gham bemazaa ho gaya…”

Here is an attempt at translating it..

“Even after meeting you, my heart could not find any peace
Because meeting you created a whole new problem for me
Without you, I had the constant company of sorrows of separation
Now, with you, my sorrow is that all the fun of separation sorrows has been taken away from me”

“Mera apna tajurba hai
Tumhe batla raha hoon main
Koi lab chhoo gayaa tha tab
Ke ab tak gaa raha hoon main”

Roughly translated…
“This is an experience from my own life
I am telling you (in confidence)
Somebody touched (kissed) my lips long time back
And my lips are singing even to this day…”

Sunday evening. Usually it is time for Sharmila and myself to make a beeline to our usual watering hole. Today, we decided to stay in and listen to songs by Sharmila’s all time favorite singer – Bhupinder Singh. Great evening.

One of the songs perhaps captured our feelings from tomorrow morning…The words are by the immortal Gulzaar…

“Waqt ki sitam, kam haseen nahin
Aaj hai yahaan, kal kahin nahin
Waqt se phare agar mil gaye kahin
…
Jo guzar gayee kal ki baat thi
Umr to nahin ek raat thi
Raat ka silaa agar phir miley kahin”

There is always a danger of translating from a language that is not my mother tongue… But here is my shot…

“The vagaries caused by time, in some ways can be also very beautiful
For today we are here and then nowhere to be found tomorrow
If only we could meet on the other side of time….
…
Whatever has happened, is a story of the past
It was just a night, not our whole life
If only last night could repeat itself, some other time, somewhere else”

This one is by the Pakistani poet Qateel Shifai from the previous century who started his career, of all things, as an unsuccessful businessperson in sporting goods 🙂

This poem (actually I have quoted only part of the poem) can be interpreted as complaining about the then puritan society or the lady herself. I came across this poem because of the adoption of the same as a qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“Likh Diya Apne Dwar Pe Kisi Ne
Is Jagah Pyaar Karna Manaa Hai
Pyaar Agar Ho Bhi Jaaye Kisi Ko
Iska Izhaar Karna Manaa Hai

… … …

Hum Ne Ki Arz Ay Banda Parwar
Kyun Sitam Dhaa Rahay Ho Yeh Hum Par
Baat Sun Kar Hamari Woh Boley
Humse Taqraar Karna Mana Hai”

I have tried the translation here assuming the complaint is about the lady herself.

It is as if somebody has inscribed on my door that,
Falling in love here is strictly prohibited
And, should one fall in love in spite of that
Expression of that is surely completely forbidden

… … …

When I question for the sake of humanity
Why inflict so much torture on me?
After listening to me patiently, she replies
“Protesting against me is also forbidden”

Not sure of the original poet. There are many renditions of this but my favorite is the one by the Sabri Brothers.

“Yay mai ishq hai, pila-ey jah
Do piyale bhar ke de
Saqi mein gulfaam ke, ek apni naam ke
Aur ek Allah ke naam ke
Mita de poori tamanna is dil-e-nakaam ke

Dey dey dey dey dard do mein soorat koi araam ke
Ek ghoont hi pilwaa, magar, josh-e-tamanna daal kar
Ek katra dey, magar katray mein daryia daal kar
Ey saqi tere kher, tere maikade ke kher
Aisi pila ke jish ka nashaa, umr bhar rahey”

My transliterations are not as good as my translations. Urdu, is certainly not my forte. But here is a shot… First, let me explain a few words –
“Saqi” is the lady who serves the “mai” (wine) and often accompanies the customer for a drink in the “maikade” (wine bar)
……..

“This drink is that of love, keep on serving
Fill me up two glasses, if you please
One in your name, O rose-cheeked “Saqi”
And one in the Almighty’s name
(And in that way) Wipe out all the desires of this unfulfilled heart.

Give me some more pain in the guise of comfort
Give me even one sip to drink – but put in it some strong desire
Give me just one drop, but pour a river in that drop
O “Saqi” you be blessed, your “maikade” be blessed
Get me drunk tonight in a way that the intoxication will last me a lifetime”

If I am not very mistaken Jagjit Singh sang this as a ghazal. Not sure who gave the tune. Anyways, the poem is memorable..

“Shaam se aankh mein nami si hai
Aaj phir aap ki kami si hai
Dafan kar do hamein ke saans miley
Nabz kuch der se thami si hai
Waqt rehta nahin kahi tik kar
Iski aadat bhi aadmi si hai
Koi rishta nahin raha phir bhi
Ek tasleem, laazmi si hai”

Somebody better than me has to do the proper translation but here is my attempt

“Ever since evening, there is a slight glisten in my eyes
(Since) today I again felt the absence of you
Please bury me now so I can breathe again
My pulse has slowed down for some time anyways
Time cannot seem to sit peacefully for some time
Even it has started to behave like (fickle minded) human beings
There is no more relationship left anymore
Still, I feel the strong need for just one single greeting (from her)”

Errata:
Apr 15, 2023
Note that in the original version, I had written “Ek Tasveer, laazmi si hai”. You will notice in the Comments section that Anu pointed out the right word to be tasleem and not tasveer. I have corrected it. Thank, Anu.

Poem was originally written by the twentieth century poet Abdul Hameed Adam. Born in undivided India, he moved to Iraq, married an Iraqi girl, moved back to India and was eventually transferred (he had a military job) to Pakistan during the separation of India. Died when I was in my ninth grade.

The poet is urging his unwilling partner to indulge in drinking…. quoting a few lines of the poem only…

fasl-e-gul hai sharaab pii leejiye
zid na keejiye janaab pii leejiye
….
aage chal kar hisaab honaa hai
is liye be-hisaab pii leejiye
….
jo piye chhup ke vo munaafiq hai
be-takalluf sharaab pii leejiye
…
dil kaa shiisha hai aur khuluus ki mai
ab to aalii-janaab pii leejiye

Roughly translated…

’tis the season of blooming flowers, ’tis the season of drinking wine
Do not try to be stubborn, go ahead and have a glass of wine
…
Someday in future, on our day of reckoning, we all have to account for everything
Today, therefore, is the day to drink without keeping any accounts
…
(S)he who drinks on the sly, is a total hypocrite
Therefore, you should drink without giving it a second thought
…
If our heart is of glass, then faith is the wine in that glass
Keeping that faith, now you need to drink with me

Ibn-E-Insha was a twentieth century poet. Born in India and expired in London, he spent most of his time in Pakistan. Stylistically, he is often considered to be closer to Amir Khusrau. The following classic poem of his (I have written just the first stanza though) was converted to ghazals and sung in different tunes by many singers. The more famous ones are by Ghulam Ali (slower version) and Jagjit Singh (faster version). The poem itself is unbelievably beautiful.

“Chaudvin Ka Chaand” literally means the moon on the fourteenth night – referring to the full moon…

As a background, imagine a jilted lover whose love has not been requited by his chosen lady.

“Kal chaudvin ki raat thi, sabh bhar rahaa charchaa tera
Kuch ne kaha yeh chaand hai, kuch ne kaha chehraa tera
Hum bhi wohi maujoot the, humse bhi sab poochha kiye
Hum hans diye, hum chup rahe, manzoor tha pardaa teraa”

Roughly translated, it means

“Last night was the full moon night, and everybody was discussing about you
Some said that it surely looked like the moon; some others said that has to be your face
I was also there among the crowd and many asked me about my opinion too
I just smiled, but I kept quiet. I respected your wish (to be apart from me)”