16 December 2012

Aye husn…

Some ghazals are best appreciated in a much delayed flight at 31,000 feet after a couple of red wines…

“Aye husn-e-lala-fam zara
Aankh to mila, zara aankh to mila
Khali pade hai jaam zara 
Aankh to mila,
Saqi mujhe bhi chahiye ek jaam-e-arzoo
Kitne lagenge daam zara 
Aankh to mila”

Category: Music/Poetry | LEAVE A COMMENT
16 December 2012

Frost epitaph

“I hold your doctrine of Memento Mori 
And were an epitaph to be my story, 
I’d have a short one ready for my own. 
I would have written of me on my stone: 
I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.” 
– Robert Frost

Category: Musings | LEAVE A COMMENT
12 September 2012

Politics

Coming from the biggest democracy to the oldest democracy, I am always intrigued by how politics works here. I have tried to make it a point to shut up and listen to opinions and how they are articulated. After listening to my office colleagues, social friends, newspaper articles and TV/radio, I have found some interesting common grounds that both sides strongly believe in. For example, everybodyseems to be convinced that…

1. Ours are balanced and substantive arguments. Yours is “rhetoric”.
2. Your vision? Clearly “unAmerican”.
3. Our candidate has had minor transgressions. Yours is morally bankrupt.
4. Facebook is the ideal forum to declare to my friends that the other side are a bunch of idiots.

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6 September 2012

Aaga Bismil

This is a gem by Aaga Bismil. The Ghulam Ali version of the rendition is outstanding..

“mehfil mein baar baar kisi par nazar gayee /
humne bachayee laakh magar / phir udhar gayee //

unki nazar mein koi to jaadu jaroor hai / 
jis par padi / 
usi ke jigar tak utar gayee // “

Category: Music/Poetry | LEAVE A COMMENT