Qawwali and Nusrat
Padmanabhan Srinagesh
Recently, someone posted a request for the words and translations of
Qawwalis sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I was hoping a more
knowledgeable listener would respond, but since I have seen nothing (and
cannot locate teh original post on PacBell's server), here is a brief
response to get the ball rolling.
I avoided NFAK for many years, despite a lukewarm curiosity in his
music, because every time I looked at a CD, the ghazals/songs listed on
the back were unfamiliar to me. There was nothing by Ghalib, Faiz, or
any of my other favorites. And one song that I heard at a friend's
place did not capture my imagination. Then last week my kids' music
teacher's husband loaned me an old CD he was very fond of, and one track
on it captivated me. Here are the words I remember. I have no idea who
the shaair is.
Kehna ghalat ghalat aur chhupaanaa sahi sahi
Qasid kahaa jo us ne bataana sahi sahi
Speech full of lies, and truth concealed
Messenger, tell me truly what she said
Ye subah subah chehre ki rangat udi hui
Kal raat tum kahaan the bataanaa sahi sahi
Dawn shows your face devoid of feeling
Where were you last night, tell me truly
Di leke mere haath mein kahte hai mujhse voh
Kya doge iske daam bataanaa sahi sahi
She holds my heart in her hands and asks me
What will you bid for this, tell me truly
DOes anyone know who wrote this sher, and can we have a complete version
posted?
I know that the Sabri brothers sing many Amir Khusro compositions, and
Abida Parveen (another renowned Qawwaal) sings many traditional ghazals,
but I am curious about the origins of the ghazals NFAK sings.
Incidentally, I find both NFAK and the Sabri brothers to be excellent
performers, and particularly enjoy them when I exercise at the gym.
Nagesh
Ali Minai
Padmanabhan Srinagesh <nr...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>Greetings!
>
>Kehna ghalat ghalat aur chhupaanaa sahi sahi
>Qasid kahaa jo us ne bataana sahi sahi
>Kal raat tum kahaan the bataanaa sahi sahi
>Kya doge iske daam bataanaa sahi sahi
>
>DOes anyone know who wrote this sher, and can we have a complete version
>posted?
I'm not sure who wrote these, but certainly no self-respecting poet! They're
all out of meter. The word for `correct' is `sahIh', which has the same
weight as `radIf' or `asIr'. In these "aSH'Ar", the word has been given
the weight of `kabhI' or `galI', which is patently wrong. The Urdu word
`sahI' as in, `batAo to sahI....' is a different word, and is used mainly
to add emphasis. It does not mean `correct'. Also, it is *never* used in
doubled form. The Urdu idiom, ``sahIh sahIh batAo' = `saCH saCH batAo'
uses `sahIh'.
If I had to make a guess, I'd say the "aSH'Ar" were written by a member
of the troupe or some affiliated hack. Qawwals --- even good ones --- have
long been notorious for practices such as mixing in their own "aSH'Ar"
with those of genuine poets, or for mixing together "aSH'Ar" by different
poets. The latter can work, but only when done by someone who has a genuine
understanding of the meaning of "aSH'Ar'. Sadly, most qawwals do not. There
is a `kahAvat' in Urdu: `bigRA mIrAsI qavvAl kehlAtA haE' (The spoilt/inept
classical singer is called a qawwal). A bit unfair to the best qawwals, but
with a germ of truth.
I enjoy listening to good qawwalis --- e.g., Khushrau's works and such ---
but commercial qawwali has left a lot to be desired. The best qawwals performed
at dargAh's, and their progeny who left those sacred places left behind a lot
of their accomplishment. NFAK was a lot of fun to listen to, but as music,
not as poetry. The only qawwali of his that I enjoyed somewhat for its content
was `tum ik gOrakh-dhandA hO'.
BTW, one of the funniest poems in the Urdu language is one on qawwals by
Zamir Jafri. I only remember some of it off-hand, so I'll wait until I
get home and post it from his book in its entirety.
Returning to one of the lines you quoted:
>Ye subah subah chehre ki rangat udi hui
>Kal raat tum kahaan the bataanaa sahi sahi
>...
Compare it with
ye uRI uRI si rangat, ye khulE khulE se gEsU:
teri subh' keh rahI haE terI rAt kA fasAnA.
I can't remember the poet, but sounds like Mustafa Zaidi:-). The hack
who wrote the qawwali might have had this line in mind.
And also the theme --- as you know --- is common in bhajans and songs
associated with Shyam.
Ali Minai
----------------------------------------------------------------------
aE nasIm-E saharI, parda-kuSHA-E asrAr,
khul na jAE ke merI rAt kahAN guzrI haE! Ravish Siddiqui
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
rajkp...@my-dejanews.com
ami...@holmes.ececs.uc.edu (Ali Minai) wrote:
> In article <371EAA...@pacbell.net>,
> Padmanabhan Srinagesh <nr...@pacbell.net> wrote:
-------------
> Returning to one of the lines you quoted:
>
> >Ye subah subah chehre ki rangat udi hui
> >Kal raat tum kahaan the bataanaa sahi sahi
> >...
>
> Compare it with
>
> ye uRI uRI si rangat, ye khulE khulE se gEsU:
> teri subh' keh rahI haE terI rAt kA fasAnA.
>
> I can't remember the poet, but sounds like Mustafa Zaidi:-). The hack
> who wrote the qawwali might have had this line in mind.
> Ali Minai
OR compare it with the following gem by Daagh Dehlavi:
kahaaN the raat ko? hum se zaraa nigaah mile!
talaash mein ho ke jhoota koi gavaah mile!!!
It is only by such comprisons that one can truly appreciate the difference
between "shaa'iri" and "tuk-bandi".
khair-andesh, Raj Kumar
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Ali Minai
<rajkp...@my-dejanews.com> wrote:
>
>OR compare it with the following gem by Daagh Dehlavi:
>
>kahaaN the raat ko? hum se zaraa nigaah mile!
>talaash mein ho ke jhoota koi gavaah mile!!!
>
>It is only by such comprisons that one can truly appreciate the difference
>between "shaa'iri" and "tuk-bandi".
Indeed! This is where idiom, expression, and language reach their
height! A common theme is transformed into a gem by the immediacy
of expression. And all in the simplest possible language!
Ali Minai
-------------------------------------------------------------------
urdU hae jis ka nAm, hamIN jAntE haeN dAGH.
hindOstAN meN dhUm hamArI zabAn ki haE. Dagh
-------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
Ali Minai
Ali Minai <ami...@holmes.ececs.uc.edu> wrote:
>I'm not sure who wrote these, but certainly no self-respecting poet! They're
>all out of meter. The word for `correct' is `sahIh', which has the same
>weight as `radIf' or `asIr'. In these "aSH'Ar", the word has been given
>the weight of `kabhI' or `galI', which is patently wrong. The Urdu word
>`sahI' as in, `batAo to sahI....' is a different word, and is used mainly
>to add emphasis. It does not mean `correct'. Also, it is *never* used in
>doubled form. The Urdu idiom, ``sahIh sahIh batAo' = `saCH saCH batAo'
>uses `sahIh'.
I should really say, `It does not mean `correct' in the sense used here'.
`sahI' is, of course, used in constructs such as `CHalO, yUN hI sahI'
or `haE to sahI', where `sahI' is used in an affirmative sense.
Also, there is the Farsi word `sahI' --- not used much in Urdu --- which
means `straight' or `proper'. An example is `sarv-e sahI', which means a
cypress that is growing straight (not crooked) --- used as a metaphor
for the beloved's stature.
Ali Minai
----------------------------------------------------------------------
gar kiyA nAseh ne ham kO qaEd, aCHhA, yUN sahI!
yeh junUn-E 'iSHq kE andAz CHhuT jAEN ge kYA? Ghalib
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
Ali Minai
>Zamir Jafri. I only remember some of it off-hand, so I'll wait until I
>get home and post it from his book in its entirety.
As promised, here it is. A word on the poet first. Many readers of
ALUP are probably very familiar with Zamir Jafri. I write this for
those who are not.
Jafri Sahib is, IMO, the most original and outstanding satirical/hunorous
poet in Urdu since Akbar Allahabadi (I know, I know, Dilawar Figar and
Syed Mohammad Jafri partisans will protest, and I love those poets too,
but....). He is a master of creating humor by creating expressive new
``words'' --- usually with Punjabi overtones --- which, meaningless in
themselves, convey the hilarity of the situation perfectly. He is also
very adept at incorpoating references to traditional characters, themes,
metaphors, and other poets' lines in his poetry to enhance its satirical
quality by juxtaposition or change of context (look at the first stanza
below, and the last line from Iqbal used in a `fresh' context:-).
In the version below, though I have used Jafri Sahib's collection,
`mA fiz-zamIr' (what a great title!), I have occasionally chosen
to follow a reading I have heard him use rather than the one in the
book --- if it sounds better.
kal SHab jahAN maEN thA ++
----------------------- by Syed Zamir Jafri
paE-ba-paE qavvAliON kI pAliAN honE lagIN;
din nikammE aOr rAtEN kAliAN honE lagIN;
rafta raftA tAliAN be-tAliAN honE lagIN;
hote hotE muSHta'il ghar vAliAN honE lagIN.
ik miAN uCHhlA to bIvI nE kahA, `aE jAn-e man!
"tU agar mErA nahIN bantA, na ban, apnA to ban!" ' **
gAne vAlE rAg mEN `ThumrAg' kE ustAd thE! xx
SHakl mEN `ham-zulf' thE aor 'aql mEN `hamzAd' thE. !!
mAlkaOs-angEZ thE voh, bhaEravIN-IjAd thE,
ya'ni is fan kE purAnE sAhib-E aOlAd the!
ibtidA yeh thI ke voh tablON ko samjhAtE rahE.
intihA yeh thI ke tablE Ap hI gAtE rahE.
lafz kO ragREN bohut, ma'nI ko phaElAyEN bohut!
SHe'r kam gAyEN, magar mafhUm samjhAyEN bohut!
thAp bal khAyE na khAyE, Ap bal khAyEN bohut!
dar muqaffal haE, magar zanjIR khaRkAyEN bohut!
gardiSH-E ma'nI meN iskandar kahIN, dArA kahIN!
SHe'r kO TANkA kahIN, SHA'ir ko dE mArA kahIN!
sAz sE AvAz baRh jAyE to paspAyI karEN.
rAgnI bujhnE lagE to `raOSHan ArAyI' karEN. ##
naGHma-paErAyI meN jab parvAz-e bAlAyI karEN,
harkatEN aEsI karEN jaEsI ke saOdAyI karEN!
sAz AvArA, navA-gar nam, tabalCHI CHUr thA;
sar-muGHannI goyA phANsI par lab-E mansUR thA! @@
tAl dE kar jab kalAm-E hazrat-E iqbAl dEN,
SHe'r kyA, har lafz kI CHaOkhat pa CHaOkI DAl dEN!
SHe'r dEN, phir parCHa-e tarkIb-e iste'mAl dEN;
qAfiyON kO dUr tak khENCHEN, radIfEN TAl dEN.
falsafA thA sar-nigUN, mafhUm KHastA-hAl thA.
SHe'r baCH niklA to yeh iqbAl kA iqbAl thA! $$
Ek dOhE kI `duI' saO bAr duhrAyI gayI;
laE kabhI CHORI, kabhI pakRI, kabhI khAyI gayI;
fArsI panjAb kE khEtON meN daORAyI gayI;
SHaEKH sa'dI kI GHazal durgA meN `durGAyI' gayI! %%
sOhnI jis maOj mEN DUbI, vo jU-E SHIr thI;
mehmil-E laElA ko ulTAyA to andar hIr thI! &&
AKHrI ghamsAn mEN mehmAn bhI gAnE lagE;
sur se `Ari, tAl seE anjAn bhI gAnE lagE;
`lawn' mEN baEThE huE darbAn bhI gAnE lagE;
SHaEKH jaEsE mu'tabar insAn bhI gAnE lagE;
dast-o bAzU, CHaSHm-o abrU, gOSH-o sar hiltE rahE;
SHAm kO hilnE jo baeThE, rAt bhar hiltE rahE!
Notes:
++ The title is a play on KHusraO's famous ghazal in praise of
the Prophet. The ghazal, which is a favorite with qawwals,
has the radIf, `SHab jAyI ke man bUdam', which means, `the
place where I was last night' --- or `kal SHab jahAN maEN
thA'. I can recall a few lines from it:
namI-dAnam CHe manzil bUd SHab jAyI ke man bUdam.
be-har-sU raqs-e bismil bUd SHab jAyI ke man bUdam!
(I know not the place where I was last night:
There was frenzied dance all around where I was last night!)
parI-pEkar nigArI, sarv-qaddI, lAle-roKHsArI,
sarApA Afat-E dil bUd SHab jAyI ke man bUdam.
(That unearthly Beauty, tall, with blushing cheeks,
was a tormentfor the heart where I was last night.)
KHodA KHod mIr-e majlis bUd andar lA-makan, KHosrO;
muhammad SHam'e mehfil bUd SHab jAyI ke man bUdam.
(God Himself, KHusrao, was the host in the World Beyond,
and Muhammad was the light of the gathering where I was last night.)
** This line is from Iqbal:
apne man mEN DUb kar pA jA surAGH-E zindigI;
tU agar mErA nahIN bantA, na ban, apnA to ban!
Here, it is used sarcastically to help create the image of a wife
embarassed at her husband's antics in the mehfil.
xx `ThumrAg' is a word invented by the poet to describe the peculiarly
`dynamic' type of classical genre that many qawwals adopt.
!! In fact, `ham-zulf' is someone married to your wife's sister,
but literally, it means `those who share the same tresses'. Anyone
who has seen the hairstyles of some qawwals will understand the
aptness of this usage! Also, `hamzAd' means `familiar' --- a
supernatural being who accompanies one through life as a dual ---
but literally, it means, `born together', or `born of the same
source'. Again, many must have noted the remarkable similarity
among the members of some qawwali troupes, mainly because they
typically comprise members of the same family. The use of these
words here is sheer inspiration!
## This refers to raOSHan ArA begum, the great classical vocalist.
Here `raOSHan ArAyI' is used to indicate 'vocal gymnastics'.
@@ This refers to the famous mystic, mansUr al-HallAj, who was
hanged for saying, ``I am the Truth'', which was considered
blasphemy. He is often used in poetry to symbolize martyred
Truth. Here, the image is used to signify the indescribable
frenzy and pomposity of the lead vocalist.
$$ `iqbAl' also means `good fortune'. The poet is making a play on Iqbal's
name to say that it was only Iqbal's good fortune if a she'r escaped
total mutilation.
%% `durgA' is, of course, a raag --- and a fairly peculiar one (I happen
to like it a lot:-). Here, the line just indicates the absurd settings
qawwals sometimes use for poetry. The use of `durgAnA' as a verb is
a stroke of genius. There is, of course, no such verb in Urdu, but
its meaning here is abundantly clear --- perhaps because the mind
goes naturally towards the verb `durgat banAnA' (to beat up). And, of
course, there is the internal connection to `durgA' earlier in the line.
&& These two lines make fun of qawwals' tendency to mix lines from
different sources, which, in extreme cases, can lead to hideously
mixed metaphors and even mixed characters.
Ali Minai
----------------------------------------------------------------------
KHudAvandA! ye tErE sAda-dil bandE kidhar jAyEN?
ke darvESHI bhi 'ayyArI hae, sultAnI bhi 'ayyArI. Iqbal
"KHudAvandA! ye tErE sAda-dil bandE kidhar jAyEN?"
ke paEdA hO gayE haEN aOr haErAnI nahIN jAtI! Zamir Jafri
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
ahm...@noka.ub.bw
need to keep in mind that one does not look for poetry in qawwali any more
than one searches for good lyrics (or any lyrics at all) in the more
high-brow Hindustani vocal classical music. It is true that the lyrics, such
as they are, are usually put together by semi-literate qawwals, but these
merely serve as the vehicle for the peculiar type of music, much as the
lyrics of rock music do.
What appeals to many people in a qawwali is the raw and unpolished beat and
rhythm and the seemingly unrehearsed improvisations. Of course, even in the
grass-root qawwali, there are some of the same elements that charachterize
Urdu poetry, exaggeration being one. Have you heard them elevating some
personalities to the level of God, which in prose would easily qualify as
blasphemy and land the qawwals in deep trouble with the same group of
listeners?
Jamil
Ali Minai
>.....
>What appeals to many people in a qawwali is the raw and unpolished beat and
>rhythm and the seemingly unrehearsed improvisations. Of course, even in the
>grass-root qawwali, there are some of the same elements that charachterize
>Urdu poetry, exaggeration being one. Have you heard them elevating some
>personalities to the level of God, which in prose would easily qualify as
>blasphemy and land the qawwals in deep trouble with the same group of
>listeners?
This is primarily a reflection of the roots of qawwali in the Sufi `dhikr'
tradition, and its strong identification with monistic Sufism. The same
thing pervades classical ghazal. Rumi has a whole ghazal with the radIf
`SHams-e man-O KHudA-e man', referring to his mentor, Shams-e Tabrizi.
Some of the lines in that are clearly blasphemous from a strict orthodox
viewpoint. Much of Rumi's poetry reflects this attitude. Khusrau also
has many lines such as: `man qible rAst kardam dar simt-e kajkulAhI'
(I pray facing towards the one with the crooked cap --- referring to
his murSHid, Nizam-ud-din Auliya), or `kAfar-E iSHqam, musalmAnI marA
darkAr nIst'. Indeed, if one were to make list of `blasphemous' ash'ar
in Farsi and Urdu, the number would easily run into tens of thousands
and beyond without much difficulty. Protest against orthodoxy is, IMO,
one of the 2 or 3 dominant themes of classical ghazal in both languages.
The following ruba'i, attributed to Khayyam, takes the cake:
ibrIq-e mai-E marA SHikastI, rabbI!
bar-man dar-e 'ESH rA be-bastI, rabbI!
bar KHAk figandI mai-e gulgUn-e marA:
KHAkam be-dahan, magar to mastI, rabbI!
(O Lord, you shattered my goblet of wine!
O Lord, you closed the door of bliss against me!
You flung to the ground my rose-red wine:
Pardon me, perhaps you too are drunk, my Lord!)
Of course, the symbols of orthodoxy --- SHaEKH, zAhid, vA'iz, muhtasib,
et al. --- have been widely reviled in the ghazal tradition, though that
would probably not be considered blasphemous.
There is also a tradition among Sufis --- called the malAmatiyya --- whose
adherents sought spiritual exaltation by inviting castigation. One way of
doing that was to make outrageous --- even blasphemous --- statements.
Others included acts such as breaking religious prohibitions, going around
nude, cross-dressing, etc. Some people believe that Sarmad --- the famous
poet/mystic who was executed by Aurangzeb for heresy --- was such a Sufi.
Ali Minai
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ik fursat-E gunAh milI, voh bhi CHAr din!
dEkhE haeN ham ne haOslE parvardigAr kE! Faiz
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai