Ghazal Singing
Afzal A. Khan
There has been a very recent thread about "Most Sung Ghazals"
that has sort of "provoked" me to write this piece. I am sure
most would disagree with my views, nevertheless..........
We have been hearing ghazals for many many years now, from such
legendary singers as Saigal, Kamla Jharia, Begum Akhtar etc.
And then there were radio artistes from various stations who would
be singing ghazals from All India Radio and also Radio Pakistan.
There was a specific style in which most of these ghazals were
sung, which I found stiflingly similar. For instance, Saigal
sang most of his Urdu (and Faarsi) ghazals in practically the
same mode. Just hear his "Rehmat pe teri mere gunaahoN ko naaz
hai" and, say, "Baazaar se guzra hooN KHareedaar naheeN hooN".
To my ears, the style seems uncomfortably identical.
In those days, ghazal records were the same 78 rpm pieces, made
from gutta-percha (I think), with which we (old-timers) are so
familiar. So the singing too ended in about 3 1/2 minutes.
In recent times, though, we have had LPs etc. which make it
possible for singers to hold forth for a much longer period.
That enabled singers like Mehdi Hassan to keep their listeners
engaged for a much longer time. Also, ghazals began to be sung
in classical raag style. All to the good.
But my own personal preference is for ghazals that may be used in
films and where the emphasis is on melody. Can I use a hindi
word "karNa~priyata" ? (UVR Saheb can of course correct me here !)
The reason for this preference is simply this : I believe that
poets do not compose their ghazals with the expectation that they
would be used as "pegs" on which singers can parade their 'hunar'
and 'gaayaki'. At times, they would be recited in a Mushaa"ira,
but poetic compilations were also available in book-form for the
enjoyment of the cognoscenti. I myself prefer to "read" a ghazal
and linger over the subtleties and nuances. If a sher is parti-
cularly good, one can read it again and again. OTOH, when a
singer sings a ghazal, one can be distracted from enjoying the
diction etc. by the singers' voice and the musical accompaniment.
Just my view.
I much prefer a "filmi" ghazal which captures the mood of the
ghazal and holds you spell-bound with its innate musicality.
There are few of this kind, however. One such example is from
the film "Mirza Ghalib", when Suraiyya sings "Rahiye ab aisi jagah
chal kar jahaaN koi na ho". Her sweet dulcet voice, the plaintive
musical notes and the picturisation itself make listening to it
a heart-rending experience. One can quite visualize the frame of
mind Ghalib must have been when he composed this short three-sher
ghazal.
Another such example I wanted to talk about today is Momin's ghazal
"Woh jo hum men tum men qaraar tha, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho".
It was mentioned in the previous thread also. Doubtless, it has
been sung by many many singers. But there is one "version" that
is very dear to me, even though it is not even the actual ghazal.
It is from a Pakistani film "GhooNghaT", released around 1962.
Its Music Director was KHwaaja KHurshid Anwar, and (I think) he was
also the Producer and Director. It starred the handsome Santosh
Kumar (real name : Syed Moosa Raza) and Nayyar Sultana. The lyrics
were loosely based on Momin's famous ghazal. And it was hauntingly
rendered by Malika-e-Tarannum Noor JahaaN. Fortunately, it is
available on YouTube, and here is the link :
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MRnghvGc7ew
If you don't concentrate on the picturisation etc., you should be
able to appreciate the Music Director's genius through the haunting
rendition of Noor JahaaN. Just substitute Momin's words and see
how wonderfully the Music Composer has captured the nostalgic mood
and the sense of personal loss permeating the original ghazal.
Afzal
Afzal A. Khan
Kali Hawa
> Its Music Director was KHwaaja KHurshid Anwar, and (I think) he
Is it from a Pakistani Film? If it is, then it is a big surprise and
breaks a deep rooted stereotype. The words on the tree are readable in
Hindi script. I never thought Hindi script would mean anything in
Pakistan, even in 1962.
The song indeed is very soothing, I never heard Noor Jehan in this
type of voice. Just one jarring note, the rendition at places sounds
jerky.
surjit singh
> > It is from a Pakistani film "GhooNghaT", released around 1962.
> > Its Music Director was KHwaaja KHurshid Anwar, and (I think) he
>
> Is it from a Pakistani Film? If it is, then it is a big surprise and
> breaks a deep rooted stereotype. The words on the tree are readable in
> Hindi script. I never thought Hindi script would mean anything in
> Pakistan, even in 1962.
Read the review here; it will be easy to understand the presence of
Devanagari script:
http://films.hindi-movies-songs.com/ghuunghata.html
More songs here:
http://hindi-films-songs.com/kanwar-videos/k-anwar-ghunghat.html
For a 1962 film, music is amazing!
Naseer
I am sorry I have been rather preoccupied with "baajre daa siTTaa" in
the last couple of days!
On May 16, 4:08 pm, "Afzal A. Khan" <me_af...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> The reason for this preference is simply this : I believe that
> poets do not compose their ghazals with the expectation that they
> would be used as "pegs" on which singers can parade their 'hunar'
> and 'gaayaki'.
Others may ( and infact do!) disagree with this view.............
"But when one looks at his Ghazals one can not help feeling that along
with good and effective ones in which the best Ghazal traditions are
used to express age-old but still powerfully relevant feeling, or are
without violence adapted to wholly contemporary themes, there are
others of the kind that any competent versifier could have written at
any period of the Ghazal's history. One such Ghazal is that in Zindan
Nama which begins..
guloN meN rang bhare baad-i-nau-bahaar chale
It is one in the repertoire of one of South Asia's most popular Ghazal
singers, Mehdi Hassan, and, one feels, finds a place in it because it
expresses in easily intelligible language, well-worn and wholly
unremarkable themes to which any popular audience can at once respond.
Any Ghazal which singers as popular as Mehdi Hassan sings gains a
currency which contributes substantially to the fame of its author,
and one feels of not a few of Faiz's Ghazals that he wrote them for
him, and a number of other famous singers, with that sole aim in view
and not because he had anything much to say in them".*
* The Pursuit of Urdu Literature, A Select History. Ralph Russell. Zed
Books Ltd.1992
> At times, they would be recited in a Mushaa"ira,
> but poetic compilations were also available in book-form for the
> enjoyment of the cognoscenti. I myself prefer to "read" a ghazal
> and linger over the subtleties and nuances. If a sher is parti-
> cularly good, one can read it again and again. OTOH, when a
> singer sings a ghazal, one can be distracted from enjoying the
> diction etc. by the singers' voice and the musical accompaniment.
> Just my view.
I have a habbit of paying (undue?) attention to the words, be it a
film Ghazal, a film song, a giit, a qawwaalii, a bhajan...... What I
am trying to say is that words are of paramount importance to me, the
singer's voice and the music are additional, albeit essential part of
one's listening pleasure.
> I much prefer a "filmi" ghazal which captures the mood of the
> ghazal and holds you spell-bound with its innate musicality.
> There are few of this kind, however. One such example is from
> the film "Mirza Ghalib", when Suraiyya sings "Rahiye ab aisi jagah
> chal kar jahaaN koi na ho". Her sweet dulcet voice, the plaintive
> musical notes and the picturisation itself make listening to it
> a heart-rending experience. One can quite visualize the frame of
> mind Ghalib must have been when he composed this short three-sher
> ghazal.
Indeed! Indeed! *And* it displays the "jussive" tense!:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErLWv11L1Jc
> Another such example I wanted to talk about today is Momin's ghazal
> "Woh jo hum men tum men qaraar tha, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho".
> It was mentioned in the previous thread also. Doubtless, it has
> been sung by many many singers. But there is one "version" that
> is very dear to me, even though it is not even the actual ghazal.
> It is from a Pakistani film "GhooNghaT", released around 1962.
> Its Music Director was KHwaaja KHurshid Anwar, and (I think) he was
> also the Producer and Director. It starred the handsome Santosh
> Kumar (real name : Syed Moosa Raza) and Nayyar Sultana. The lyrics
> were loosely based on Momin's famous ghazal. And it was hauntingly
> rendered by Malika-e-Tarannum Noor JahaaN. Fortunately, it is
> available on YouTube, and here is the link :
>
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=MRnghvGc7ew
> If you don't concentrate on the picturisation etc., you should be
> able to appreciate the Music Director's genius through the haunting
> rendition of Noor JahaaN. Just substitute Momin's words and see
> how wonderfully the Music Composer has captured the nostalgic mood
> and the sense of personal loss permeating the original ghazal.
Absolutely exquisite! Words can not really describe how malika-i-
tarannum Noor Jahan has put those feelings into this unforgettable
melody.
KHair-KHvaah,
Naseer
Vijay
>
> guloN meN rang bhare baad-i-nau-bahaar chale
>
> It is one in the repertoire of one of South Asia's most popular Ghazal
> singers, Mehdi Hassan, and, one feels, finds a place in it because it
> expresses in easily intelligible language, well-worn and wholly
> unremarkable themes to which any popular audience can at once respond.
> Any Ghazal which singers as popular as Mehdi Hassan sings gains a
> currency which contributes substantially to the fame of its author,
> and one feels of not a few of Faiz's Ghazals that he wrote them for
> him, and a number of other famous singers, with that sole aim in view
> and not because he had anything much to say in them".*
>
> * The Pursuit of Urdu Literature, A Select History. Ralph Russell. Zed
> Books Ltd.1992
>
>
> KHair-KHvaah,
> Naseer
*much of the post deleted*
In support of the above view (that Faiz/other ghazal writers may have
written this/some other ghazals for popular singers like Mehdi Hasan),
after Faiz's death, at least one extra she'r was commissioned solely
for Mehdi Hasan's live performance for the ghazal in question. I don't
know the name of the shaai'ir (I am not even sure about this story, as
it came to me third hand) but she'r is this:
huua jo tiir-e-nazar niim-kash to kyaa haasil
maza to jab hai ki siine ke aar-paar chale!
Regards,
Vijay
Vijay
> Janab Afzal sahib aadab,
> I guess you were not wrong in saying "most would disagree with my
> views,..." I too disagree :)
>
> Just as writing a ghazal is an art, so is music (tarz) and singing
> (gaayaki). Listening ghazals bring all these art forms together (all
> songs do that, but I would not be writing this with same feelings for
> current Bollywood songs!! Point is, after all you become passionate
> about a song when you like all these three elements in it. Lata has
> sung some ghazals of Ghalib in a non-film album, but I would not want
> to talk about them. It does not turn out to be a good listening. And
> let me tell you composer is no less than her brother Pandit
> Hridayanath Mangeshkar).
>
> When a ghazal like "GuloN mein rang bhare" is sung like it is by Mehdi
> Hasan, it does not remain just Faiz's ghazal!! It also as much MH's
> ghazal to me!! So when you like a poem and like music as well, what
> else could be better than to combine both with in a beautiful voice!!
> (This is what I refered in my earlier post, listening to same ghazal
> in different voices, comparing who has sung it better and all that.)
>
> Many may not agree with my viewpoint itself, but still, my two paise!!
>
> khair-khvaah,
> al Hindi
I have told this story before but it has a new found relevance here.
In one of the Toronto mushaai'iraas, Faraaz was bombaarded by a
'Khatuun' to recite 'raNjish hii sahii.., where as Faraaz was more
interested in presenting his newer kalaam. After puttin up with the
lady for a while, he told her pointedly, 'Madam, yeh ghazal to ab app
Mehdi Hassan sahib se hii suniie'!
This is another ghazal that has become as much Mehid Hassan's as that
of Faraaz.
Vijay
Naseer
janaab-i-Vijay Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
When I quoted a lengthy passage from Ralph Russell, I was not
necessarily agreeing with his views. I also do not think that (on the
whole) a poet specifically writes a Ghazal so that a celebrity singer
like Mehdi Hassan or Noor Jahan us ko gaa kar chaar chaaNd lagaa deN
ge. However, I do concur with you when you say that a singer can
almost own that Ghazal (as Faraz indicated) and bring fame not to him/
herself but to the poet. I can not believe that Faraz wrote "ranjish
hii sahii.." knowing that it/he will have fame through the vocal
chords of Mehdi Hassan or Faiz, whilst writing "mujh se pahlii sii
muHabbat.." had Noor Jahan's "tarannum" in mind.
KHair-KHvaah,
Naseer
UVR
Speaking of 'ranjish hi sahi', I was lucky enough to be invited by a
fellow ALUPer, Vasmi Abidi, to attend a meeting with Faraaz saahib.
The Poet was accompanied on this trip by one Sudhir Narain from Agra,
UP, who has attained a moderate level of fame as a singer of Ghazals,
and who, upon the slightest of provocations by a local Khatoon "Urdu
event organizer", launched off into a rendition of 'ranjish hi sahi'.
He has a resonant and pliable voice, and, as singers go, isn't such a
bad example.
When the singing started, Faraaz sb could be seen exuding the blase
air of one who, having witnessed multiple maulings of this Ghazal at
various hands, has over time become somewhat inured to this kind of
pain. The phrase 'ranj se Khoogar hua insaaN' comes to mind.
However, as the singing continued, Mr. Narain demonstrated a clear
predilection towards forgetting even the most popular of ash'aar
(e.g., pahle se maraasim na sahi), towards needing help with the words
of those that he did recall, as well as towards mixing up qawaafee
(tuu mujh se Khafaa hai to *sataane* ke liye aa), and Faraaz saahib
could be seen to be getting more and more agitated. As the Ghazal
wore on, sh'er after bruised sh'er, Mr. Narain started singing
maanaa k muhabbat ka chhupaanaa hai muhabbat
That was it! Faraaz saahib shot a glare at Mr. Narain that I can
remember to this day. A sharp, piercing, HOT one, which, if it had
been a dagger, would have drawn forth considerable blood. As Sudhir
Narain stopped, the words stuck halfway in his throat, the room looked
on in stupefied horror while Faraaz sb cleared his throat and said,
"yeh gaane waale bhi ... <rest unnecessary to add>"
-UVR.
UVR
Afzal saahib,
Thanks for YouTube link. It's a fine song indeed.
Since you have allowed for others' disagreement with your views on the
Ghazals of "Saigal, Kamla Jharia and Begum Akhtar", please allow me to
disagree with the label of 'stiflingly similar' being attributed to
the Ghazals sung by Begum Akhtar. I understand that your preference
is for Ghazals sung in a more filmi style, so that's understandable,
and perhaps you're not greatly enamored of Begum Akhtar's voice
itself, which too is understandable. However, but Begum Akhtar's
*style* is as unique to hers as Mehdi Hassan's, Ghulam Ali's or Jagjit
Singh's is. In my opinion, it is a mistake to group Begum Akhtar's
measured classicism with Saigal's Ghazal delivery (in which one
observes a certain hurried eagerness to "get the job over with" --
perhaps blame-able on the length of 78RPM records). However, even
with all of those "shortcomings", the Ghazals sung by these masters
tower head and shoulders above attempts by people like Pankaj Udhas,
Talat Aziz, Peenaz Masani, and the like.
Of Ghazals sung by film singers, I feel that the only Ghazals really
worth the magnetic tape they were recorded on were those sung by
Mukesh under the baton of Khayyaam and/or Murli Manohar Swaup. This
might come as a surprise to you knowing my opinion of the voices of
Talat Mahmood, the "Ghazal King", and Rafi, but to my ears, the
Ghazals Mukesh has sung (the few that he has, compared especially to
Talat) are simply superior in every respect. But that's me.
Of course, the Ghazal singer I'd choose to be stranded on a desert
island with, if one chooses such things, would be Mehdi Hassan[1].
There's hardly anyone whose musical interpretations I like as much as
his. But that's me.
[1] But he'll have to lay off the oft-flogged and filmy ones like
"zindagi mein to sabhi" or "pyaar bhare do sharmeele nain" and even
"ranjish hi sahi". But that's me.
-UVR.
Afzal A. Khan
>> I have told this story before but it has a new found relevance here.
>> In one of the Toronto mushaai'iraas, Faraaz was bombaarded by a
>> 'Khatuun' to recite 'raNjish hii sahii.., where as Faraaz was more
>> interested in presenting his newer kalaam. After puttin up with the
>> lady for a while, he told her pointedly, 'Madam, yeh ghazal to ab app
>> Mehdi Hassan sahib se hii suniie'!
>>
>> This is another ghazal that has become as much Mehid Hassan's as that
>> of Faraaz.
>>
>> Vijay
>
> janaab-i-Vijay Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
> I also do not think that (on the
> whole) a poet specifically writes a Ghazal so that a celebrity singer
> like Mehdi Hassan or Noor Jahan us ko gaa kar chaar chaaNd lagaa deN
> ge. However, I do concur with you when you say that a singer can
> almost own that Ghazal (as Faraz indicated) and bring fame not to him/
> herself but to the poet. I can not believe that Faraz wrote "ranjish
> hii sahii.." knowing that it/he will have fame through the vocal
> chords of Mehdi Hassan or Faiz, whilst writing "mujh se pahlii sii
> muHabbat.." had Noor Jahan's "tarannum" in mind.
> Naseer
Naseer Saheb,
That was part of the point I was trying to make.....
Kuchh gaane waale to ghazal men zaroor chaar chaaNd laga dete haiN.
Kuchh aise bhi hoNge jo chaaNd to na laga paayeN, albatta apne KHud
ke liye "chaar paise" zaroor bana lete haiN !
With the proliferation of radio and TV etc., it has become possible
for people to listen to a particular singer's rendition multiple
times (I almost added "ad nauseum !) What Faraaz said was not an
acknowledgment of MH's singing prowess --- it was more out of
pique. I don't know if a "royalty" system is in vogue for modern
poets like Faraaz or Faiz. If it is, then of course the pique and
grouse can be minimized. But what about poets like Ghalib, Aatish,
Momin, Jigar ? Despite being a court poet etc., Ghalib was
always destitute. The less said about Meer's penurious life, the
better. In the latter's case also, it seems MH "owns" 'patta patta
booTa booTa haal hamaara jaane hai'. And how can we forget Ghulaam
Ali Saheb ? He too owns "Chupke chupke raat din .....".
In a TV interview many years back, Talat Mahmood was asked about
the ghazal-singing style of Mehdi Hassan. His answer was simple :
"Hamaare zamaane men to is tarah raag men gaane aur 12-15 minute tak
cheeN~cheeN~cheeN~cheeN karte rehne ka rivaaj naheeN tha".
Afzal
Naseer
janaab-i-UVR Sahib, aadaab.
Thank you for relating this "live" incident to us. More important,
where is Vasmi Sahib these days?:)
Naseer
Vijay
Another example is 'chupke chupke raat din....', that I heard first in
1972-72 from Radio Lahore, and that has become a ghazal 'by Ghulam
Ali'. I doubt if very many even know who the writer is i.e. Maulana
Hasrat Mohaani. I have a question of you, Naseer sahib, or anyone else
who is reading. Ghulam Ali, over the years added very many more
asha'ar to the original that he sang first those may years ago; the
likes of '..suukhe laboN ka thartharaana yaad hai,''''kaNgan ghumaana
yaad hai,.....naNge paaoN aana yaad hai, etc. Were these specially
commissioned for Ghulam Ali and is the writer of these Hasrat Mohaani?
Regards,
Vijay
Afzal A. Khan
I can not believe that Faraz wrote "ranjish
>> hii sahii.." knowing that it/he will have fame through the vocal
>> chords of Mehdi Hassan or Faiz, whilst writing "mujh se pahlii sii
>> muHabbat.." had Noor Jahan's "tarannum" in mind.
>>
>> KHair-KHvaah,
>> Naseer
>
> Another example is 'chupke chupke raat din....', that I heard first in
> 1972-72 from Radio Lahore, and that has become a ghazal 'by Ghulam
> Ali'. I doubt if very many even know who the writer is i.e. Maulana
> Hasrat Mohaani. I have a question of you, Naseer sahib, or anyone else
> who is reading. Ghulam Ali, over the years added very many more
> asha'ar to the original that he sang first those may years ago; the
> likes of '..suukhe laboN ka thartharaana yaad hai,''''kaNgan ghumaana
> yaad hai,.....naNge paaoN aana yaad hai, etc. Were these specially
> commissioned for Ghulam Ali and is the writer of these Hasrat Mohaani?
> Vijay
This is indeed quite a long ghazal. Of course, I don't know if the
ash'aar being added by Ghulaam Ali are indeed from that particular
ghazal only. I hope to post the full ghazal in a day or two.
Afzal
Afzal A. Khan
UVR Saheb,
I knew I was treading on "hallowed (hollowed ? !) ground" when
I wrote that piece. But, as you say, that's just me !
When I used the term "stiflingly similar", I didn't mean Begum
Akhtar specifically. I meant it in a "generic" sense.
The other singers you mention like Pankaj Udhas etc. also have
a place of their own. I have heard all of them. I like PU's
voice. It is soft and doesn't grate. Talat Aziz sang a very
fine ghazal in "Umrao Jaan" (stg. Rekha) ---> "Zindagi jab bhi
tiri bazm men laati hai hameN". The credit for that, I suppose
should go in a large measure to Khaiyyaam's music. And this is
exactly my point. Choose another ghazal -- a really good one
in the same behr etc. --- and try singing or reciting it in
the same tune as the above ghazal (music composed by Khaiyyaam)
I am sure you will enjoy it a great deal, maybe a tad better
than the "stiflingly similar" ghazals one has heard in the
early period of ghazal singing. Apart from the tune (i.e. the
musical aspect), voice is also a crucial factor. Some 30-35
years back, Asha Bhonsle brought out an album of ghazals by
Ghalib. Her voice lent great charm to those ghazals. Peenaaz
Masani may not be up to much. But there is one ghazal by Faiz
sung by her, which is one of my favourites ---> "Raaz-e-ulfat
chhupa ke dekh liya". Here, the credit should go to that
master composer Jaidev.
The universal caveat ("to each his own") applies with equal
force to ghazal singing too. I have no problem if you think
that Mukesh has sung some mighty fine ghazals, or that you
prefer him to Talat Mahmood and Rafi etc. But I have a feeling
that the operative word here is "sung", which comprises the
singer's voice and the music composition. So, if the likes of
Mukesh or Talat get to sing even a comparatively mediocre
ghazal, even that gets high marks from the listeners. And that
is exactly the point I was trying to make. "Stylistic" singing
tends to diminish the joy inherent in an excellently written
ghazal.
Although you have named MH as your favourite Desert Island
ghazal singer, you would still prefer to "lay off" items like
"zindagi men to sabhi" and "raNjish hi sahi". What exactly is
the reason ? If the ghazal is really a masterpiece or even
just good, one should be able to like it all the time. On the
other hand, some special music and a soft, soothing voice tends
to make listening to even an ordinary ghazal a favourite aural
experience. But, that's just me !!
Afzal
UVR
I think a more pertinent question would be the one I have myself asked
him, viz., why isn't Vasmi saahib on ALUP these days? Alas, my
questions have not had the desired result!
Apparently, civilian querying yields results vastly different from
police "questioning" even on ALUP ;)
-UVR.
Raj Kumar
--------------
This is so, Ravindra saahib, because, as far as I know, Vasmi saahib
is too discreet a person to reply to so pointed a question in so
straight a fashion as you had expected!
> Apparently, civilian querying yields results vastly different from
> police "questioning" even on ALUP ;)
"Civilian questioning" aside, I have gone to the extent of questioning
Vasmi saahib 'police-like' (namely, 'face-to-face') on this matter
and, insofar as I remember, his reply was somewhat to the effect ---
kyaa kareN, saahib, k ab ALUP vaisaa naheeN rahaa jaisaa k hu'aa
kartaa thaa! :(
Raj Kumar
UVR
Hmm. I will take this up with him the next time I get a chance.
-UVR.
Vijay
I agree with most every thing in your post UVR sahib (except for that
Mukesh bit). I particularly agree with Pankaj Udhaas bit. How over
rated he and his ilk are.
Apparently someone asked Jagjit Singh* about his comments that Pankaj
Udhas had been going about saying that Jagjit Singh is 'against me'.
Jagjit Singh responded that it isn't me that is against Pankaj Sahib.
It is his singing that is against him!!
Regards,
Vijay
(Not that I rate Jagjit Singh as a first rung singer!)
Vijay
Thanks. I will look forward to that. I am not sure when Hasrat
Mohaanii died, but is it possible that he added more asha'ar to this
ghazal later, ater it became popular from Ghulam Ali's singing, and
perhaps at Ghulam Ali's behest?
Regards,
Vijay
PS: The way your posting reads, it seems I said ' I can't believe
Faraaz wrote ranjish...'. That quote is by someone else. ?Naseer
sahib>
Afzal A. Khan
Yes, I should have removed that sentence. It does give a wrong
impression.
Ghulam Ali was a young lad of about 11 years, when Maulana Hasrat
Mohani died in 1951. The ghazal itself was written around the
early twenties, I believe.
Many know the Maulana only as a poet. He had many talents. He
was in politics too, though he never sought any personal benefits
from it. It was he who first raised the demand of Complete
Independence (rather than mere Dominion Status) at a Congress
Session. He was imprisoned by the Britishers for being a freedom
fighter. He always led a very simple life, travelling with a
worn out small metal box and a worn out "hold-all", both of which
he used to carry himself, without bothering any porter. He
wrote an excellent book on the intricacies of Urdu Prosody. He
also used to bring out an Urdu magazine, known for its
literary merit.
Afzal
Afzal
Naseer
aap ba-jaa farmaa rahe haiN, yih do shi'r izaafii haiN awr Maulanaa
Hasrat ke nahiiN.
janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
agar aap apnii uNgliyoN ko qadre aaraam dilaanaa chaahte haiN to
bandah yih mukammal Ghazal pesh kar saktaa hai.
KHair-Khvaah,
Naseer
Vijay
Nasee sahib , you have clarified a point for me that I had suspected
for a while, that many 'later' asha'ar in this ghazal seem 'lighter'.
That is why I suspected that these were added later either by someone
other than Mualana Hasrat Mohaani, or if by him, then at an age where
perhaps his style had changed considerably. Afzal sahib has removed
any doubts about this being the latter. So, I wonder if there are
sho'ra out there who will write for these singers without craving
credit. You must have heard of the prolific Saghar Sidiiqii, who
apparently often wrote 'for others' for money!
Looking forward to the complete ghazal, either by you or Afzal Sahib.
As Kali Hawa sahib states elsewehre, ham ne to aam khane haiN.....:-)
Regards,
Vijay
Afzal A. Khan
>
> janaab-i-Vijay Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
>
> aap ba-jaa farmaa rahe haiN, yih do shi'r izaafii haiN awr Maulanaa
> Hasrat ke nahiiN.
>
> janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.
>
> agar aap apnii uNgliyoN ko qadre aaraam dilaanaa chaahte haiN to
> bandah yih mukammal Ghazal pesh kar saktaa hai.
> Naseer
Naseer Saheb,
Bahut bahut shukriya. Neki aur poochh poochh !
On a related note, it may not be the case that some "rented"
poet would be providing the additional ash'aar for a fee.
It is far more likely that other poets may have composed
ghazals in the same beh'r and zameen etc. And the singer may
have just borrowed the same and incorporated them in his
singing repertoire. In such cases, I believe, it is (or should
be) customary for the singer to give proper credit. If Ghulam
Ali has not done so in his concerts or recordings, it is not
quite proper. Also, in normal conversation, Ghulam Ali tends to
speak rather quickly, gliding (or eliding) over some syllables
and that can be a reason why the other poet's name may not be
easily noticed by the listener/s.
Afzal
Afzal A. Khan
> On May 20, 6:45 pm, "Afzal A. Khan" <me_af...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>> It is far more likely that other poets may have composed
>>> ghazals in the same beh'r and zameen etc.
>
> Chitra Singh!!
>
> "aate aate mera naam sa rah gaya" and "aapko dekhkar dekhta rah
> gaya" (both JS)
>
> and
>
> "ishq mein gairat-e-jazbaat ne" (CS) and "yaar ko maine mujhe yaar
> ne" (JS).
>
> al Hindi
Please don't look for an Urdu poet when he slips in "Lara Lappaa,
Lara Lappaa", right in the middle of some other song or even
ghazal.
Afzal
Vasmi
>
> --------------
>
> > On May 19, 2:58 pm, Naseer <qures...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > Thank you for relating this "live" incident to us. More important,
>
> > > Naseer
> > I think a more pertinent question would be the one I have myself asked
> > questions have not had the desired result!
>
> This is so, Ravindra saahib, because, as far as I know,Vasmisaahib
> is too discreet a person to reply to so pointed a question in so
> straight a fashion as you had expected!
>
> > Apparently, civilian querying yields results vastly different from
> > police "questioning" even on ALUP ;)
>
> and, insofar as I remember, his reply was somewhat to the effect ---
> kyaa kareN, saahib, k ab ALUP vaisaa naheeN rahaa jaisaa k hu'aa
> kartaa thaa! :(
>
> Raj Kumar
mu'azziz dosto,
aadaab arz hai!
aap yaad kareN aur ham na haazir hoN, aise to haalaat nahiiN haiN :)
(RK Sb, mujhe is taraf mutavajjeh karne ka shukriya)
dar asl maiN aaj kal aag ka daryaa paar karne ki koshish kar rahaa
huuN.
jab maiN ne Quraitullain Haider Sahiba ke intiqaal ki Khabar suni, to
socha, unka mash'huur novel zaruur paRhuuNga. to kuchh dinoN pahle, ye
safar shuru kiya hai. behad dilchasp kahaani hai. do hazaar saal pahle
sharavasti ke ashram se shuruu hui, phir kashi, aur kalkutta, aur
Jaunpur, aur Dilli, aur Lucknow se hoti hui, ab London tak pahunchi
hai. dekheN aur kahaaN kahaaN le chalti hai...
UVR saahab, Faraz saahab ke saath vo shaam to yaqeenan yaadgaar thi.
regarding the incident you mentioned, my recollection is slightly
different.
Sudhir Narain Sb had (inexplicably) sung a Ghazal by Ghalib - "har ek
baat pe kahte ho ..."
I remember he sang - "... hamaare jeb ko ab haajat-e-rafuu kyaa hai",
and Faraz Sb interrupted with "hamaari jeb, hamaari jeb ko"!
And then another friend, who I have heard previously sing "ranjish hi
sahii", and sing it quite well, decided to sing it in front of the
poet himself. shaayad nervousness ki vajah se, unhoN ne kayii alfaaz
adal-badal kar diye, aur, jaisa ki aap ne bayaan kiya, ek extra sher
bhi joR diya. kisi tarah jab Ghazal Khatm hui, to unhoN ne Faraz Sb se
maazrat ki, ki janaab jo Ghalati ho gayii, usko muaaf keejiye ga. to
Faraz Sb muskura ke bole - ek-do GhalatiyaaN hotiiN to muaaf kar dete,
aap ne to bahut saari GhalatiyaaN kar diiN!"
aur Faraz Sb ki Ghazal "suna hai log use aaNkh bhar ke dekhte
haiN ..." unki zabaani sunne meN bohat lutf aaya tha.
muKhlis,
Vasmi
Naseer
janaab-i-muHtaram Vasmi Sahib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat.
hameN taqriib-an ek saal kii sazaa de kar lauT aane par maiN aap ko ba-
sad musarrat KHush-aamaded kahtaa huuN. is ke saath saath UVR Sahib
awr Raj Kumar Sahib kaa shukriya vaajubu_ladaa hai kyoN kih shaayad un
hii kii sar-toR kishishoN se aap "aag ke daryaa" se maHfuuz nikal paae
haiN!:)
> and, insofar as I remember, his reply was somewhat to the effect ---
> kyaa kareN, saahib, k ab ALUP vaisaa naheeN rahaa jaisaa k hu'aa
> kartaa thaa! :( Raj Kumar
dekhiye Huzuur...
ek bhii pattii agar kam ho to vu gul hii nahiiN
jo KHizaaN-naadiidah ho bulbul vuh bulbul hii nahiiN
aap jaise logoN ke baGhair yih phuul-numaa maHfil adhuurii hai. agar
aap maHsuus kar rahe the kih is phuul kaa rang phiikaa paR gayaa hai
to aap is phuul se duur rah kar ise KHush-numaa to nahiiN banaa saktee
naa? ALUP-nagar ke baasiyoN kii yahii KHvaahish hai kih aap awr diigar
aHbaab jin kii aamad mutavaquu' hai, is meN guunaa-guuN rang bhar kar
is kii raunaq-i-gum-gashtah ko vaapas le aaeN!
ek baar phir KHush-aamaded.
niyaaz-mand,
Naseer
Afzal A. Khan
>
> janaab-i-muHtaram Vasmi Sahib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat.
>
> hameN taqriib-an ek saal kii sazaa de kar lauT aane par maiN aap ko ba-
> sad musarrat KHush-aamaded kahtaa huuN. is ke saath saath UVR Sahib
> awr Raj Kumar Sahib kaa shukriya vaajubu_ladaa hai kyoN kih shaayad un
> hii kii sar-toR kishishoN se aap "aag ke daryaa" se maHfuuz nikal paae
> haiN!:)
umar
> ek baar phir KHush-aamaded.
> Naseer
Aur meri jaanib se bhi KHush~aamaded.
Waise Naseer Saheb, aap zara jaldi men haiN. Abhi Vasmi Saheb
"Aag Ka Darya" se nikal naheeN paae haiN, bal~ke hanooz GHota~zan
haiN.
Ek zamaana tha jab yeh KHaak~saar QA ke waalid-e-mohtaram ki sehr~
aamez tarz-e-tehreer se mas'hoor sa rehta tha.
Afzal
Vasmi
Naseer aur Afzal Saahibaan,
aap ke Khuluus aur muhabbat ka bohat shukriya!
maiN yahaaN aata rahuuNga.
"ye ishq nahiiN aasaaN bas itna samajh leeje
ik aag ka daryaa hai aur Duub ke jaana hai"
kya QH ne apni kitaab ka unvaan Jigar ke is sher se liya tha?
Vasmi
UVR
>
> UVR saahab, Faraz saahab ke saath vo shaam to yaqeenan yaadgaar thi.
> regarding the incident you mentioned, my recollection is slightly
> different.
> Sudhir Narain Sb had (inexplicably) sung a Ghazal by Ghalib - "har ek
> baat pe kahte ho ..."
> I remember he sang - "... hamaare jeb ko ab haajat-e-rafuu kyaa hai",
> and Faraz Sb interrupted with "hamaari jeb, hamaari jeb ko"!
> And then another friend, who I have heard previously sing "ranjish hi
> sahii", and sing it quite well, decided to sing it in front of the
> poet himself. shaayad nervousness ki vajah se, unhoN ne kayii alfaaz
> adal-badal kar diye, aur, jaisa ki aap ne bayaan kiya, ek extra sher
> bhi joR diya. kisi tarah jab Ghazal Khatm hui, to unhoN ne Faraz Sb se
> maazrat ki, ki janaab jo Ghalati ho gayii, usko muaaf keejiye ga. to
> Faraz Sb muskura ke bole - ek-do GhalatiyaaN hotiiN to muaaf kar dete,
> aap ne to bahut saari GhalatiyaaN kar diiN!"
>
Vasmi saahib,
Ghaaliban 'vaashing paavDar nirmaa!' kaa kamaal hogaa k aap ki yaad-
daasht meri yaad-daasht se 'safed' thi aur hai! :) Khair, jo bhi ho,
Sudhir Narain saahib se (aur aap se bhi) mu'aafi maaNgtaa hooN k un
par be-fizool kaa ilzaam dhar diyaa. mujhe itnaa zaroor yaad hai k
Sudhir saahib ne sh'er sunaane meN Ghalati ki thi, aur ranjish hi sahi
meN GhalatiyaaN hone par Faraz saahib ke chehre se Ghussa saaf zaahir
thaa. I must have put 2 and 2 together and made 5.
-UVR.
Raj Kumar
> On May 26, 2:34 am, Vasmi <vab...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > UVR saahab, Faraz saahab ke saath vo shaam to yaqeenan yaadgaar thi.
> > regarding the incident you mentioned, my recollection is slightly
> > different.
> > Sudhir Narain Sb had (inexplicably) sung a Ghazal by Ghalib - "har ek
> > baat pe kahte ho ..."
> > I remember he sang - "... hamaare jeb ko ab haajat-e-rafuu kyaa hai",
> > and Faraz Sb interrupted with "hamaari jeb, hamaari jeb ko"!
> > And then another friend, who I have heard previously sing "ranjish hi
> > sahii", and sing it quite well, decided to sing it in front of the
> > poet himself. shaayad nervousness ki vajah se, unhoN ne kayii alfaaz
> > adal-badal kar diye, aur, jaisa ki aap ne bayaan kiya, ek extra sher
> > bhi joR diya. kisi tarah jab Ghazal Khatm hui, to unhoN ne Faraz Sb se
> > maazrat ki, ki janaab jo Ghalati ho gayii, usko muaaf keejiye ga. to
> > Faraz Sb muskura ke bole - ek-do GhalatiyaaN hotiiN to muaaf kar dete,
> > aap ne to bahut saari GhalatiyaaN kar diiN!"
---------
> Vasmi saahib,
>
> Ghaaliban 'vaashing paavDar nirmaa!' kaa kamaal hogaa k aap ki yaad-
> daasht meri yaad-daasht se 'safed' thi aur hai! :) Khair, jo bhi ho,
> Sudhir Narain saahib se (aur aap se bhi) mu'aafi maaNgtaa hooN k un
> par be-fizool kaa ilzaam dhar diyaa. mujhe itnaa zaroor yaad hai k
> Sudhir saahib ne sh'er sunaane meN Ghalati ki thi, aur ranjish hi sahi
> meN GhalatiyaaN hone par Faraz saahib ke chehre se Ghussa saaf zaahir
> thaa. I must have put 2 and 2 together and made 5.
>
> -UVR
I don't think your arithmetic betrayed you, Ravindra saahib, --- more
likely, when you landed at that mehfil, you were under "sniper
fire"! :)
R.K.
prem_...@yahoo.com
Afzal Bhai,
Momin sahib kee ye ghazal mujhe behad pasand hai. Mere pass Chitra,
Nayaara Noor, aur Begam Akhtar ke versions they. Lekin Noorjehan ka
version nahi tha. Bohut Bohut shukria.
Prem Joshi
Afzal A. Khan
Joshi Saheb,
Kindly note what I wrote in my above post :
This film song is "loosely based" on Momin's original ghazal.
It is NOT the original ghazal. I am quoting the latter below :
Woh jo hum men tum men qaraar tha, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Wohi y'ani w'ada nibaah ka, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Woh jo lutf mujh pe tha peshtar, woh karam ke tha mire haal par
Mujhe sab hai yaad zara zara, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Woh naye gile, woh shikaayateN, woh maze maze ki hikaayateN
Woh har ik baat pe rooThna, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Kaheen baiThe sab men jo roo~ba~roo,to ishaaratoN se hi guft'goo
Woh bayaan shauq ka bar'mala, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Huwe ittefaaq se gar baham, to wafa jataane ko dum~ba~dum
Gila-e-malaamat-e-aqraba, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Koi aisi baat agar huwi, ke tumhaare ji ko buri lagi
To bayaaN se pehle hi bhoolna, tumheN yaad ho ke na yadd ho
Kabhi hum men tum men bhi chaah thi, kabhi hum se tum se bhi raah thi
Kabhi hum bhi tum bhi the aash'na, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Suno, zikr hai kayee saal ka, ke kia ik aap ne w'ada tha
So nibaah'ne ka to zikr kya, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Kaha maiN ne baat woh koThe ki, mire dil se saaf utar gayee
To kaha ke jaane miri bala, umheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Woh bigaRna wasl ki raat ka, woh na manna kisi baat ka
Woh naheeN naheeN ki har aaN ada, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Jise aap gin'te the aash'na, jise aap kehte the baa~wafa
MaiN wohi hooN Momin-e-mubtala, tumheN yaad ho ke na yaad ho
Afzal