Today we have a beautiful Amir Khusro ghazal. This is a great favourite of mine and had been posted many years back in MHFL.
This ghazal is in three languages: Persian, Purbi(Bhojpuri) and Urdu. This has been sung wonderfully by the Great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and also by Ghulam Ali, Sabri Brothers and many others.
I find Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s version amazingly beautiful and full of passion!
Nusrat’s version:
Bulley Shah(1680-1757) was a great Sufi Punjabi poet. His poetry is full of philosophical messages. In today’s MHFL we have two poems by the great philosopher-poet. The poems are in Punjabi but the message is universal and very profound. You can find many poems of Bulley Shah sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, Wadali Brothers and many others. A side note: Punjabi poetry and Punjabi music are not represented by the dance party junk that you hear these days. Punjab has a rich history of beautiful poetry and sublime music – fortunately most of it is available on youtube
You can hear Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan reciting these poems here( within the first 5 minutes of the video):
Abida Parveen recites the first poem here(from 2:50 minutes to 5 minutes)
Wadali Bothers sing it here( first 5 minutes):
Padh padh aalam fazal hoyan,
Kadi apne aap noon padhiya hi nahin.
( You have read a thousand books and have become a man of knowledge,
But have you even once tried to study yourself?)
Ja ja wardan mandir maseetan,
Kade man apne vich wariya hi nahin
(You enter those moques and temples so many times,
But have you even once tried to enter your own mind?)
Aiven roz shaitan naal lardan,
Kadi lafz apne naal lariya hi nahin.
( Everyday you fight these irrelevant battles with the “evil” in this world,
But have you even once tried to fight with your own words?)
Bulley Shah, asmani uddeiyan fardan,
Jehra ghar baitha unhoon fariya hi nahin!
(Bulley Shah, you try to grab and attain those distant things/people which soar far above you,
But have you ever tried to grab that person who lives in your own house?)
Kanwar
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Macce gayan gal mukdi nahin,
Bhaven sau sau jumeh padh aayiye.
( you can go to Mecca hundreds of times and bow your head there
But you will still not find what you are looking for)
Ganga gayan gal mukdi nahin,
Bhaven sau sau gote khaiye
( You can go to Ganges and take holy dips as many times as you want,
But you will still not find what you are looking for)
Gaya gayan gal mukdi nahin,
Bhaven sau sau pand padh aayiye.
( You can go to Gaya a thousand times and offer prayers,
But you will still not find what you are looking for)
Bulley Shah, gal tahiyon mukdi,
Jadon “main” noon dilon gavayiye
( Bulley Shah says: you will finally find what you are looking for,
When you remove ego/pride from your heart. That is where your quest will finally end.)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
When I list the treasures that I have acquired in my life, urdu poetry is placed at a very high rank. It is a huge source of pleasure and happiness.
And sharing this treasure with you doubles the pleasure.
Today we have a beautiful Ahmed Faraz ghazal. It has been sung by Farida Khanum and Nusrat fateh ali khan.
and
I personally like the Farida Khanum version much better. In fact, I love it. Have heard it at least a 100 times!
Jis simt bhi dekhoon, nazar aata hai ke tum ho,
Ai jaan-e-jahaan yeh koi tum sa hai ke tum ho?
( in whichever direction I look, I see you
O life of the world, it is someone like you, or is it you?)
.
Yeh khwaab hai, khushboo hai ke jhonkha hai, ke pal hai
Yeh dhund hai, badal hai ke saaya hai ke tum ho?
( is this a dream, or fragrance, or a glimpse or a moment,
Or is it fog, or cloud, or a shadow or is it you?)
.
Dekhoon yeh ke kisi aaur ki aankhen hain ki meri,
Dekhoon yeh kisi aaur ka chehra hai ke tum ho.
( Let me check, it is someone else’s eyes or mine,
And is it someone else’s face or is it you?)
.
ik dard ka phaila hua sehara hai ke main hoon
ik mauj mein aaya hua dariya hai ke tum ho
( It is a huge desert of pain , or is it I?
Is it a river in full flow or is it you?)
.
yeh umar-e-gurezaan kahin thehre to yeh janoon
har saans mein mujh ko yehi lagta hai ke tum ho
(if this fleeting life stops for a while I will find out,
for it seems to me that in every moment there is you)
har bazm mein mauzu-e-sukhan dil zadgan ka
ab kaun hai? Shirin hai ke Laila hai ke tum ho?
( in every gathering of heartbroken poets,
Who is the source of the poetry? Is it Shirin, or Laila or is it you?)
Ai jaan-e-Faraz abke ajab haal hai jee ka,
Mujhko to har ik saans mein lagta hai ke tum ho.
( O life of Faraz my heart is in a strange situation,
In my every breath I feel your presence)
kanwar
==========================================================================
zindagi yuun thi ke jeene ka bahana tu tha
hum faqat zaeb-e-hikayat thay, fasana tu tha
( My life was such that you were the cause of it,
I was merely a character in the story, you were the story)
.
Humnein jis jis ko bhi chaaha tere hijraan mein who log,
Aate jaate hue mausam thay, zamaana tu ha
( who ever I loved in your absence, those people
Were mere passing seasons, you were the era)
====================================================================
Poetry Mehfil 