In search of the elusive.

I first heard this ghazal some 40 years ago, in a live concert in Mumbai with my (then) fiancé , Aruna. It was during a live concert in the annual celebrations of her college.

The singer had briefly touched upon the origins from his Ustad.

A wonderful composition that revolves around (to me) Charukeshi, recalling it made my day very pleasant.

I came across this rarely heard ghazal by the Shehenshah-e-Ghazal, Khansaheb Mehdi Hassan on the net, while scouring for his creations. A wonderful ghazal by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR2usvkOTC8

This, the next clip is a shorter version composed for a studio recording. One can see greater range of instruments used and the tempo is a little bit different as the recording has a temporal limit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iof1LrLoX8w

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Another great rendition of the same ghazal is by Dr Radhika Chopra, who has a great vocal range. She is one of my favourite singers of the genre from India. She is truly gifted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqoYxDcieu4

तुम आए हो न शब-ए-इंतिज़ार गुज़री है

तलाश में है सहर बार बार गुज़री है

जुनूँ में जितनी भी गुज़री ब-कार गुज़री है

अगरचे दिल पे ख़राबी हज़ार गुज़री है

हुई है हज़रत-ए-नासेह से गुफ़्तुगू जिस शब

वो शब ज़रूर सर-ए-कू-ए-यार गुज़री है

वो बात सारे फ़साने में जिस का ज़िक्र न था

वो बात उन को बहुत ना-गवार गुज़री है

न गुल खिले हैं न उन से मिले न मय पी है

अजीब रंग में अब के बहार गुज़री है

चमन पे ग़ारत-ए-गुल-चीं से जाने क्या गुज़री

क़फ़स से आज सबा बे-क़रार गुज़री है

A translation might help those like me who are toddlers in the language. The beauty hopefully won’t be lost in the translation.

तुम आए हो न शब-ए-इंतिज़ार गुज़री है

तलाश में है सहर बार बार गुज़री है

Neither have you come, nor has this night of waiting come to an end
in waiting for you, the dawn has passed me by once again

जुनूँ में जितनी भी गुज़री ब-कार गुज़री है

अगरचे दिल पे ख़राबी हज़ार गुज़री है

All the nights spent in my obsession, have been spent fruitlessly
although this heart has been hurt a thousand times

हुई है हज़रत-ए-नासेह से गुफ़्तुगू जिस शब

वो शब ज़रूर सर-ए-कू-ए-यार गुज़री है

The night I spent listening to the exalted preacher’s discourse
that night could have been spent in the lane of the beloved

वो बात सारे फ़साने में जिस का ज़िक्र न था

वो बात उन को बहुत ना-गवार गुज़री है

What was not mentioned in the entire narrative
turned out to be most distasteful to her

न गुल खिले हैं न उन से मिले न मय पी है

अजीब रंग में अब के बहार गुज़री है

No flowers have bloomed, nor did I meet her, nor did I quaff wine
this spring has passed in a strange manner

चमन पे ग़ारत-ए-गुल-चीं से जाने क्या गुज़री

क़फ़स से आज सबा बे-क़रार गुज़री है

What pain the garden was forced to bear due to the cruel plucking,
a troubled breeze has passed by the prison today

Aruna and I were present for a live concert by Talat Aziz in 83-84 in Mumbai, as part of her college celebration. He sang this ghazal there and I loved it. It was actually the first time I had heard it and filed away in my memory. A wonderful recording is available. I generally don’t like other versions of songs sung by Khansaheb, but this is an exception. Talat Aziz has outdone himself in this piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ZojNedHxg

Take a careful listen, do let me know which version did you like more…

Stay safe and healthy, folks, I will join you at 1120 with my fortnightly presentations on AIR Delhi FM Gold. I will talk of a band that my generation grew up listening and jiving to.