Praying for a tête a tête

I woke up to these notes resonating in my head. A wonderful piece of poetry rendered beautifully by an amazing singer: easily the best in class in India. I had not heard it for many a month yet some memory circuit in the brain got activated and the song rose to the surface from a hidden crypt inside the database of my mind. https://youtu.be/Lbt_YA_B6nM

This is such a beautiful expression of longing, of wanting to desperately meet a long lost friend, it takes me to a different plane, a different world, a different state of the mind. Qateel Shifai, one of Jagjit Singh‘s favourite poets, writes beautifully. The poignancy is so very apparent.

The original ghazal has ash’aar which are sometimes not part of all the vocal renditions, as always happens in the live concerts of the great singers. They deviate from the script, often flipping the order of the ash’aar, omitting some or even including those written by others, just depending on the state of their mind at that time.

वो दिल ही क्या तिरे मिलने की जो दुआ न करे

क़तील शिफ़ाई

मैं तुझ को भूल के ज़िंदा रहूँ ख़ुदा न करे

रहेगा साथ तिरा प्यार ज़िंदगी बन कर

ये और बात मिरी ज़िंदगी वफ़ा न करे

ये ठीक है नहीं मरता कोई जुदाई में

ख़ुदा किसी को किसी से मगर जुदा न करे

सुना है उस को मोहब्बत दुआएँ देती है

जो दिल पे चोट तो खाए मगर गिला न करे

अगर वफ़ा पे भरोसा रहे न दुनिया को

तो कोई शख़्स मोहब्बत का हौसला न करे

बुझा दिया है नसीबों ने मेरे प्यार का चाँद

कोई दिया मिरी पलकों पे अब जला न करे

ज़माना देख चुका है परख चुका है इसे

‘क़तील’ जान से जाए पर इल्तिजा न करे

This one is from a live concert in the architectural icon, The Sydney Opera House. https://youtu.be/aNgNKsx9sIk

A totally different feel about this rendition. That’s the greatness of these legends. One never tires of their renditions, each is so similar and yet so different from the others.

Have fun, folks as we fast forward into the summer bypassing the spring. Stay safe