I had heard this ghazal long back. Jagjit Singh has always impressed me with his choice of verse and his creativity in composition. He has always chosen extremely meaningful poetry from relatively less well known poets and embellished the words with very melodious notes that coupled with his divine singing makes for a memorable package that will always give you succour when you’re unhappy, share your happiness and make you introspective when you’re in the right frame of mind.

Check this ghazal out. https://youtu.be/3FbL4IUDRIs

ज़िंदगी से बड़ी सज़ा ही नहीं

कृष्ण बिहारी “नूर”

और क्या जुर्म है पता ही नहीं

इतने हिस्सों में बट गया हूँ मैं

मेरे हिस्से में कुछ बचा ही नहीं

ज़िंदगी मौत तेरी मंज़िल है

दूसरा कोई रस्ता ही नहीं

सच घटे या बढ़े तो सच न रहे

झूठ की कोई इंतिहा ही नहीं

ज़िंदगी अब बता कहाँ जाएँ

ज़हर बाज़ार में मिला ही नहीं

जिस के कारण फ़साद होते हैं

उस का कोई अता-पता ही नहीं

कैसे अवतार कैसे पैग़मबर

ऐसा लगता है अब ख़ुदा ही नहीं

चाहे सोने के फ़्रेम में जड़ दो

आईना झूठ बोलता ही नहीं

अपनी रचनाओं में वो ज़िंदा है

‘नूर’ संसार से गया ही नहीं

What a wonderful, amazingly meaningful piece of poetry. Jagjit Singh invokes a dark shade of grey when he sings this, sombre to the core, almost morose. The language is very conversational and contemporary so I don’t think any one will have any difficulty in figuring out the purport.

The same ghazal when rendered by the genius Shujaat Husain sounds so different. He follows his illustrious father’s footsteps in playing the Sitar beautifully and also singing a few lines in between. https://youtu.be/qlHZQJ2KRao

Shujaat Husain Khan is the worthy son of Ustad Vilayat Khan, from the Imdadkhani gharana. Their style of Sitar playing is referred to as the Gayaki style. He started training on the Sitar when he was just 3 and actually gave a first public recital when he was just 6, in the famed Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. The same ghazal invokes a totally different mood when he renders it.

Have a wonderful weekend ahead, folks. Stay healthy and happy. The skies have cleared up for the moment.