Tumhe Dillagi : Part 1

 


A Qawwali Par Excellence!


Tumhen dil lagi bhool jani padegi 

Part 1 

For the Love of God



Listening to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan singing Tumhen dil lagi bhool jani padegi was an unforgettable experience. Hindi film music was a household staple since a very early age. It was a conglomerate of diverse genres like Ghazals, bhajans, patriotic songs, classical songs, romantic songs, disco music, several kinds of folk songs and what not. Qawwalis had a special place amidst this and for me they had always been a joy to listen to. Teri mehfil mein kismat azmakar hum bhi dekhenge in Mughale Azam to the title song in Hum Kisise Kum nahi, qawwalis never failed to get me engrossed in them. The rhythm, the beautiful lyrics, and the grand sets and costumes all created such a lively aura. Yet how little I knew about qawwalis for all these years! Until recently I believed these were all romantic songs. The movie industry definitely portrayed them as such. How mistaken I was!

In recent months I came across a video where Ustad Zakir Hussain spoke about how the 13th century Sufi singer Amir Khusrau created the qawwali tradition integrating music traditions from Persia, Turkey and Arabia with Indian music. In the Islamic traditions Qawl is the utterance of the Prophet. These were holy words in the form of a dialogue with God or sometimes involving a saint or devotee. A person who sang the Qawl was known as a qawwal and the singing was qawwali.

There were strict rules applied to this form of singing. It had to be listened to in a spirit of remembrance of the Almighty. Only adult males were permitted to sing and no musical instruments were allowed in those days. There would be a lead singer and a chorus of singers. Rhythm was created by clapping. Qawwali was music of a spiritual genre in the Sufi tradition that became part of mainstream Indian music. 

When I listened to the compelling rendition of Tumhe Dillagi with this newfound awareness of the context of its lyrics it opened a door to a magical world of exploration and self discovery. At several points I was reminded of the similarities with the writings of poet saints from the Hindu tradition such as Kabir, Surdas and Meerabai. No song has hit so close to home in a long time as this did.

The lyrics pregnant with such profound philosophical message couldn’t have found a more worthy Qawwal to deliver than the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He belonged to an illustrious family of Qawwals and took the genre of qawwalis and along with it Sufi philosophy of love to an international audience. His prowess in classical vocal music, the unimaginable range of pitch and unparalleled ability to modulate tone are what legends are made of. Watching his videos are adequate to give an idea of his genius to even an uninitiated listener. But the man was much more than his music. His generosity of spirit, ability to recognize and promote talent in fellow musicians and extend a hand of friendship beyond all boundaries is inspirational. Above all this was his love for God and the passion to spread the message of God’s love far and wide. And he did it with incomparable grace and elan. No surprise then that listening to his qawwalis transports one to the presence of the Divine. 

 I am venturing to discuss the lyrics of this exquisite piece of poetry but the theme is so sublime that I have some significant doubts about doing justice to this one. Even before I start I must seek both blessings and forgiveness from the Good Lord. Next I ask the same from the poet. The poet whose original name was Mohammed Musa Hashmi took the pen name Purnam Allahabadi to reflect his birthplace in pre-independence India. Post independence and partition of India he moved to Pakistan. Any poetry that transcends the boundaries of country, race, religion, gender, educational, social or financial status and even the language it is written in, has its origins in the divinity that pervades all. This is definitely one such gem. 

Tumhen dil lagi bhool jani padegi 
Muhabbat ki rahon mein aa kar to dekho 
TaDapane pe mere na phir tum hasoge 
Kabhi dil kisi se laga kar to dekho 

Wafaon ki humse tawwaqo nahin hai 
Magar ek baar aazamaa kar to dekho 
Zamaney ko apanaa banaa kar to dekha
Hamey bhi tum apana banaa kar to dekho

Khuda ke liye chor do abb yeh parda 
Ke hain aaj hum tum nahi ghair koi 
Shab-e-vasl bhi hai hijaab iss khadr kyun 
Zara rukh se aanchal utha kar to dekho 

Jafa′ein bahut ki bahut zulm Dhaye 
Kabhi ek nigah-e-karam iss taraf bhi 
Hamesha huey dekh kar mujh ko barham 
Kisi din zara muskura kar to dekho 

Jo ulfat mein har ek sitam hai gawara 
Yeh sab kuch hai paas-e-wafa tumse warna Sataatey ho din raat jis tarah mujh ko 
Kisi ghair ko yun sataakar to dekho 

Agar'chey kisi baat per woh khafa hain 
To acha yehi hai tum apni sahi karlo 
Woh maaney na-maaney yeh marzi hai unki
Magar unko ′PURNAM' manaa kar to dekho


Saree is a cotton silk Maheshwari in beige and black.

Comments

Popular Posts