Posting the lines from one of my favourite Jagjit Singh ghazals… poignant, heart-rending and very evocative of rented apartments, cigarette butts, multi-coloured cushions, cotton sarees, Delhi, broad sun-lit avenues with huge trees spanning the edges, a dull shade of beige-brown-green.
Jinko duniya ki nigaahon se chhupaye rakha,
Jinko ek umr kaleje se lagaaye rakha,
Deen jinko jinhein imaan banaaye rakha,
Tu ne duniye ke nigaahon se jo bachkar likhe
Saal ha saal mere naam baraabar likhe,
Kabhi din mein to kabhi raat ko uth kar likhe,
Tere khushboo mein base khat main jalaata kaise,
Pyaar mein doobe hue khat main jalaata kaise,
Tere haathon ke likhe khat main jalaata kaise,
Tere khat aaj main Ganga mein bahaa aaya hoon
Aag behte hue paani mein lagaa aaya hoon…
sthira says:
Tere khat aaj main Ganga mein bahaa aaya hoon
Aag behte hue paani mein lagaa aaya hoon…
Very very moving, especially in particular contexts.
And letters, they reveal so much of our inner selves, and written from what’s within you, they become sacred. Even the idea of my letters , no matter how trivial they may be, being read by anyone other than the one to whom it was addressed, pains me, as if someone has stealthily looked inside me and taken something away.I’d rather have it torn to pieces and the wind carrying it away than a letter left lying around for anyone to pick up and read!
October 26, 2004 — 7:35 am
Lakshmi says:
My favourite lines too…
October 26, 2004 — 8:06 pm
lalunadiosa says:
very evocative of rented apartments, cigarette butts, multi-coloured cushions, cotton sarees, Delhi, broad sun-lit avenues with huge trees spanning the edges, a dull shade of beige-brown-green
Funny you should mention that….to me, most of Jagjit Singh’s work has always been evocative of all the above….just never realised it so explicitly 🙂
October 26, 2004 — 7:39 am
Lakshmi says:
The 70s-80s Hindi art film genre, to be precise…
October 26, 2004 — 8:06 pm
lalunadiosa says:
Yeah….Farooque Sheikh with his floppy hair and Deepti Naval in crisp cotton sarees….don’t know what it is about them but I always assumed that that is how my parents were when they had just gotten married!!!!
October 27, 2004 — 7:10 am
Lakshmi says:
That’s cool… The young, classy, creative duo!
October 30, 2004 — 4:40 am
arunshanbhag says:
“favorite” in any medium always resonate with our current state of mind.
My eternal fav ghazals of JS-CS are: Ahista Ahista and Woh Kaagaz ki Khasti
Enjoy!
October 26, 2004 — 10:15 am
Lakshmi says:
Kabhi ti khul ke baras is another favourite. It’s a wonderful ghazal, brilliant in lyrical as well as musical composition.
October 26, 2004 — 8:05 pm
Lakshmi says:
That was meant to be Kabhi to khul ke baras.
October 26, 2004 — 8:07 pm
hariputtar says:
Yes … this one is indeed quite poignant. lekin itna dukh bhi achchha nahin – stopped listening to JS/CS bcuz of high-intensity-songs. not good for mental health. 🙂
October 26, 2004 — 10:42 pm
Lakshmi says:
Well, like I told Arun, Kabhi to khul ke baras is a wonderful track. Not so *maudlin-generating* at all… You must listen to it.
October 27, 2004 — 6:02 am
ruchikapoor says:
Hi! I came here after following your comments on‘s LJ. This is one of my fav. ghazals as well. In fact, it’s *such* a favorite that I’m adding you as a friend right away – hope that’s okay.
Do you like the following as well (I have a feeling I’m going to stay up the rest of the night listening to ghazals now – this post of yours touched a very sensitive nerve somewhere):
– Kaun Aayega Yahaan, Koi na Aaya Hoga
– Garaj Baras Pyaasi Dharti ko
– Shaayad Aa Jaayega Saaqi ko Taras
– Baat Nikalegi to Phir
– Shaam se Aankh Mein
– Neend se Aankh Khuli Hai (Chitra Singh)
Okay, this is getting too long for a comment. Will continue on my own LJ 🙂
October 30, 2004 — 1:32 am
Lakshmi says:
Have heard a couple of the ones that you’ve listed. Have you heard Kabhi to khul ke baras by Chitra Singh? It’s such a lovely ghazal. You must hear it, Ruchi! Am adding you as a pal too…
October 30, 2004 — 4:40 am