Abhi to haath mein jaam hai tauba kitna kaam hai
Posted on: September 9, 2008
I heard this song many a times when this song started playing on loudspeakers and radio in 1972, and then forgot all about it. Now, 35-36 years later, I rediscovered this song again. And only now I have come to know that this song was from Seeta and Geeta. all these days I thought that “Seeta aur Geeta” only had songs sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.
This song has Dharmendra drunk on desi daru ( a forerunner of Sholay- the movie that would be produced by the makers of “Seeta aur Geeta” three years later), and this time Dharmendra is only drunk in the desi daru adda, and not on the water tank.
The younger generation may never have heard this song. Hero drunk in a movie, which was considered a serious scene, deserving of a serious song (viz “choo lene do nazuk hothon ko” )in Bollywood movies till late 1960s, began to be regarded as a comedy scene, beginning with this movie, and then “elevated” to a higher plane of comedy by Amitabh Bachchan in the movies of Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra in later years.
Those days, the voice of Manna Dey was used for songs sung by character artists or comedians.As befitting the comedy nature of this song, Manna Dey was entrusted with singing this song. And Manna Dey sings this song in all seriousness, as befits his classical music upbringing.
This song was popular those days, but nowhere as popular as “hawa ke saath saath, ghata ke sang sang O saathi chal” from that same movie. But now, with the benefit of hindsight, and with the dispassionate judgement that passage of time brings, I can say that it was a nicely sung song, and the present generation need to listen to this forgotten song from a hit movie.
Song- abhi to haath mein jaam hai (Seeta aur Geeta)(1972) Singer-Manna Dey, Lyrics-Anand Bakshi, MD-R D Burman
Lyrics
abhi to haath me jaam hai
tauba kitna kaam hai
abhi to haath me jaam hai
tauba kitna kaam hai
kabhi mili fursat to bhai dekha jaayega
duniya ke baare mein ah socha jaayega
abhi to haath me jaam hai
Jeene se pahle kaun mare
fikr subah ki kaun kare
Jeene se pahle kaun mare
fikr subah ki kaun kare
gham ki raat se kaun dare
abhi suhaani shaam hai
abhi suhaani shaam hai
tauba kitna kaam hai
kabhi mili fursat to bhai dekha jaayega
are duniya ke baare me ah socha jaayega
abhi to haath me jaam hai
thaka hua tha main zara
zara sa sach me ghoont bhara
thaka hua tha main zara
zara sa sach me ghoont bhara
Utha ke bottle ghoont bhara
to ab zara aaram hai
to ab zara aaram hai
tauba kitna kaam hai
kabhi mili fursat to bhai dekha jaayega
are duniya ke baare me ah socha jaayega
hmm hmm hmm
Translation
I am drinking at the moment
Gosh, am I busy !
Let me get a bit free
and then I may think about other matters
right now I am preoccupied with my drinks
I am not one to think of death before it comes
I am not one to think about tomorrow
why should I think of a miserable night
when I can have an enjoyable evening right now
I was a bit tired
and so I took a sip or two
I took the bottle and drank just a little
Now I am feeling better
Gosh, am I busy !
Let me get a bit free
and then I may think about other matters
11 Responses to "Abhi to haath mein jaam hai tauba kitna kaam hai"
September 14, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I had actually forgotten about this song after 1972-73, before I rediscovered this song recently, and I promptly posted this song in the blog.
LikeLike
December 3, 2008 at 10:53 pm
This is on my ten favorite Dharmendra songs, I love it so. One of the first Hindi film songs I fell in love with, actually 🙂
LikeLike
December 3, 2008 at 10:53 pm
ps would love the English lyrics for this one too, hint hint…
LikeLike
December 4, 2008 at 1:11 am
Hint taken. I have added the translation now.
LikeLike
November 3, 2009 at 5:32 pm
At youtube there is a longer version of this song.
Could you give the missing lyrics and translation please.
The link is : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMO9MVZYpRM
LikeLike
November 4, 2009 at 12:49 am
The link provides an additional stanza, which is
kisi ki naa parwaah karo
kabhi na yaaron aah karo
kisi ki naa parwaah karo
kabhi na yaaron aah karo
karo agar to waah karo
yahi mera paighaam hai
haan yahi mera paighaam hai
tauba kitna kaam hai
kabhi mili fursat to bhai dekha jaayega
duniya ke baare me socha jaayegaa
hmm hmm hmm
Translation
Do not bother about others,
do not sigh
If you have to, then go “wow”
This is my message
yes this is my message
Gosh, am I busy !
Let me get a bit free
and then I may think about other matters
The video of this link is not from the movie,but someone’s amateur effort. I only like to post links to original videos and original voices in this blog. Thankfully the voice is original (Manna Dey) in this video.
LikeLike
November 4, 2009 at 9:43 am
Thank you for providing the stanza and translation.
I really love this blog.
The only thing missing is the devenagari/urdu scripts for the songs.
Greetings Dennis
LikeLike
November 17, 2011 at 1:56 am
great song – such a lovely voice – so much pain in voice. so much sincerity
LikeLike
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 13, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Lovely movie (evergreen timepass movie).
Lovely song too….Manna Dey for Dharam is quite rare.
LikeLike