O mere shaahe khubaan
Posted on: January 13, 2009
This Rafi song is so reminiscent of the Rafi-Shammi Songs of 1960s. And for long, I actually thought so.
Only when I watched the video did I realise that it was not Shammi Kapoor, but his clone viz Joy Mukherjee in this movie. Of course, Joy Mukherjee was the hero in “Love in Tokyo” and what Rafi- Shammi brand songs there were in this movie !
In fact, except Shammi Kapoor, most other ingredients of a Shammi Kapoor movie are very much in place. Asha Parekh is there. Rafi is the singer, Hasrat Jaipuri is the lyricist, Shankar Jaikishan are the music directors, the love takes places in exotic locations ( Paris in case of Shammi Kapoor, Tokyo in case of Joy Mukherjee) and the janta are suitably entertained and they have no complaints on this count.
And as often happens, one can enjoy this song despite not understanding much of the lyrics. As I have said a few times i the past, great artists ( painters, lyricists etc) are those who can sell their art to public despite the public not understanding their art. I hope someone will educate me on the meanings of words like “Shahe khuba”, “justjoo” “”iltizaa” etc.
PS-This song in fact has a female version too, which is sung by Lata. This version has lyrics identical to the Rafi version of the song.
Audio – Rafi version
Video – Rafi version
Audio – Lata version
Song- O mere shahe khubaan (Love in Tokyo) (1966) Singer-Rafi/Lata, Lyrics- Hasrat Jaipuri, MD-Shankar Jaikishan
Lyrics
o mere shaah-e-khubaan, o meri jaan-e-janaanaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
o mere shaah-e-khubaan, o meri jaan-e-janaanaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
kab khayaalon ki dhoop dhalti hai
har qadam par shamaa si jalti hai
meraa saayaa jidhar bhi jaataa hai
teri tasveer saath chalti hai
o mere shaah-e-khubaan, o meri jaan-e-janaanaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
tum ho sahraa mein tum gulistaan mein
tum ho zarron mein tum biyaabaan mein
main ne tum ko kahaan kahaan dekhaa
chhup ke rahte ho tum rag-e-jaan mein
o mere shaah-e-khubaan, o meri jaan-e-janaanaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
meri aankhon ki justjoo tum ho
iltijaa tum ho aarzoo tum ho
main kisi aur ko to kyaa jaanoon
meri ulfat ki aabroo tum ho
o mere shaah-e-khubaan, o meri jaan-e-janaanaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
tum mere paas hote ho, koyi doosraa nahin hotaa
17 Responses to "O mere shaahe khubaan"
January 13, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I am back after a couple of very busy and tiring days at work.
It feels wonderful then to just check out your site and listen to what new “old” songs you have added.
Am not sure I understand the words of this song but they sound nice and heavy-duty Urdu. 😉
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January 14, 2009 at 2:56 am
This has always been one of my favorite Rafi songs. I just checked the meanings of the words, and I could find the meaning for only one of them – justjoo means search/inquiry.
As Raja has said, I check your site every night to see what new songs have been added and to listen to them before I retire for the night, usually while the dishwasher is running and everyone else has retired for the night. That is my quiet time and my chayageet time. Thanks for the pleasure I derive by listening to old favorites.
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January 14, 2009 at 11:02 am
It is nice to find more people who are getting to listen to old songs after decades. Welcome to the fold of nostalgics, Poonam.
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January 14, 2009 at 11:06 am
This blog serving as “chayageet”. Now that is a good and interesting thought.
I have thought about having another blog for “Vishesh jaimala”. Check it out at Vishesh Jaimala
Perhaps I should have another blog called “Chayageet”. May be I can think about that once I have almost all great Bollywood songs covered in this blog. Any idea how many more songs are left to be covered ? 😉
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January 15, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Aaaaarrrggghhhh!!! I can’t even keep up with you on this blog!!! How am I supposed to follow more of them?
🙂 Love in Tokyo would have been a better film with Shammi! but I love the songs from it.
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January 16, 2009 at 9:12 am
Yes, I agree that Shammi Kapoor in this movie would have been better. But Joy Mukherjee is alright. One should be thankful that it was not Vishwajeet, for instance.
I am posting songs at a good rate. It is better to make the most of it now that I have the opportunity to do so. Who knows, I may not be able to maintain this rate of posting in future or I may start feeling less motivated. As long as I have the motivation and energy, let me finish off posting all the songs that I love. Yes, I am interested in knowing how many songs I would have posted after which I may start feeling that there were no songs left to be posted.
I think that stage will come after I have posted a few thousands of songs, and that stage may arrive after a few years. Till then, l will try and keep going at the rate that I have set for myself.
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September 27, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Shaah-e-khoobaan. Shah means The Big. Khoobaan is beautiful woman. I can say , Shaah-e-Khoobaan means the Supreme beauty
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June 16, 2016 at 10:44 pm
I disagree!
शह-ए-ख़ूबाँ means “lord of virtues/beauty”.
ख़ूबाँ is identical in meaning to ख़ूबियाँ
For setting meter of the lyrics, Hasrat Jaipuri stretched शह to शाह
In this case the hero applied the expression to the heroine.
Strictly it should have been मलिका-ए-ख़ूबाँ.
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September 28, 2009 at 2:20 am
Thanks for this information, Mr Mehta. We learn so many Urdu words by listening to these songs.
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November 26, 2011 at 1:48 pm
There is a lata solo version too of this song. I was able to find only audio link :
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August 26, 2012 at 7:55 pm
I love this song for being Hasrat Jaipuri’s tribute to the legendary Momin she’r “Tum mere paas hote ho goya / Jab koi doosra nahi hota”. Legend has it that Mirza Ghalib, Momin’s contemporary and rival, offered Momin his entire diwan (collection of poetry) in exchange for this particular couplet written by Momin.
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August 27, 2012 at 12:28 am
No offence to anyone please Rafi version is in the cadre od 8 series BMW and Lata’s in 3 series.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
January 13, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Hello Atul,
Thanks for sharing with us your selection of beautiful songs.
Some of these songs I am hearing after 20 + years, and they flood me with memories of bygone days.
I think “justjoo” means longing, and “iltizaa” mean request.
Poonam
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