Apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye
Posted on: August 17, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie songs and a regular contributor to this blog.
It is said that most great people wear their fame with comfort; but it is the really renowned who can wear their fame with humility. Fame is a mammoth burden to carry; and only those who are greater than the fame itself, will not be weighed down by it. Much has been written about Saigal Saab’s character and persona, and there is one quality that all writers concur about – that he was a humble, unassuming and an unsophisticated person. Once at a music concert, Saigal Saab was sharing the stage with luminaries of classical music like Fayaaz Khan, Hafiz Ali Khan and Sadiq Ali Khan. As soon as the first item was announced, there was trouble; the audience wanted to hear to Saigal Saab only. Later, while leaving the place, he commented to a friend that he will never participate in another concert in that particular city, because – “. . . the people here do not know how to behave. Today, my Guru’s were insulted on my account.” Many others would not even realize the issue, much less confess it.
Ghazals rendered by Saigal Saab are a veritable treat. Of the entire set of his recordings in Hindi / Urdu that are available, almost half of them are formal ghazals from various poets. This post is about a beautiful piece of poetry from the poet, ‘Bedam’ Warsi. Hazrat ‘Beda’ Shah Warsi was born Ghulam Hussain, in 1862 in Itawaah. His early studies happened in Itawaah, and then he moved to Aligarh for higher studies. At the age of 17, he met with his spiritual guide and guardian Syed Waris Ali Shah, who gave him the name he is better known as. Janaab ‘Bedam’ passed away at the age of 74 in 1936.
This ghazal is a conversation addressing the Almighty Himself. Through the verses, the poet is slowly and progressively building up towards an ultimate wish from the Almighty – to know the definitive truth of human existence. In the first verse he starts by expressing what would happen if this truth be known by a human.
apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye
aadmi kasrat-e-anwaar se hairaan ho jaaye
If the true beauty of one’s own existence, one’s own self was revealed, one would be astounded and overwhelmed with the abundant brilliance of the enlightenment. In other words, it would be very difficult to withstand the power of such Truth, such a knowledge.
apni = (possessive pronoun) one’s own
hasti = existence, self, life
ka = of
agar = if
husn = beauty, elegance
numaayaan = apparent, relvealed
ho jaaye = becomes, to become
aadmi = human being
kasrat = excess, abundance
anwaar = brightness, glitter, brilliance
se = from
hairaan = overwhelmed, perplexed
tum jo chaaho to mere dard ka darmaan ho jaaye
varna mushqil hai ki mushqil meri aasaan ho jaaye
If You so desire, my sufferings may be cured. Else it is difficult that my difficulties ever be eased.
tum = You (referring to Almighty)
chaah = want, desire
tum jo chaaho = if You so desire
to = (pronounced tau) thence
mere = mine
dard = pain, suffering
ka = of
darmaan = remedy, medicine, cure
ho jaaye = happen, be
varna = else, otherwise
mushqil = difficult, not easy (used as an adjective)
varna mushqil hai ki = else it is difficult
mushqil = difficulty, troubles (used as a noun)
asaan = easy, comfortable
dene waale tujhe denaa hai to itnaa de de
ke mujhe shiqwaa-e-kotaahi-e-daamaan ho jaaye
O Almighty, the provider of everything, if You have resolved to give to me, then please give me a blessing that eliminates the grievances of shortcomings and deficiencies in life.
Here the poet is not wanting something (material) to eliminate the shortcoming in life, but desires that he loses his propensity to complain about them. In other words, the poet realizes that the desires are endless, and the effort to remove the deficiencies in life will never cease. It is better to overcome the tendency to complain about the shortcomings in life, and for the he appeals to the Almighty, for he knows that he himself cannot overcome or lose this tendency.
dene waale = one who gives, one who can give
tujhe = if you
denaa = to give, to bestow
tujhe denaa hai to = if you must give
itnaa de de = give (me) thus, bestow (me) thus
ke mujhe = unto me
shiqwaa = complaint, grievance
kotaahi = deficiency, paucity, shortcoming, flaw, insufficiency
daamaan = the nearest literal translation could be ‘bankruptcy’; in context it could be ‘to lose’, ‘to eliminate’
shiqwaa-e-kotaahi-e-daamaan = elimination of the grievance of insufficiencies
ho jaaye = may happen
o namakpaash tujhe apni malaahat ki qasam
baat to jab hai ki har zakhm namakdaan ho jaaye
O the sprinkler of salt, I beseech you in the name of your elegance; it would be ideal if you ensure that every wound gets covered with salt.
(In Urdu) namak also means beauty. With this connotation, the context of the verse can also be interpreted as – O the most beautiful, I implore You in the name of your elegance, it would be ideal if You make it so that all my failing and limitations are transformed into virtues and goodness.
namakpaash = one who carries or sprinkles salt; alternatively, one who is beautiful
tujhe = unto you
apni = yours
malaahat = elegance; also rich brown complexion
ki = of
qasam = oath, pledge
baat to jab hai = it would be ideal if (the phrase needs to be understood as is, meaning would be lost if each word in this phrase is separately interpreted)
ki har = if every
zakhm = wound; in the second context, also failings, limitations
namakdaan = covered with salt; in the second context, a thing of beauty, a virtue, a goodness
ho jaaye = may become so
tu jo iqraar-e-haqeeqat kahin zaahir kar de
abhi ‘bedam’ rasm-o-daar ka saamaan ho jaaye
If only you would reveal the affirmation of the true reality, that instant my existence would cease to have meaning, I would gladly give up my existence, to know the Truth.
This is a very profound verse. The use of the takhallus ‘bedam’ is significant. ‘Bedam’ means weak, lifeless. The poet is projecting himself to be weak and unable (to find the Truth himself, by his own efforts). And that is a very true statement, the reality of existence cannot be and will be known through human efforts. It can only be known if the Almighty chooses to reveal it to someone. So the poet says, by my own efforts I am unable to know the Truth. If You would reveal this Truth about the reality of existence, then he (the poet) would gladly give up his own existence, in an instant. The ‘giving up existence of self’ is interpreted from the second line of this verse. Daar is gallows; rasm-o-daar is the act of using the gallows, that is to end a life. ‘Bedam’ rasm-o-daar ka saamaan, ho jaaye – that the poet himself would gladly give up his own existence.
tu = You
jo = if only
iqraar = affirmation, promise
haqeeqat = truth, reality
iqraar-e-haqeeqat = affirmation of truth
zaahir = reveal, make known, expose
kar de = do it
kahin zaahir kar de = reveal it
abhi = now, immediately, instantaneously
‘bedam’ = literally means weak, lifeless; signature or takhallus of the poet
rasm = tradition, custom, process (of doing something)
daar = gallows
rasm-o-daar = the process of using the gallows; in this context, the poet alludes not to a suicide, but a more esoteric and willing end to the self, to the existence of the self
ka = of
saamaan = apparatus, custom, understanding, power
ho jaaye = to become, will become
Song-Apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye (Saigal NFS) (1940) Singer-K L Saigal,Lyrics-Bedam Warsi
Lyrics
haaa haaye
apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye
apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye
aadmi kasrat-e-anwaar se hairaan ho jaaye
aadmi kasrat-e-anwaar se hairaan ho jaaye
tum jo chaaho to mere dard ka darmaan ho jaaye
tum jo chaaho to mere dard ka darmaan ho jaaye
varna mushqil hai ki mushqil meri aasaan ho jaaye
varna mushqil hai ki mushqil meri aasaan
dene waale tujhe denaa hai to itnaa de de
dene waale tujhe denaa hai to itnaa de de
ke mujhe shiqwaa-e-kotaahi-e-daamaan ho jaaye
ke mujhe shiqwaa-e-kotaahi-e-daamaan ho jaaye
o namakpaash tujhe apni malaahat ki qasam,
haaye
o namakpaash tujhe apni malaahat ki qasam
baat to jab hai ki har zakhm namakdaan ho jaaye
baat to jab hai ki har zakhm namakdaan
tu jo iqraar-e-haqeeqat kahin zaahir kar de
tu jo iqraar-e-haqeeqat kahin zaahir kar de
abhi ‘bedam’ rasm-o-daar ka saamaan ho jaaye
abhi ‘bedam’ rasm-o-daar ka saamaan ho jaaye
8 Responses to "Apni hasti ka agar husn numaayaan ho jaaye"
August 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Arun ji,
You are too kind; I am not sure if I deserve it. Your words encourage me. 🙂
And thanks for the additional information on Hazrat Bedam Warsi.
Rgds
Sudhir
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August 17, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Sudhir ji,
I fully agree with Arun ji. You have revealed beauty of this gazal. Kudos for your excellent efforts. I like your earlier posts on Saigal saab as well. Keep it up. God bless you
Rajendra
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September 23, 2011 at 8:41 pm
Sudhir ji,
Ek arse se is ki talaash thi. Bahot bahot shukriya…
Your work is priceless.
Parasmani
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September 24, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Rajendra ji, Parasmani ji
Thanks for your note of appreciation; and welcome. 🙂
Rgds
Sudhir
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April 16, 2016 at 11:04 pm
the word in last line .rasm-o- daar, should be rasn-o-daar meaning- rasn=rassi and daar = sooli,though I stand for correction.
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April 19, 2016 at 3:41 pm
rasn-o-daar ka saamaan ho jaye , aye Bedam abh/turat rassi
( gale ka fanda) aur sooli ka bandobast / intzam ho jaye
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
August 17, 2011 at 11:38 am
Sudhir ji,
Where will we go if you are not there to make the gazal enjoyment more meaningful and easy to understand for persons having a working understanding of urdu language ?
Thanks for helping us assimilate the true spirit of the verses.Mere dictionary equivalents are not enough to enjoy the implied meanings of the gazals,as most of the times,Poets and Shayars use similies and many other jewels of the language.Only a true connoisseur can decifer the real meanings-like you.
Another thing.While reading the bio of hazarat Bedam,I found some additional info.which is given,for benefit of our readers.
Hazarat Bedam Warsi,son of Hazarat Syed Hussain was born in 1882,at ATAWA SHAREEF,a small town near Aligarh.(In India,similar names of villages are a common feature.Thus you get 200 Ramnagars and 500 Rampurs.When 2 similarly named villages are situated nearby,then the custom is/was to name them as xxxShareef or Budruk and xxx Khurd,depending on their sizes.The bigger-more populated-village would be called Shareef or Budruk and the smaller one was called Khurd. )
His original name was GHULAM HUSNAIN.
At 17 years,he was made into a Ehram posh Faqueer by his spiritual guru Haji Sarkar Alam Panha hafiz qari Syed Waris Ali Shah.
He died in 1936 and his shrine is situated in Aslana-e-Aliya,very near to his mentor’s shrine.
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