Aah ko chaahiye ik umr asar hone tak
Posted on: August 31, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
A debate that does not seem to garner much attention from critics and music lovers, is about the on screen presence and on screen histrionics of Saigal Saab. The singing voice, which is at once enchanting as well as haunting, is so expressive and overpowering that it overshadows any and all other aspects of this personality. And yet, in the eight decades since the Hindi films started to talk, and after more than ten thousand films having been played on the silver screen, one of the most powerful and everlasting memories is the tragic portrayal of a frustrated ‘Devdas’ (1935). A portrayal that made Saigal Saab a cult figure, and the film a rare and exceptional cinematic experience. And also, the film for which the term ‘musical hit’ was coined, and the film that elevated film songs and film music to a distinct identity.
And yet, a brief check on the list of songs of this movie throws up a surprising revelation. Originally, the film had 9 songs. Of these, Saigal Saab has rendered only two. And of these two, the recorded version was released only for one of them, ‘Baalam Aaye Baso Morey Mann Mein”. And the second song “Piyaa Bin Nahin Aavat Chain”, the only sad song rendered by Saigal Saab in this film, is a semi classical piece based on Raag Jhinjhoti. A song that is less than two minutes, was sung only for the screen; no record was ever released for this. (Later, based on feedback from early screenings, the song ‘Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahin’, was added to the film at a very short notice (literally within less than 24 hours). The situation compels the debate about the basis of success of this film. Critics and film writers have time and again acknowledged the realistic portrayal of an ill-fated lover, drowning himself in drink – an everlasting image of a frustrated lover. Saigal Saab’s performance in this film has immortalized this role, and set up a benchmark that will not be matched. In 1955, when Bimal Roy planned to re make this film, the obvious choice was the current tragedy king, Dilip Kumar. And interestingly, Dilip Kumar’s first reaction was reluctance, not wanting to risk comparison to the great performance of 1935. Interesting to note that Bimal Da was the cinematographer of the original Devdas film in 1935. The remake was obviously superior technically, but Dilip Kumar’s performance is a total contrast to Saigal Saab’s down to earth portrayal.
Director Phani Mazumdar has more than once stated that ‘Saigal was a better actor than a singer’. Film critics and writers have written about Saigal Saab, that he was a natural and down to earth actor. On screen, he acted without seeming to act. And yet, his acting prowess always remained under-rated because of the unmatched reputation as a singer.
Ghalib’s poetry is an intriguing but a heady mix of romanticism and spiritualism. And it is for reason that he is hailed as the best poet of Urdu language who graced this land with his presence, and his words. This is one of his most popular creations. So much so that the line ‘kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar honay tak’ has made its way into the colloquial phraseology of Urdu/Hindustani language spoken in a large part of this country. The poet is aggrieved about a nonchalant and dispassionate beloved, for whom he has been waiting, it seems as if, forever. A wonderful side note is – to experience this poetry at two levels. One at which the complaints are directed against the beloved. And in the second, simply try to substitute the word ‘beloved’ with God, and then just feel and savor within the inflexions of the interpretations.
aah ko chaahiye ik umra asar honay tak
kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar honay tak
It may well that a sigh of regret / disappointment may take up to a whole lifetime to catch her attention; when a complete life span of the lover may elapse just in the process of making up her tresses.
From a lover’s perspective, the wait for reciprocation from the beloved is endless, it spans a whole lifetime. That life time may just be the span that the beloved takes to make up her hair, whereas the lover goes through the experiences of an entire life waiting just for that much time.
In the sufi expression, this verse is implying that the realizations of truth will take maybe a lifetime to become apparent, to be revealed. It may be so that it is a life time for the seeker, whereas in the scheme of His things, it might be just a blink of an eye. In that blink of an eye for Him, my entire life time may pass.
aah = sigh, the sound of exhaling breath mingled with expression of regret or disappointment
chaahiye = needs, requires
ik = one
umra = lifetime; also figuratively, forever
asar = impact, impression, catch attention of
hona = to be, to happen
tak = till (then)
honay tak = till (it) happens
kaun = who; also figuratively, no one
jeeta = to live; also in context, to wait
teri = yours
zulf = hair, tresses; commonly attributed to the lady love
ke = of
sar = literal meaning is head, as in the top of the body; figuratively, epitome, the greatest, the ultimate, the final outcome or the final situation. In context, with this phrase ‘zulf ka sar hona’, the poet is implying to the process of combing an making hair. The general refrain is that ladies take forever to complete their “singaar”, and also, take forever to comb and make up their curls and tresses.
aashiqui sabr talab aur tamannaa betaab
dil ka kyaa rang karoon khoon-e-jigar honay tak
Although love ordains patience (see below the discussion on ‘ishq’), the desires and yearnings are impetuous. What may I do with these desires of my heart, till this heart ceases to be. The poet is implying that these desires may not be / will not be fulfilled, even though my life would come to an end.
aashiqui = the act of being in love or feeling / expressing love. This word has its roots in the word ishq – and there is a whole literature devoted to the meaning of the word ishq. The word ishq has its origin in Sufi literature and philosophy, and is listed as one of the seven stages of love, in the process to reach Him. The original meaning of the word ishq is close to ‘unrequited love’ – love that is unanswered, un-reciprocated, love that is one sided. It is this one-sided-ness that leads to such pearls of beautiful poetry that arises out of the disappointments and regrets of love that is not reciprocated. The more knowledgeable and discerning poets have used the word ‘ishq’ and its derivatives in this sense – waiting for a response from an indifferent beloved. And really, that is what this entire ghazal is all about. (In later derivations and writings, the intent of using this word has descended many notches below its spiritual pinnacle. Sadly, the word ishq and aashiqui have been reduced to mean amorous flirtation, or even poorer and shoddier expressions of infatuations. Current writings and expressions would even equate ishq with making out on a deserted staircase (opinions reserved 😦 ).
sabr = patience, endurance
talab = desire, wish; in context, the meaning is closer to demand, to ordain
sabr talab = (situation that) demands patience
aur = and
tamannaa = longing, ambition
betaab = impatient, impetuous, eager
dil = heart
ka = of
kyaa = what
rang = color
karoon = (will) do – (applied as first person)
khoon = blood
jigar = literally means the liver; figuratively and poetically, this refers to the innermost self
khoon-e-jigar= mortal wound to self
honay tak = till (it) happens
hum ne maanaa ke taghaaful na karoge lekin
khaak ho jaayenge hum tum ko khabar honay tak
I concede that you will never be negligent towards me and will not ignore me. Yet my apprehension is that my being will be turned to dust, simply waiting, by the time you become aware about my condition.
More than regret, this verse manifests resignation and acceptance that the beloved will be what she is, and that my destiny is simply to wait. And yet the poet also accedes that she is not purposefully negligent. It may be considered a magnanimity, but no, it is the lover’s situation that he will not find a fault with the beloved. His refrain is that she is not purposefully ignoring him, and yet there is a resigned acceptance that this is what is bound to happen.
hum = I, me
maanaa = agree, acquiesce, accede
tagaahful = negligence, neglect, disregard, the act to ignore
na = no, not
karoge = (will) do – (applied as second person)
lekin = but, however
khaak = ashes
jaayenge = the root word here is ‘jaa’ literally meaning to go or to transform (essentially movement is transformation of somebody or something from one point in time/place to another point in time/place)
ho jaayenge = will transform (into)
tum = you
tum ko = unto you
khabar = news, information, intimation
honay tak = till (it) happens
yak nazar besh nahin fursat-e-hasti gaafil
garmi-e-bazm hai ik raks-e-sharar honay tak
My entire life span is not any greater than an negligent glance from my beloved. The awareness of warmth of the meeting is but just a fleeting flicker of the candle’s flame.
Without actually mentioning the ‘parwana’ (moth), the poet has, in one verse, summed up his entire story and his ultimate destiny. The moth is attracted to the candle’s light; it keeps circling it, without really getting to know the truth and essence of the flame. And then, in an instant in which a sparkle of the flame will flicker astray, the moth experiences the warmth (heat), the proximity, the embrace, and the truth about the candle light, all at once, as if in revelation. And then his life is extinguished. That one instant is the redemption of the entire lifetime of the moth. He does not know it, but then he knows it. And then he is not himself any more.
yak = one
nazar = glance
besh = more, extra, greater than
nahin = not
fursat = leisure, rest
hasti = life, existence
fursat-e-hasti = duration of time for which life exists, or a person exists
gaafil = in-attentive, negligent, careless
garmi = warmth, heat, hot weather
bazm = meeting, gathering
garmi-e-bazm = the warmth of meeting
hai = is
ik = one
raks = dance
sharar = spark of light, spark or flare of a flame
raks-e-sharar = dance of the flares
honay tak = till (it) happens
gham-e-hasti ka ‘asad’ kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
shama har rang mein jalti hai sehar honay tak
There is no remedy for the sorrows and regrets of life, save death itself. The flame of the candle will display all colors before being extinguished when the dawn arrives. The second line is implying that in a life that is fated to wait for the reciprocation from the beloved, one will pass through all the burning (painful) experiences that there are, before death comes (i.e. before the morning dawns).
gham = sorrow, sadness
hasti = life, existence
gham-e-hasti = the regrets of life; or maybe the regret of being alive
ka = of
asad = literally means a lion; poet’s signature, takhallus
kis se = with what
ho = happen, occur, transpire
juz = other than, besides
marg = death
ilaaj = cure, remedy, treatment, redemption
shama = candle, lampt
har = every
rang = color
mein = in
jalti hai = burns
sehar = dawn, morning
honay tak = till (it) happens
Song-Aah ko chaahiye ik umr asar hone tak (Saigal NFS) (1940) Singer-K L Saigal, Lyrics-Ghalib
Lyrics
aah ko chaahiye ik umra asar honay tak
kaun jeeta hai teri,
haaaan
kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar honay tak
haaaan
kaun jeeta hai,
kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar honay tak
haaaan, kaun jeeta hai teri
aashiqui sabr talab, haaye,
aur tamannaa betaab
aashiqui sabr talab aur tamannaa betaab
dil ka kyaa rang karoon khoon-e-jigar honay tak
haaan dil ka kyaa rang karoon
haan haan dil ka kyaa rang karoon
hum ne maanaa ke taghaaful na
haaan
hum ne maanaa ke taghaaful na karoge lekin
hum ne maanaa ke taghaaful na karoge lekin
khaak ho jaayenge
khaak ho jaayenge hum tum ko khabar honay tak
haaan khaak ho jaayenge hum tum ko khabar honay tak
haaan khaak ho jaayenge
yak nazar besh nahin
yak nazar besh nahin fursat-e-hasti gaafil
garmi-e-bazm hai
garmi-e-bazm hai ik raks-e-sharar honay tak
haaan garmi-e-bazm hai ik raks-e-sharar honay tak
haan garmi-e-bazm hai
gham-e-hasti ka asad kis se ho juz-marg ilaaj
gham-e-hasti ka asad kis se ho juz-marg ilaaj
shama har rang mein jalti hai sehar honay tak
haan shama har rang
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
December 9, 2011 at 8:32 am
wonderful gazal by asadullah galib. and excilent and great singer
saigal. i have ever heard. to me ghalib and saigal are the
best and well knowd singer and poet.
Amirali kerawala
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