Gar siyaah bakht hi hona thhaa naseebon mein mere
Posted on: September 2, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir,a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
It is said that on seeing the film Devdas, famous actor/producer/director V Shantaram, was not satisfied and did not approve of its content and conclusion. His reaction was that no one should throw away his youth and neglect his life, just on account of frustrations in love. In response, V Shantaram produced the film Aadmi (1939), whose tag line is ‘Life Is for Living’. This film is a story of a young man frustrated in love. This young man responds to the failures with determination and faces the life’s challenges boldly, and does not yield to the temptations of drinking.
On the box office, the film Aadmi also proved to be a great hit. And yet, after 5 decades, the influence and the memories of Devdas overpower and overshadow the memories of Aadmi.
This ghazal is by Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim ‘Zauq’, who was a contemporary of Ghalib. He was the poet laureate at the court of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. (A detailed bio sketch of Zauq is posted on this blog, as part of the write up of the ghazal, Laayee Hayaat aayi, kazaa le chali chale)
gar siyaah bakht hee honaa thhaa naseebon mein mere
zulf hota tere rukhsaar pe ya til hota
If the pre-ordained destiny of my life is to be colored black (to be infamous, disgraced), then I wish I could have been the tresses of your hair that play with your cheeks, or the til (black spot on skin).
The poet states that his life is black (in disgrace), and if that is what was to happen, may that he would have been the beauty spot on the cheeks of his beloved, or maybe the locks of hair that fall on cheeks and caress them.
gar = if
siyaah = literally means black color; associated with inauspiciousness, defamation, social disgrace
bakht = fate, luck
siyaah bakht = ill fated, bad luck
hee = (expression of emphasis)
honaa = to be, to happen
thhaa = was
honaa thhaa = if (this) were to happen; if (this) is how it was supposed to be
naseeb = destiny, kismet
mein = in
mere = mine
zulf = hair, tresses
hota = to be (past continuous)
tere = yours
rukhsaar = face, cheek, side profile
pe = on
ya = or
til = natural black spot on skin, birthmark
maut ne kar diyaa laachaar vagarnaa insaan
hai wo khudbeen ke khuda kaa bhi naa kaayal hota
The arrogance of the human mind is, but, eclipsed by the supremacy of the device of death. The inevitability of death has made the human beings helpless; else the arrogance of the human mind is such that it would have refused the admit and acknowledge the preeminent dominance of God.
maut = death, final destiny of all living beings
ne = (indicative) pronoun
kar diyaa = did, brought to (this) point
laachaar = helpless, powerless, vulnerable
vagarnaa = otherwise
insaan = human being
hai = is
wo = that, such a
khudbeen = self respecting, proud, arrogant
ke = that
khuda = God, Allaah
kaa = of
bhi = also
naa = not
kaayal = to accept / admit / acknowledge / be convinced; the person who accepts / admits / acknowledges / is convinced
(NOTE: Strangely, the original literal meaning of this word is speaker, one who speaks).
hota = to be (past continuous)
aap aainaa-e-hasti mein hain khud apna hareef
varnaa yaan kaun thhaa jo tere muqaabil hota
In the story of creation, man is his own worst enemy, otherwise the power of the human being would have been un-vanquished; none would have had the ability to face and be an equal.
The use if the phrase aainaa-e-hasti is significant. Hasti is this whole creation, and aainaa-e-hasti is the mirror that reflects our self. Indeed, the poet alludes that each person that we see in this world is simply a reflection of our own self. We are all non-different from each other; we are the same. And yet, we are competing and opposing each other, forgetting that every seemingly different person is simply a manifestation of the same basic Self.
aap = literally means ‘you’; in context referring to self
aainaa = mirror
hasti = existence, life, being, entity
aainaa-e-hasti = a reflection of life, of existence
mein = in
hai = is
khud = self
apna = mine; in context, his own
hareef = opponent, competitor, enemy
varnaa = otherwise
yaan (or yahaan) = here
kaun = who
thhaa = was
jo = who
tere = yours
muqaabil = confronting, opposing, contending; in context the usage is closer to ‘equal to’
seenaa-e-charkh mein har akhtar agar dil hai to kyaa
ek dil hota magar dard ke kaabil hota
So what if every star on the firmament is a heart in the body of the sky. Only one heart is enough, if it has the capacity to sustain the pain and tribulations of life.
The poet is contemplating that the troubles and sorrows of this world and this life are excessive; and he wishes that providence had also bestowed upon him, a heart that was equal in measure to withstand these excesses of life. He does not ask for many hearts (like the stars in the sky). All he pleads for is one heart that is able to withstand this pain inflicted by the world.
seenaa = literal meaning is chest; also used for body
charkh = sky
seenaa-e-charkh = body of the sky
mein = in
har = each one, every
akhtar = star, good omen
agar = if
dil = heart
hai = is
to kyaa = so what
ek = one
dil = heart
hota = to be (past continuous)
magar = however
dard = pain
ke = of
kaabil = capable, worthy
Song-Gar siyaah bakht hi hona thhaa naseebon mein mere (Saigal NFS) (1940) Singer-K L Saigal,Lyrics-Zauk
Lyrics
aaaaaa
haaye raam
aeyyyyyy
gar siyaah bakht hi honaa thhaa naseebon mein mere
gar siyaah bakht hi honaa thhaa naseebon mein mere
zulf hota tere
zulf hota tere
zulf hota tere rukhsaar pe ya til hota
zulf hota tere rukhsaar pe ya til hota
maut ne kar diyaa laachaar vagarnaa insaan
maut ne kar diyaa laachaar vagarnaa insaan
hai wo khudbeen ke
hai wo khudbeen ke khuda kaa bhi naa kaayal hota
hai wo khudbeen ke khuda kaa bhi naa kaayal hota
aap aainaa-e-hasti
aap aainaa-e-hasti mein hain khud apna hareef
varnaa yaan kaun thhaa
varnaa yaan kaun thhaa
varnaa yaan kaun thhaa jo tere muqaabil hota
varnaa yaan kaun thhaa jo tere muqaabil hota
seenaa-e-charkh mein har akhtar agar dil hai to kyaa
aeyyyyy seenaa-e-charkh mein har akhtar agar dil hai to kyaa
ek dil hota magar dard ke kaabil hota
ek dil hota magar dard ke kaabil hota
ek dil hota magar dard ke kaabil hota
7 Responses to "Gar siyaah bakht hi hona thhaa naseebon mein mere"
September 3, 2011 at 11:42 am
Arun ji,
Thanks for your note, and the detailed description of circumstances and theme of the film ‘Aadmi’. I feel that your description and conclusions are more correct than the one in my write up. (I did review the film ‘Aadmi’ again, after reading your message).
I based this on an article that appeared in one of the TOI magazines many years ago (maybe Dharamyug or Illustrated Weekly), and it is apparent that some part of the write up got overstated. I would, however, believe in the original reaction that V Shantarm had for the film Devdas, for he himself was a very pragmatic and down to earth person, which is also very evident in the movies he has created. He would not subscribe to the approach taken by the romantic mind of Devdas, and thus Moti, the protagonist of ‘Aadmi’ does not take the easy but self-depreciating way out of the problems in life. The tag line ‘Life is for Living’ is V Shantaram’s philosophical answer to Devdas.
Rgds
Sudhir
Rgds
Sudhir
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July 31, 2012 at 5:32 pm
another gem, another one that i can recite and fail to find anybody else who would appreciate it……so there are some people who will help these gems survive. very redeeming to know.
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July 24, 2016 at 11:30 am
I heard Great K L Sehgal singing this.Tried Rekhta but could not find.Luckily got your post.
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5 | Surjit Kohli
January 30, 2019 at 2:03 am
Could anyone tell me where to find the Ghazal in Urdu script. I am a collector of Ghazals sung by Saigal in its original form as written by various poets. Rekhta hasn’t got it. Also some ghazals written by Arzoo Lakhnavi and sung by Saigal.
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April 17, 2019 at 3:31 pm
is that nachar or lachar in MAUT NE KAR DIYA LACHAR WAGARNA INSAAN
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 2, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Sudhir ji,
I hope I am not overriding what you have written about V.Shantaram’s film AADMI(1939),in your write up above.
The film Aadmi was a remake of the record breaking marathi Film ‘Manoos'(1938),also made by shantaram,with the same starcast.
Aadmi’s Hero is Moti(Shahu Modak-a Jew by birth),who is a Police Constable.He falls in love with Kesar(Shanta Hublikar),who is a Kothewali girl.Kesar detests her singing profession and wants to quit.Moti’s family is very traditional.His old mother gives her consent for the marriage,without knowing who is the girl.When kesar visits Moti’s mother and sees the family set up,she realises that she canot fit into it.She goes away etc etc.
The point I want to make here is ,in those days Shantaram was lauded for depecting the human side of the Policeman and for trying to bring to the notice of the society that Policemen also have natural feelings,like other members of the society.
The entire focus was only on depicting the human aspect,and it had nothing to do with Devdas mentality.Personally,I dont think that angle was behind this movie at all.
It is true that there is a scene where the Hero,Moti is dejected and wants to have drinks,and his wellwishers desist him from doing so saying,Drinks do not solve problems,they add to it.But the story revolves around the human aspect mainly.
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