Rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
Posted on: September 6, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
The films in India started to talk in 1931, and with it came the music and the songs, that are so inseparable from the culture of this country. No matter what part of the country one talks about, music is the flow that nurtures and strengthens the emotional character of the society. And the music immediately became a crucial thread in the talking films, and the films became a pivotal medium for the folk and popular music to prosper. It was with the coming of the talking films that the concept of a ‘music’ industry was born in India.
In this inception of the talking and singing films in the 1930s, in stepped this phenomenal performer, KL Saigal, who became the first singing superstar of the industry. Thus far, other than folk and devotional music, the enjoyment of regular classical and other popular music in those days, was for those privileged few who had access to the private concerts of the princes. With the coming of talking films, and the entry of Saigal Saab, a totally new dimension of listening to music came into this society. The haunting voice of Saigal Saab is probably the first and the most significant element that is instrumental is bringing this music to the masses. The concept of ‘sugam sangeet’, or music for easy listening and relaxation, grew out of the popularity of music that was commanded by the voice of Saigal. By some accounts, the sale of records of songs by Saigal Saab would run into hundreds of thousands; a number that is considered a big deal even in today’s context. In those years, it is an absolute phenomenal occurrence, considering how many folks would have the budgets and the access to resources for such music. That the record sales were in such numbers, is an indicator of the level of popularity that Saigal Saab enjoyed.
This ghazal is by an unknown poet. Of all the musical offerings of Saigal Saab, it is probably only this piece of poetry whose author remains unknown. As one browses through the film and non-film ghazals that Saigal Saab as rendered, one can just marvel at the selection of pieces from various authors – pieces that dominate with the power of philosophy hidden behind the words, and a near obsession with the quest for the ultimate knowledge. This ghazal is no different. A short four verse rendition, it tears into the thinking mind with its insinuations and the acknowledgement of the final reality of a human being.
PS-Now it has been pointed out that this song has been written by Md. Iqbal, the same person who also wrote “Saare Jahaan se achchaa Hindustaan hamara”.
As per contemporaries who worked closely with Saigal Saab, the music for most of his non-film offerings has been created by the maestro himself, although this fact is not explicitly documented with any of the official publications of his music.
rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
bandaah hoon jaantaa hoon tu bandaah-nawaaz hai
My failings and transgressions are forever indebted by your divine mercy; for I know that I am, but a human, indigent and fragile, and you are the all powerful and all merciful patron and the cherisher of the poor.
rahmat = mercy, divine favor
pe = on
teri = yours
mere = mine
gunaah = sin, failings, transgressions
ko = unto
naaz = pride, satisfaction
hai = is
bandaah = man, devotee, slave
hoon = I am
jaantaa = to know, knowing
jaantaa hoon = I do know
tu = You
bandaah-nawaaz = patron, cherisher of the poor
palti jidhar adaa se lubhaa daale khum ke khum
uss yaar-qahr ki nigaahen neembaaz hain
His all consuming glance, half closed eyes like that of an inebriated drunk, is overpowering; whichever direction it turned with grace, everything on which His gaze fell, was blessed with joy and happiness.
Again, using the device of an affable beloved, whose glance is described as intoxicating, the poet establishes His benefactor nature; whichever direction his glance moves, everything in its path is blessed with happiness.
palti = turned, directed
jidhar = in (whichever) direction
adaa = charm, grace, gesture
se = with
lubhaa = to enamor, to captivate, to draw attention, to cause an endearing emotion
daale = done, to do
khum = a large jar / container of wine
khum ke khum = many containers of wine
uss = that
yaar = friend, beloved
qahr = calamity, catastrophe
ki = of
nigaahen = eyes, glance
neembaaz = half awake, intoxicated
hain = is/are
keh do ye sangdil se ki teraa sang-e-aastaan
ye dekh le ki kis ki jabeen-e-niyaaz hai
Let the stones of the threshold see and decide for themselves, whose forehead is bowed in prayers.
(If one may have noticed, the believers will rub their forehead on the stone at the doorstep (dehleez) of the mosque or the tomb of their master, such that a dark spot actually forms on the forehead).
keh do = say it, tell
ye = this
sang = stone
sangdil = stone hearted, callous
se = to
ki = that
teraa = yours
aastaan = doorstep, threshold
sang-e-aastaan = stone at doorstep
ye dekh le = should observe this
ki = that
kis ki = whose
jabeen = forehead
niyaaz = supplication, prayer, entreaty
munh par lagi hai mohr-e-khamoshi main kyaa kahoon
jo maut ne kahaa hai wo hasti ka raaz hai
I am prohibited (and maybe unable too) to say anything more than the message that is instituted by Death itself, the message that reveals the fundamental truth of life and its existence.
The poet is establishing and making effort to bring the reader’s attention to the inevitability of death; death that is the final and the only truth of all living beings.
munh = literal meaning is mouth; in context, also means lips (verse is talking about inability to speak)
par = on
lagi hai = installed, placed
mohr = seal, stamp, imprint
khamoshi = silence
mohr-e-khamoshi = seal of silence
main kya kahoon = what can I say
jo = whatever
maut = death, ultimate reality
ne kahaa = has said
wo = that
hasti = existence, life, being
ka = of
raaz = secret, mystery, enigma, riddle; also answer, solution
hai = is
Song-Rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai (Saigal NFS)(1940) Singer-K L Saigal, Lyrics-Md Iqbal, MD-K L Saigal
Lyrics
aayyyy
rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
bandaah hoon jaantaa hoon tu bandaah-nawaaz hai
bandaah hoon jaantaa hoon tu bandaah-nawaaz hai
bandaah hoon jaantaa hoon tu bandaah-nawaaz hai
aayy palti jidhar adaa
aaa aaa aaa aaa
palti jidhar adaa se lubhaa daale khum ke khum
uss yaar qahr ki nigaahen neembaaz hain
uss yaar qahr ki nigaahen neembaaz hain
rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
keh do ye sangdil se
keh do ye sangdil se ki teraa sang-e-aastaan
ye dekh le ki kis ki jabeen-e-niyaaz hai
ye dekh le ki kis ki jabeen-e-niyaaz hai
rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
munh par lagi hai mohr-e-khamoshi main kyaa kahoon
main kyaa kahoon
main kyaa kahoon
ayyy
munh par lagi hai mohr-e-khamoshi main kyaa kahoon
jo maut ne kahaa hai wo hasti ka raaz hai
jo maut ne kahaa hai wo hasti ka raaz hai
rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai
11 Responses to "Rahmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai"
September 10, 2011 at 1:49 am
Arun ji, Nahm ji,
I am not sure what happened here, but appears that my response to your comments, which I posted more than one day ago, seems to have go lost somewhere in the network traffic. I just realized, as I tried to view if there are any further responses to this post.
Arun ji,
Thanks for the identification of the author of this ghazal. It is good that my query to Harmandir ji, returned to you, and the loop was completed.
Nahm ji,
I will appreciate for you to please check the Kulliayaat-e-Iqbal, and provide the specific reference for this ghazal.
Regarding other authors, Saigal Saab has not sung any kalaam by Jigar Moradabadi.
I cannot say for certain if Saigal Saab has rendered any of the poetical creations of Amir Khusrau. Hazrat Amir Khusrau has created many thumris, hori, and other geets. I will have to do some more research to confirm whether any of the geets and hori songs rendered by Saigal Saab are authored by him. As of now, there is no specific information in this regards.
Rgds
Sudhir
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September 10, 2011 at 11:58 am
Dhoondta phirtaa hoon aye Iqbal apne aap ko
aap hi goyaa musaafir, aap hi manzil hoon main
Sudhir Sir,
I am sorry to say i dont know from which of the four parts this particular ghazal is. The other day i tried to look for it, i found “Na tu zameen ke liye hai na aasmaan ke liye” . I am still looking, but it will take more than this weekend, as i keep finding such gems of wisdom as above.
Regards.
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September 14, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I have gone through the Kulliyat-e-iqbal twice, but was not able to find “Rehmat pe teri mere gunaahon ko naaz hai”. My book is 1981 edition. May be some of the nazms/ghazals were left out, for some reason.
Regards.
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September 15, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Nahm ji,
In any case, thanks for your perseverance and effort. There is one definite reference that Arun ji has provided, through the article he referred to in a separate email. I will try to see if this can be confirmed from some other source also.
Regarding your query about Saigal Saab’s rendition of works by Amir Khusro; as I was doing some more exploration, I did come across another very interesting bit of information. The famous thumri ‘Baabul Mora Naihar Chhooto Hi Jaaye. . .’ from the film Street Singer, is an original creation by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the famous connoisseur of arts and literature, who had the misfortune of coming to the throne of Lucknow at the same time that the East India Co. was ravaging the Indian kingdoms. The kingdom of Awadh was usurped by the Britishers and the Nawab was banished to Matia Burz (near Calcutta), where he spent the remaining half of his life. This literary marvel of going away and leaving loved one’s behind, was composed by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, when he was being deported from Lucknow.
Rgds
Sudhir
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September 15, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Nahm ji,
Oops here. . . 🙂
Should have checked, this information is already available in the post and comments associated with this song.
Rgds
Sudhir
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April 11, 2016 at 9:19 pm
In the 2nd stanza, I think, 4th line should read as ‘hushiyaar keh rahi nigahe-neembaaz hai’. ‘nigaahen’ is not permitted and so is ‘hain’; it has to be ‘hai’.
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July 1, 2022 at 11:38 am
मेरे हिसाब से यह लाईन इस तरह है:
“ हुश्यार क़हर की नि-ग-हे नीम बाज़ है”।
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 6, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Sudhir ji,
The above Gazal has been written by Sir Mohd.Iqbal(1877-1938).
He is the same Iqbal who wrote Tarana-e-Hind in 1905,which is famous as SAARE JAHAN SE ACHCHA HINDOSTAN HAMAARAA.
Mohammed Allana Iqbal was born in Siyalkot,on 9-11-1877.He studied at lahore and Cambridge and became a Barrister.Later he was awarded a Ph.D.from Munich university in Germany for his thesis on “Persian metaphysics and Islamic mysticism”.
His poems are in 4 sets;
Bang-i-Dara-1924
Bal-i-Jibril-1935
Zarb-i-Kalim-1936 and
Armaghan-i-Hijaz-1938.
He died in Lahore in 1938.
A point to note is Mohd Iqbal’s forefathers were Hindu-Saproo,Kashmiri Bramhins.
-AD
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September 6, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Sudhir Sir & Deshmukh Sir,
Thanks a lot for the the wonderful translations and the identification. Dr. Allana Iqbal is one of the most influential Urdu poets of History, IMHO. The only drawback is his poetry is highly persianised. But then he was of an era when the saying “haath kangan ko aarsi kya, padhe likhe ko farsi kya” still applied. I have the book kulliyat-e-Iqbal containing all four parts stated above. When i started college in the 80’s some of the old educational institutes still offered Persian as the optional language had persian societies/Urdu societies for organising and taking part in events. Now it has become a luxury language which few can afford to study.
As sehgal has sung Iqbal’s kalam, has he sung Jigar Murabdabadi and Amir Khusro too ?
Regards.
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July 1, 2022 at 9:42 am
Its “allama” and not “allana”. I too have the maj’muh’aa, “kulliyat-e-Iqbal. If you have found this beautiful ghazal in this collection, please let me know the page number on which it can be had. Thanks in anticipation.
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December 11, 2022 at 1:26 pm
Written by aga Hashar Kashmiri
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