Hairat se tak raha hai jahaan e wafaa mujhe
Posted on: June 18, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
During the summer of 1940, Mahatma Gandhi was in Simla, as part of his travels around the country. A public meeting was arranged that was to be addressed by him. Incidentally, the same day, another public function was scheduled. This program was a music program, and a small child, little more than 12 years in age, was to sing. The public made a beeline for the music program and it is on record that Gandhi ji expressed irritation that his call for a public meeting was largely ignored, and the people preferred to attend a music presentation by a child artist.
Today, seventy years later, many people, even music lovers, may not even be aware of this child singer, who could draw more people than a persona like Gandhi ji. But that was the time, seventy years ago, the magic of Master Madan, the prodigious child singer, had swept the hearts and interests of thousands who had heard him, in live programs or on the radio. The singing stalwart, KL Saigal, who was a family friend as well, would listen to this voice with wonder and amazement. The nationwide impact of the aura that was created by this wonderful little master of classical music can be gauged by the fact that on 29th June, 1930, the famous newspaper, ‘Hindu’, published from Madras, carried a news item with a photograph, of this prodigy singer who was then, still to complete his third year. Coming from a family, and a life style that was centered around Delhi and Simla, it is a marvel that a newspaper at the other edge of the country would carry this news item about this infant singing sensation.
The child Madan was deeply religious. His family revered him like a ‘balyogi’ – a child ascetic. At the age, when children are still learning to balance themselves on two feet, Master Madan was already into meditation practice like a seasoned yogi. A small pashmina shawl, a rosary of beads, an image of Guru Nanak Dev, and a small prayer book are still in possession of the family, as the memory of his dedication to the practice of classical music. The newspaper reports record that when he passed away in June of 1942, the entire Simla city was shut down. The funeral procession was attended by a mass of people – a size of gathering that was never seen before in Simla, and have never been seen again since. Till today, music lovers in cities like Delhi, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Chandigarh, and even in faraway Canada, organize annual programs in his memory.
This ghazal, “Hairat Se Tak Rahaa Hai Jahaan-e-Wafaa Mujhe” is a literal reflection of the wonder that this child prodigy himself was – and the world still listens to his sound with “hairat” – amazement. This is the second of the only two ghazals that are available in recorded form, and have immortalized this voice, for eternity. It is a pitiful misfortune that in his very short career, he has given hundreds of live performances, and also presented scores of live programs on the radio. Alas, but no other recordings were made of this voice. The other ghazal by Master Madan, “Yoon Na Reh Reh Kar Hamen Tarsaaiye” , is already posted day before yesterday on this blog.
Listen again to this phenomenal voice, rendering the words written by Saagar Nizami. The music composition is by Pt. Amarnath, who was the elder brother of the music director duo Husnlal-Bhagatram. In this recording, Pt. Amarnath himself has played the harmonium. The table accompaniment is by Shri Heeralal. Master Mohan, the elder brother of Master Madan has played the violin for this recording.
Listen again. . . and just wonder.
hairat se tak rahaa hai jahaan-e-wafaa mujhe
tum ne banaa diyaa hai mohabbat mein kyaa mujha
The world of love and trust
Stares at me with surprise and disbelief
That is how your love has changed me – transformed me
(NOTES:
jahaan-e-wafaa = in context, the poet is most probably referring to the world of people who know and understand love and trust)
har manzil-e-hayaat se ghum kar gayaa mujhe
mud mud kar raah mein wo tera dekhnaa mujhe
Every intention, every rationale of this existence
Got alienated from me
Just by the way you turned and glanced at me
Again and again, on the way
(NOTES:
manzil = target, destination, intent
hayaat = existence
manzil-e-hayaat = in context – the purpose, the things to be achieved in this life, this existence
ghum = lost, separated; in context – alienate, remove away
kaif-e-khudi ne mauj ko kashti banaa diyaa
hosh-e-khuda hai ab na gham-e-nakhuda mujhe
The ecstasy, the arrogance of the self
Turned the waves into boats
I have no awareness, no need of Him
Neither do I bemoan the lack of a boatman
(NOTES:
kaif = pleasure, ecstasy
khudi = self, ego, arrogance
mauj = wave
kashti = boat
hosh = awareness
hosh-e-khuda = in context – awareness of God, or even need for God, stretching it by poetic license
gham = sorrow
nakhuda = boatman; one who ferries boats
gham-e-nakhuda = in context – the sorrow or fear of being at sea in a boat without a boatman to row the boat; the poet says he is no longer in a need for a boatman, he does not feel sorry or afraid that his boat is without a boatman
The overall emotion of this couplet – the feeling of being high on self is so intense that there is no fear to launch on to the sea without a boat, the waves themselves become a boat. And the attitude of being extremely carefree (reckless?) that one does not even need God, or a boatman.
saaqi baney huye hain wo ‘saagar’ shab-e-visaal
is waqt koi meri kasam dekhtaa mujhe
My beloved is the bearer of wine for me
In this night of coming together
Oh wish, they could see me
And my good fortune at this time
(NOTES:
saaqi = bearer of wine
‘saagar’ = it is the poet’s ‘takhallus’ or signature; it also means a cup of wine, so the word flows well with the intent of the couplet
shab = night
visaal = meeting, union, coming together
shab-e-visaal = the night of meeting, being together
Song-Hairat se tak raha hai jahaan e wafaa mujhe (Master Madan NFS)(1940) Singer-Master Madan, Lyrics-Saagar Nizaami, MD-Pt Amarnath
Lyrics
aaaa
aaaa aaaaaaaa
hairat se tak rahaa hai
jahaan-e-wafaa mujhe
hairat se tak rahaa hai
jahaan-e-wafaa mujhe
tum ne banaa diyaa hai
mohabbat mein kyaa mujha
aaa aaa
har manzil-e-hayaat se
gum kar gayaa mujhe
har manzil-e-hayaat se
gum kar gayaa mujhe
mud mud ke raah mein
wo tera dekhnaa mujhe
mud mud ke raah mein
wo tera dekhnaa mujhe
aaaaaaaa
kaif-e-khudi ne mauj ko
kashti banaa diyaa
kaif-e-khudi ne mauj ko
kashti banaa diyaa
hosh-e-khuda hai ab
na gham-e-nakhuda mujhe
haaaaaaaa
saaqi baney huye hain wo
saagar shab-e-visaal
saaqi baney huye hain wo
saagar shab-e-visaal
is waqt koi meri kasam
dekhtaa mujhe
hairat se tak rahaa hai
jahaan-e- wafaa mujhe
6 Responses to "Hairat se tak raha hai jahaan e wafaa mujhe"
June 21, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I tried to leave a comment here earlier, but failed.
This song is simply superlative, its out of this world. I have heard the other song ‘Youn na reh reh kar’ often on the radio, but had no clue it was the famous Master Madan. I do wish someone would do a bit of restorative work on the song clip, and that someone would try to gather as many songs of Master Madan as is possible. It would be a great service to art.
Thank you so so much Sudhirji.
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July 6, 2012 at 8:49 am
I have a collection of 10 songs sung by him. His first song was recorded in 1935. There is a beautiful article by Pran Nevile published in the Tribune about this child prodigy. The songs I have a computer wiz cleaned up and are static free. Two of these songs are in Raag Desh. His last song- a heart rending poem of Bahadur Shah Zaffer.
Kamlesh Kapur
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August 25, 2012 at 2:53 am
I am absolutely delighted to hear that you have this collection. I have only ever heard of two song. How can I get a copy of these songs please. Master Madan is a great loss to the art world.
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July 15, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Words fail me in expressing the depth of emotions that this ghazal invokes in me. And this has been so since 1940 when I first heard the gramophone record of both of his ghazals. I was wonderstruck to know then that Master Madan, a boy of almost my age was singing like a seasoned master. The line “mud mud ke raah mein who tera dekhnaa mujhe” is simply haunting. It was all the more tormenting to hear the rumour of the time that this child prodigy had been poisoned by someone out of professional jealousy.
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January 15, 2015 at 9:34 pm
Dear All
Praise to Master Madan on the Nazams he sang.
Let me put in a few words for my Chacha Hazrat Sagr Nizami who wrote both the Nazams….the words teh thought and the meanings.
Pls put in a few words for him also.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
June 18, 2012 at 8:21 am
Beautiful voice and maturity for 12 year old indeed! I suppose there are few more recordings of Master Madan available on net. I recall listening to them few months back, though no details on MD/Lyrics were available. Regards,
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