Tere labon ke muqaabil gulaab kyaa hoga
Posted on: November 3, 2012
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Presently, I am on a nostalgic journey of the 60s when I was blessed with listening to some popular non-filmy songs sung by the top playback singers and other singers of that time. In fact some of non-filmy songs of that time were as popular as Hindi film songs. Almost all top playback singers of that time like Talat Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Mukesh, Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle had recorded non-filmy songs at one time or the other. If Hindi films songs have hidden gems which are being unearthed on this blog every day, there are also lesser known gems in non-filmy song segment which need to be brought to the notice of the readers of this blog for the sake of posterity.
The question that may come to the mind of most of us is why did these top playback singers take interest in recording non-filmy songs. The answers I guess, could be : (i) there comes a time when even top playback singers experience some lull in their playback singing career. Such slots open up the opportunity to experiment with non-filmy songs which gives them scope for experimentation reflecting their creativity; (ii) some time a singer may have fancy for the poems and ghazals of some well known poets. Singing such songs add to their popularity adding value to their playback singing career and (iii) the record companies themselves may take initiative to bring together well known singers and the music directors from the film industry to record the poems/ghazals of legendary poets and release them as the non-film song records as a part of their business models.
Mukesh was one of the top playback singers during 1950-75 who also took recourse to singing non-filmy songs. http://www.singermukesh.com has listed 109 non-filmy songs of Mukesh with details wherever available. Perhaps, there may be some more of such songs yet to be added to the list. His first non-filmy song was released in 1940 and the last one was in 1976 (Tulsi Ramayan Lanka Kaand). Most of his non-filmy songs were released during 1965-73, probably reflecting his relatively lean period of playback singing assignments in the films.
I have chosen one of the most popular non-filmy ghazals ‘tere labhon ke muqaabil gulaab kyaa hogaa’ (1965) sung by Mukesh. The ghazal was written by Shiv Kumar Saroj and set to music by Kishore Desai. The lyrics are simple but Mukesh’s rendition of each word of this ghazal in slow pace adds to the adulations implicit in the lyrics which would surely touch the hearts of the listeners. I understand from a couple of places YT that the composition of this ghazal is based on Raag Pahadi.
I had heard 5-6 non-filmy songs of Mukesh in the 60s. Now when I listen to these very songs on YT now, I get a feeling that Mukesh was singing the non-filmy songs in his natural voice more than his filmy songs.
PS-Now Sudhir jee has provided the translation of this song. So one can now appreciate this song even more knowledgeably.
Song-Tere labon ke muqaabil gulaab kyaa hoga (Mukesh NFS)(1965) Singer-Mukesh, Lyrics-Shiv Kumar Saroj, MD-Kishore Desai
Lyrics
tere labon ke muqaabil
gulaab kyaa hogaa aa aa
tere labon ke muqaabil
gulaab kyaa hogaa
tu lajawaab hai
teraa jawaab kyaa hogaa
tere labon ke muqaabil
teri adaa pe fidaa
hamto kyaa zamaana hai
teri adaa pe fidaa hamto kyaa zamaana hai
nisaar tujh pe mere dil kaa ye khazaana hai
tere shabaab se badhkar shabaab kyaa hogaa
tere shabaab se badhkar shabaab kyaa hogaa
tere labon ke muqaabil
tum muskuraaye to jaati bahaar aa jaaye
tum muskuraaye to jaati bahaar aa jaaye
dil-e-beemaar ko dil se qaraar aa jaaye ae
tere karam kaa kisi se hisaab kyaa hogaa aa
tere karam kaa kisi se hisaab kyaa hogaa aa
tere labon ke muqaabil
—————————————-
Translation (Provided by Sudhir)
——————————————
tere labon ke
Ah, the softness of your gentle lips
Softer than even the petals of a rose
You are the one no one can measure up to
There is none who can compare with you
teri adaa pe fidaa hum to kyaa zamaana hai
nisaar tujh pe mere dil kaa ye khazaana hai
tere shabaab se badhkar shabaab kyaa hogaa
Not just me
Everyone is your ardent admirer
All the treasures of the heart
Are tendered as an offering unto you
Ah, this splendor of yours
There is none other
Endowed with such splendor
tu muskuraaye to jaati bahaar aa jaaye
dil-e-beemaar ko dil se qaraar aa jaaye ae
tere karam kaa kisi se hisaab kyaa hogaa aa
If you would smile
The departing spring would retrace, and return
Oh what comfort it would be
For this pining heart
The bounty of your favors, your grace
Alas, who could assess it
3 Responses to "Tere labon ke muqaabil gulaab kyaa hoga"
November 6, 2022 at 10:09 am
I am seeing this post ten years after it was published here. I want to add that Shiv Kumar Saroj was an announcer on Radio Ceylon, and this song (Ghazal? Nazm?) was played by him personally on Radio Ceylon, informing his listeners that it was penned by him.
Those like me who remember Radio Ceylon remember that its announcers were of a certain kind – calm, never excited, cool, friendly and well-informed. They never imposed themselves, never came between you and the songs, except to form a minimal link. Vividh Bharati, in contrast, never achieved that class.
I was one of the lucky ones tuned to Radio Ceylon when Shiv Kumar Saroj played this song, after announcing that it was his creation. I can still hear his voice clearly.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
November 5, 2012 at 3:06 am
Sadanand ji
Oh what a wonderful reminder this post is. Yes, it is one of my favorites too, from the days of listening to music on the radio.
A small observation. This is not a ghazal; its stanzas are not structured like a she’r. This is more in the category of a nazm, which is a freer form of Urdu poetry, as compared with a ghazal.
Thanks for posting.
Rgds
Sudhir
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November 5, 2012 at 10:40 am
Thanks for your appreciation.
What made me to think this song in the nature of a ghazal was :the repeat of ‘kyaa hogaa’ :
gulaab kyaa hogaa
jawaab kyaa hogaa
shabaab kyaa hogaa
hisaab kyaa hogaa
but after you pointed out, I realised that the second and third stanzas are not couplets.
Thanks for pointing out.
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