Hamen kya jo har su ujaale huye hain
Posted on: July 31, 2014
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
A voice that knew no boundaries, knows no boundaries. A voice that spans the entire spectrum of octave range that the music directors dream of. A voice that displays limitless possibilities of emotions and colors. A voice that is alive and true to the very essence of the on screen scenario every moment. A voice such as his can only be explained in terms of a Divine intervention. The voice that is the voice of every performer he sang for. The voice that is Mohammed Rafi – matchless and inimitable.
Remembering Rafi Sb on the anniversary of his passing away today -31st July.
When the young man from Punjab, whose voice was fascinating music directors, came to Bombay, he did have his initial foray into the world of on screen appearances. Brief cameos happened in films ‘Laila Majnu’ (1945) and then in ‘Jugnu’ and ‘Samaaj Ko Badal Daalo’, both in 1947. But when the songs of ‘Jugnu’ and ‘Shaheed’ (1948) and ‘Mela’ (1948) hit the screens, and gained popularity, it was a judicious choice that Rafi Sb made, to continue in the industry as a singer. Judicious I say, because the other examples we see in the industry; artists with singing as their core strength, continued to try their hand at being leading men on screen, did not quite fare so well in their careers as singing stars.
In 1946, Rafi, relatively a novice in the industry as yet, got the famous and fortunate opportunity to sing along with Saigal Sb in the song “Roohi Roohi Roohi Mere Sapnon Ki Rani” in the film ‘Shahjehan’. However, this was not the first time he had met the great singer. His first meeting with Saigal Sb was actually about a decade earlier. He was all of just 12 or 13 years of age then. Since childhood, he was known to be an excellent singer in his family. Sometimes when he used to accompany his elder brother Hamid, to their family shop, he would sit there and sing, much to the delight of the customers and passersby. Hamid was well aware of the talent his younger brother displayed. He would encourage him and made many efforts to get him trained under renowned masters – names like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Feroze Nizami (then associated with the All India Radio station at Delhi), and Jeevan Lal Matoo. Whenever there used to be any music program of renowned artists arranged in Lahore and nearby towns, Hamid Bhai would take his younger brother along to listen and learn.
A musical evening was organized in Lahore. The main attraction of the program was Saigal Sb. The crowds had gathered in advance – it was not a program in a hall, but arranged in an open ground. Just a little while before Saigal Sb was to arrive, the sound system arranged for the program, broke down. The crowds got restive when they realized that the loudspeakers were not working. And the organizers, including Hamid Bhai, were at their wits ends on how to manage the ire of the audience. The loudspeaker system would take at least half hour to repair. In the midst of all the clamor of the audience and the confusion back stage, Hamid Bhai got Rafi on stage, and simply asked him to sing. The sight of this sprightly barely-teenager at first seemed to add fire to the irate crowd. But when his voice came down slicing through the din, it captured the attention of every set of ears on the ground that evening, and the din slowly subsided. People slowly fell silent as they were caught unaware by this engaging voice of a child barely in his teens, singing to a crowd in an open ground, sans any mike and loudspeakers. By the time the sound systems was repaired and it was time for the regular program to start, Saigal Sb had already arrived, and had listened to the singing of young Rafi. After the program, he specially called for the child, hugged him, and gave him his blessings – to be a great singer when he grows up. The magic of that evening and the blessings of the great one, himself gifted with Divine endowment was to ring in true in the life of this gifted child.
The song I present today is a gem of melancholia, one of the many genres that Rafi Sb has rendered with impeccable involvement. The film is ‘Namaste ji’ from 1965. The lyrics for this peerless creation are by Anand Bakshi, and the music composition is by GS Kohli. And the voice – that is a wonder unto itself, and an everlasting succor for the listeners.
Listen and enjoy.
Audio
Song-Hamen kya jo har su ujaale huye hain (Namaste Ji)(1965) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-Anand Bakshi, MD-G S Kohli
Lyrics
hamen kya jo har su
hamen kya jo har su
ujaale huye hain aen
hamen kya jo har su
ujaale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
paale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
hamen kya jo har su
ujaale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
paale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
bahaaron ne jaane
kahaan phool baante
hamaare chaman mein
khile sirf kaante
hamaare chaman mein
khile sirf kaante ae
ye insaaf bhi kya
niraale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
paale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
kisi aur ka dil
jo yoon toot jaata
to shaayad khuda se bhi
wo roothh jaata
to shaayad khuda se bhi
wo roothh jaata
hamin hain jo ye gham
sambhaale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
paale huye hain aen
ke hum to andheron ke
———————————————
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
———————————————
हमें क्या जो हर सु
हमें क्या जो हर सु
उजाले हुये हैं
हमें क्या जो हर सु
उजाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
पाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
हमें क्या जो हर सु
उजाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
पाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
बहारों ने जाने कहाँ फूल बांटे
हमारे चमन में
खिले सिर्फ कांटे
हमारे चमन में
खिले सिर्फ कांटे
ये इंसाफ भी क्या
निराले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
पाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
किसी और का दिल
जो यूं टूट जाता
तो शायद खुदा से भी
वो रूठ जाता
तो शायद खुदा से भी
वो रूठ जाता
हमीं हैं जो ये ग़म
संभाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
पाले हुये हैं
के हम तो अँधेरों के
3 Responses to "Hamen kya jo har su ujaale huye hain"
August 3, 2014 at 5:10 pm
Nice song of radio era.Rarely heard after 1960s.Other songs of the movie were also equally melodious.Good post specially in regard to minute details of meeting of one legend with another to be.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
August 2, 2014 at 12:25 am
An interesting anecdote about RafiSb’s first meeting with K L Saigal. Hearing it for the first time, and the song too. Thanks Sudhir Ji.
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