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Transient Thoughts

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Ae jazba-e-dil gar main chahoon


On request from Naira Niazi, here's a translation, with some interpretation, of Ae jazba-e-dil... 

There are ghazals that you listen to because you like the poet or the singer. And  there are ghazals that you sort of bump into. In Gulzar's serial, Mirza Ghalib is shown as hearing Mir Taqi Mir's "Patta-patta boota-boota" for the first time from a faqir on the street - though I doubt it really happened that way. 

I bumped into Ae jazba-e-dil in the movie "In Custody", a Merchant Ivory film, where a portly Shashi Kapoor plays an ageing poet, Nur Shahajehanabadi, dominated, and in a way imprisoned, by the younger of his two wives. The younger wife, Imtiaz Begum, played by Shabana Azmi, is a popular ghazal singer, yearning to be known as a poet, who passes Nur's poetry as her own. Ae jazba-e-dil  appears as a pleasant surprise in the middle of the film, Imtiaz Begum singing to a sleazy audience. 

The original ghazal is by Behzad Lucknowi.

-------------------------

Ae jazba-e-dil, gar main chaahun, har cheez muqaabil aa jaae,
Manzil ke liye do gaam chalun, aur saamane manzil aa jaae.

Muqaabil = in front of, saamne; gaam = steps, kadam
How I wish, if I wanted, everything should be possible, 
I should walk but a few steps, and there my manzil should be!
Alternate (more correct, perhaps):
Oh passionate heart, if I wish everything will be possible,
I need walk but a few steps, and there my manzil will be!

Ae dil ki khalish chal yun hi sahi, chalta to hoon un ki mehfil main. 

Us waqt mujhay chonka dena jab rang pai mehfil aaaajaye.

Oh jealous heart, if you insist, I will go with you to her mehfil,

But when the revelry starts to hurt, do let me get up and away...
(The jealous heart, can't be at her mehfil, can't be away).

Ae rahabar-e-kaamil chalane ko tayyaar to huun par yaad rahe 

Us vaqt mujhe bhaTakaa denaa jab saamane manzil aa jaaye 

Rahbar = guide; Kaamil=accomplished. 
Oh you who guide the chosen few, I am ok to be led by you, 
But do let me go astray, when The Manzil is but a step away...

(A contrast within the same ghazal, between the first and the third shers . The words of one, perhaps, who reaches or wishes to reach (intermediate) manzils easily, who does not really care for the manzil, and who, whatsmore, wants to keep travelling, if possible.)

Haan yaad mujhay tum kar lena, awaz mujhay tum de lena,
Is rah-e-muhabbat mein koi darpaish jo mushkil aa jaye

Do think of me, remember me, shout out for me,
If you face troubles in this path of love, I'll be there for you...

Ab kyun dhoondoon vo chashm-e-karam, hone de sitam bala-e-sitam;
Main chaahta hoon ai jazba-e-gham, mushkil pas-e-mushkil aa jaaye.


Chashm-e-karam = kind eyes, chashm=eyes
Why should I look for kindness in your eyes, let there be tortures galore,
I am so used to my misery, I wish for troubles after troubles.

-------------------------

This below sher is not from the original ghazal but was added later, perhaps by popular singers of the ghazal. It appears in the version sung by Nayyara Noor:

Aata hai jo toofan, aane do, kashti ka khuda khud haafiz hai,
Mushkil to nahi in maujon mein, behata hua saahil aa jaae.

mauj= waves, saahil=shore

My boat is rocking in the storm, but God is looking after me,
Is it not possible that a new shore awaits amidst these waves?

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was a good interpretation! I was surprised to read a good understanding of Urdu poetry from Karnataka. Good job!

Wed Apr 03, 03:18:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Naira said...

I can't thank you enough for this :) Really grateful!

Thu Jul 11, 12:19:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Blogger anant said...

Naira,
It's a pleasure.

Thu Jul 11, 12:56:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Sheikh said...

Thank you sir!

Sun Jun 08, 08:30:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Ved Bhatia said...

I just wanted lyrics but also got this beautiful interpretation as agift.Wah,soney pe suhaga.Thank u Sir.

Sun Jun 08, 06:59:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this.

Sat Oct 11, 02:38:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Unknown said...

Very good interpretation
Akshai Mansingh

Mon Feb 01, 12:57:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Unknown said...

there are mistakes in translation.
In my opinion every urdu speaking can easily understand meaning but many of them need explanation.. and this poetry is in spirtual context..

Wed Apr 05, 03:14:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Blogger anant said...

Hi Waqar,

Thanks for your comment. Poetry is subject to interpretation and misinterpretation :-) Which shers do you think are wrongly translated? And what would be the right translation?

Wed Apr 05, 03:19:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Haan yaad mujhay tum kar lena, awaz mujhay tum de lena,
Is rah-e-muhabbat mein koi darpaish jo mushkil aa jaye

From this and the previous sher ('Rehbar-e-Kamil'), there's the indication that the poet is referring to God Almighty (my interpretation). So the translation/interpretation given here:
"Do think of me, remember me, shout out for me,
If you face troubles in this path of love, I'll be there for you..."
the last line, I would interpret as "If I face troubles in this path of love (that is, the path towards You), be there for me"

Sat Apr 22, 03:20:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Blogger anant said...

Thank you!

I agree your interpretation of "Haan yaad mujhay tum..." is the better one.

"Rahbar-e-kaamil" does not seem to refer to God Almighty, otherwise "us waqt mujhe bhatka dena..." does not make sense.

Sat Apr 22, 10:59:00 PM GMT+5:30  

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