Mallika e Ghazal Begum Akhtar

Mallika e Ghazal Begum Akhtar

During Mallika e Ghazal Begum Akhtar last concert in Ahmedabad she raised the pitch of her voice as she felt that her singing had not been as good as she had wanted it to be and she felt unwell. The additional demand and stress that she put herself under resulted in her falling ill and was rushed to the hospital.

She died on October 30, 1974 in the arms of Nilam Gamadia, her friend, who invited her to Ahmedabad, which has become her final performance.

But Begham Akhtar’s Grave in Pasand Bagh , Thakur Gang, Lucknow lay uncared for and in utter neglect for decades, till her disciple, devotee and author of her biography, Padam shri Shanti Hiranand, took upon herself to restore it to its earlier glory. She relentlessly worked for this mission and her efforts are here for all of us to see.
Sanatkada and Sadbhavna trust have assisted Shanti Hiranand restore the Mazar and it will be dedicated to the city of Lucknow .

Her matchless, touching and emotive singing was an indivisible part of her chaotic life and by far the best part of it.

She was the most charismatic figure in 20th century Hindustani light classical music. There were others before her and of her time, such as Durgesh Nandini Bai, Vidyadhari Bai, Badi Moti Bai, Rasoolan Bai, Batulan Bai and Siddeshwari Bai (later Devi, who was the author’s first guru) who were musically as gifted as, if not more than, Begum Akhtar but did not possess the kind of glamour that she had to reach out to listeners of all kinds, the initiat ed and the uninitiated. Begum Akhtar, or Akhtari Bai Faizabadi earlier, was in that sense unique both as a musician and a human being.

Birth Name: Akhtaribai Faizabadi

Born: October 7, 1914

Origin: Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died: October 30, 1974 (aged 60)

Genres: Ghazal, Thumri, Dadra

Occupations: Musician, Singer, Playback Singer

Years active: 1929–1974

Begum Akhtar was born on 7th October, 1914 in Faizabad town of Uttar Pradesh. Her name was Akhtaribai Faizabadi though she was much popular as Begum Akhtar. Her family belonged to the upper class of the society and was not even inclined towards music. She showed interest in music at a very young age and was sent to train under the great sarangi player, Ustad Imdad Khan. Later, she learnt classical music from great exponents of this field like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan and Ustad Jhande Khan Saheb. 

At the tender age of fifteen she gave her first public performance. People were moved by her voice and she gained instant recognition. Her ghazals even impressed the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu and was appreciated at a concert that was organized for helping victims of Bihar earthquake. Her first recording was done by the Megaphone Record Company and they released many gramophone records with her melodious Ghazals, thumris, dadras, etc. In 1930's, Begum Akhtar also acted in a few Hindi films which include Ameena (1934), Mumtaz Begum (1934), Jawaani Ka Nasha (1935), Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1935). In all these films, she sang all her songs herself.

Begum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow after a while where the renowned director Mehboob Khan approached her for a film titled "Roti". The music was composed by the famous Anil Biswas. The movie was released in the year 1942 in which Begum Akhtar had sung six Ghazals. Unfortunately, four of the Ghazals were deleted due to some tension between the producer and the director. The film was appreciated by one and all and the music took the industry by storm. 

While Akhtari Bai’s fame soared as a singer on gramophone records and on the stage, her mother, Mushtari, had to create a “smokescreen” and declare that Shammo was her own daughter and Akhtari’s little sister. Seth Karnani, the financier of entertainments in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and owner of Corinthian Theatre, was clearly smitten with her but was shrewd enough to predict a bright future for the rising star. It must be remembered that the popular music of the day was raga-based, and Akhtari’s melodious, high-pitched, carrying voice was perfectly suited for the stage. She became a rage in Calcutta and her dadra, “Chaa Rahi Kali Hgata…”, was a huge hit as a 78 rpm gramophone record.
Later, when her voice had deepened and she had married an elderly admirer, barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, Nawab of Kakori, she recorded the same song again. This time, the plaintiveness of her earlier rendering was replaced by an abiding poignance and the couplet Ae Masiha Ab toh bolo! Kya Tumhari Raae Haeye acquires a new meaning in the context of a life lived to the full in pain and in ecstasy.

 Begum Akhtar. Her matchless, touching and emotive singing was an indivisible part of her chaotic life and by far the best part of it.

By charting Begum Akhtar’s journey through life and music, the author intentionally or otherwise creates a vivid portrait of a society as yet unable to shake off the shackles of feudalism while aspiring to modernity. Akhtari came on the musical scene when the tawaif, or singing courtesan, was very much a part of the upper-class cultural scene in northern India.

The landed gentry and the rising business class were both patrons of classical music and of the courtesans who specialised in light classical forms such as thumri, dadra, chaiti, baramasa and ghazal. Although dependent on words, each of these forms required of a singer to be well-trained in classical music. Old-timers such as Benazir Bai of Lucknow, pupil of the great Baba Nasir Khan, had also been instructed in dhrupad and dhamar in addition to khayal, tarana and the light classical forms.

Young Akhtari, even when she was little Bibbi, was trained very well in the exacting art of khayal singing. Her first teacher, Ustad Imdad Khan, made her sing kharaj (tonic of the lower octave) and gave her a thorough grounding in scales and the basic grammar of Hindustani music. She would wake up at 4 a.m. to practise. Her poor mother would stretch the family budget to the utmost to see that her gifted daughter got plenty of nutritious food.

Ustad Ata Mohammed Khan of Patiala was her second guru. He came into Akhtari’s life thanks to sarodiya Ustad Sakhawat Hussain of the Shahjehanpur Gharana, who had just returned from his European tour as the music director of Madam Menaka’s dance troupe. 

                                                       Thumri Singer Rasoolan Bai

Ustad Ata Mohammed Khan started off Bibbi on a minor scale, Bhairavi. She took some time to get the hang of the komal swars (minor notes). The turning point came when Khan Saheb rendered, Gunkali, a mid-morning raga, “Ananda Aaj Moray Man Bhayo, Shubh Ghadi/ Shubh Din Muhurrat Sakhiyan Sab Mil Mangal Gaayen”. He made her practise for hours on the kharaj and do swar abhayas (voice culture) step by step, each note gliding from one swar to another in ascending and descending order and rendering each note with an enduring sa, re, ga.

Ata Mohammed Khan taught her Gumkali for three months. He then taught her another raga, the pentatonic Deshkar. He first taught her asthayi (first phase of the composition) and then antara (second phase of the composition). He also taught her to improvise in many ways from dhaivat to shadj, that is, from the sixth note to the first. Bibbi was encouraged to use her imagination to improvise.

Ata Mohammed Khan gave her a thorough grounding in the basics and prepared her for bigger things. He also taught her a thumri in raga, Maand, “Kanhaa Na Jaane kar Preet/ Dekho Re Man Radhey”. Her efforts to render a khayal convincingly – from alap (the introduction to the raga’s contour and mood), badhat (slow improvisation), behalwa (the creation of a wave-like motion through the juxtaposition of key phrases), fast tans and bol tans, and then seamlessly moving into dhrut khayal (or into quick tempo) were amply rewarded.

Ata Mohammed Khan would tell his star pupil: “Taseer Paida Karo” (make your music soulful). She did that later while rendering light classical forms, and her renderings were full of bhava and wisdom as she grew older and became less dependent on virtuosity. By the time she reached her third teacher, Behre Wahid Khan Saheb, the venerable master of Kirana Gharana, Akhtari was a young woman of immense talent and musical maturity. He gave her a nuanced grounding in Khayal singing. But she knew that her real vocation lay as a light classical singer.

Twice in her life Begum Akhtar was faced with the abiding truth that music was to touch the hearts of people: first as a child when she heard a berni (low-brow singer) render a haunting dadra – “Purab Desh Bangal Se/ Wapas Na Aaye Morey Saajan ”; and then, while learning from Ata Mohammed, she heard in the wee hours of the morning a fakiran (a wandering woman minstrel) singing “Kaliyar Waley Morey Sai/ Laaj Rakh Leejo/Aaj Laaj Rakh Leejo”. The song entered Akhtari’s soul and she realised that virtuosity was not everything. 

Begum Akhtar’s music was as colourful as her life. Though she sang thumri very well, in this genre she was surpassed by both Rasoolan Bai and Siddeshwari Bai. Her forte was dadra and ghazal. In these two forms, she was peerless. In the later part of her life, after her marriage to Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, the quality of the ghazals she sang improved dramatically. He introduced her to poets such as Ghalib, Meer, Momin, Jigar Moradabadi and Faiz.

She brought grandeur to Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib’s poetry; she was able to bring out with warmth and finesse the intellectual and spiritual tussle within him about man’s place in the universe, as she did with the anguished existential poetry of Meer Taqi ‘Meer’ and the defiant, celebratory nature of Fiaz Ahmed Faiz’s work, or the all-encompassing love of life in Jigar’s ghazals. How she managed all this was a mystery. She had little formal education but a highly developed aesthetic sense which would be the envy of the most sophisticated, well-read members of the privileged class. She also brought to the fore poets like Shakeel Badayumi, who wrote about everyday emotions and amorous experiences with style, and promoted younger, more populist poets like Sudarshan Faqir and Shamim Jaipuri. She had the ability to dignify and elevate relatively lesser-known poetry and bring out the nuances of seemingly ordinary verse that the lay reader was most likely to miss.

Her great strength was her adaptability. In her early 78 rpm records when just out of her teens she sang in a very tuneful, high-pitched voice, her technique was solid though her aesthetics was quaint. It was as if she was singing in the style of an earlier era. She wore her heart on her sleeve unabashedly, and, no doubt, her listeners expected it of her.

As she grew older, in her Begum Akhtar phase, her voice deepened, grew mellow, and she realised that life was indeed a vale of tears. Her singing became richer and reflective and gave even greater delight to the cognoscenti as well as her untutored fans. Her rendering of “Koeliya Mat Kar Pukar…” in late middle age is substantially different from, even more satisfying than, her earlier recording, which was full of youthful sparkle.

Nawab Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, Bar-at-Law, never really took his law practice seriously and it went down further when parvenu pleaders learnt to navigate the murky waters of the law and its enforcement. In addition he lost a substantial part of his property, first due to Partition and then through indifferent management.

Abbasi Saheb had forbidden his wife to sing professionally after their marriage. After all, Akhtari had now become the wife of an aristocrat. Begum Akhtar became a victim of acute depression. The day was saved thanks to Sunil Kumar Bose, Chief Producer, Music, All India Radio Lucknow, and his indefatigable younger colleague, Luv Kumar Malhotra, who convinced Abbasi Saheb to allow his wife to sing for AIR. Then, within a decade, a downward turn in his fortunes forced him to let Begum Akhtar sing professionally. She was an instant success on the concert stage and as a recording artist for HMV, possibly the highest seller of discs in her category.

Begum Akhtar’s career was more successful in social and financial terms than her senior contemporaries such as Badi Moti Bai and Rasoolan Bai, both of whom had to struggle to keep the wolf from the door, and Siddeshwari, who travelled to Delhi to take up an AIR producership to prop up a waning concert career. She loved the good life and constantly spent whatever she earned. She had a large brood of dependants, including Shammo and her 10 other children from various ill-judged marriages.

A satlarha, or a seven-string pearl necklace, of great value would be left with jeweller-sitarist Arvind Parekh in the “off season” when he would advance her the money to tide over the lean period. Then when the music season began again, Begum Akhtar would pay him back and the necklace, a gift from the Nawab of Rampur, would return to her. This went on for a good seven or eight years until her death. When she passed away, the necklace was with Arvind Parekh. The gentlemen and artist that he was, he returned it to Abbasi Saheb but refused to accept money for it, saying that it was his privilege to have been of some assistance to Begum Akhtar. 

Begum Akhtar was a refined Ghazal singer and was called as Mallika-e-Ghazal or the Queen of Ghazals. Her style of singing is inimitable and few can match upto her style. Most compositions were self composed and based on Ragas.

Bollywood career

• Naseeb Ka Chakkar | -

1. Kalyug Hai Jabse Aaya Maya Ne...

• Roti | Anna Sahab Mainkar

1. Wo Hans Rahe Hain Aah Kiye Jaa...
2. Ulajh Gaye Nayanwa Chhute Nahin...
3. Char Dino Ki Jawani Matwale...
4. Ai Prem Teri Balihari Ho...
5. Phir Fasle Bahaar Aayi Hai...
6. Rehne Laga Hai Dil Me Andhera...

• Panna Dai | Gyan Dutt

1. Hamen Yaad Teri Sataane Lagi...
2. Main Raja Ko Apne Rijha Ke Rahungi...

• Dana Pani | Mohan Junior

1. Ishq Mujhe Aur Kuchh To Yaad Nahi...

• Ehsaan

1. (1954 - hame.n dil me.n basaa bhi lo).

Filmography

• Mumtaz Beghum(1934)
• Jawaani Ka Nasha(1935)
• King for a Day (1933, director : Raaj Hans)
• Ameena (1934, director : -)
• Roop Kumari (1934, director : Madan)
• Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1936, director : Pesi Karani)
• AnaarBala (1940, director : A M Khan)
• Roti (1942, director : Maadhav Kaale)
• Jalsaghar (1958; director: Satyajit Ray)

Awards and recognition

 

1968: Padma Shri

• 1972: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• 1975: Padma Bhushan (posthumously )      

  Laaii Hayaat Aaye 
Lyrics by Ibrahim Zauq
laa_ii hayaat aaye qazaa le chalii chale
na apanii Khushii aaye na apanii khushii chale

Hayaat: Biography, Existence, Life, World
Qazaa : Destiny, Death, End, Fate, Jurisdiction, Judgement
Khushii : Joy, Happiness

behtar to hai yahii ke na duniyaa se dil lage
par kyaa kare.n jo kaam na bedillagii chale

Behtar: Better, Improved
Dillagii karna : To Joke, Tease
Be-Dillagii : Without fun

ho umr-e-Khizr bhii to kahe.nge ba_vaqt-e-marg
ham kyaa rahe yahaa.N abhii aaye abhii chale

Umr: Age, Life-Time, Span Of Life
Khizr : Derived from Khwaajah Khizr, the name of a prophet skilled in divination, and who is said to have discovered and drank of the fountain of life
Umr-e-Khizr : Everlasting life, Immortality
Vaqt : Hour, Occasion, Opportunity, Time, Term, Season
Marg : Death
Ba_Vaqt-e-Marg : At The Time Of Death

duniyaa ne kis ka raah-e-fanaa me.n diyaa hai saath
tum bhii chale chalo yuu.N hii jab tak chalii chale

Fanaa: Destroyed, Death, Destruction, Mortality
Raah-e-Fanna : Path of destruction

naazaa.N na ho Khirad pe jo honaa hai vo hii ho
daanish terii na kuchh merii daanishvarii chale

Naazaan: Proud, Arrogant
Khirad : Intelligence
Daanish : Knowledge, Learning, Science, Wisdom
Daanishvarii : Learned; wise, sagacious

kam ho.nge is bisaat pe ham jaise bad_qimaar
jo chaal ham chale vo nihaayat burii chale

Bisaat: Bedding, Carpet, Chess Board, Extent, Capacity
Qimaar : Dice; any game of hazard
Bad-Qimaar : Wicked game of dice
Chaal : Accelerate, Activity, Bark, Custom, Gadget, Gait, Gimmickery, Guile, Strategem, Tactic, Trick, Walk
Nihaayat : Abounding, End, Excessive, Extremely, Very Much

jaa ki havaa-e-shauq me.n hai.n is chaman se ‘Zauq’
apanii balaa se baad-e-sabaa kahii.n chale

Shauq: Aspiration, Desire, Eagerness, Enthusiasm, Fondness, Keenness, Interest, Taste, Yearning, Zeal
Chaman : Flower Garden, Flower Bed, A Blooming or Flourishing Place
Zauq : A reference to the poet, Ibrahim Zauq
Balaa : Calamity, Danger, Distress, Trial, Misfortune, Problems
Baad : Wind, Air, Breeze
Sabaa : Breeze, Gentle Cool Breeze, Wind

 Mere Naseeb Ne 

Lyrics by Shaz Tamkanat 

mere nasiib ne jab mujh se inteqaam liyaa

kahaa.N kahaa.N terii yaado.n ne haath thaam liyaa

Naseeb: Destiny, Fortune, Fate, Lot, Quota
Intaqaam : Avenge, Revenge, Reprisal
Thaam : Take, Support, Hold

fazaa kii aa.Nkh bhar aa_ii havaa kaa rang u.Daa
sukuut-e-shaam ne chupake se teraa naam liyaa

Fazaa: Atmosphere, Environment
Sukuut : Silence

vo mai.n nahii.n thaa ek harf bhii na kah payaa
vo bebasii thii ke jis ne teraa salaam liyaa

Harf: Syllable, Letter, Alphabet, A Letter Of The Alphabet, Talk
Bebasii : Helplessness

har ek Khushii ne tere Gam kii aabruu rakhalii
har ek Khushii se tere Gam ne inteqaam liyaa

Aabruu: Credit, Chastity, Dignity, Honor, Fame, Good Name, Reputation, Respect, Status

 Kis Se Puuchhein 
 Lyrics by Taskeen Qureshi
kis se puuchhe.n ham ne kahaa.N wo cheharaa-e-roshan dekhaa hai
mehfil mehfil Dhuu.NDh chuke hai.n gulshan gulshan dekhaa hai

Chehara: Face
Roshan : Ablaze, Bright, Clear, Explicit, Light, Lit, Lucid, Luminescent, Luminous, Lustrous Illuminated
Mehfil : Assembly, Gathering, Party
Gulshan : Garden

kis ko dekhe.n kis ko na dekhe.n, phuul bhii hai.n kaliyaa.n bhii magar
jis se lagaayii aa.Nkh usii ko dil kaa dushman dekhaa hai

Kali: Blossom, Bud

rang-e-bahaar-e-subah-e-gulistaa.N kyaa dekhe wo diiwaanaa
jis ki nazar ne ek hii gul me.n saaraa gulshan dekhaa hai

Bahaar: Bloom, Beauty, Glory, Delight, Elegance, Enjoyment, Fine Landscape, Flourishing State, Prime, Spring
Gulistaan : Garden, Rose Garden

ahl-e-wafaa kii Khuun kii chhii.nTe.n duur tak u.Dakar jaatii hai.n
meraa ta.Dapanaa dekhane waale apanaa bhii daaman dekhaa hai?

Ahl: People
Wafaa : Fulfilling A Promise, Fulfillment, Fidelity, Faithful, Sincerity, Sufficiency
Chiinta : Shot, spot, splash, a sprinkle, a slight shower (of rain); bespattering, aspersion, ridicule, raillery, banter
Tadap : Yearning, Yen
Daaman : Skirt, Lap

aaj u.nhe.n jo chaahe samajh lo warnaa yahii ‘taskii.n’ hai.n ji.nhe.n
kal tak ham ne kuu-e-butaa.N me.n Khaak_ba_daaman dekhaa hai

Warna: And If Not, Else, Otherwise
Taskiin : Calming, Stilling, Tranquillizing, Soothing, Consolation, Comfort, Assurance, Peace Of Mind, Also a reference to the poet, Taskeen Qureshi
Kuu : Street, Lane
Butaan : Beloved, Idols Plural of But
Kuu-e-Butaan : Lane in which the beloved lives
Khaakh : Ashes, Dust, Dirt, Earth, Land
Baa : With, by; possessed of
Khaakh_Ba_Daaman : Dusty, Dirty, Soiled clothes

 Duniya Ke Sitam Yaad 
Lyrics by Jigar Moradabadi
duniyaaa ke sitam yaad na apanii hi vafaa yaad
ab mujh ko nahii.n kuchh bhii muhabbat ke sivaa yaad

Sitam: Cruelty, Injustice, Oppression Tyranny, Torment, Torture, Violence
Wafaa : Fulfilling A Promise, Fulfilment, Fidelity, Faithful, Sincerity, Sufficiency
Sivaa : Except, Save, But, Besides, Other Than, More

mai.n shikvaa_ba_lab thaa mujhe ye bhii na rahaa yaad
shaayad ke mere bhuulanevaale ne kiyaa yaad

Shikvaa: Complaint
Ba-Lab : At The Brink Of
Shaayad : Perhaps, Probably
Bhuulana : To Forget

jab ko_ii hasii.n hotaa hai sargarm-e-navaazish
us vaqt vo kuchh aur bhii aate hai.n sivaa yaad

Hasiin: Beautiful, Elegant, Charming, Handsome
Sar-garm : Inflamed with love; enthusiastic, ardent, zealous, eager, earnest, intent (on); assiduous, diligent, attentive
Navaazish : Kindness, Favor, Felicitation, Praise, Patronage

muddat hu_ii ik haadasaa-e-ishq ko lekin
ab tak hai tere dil ke dha.Dakane kii sadaa yaad

Muddat: Awhile, Duration, Length Of Time, Period Of Time, Term, While
Haadasaa : Incident, Accident, Calamity, Episode, Misfortune, Occurrence, Tragedy
Sadaa : Call, Conversation, Echo, Ever, Sound, Tone, Voice

haa.N haa.N tujhe kyaa kaam mere shiddat-e-Gam se
haa.N haa.N nahii.n mujh ko tere daaman kii havaa yaad

Haan: Yes
Shiddat : Rigor, Severity, Intensity
Daaman : Skirt, Foot Of A Mountain, Lap
Havaa : Wind, Breeze

mai.n tark-e-rah-o-rasm-e-junuu.N kar hii chukaa thaa
kyuu.N aa ga_ii aise me.n terii lagzish-e-paa yaad

Tark: Abandon, Abdicate, Break, Evacuate, Give Up, Leave, Relinquish, Renounce, Walkway, Waive
Rah : Path, Road, Way
Rasm : Custom, Established Usage, Law, Marking, Model, Rule, Tradition, Writing
Rah-o-Rasm : Social Etiquette, Code, Customs
Junuun : Craze, Ecstasy, Frenzy, Insanity, Lunacy, Mania, Madness, Passion, Zealotry
Lagzish : Quiver, Stagger
Paa : Feet
Lagzish-e-Paa : Trembling of the feet

kyaa lutf ki mai.n apanaa pataa aap bataauu.N
kiije ko_ii bhuulii hu_ii Khaas apanii adaa yaad

Lutf: Benignity, Enjoyment, Favor, Grace, Joy, Kindness, Pleasure, Taste, Wit
Pataa : Address, Trace
Khaas : Especial, Exclusive, Extraordinary, Main, Major, Noble, Particular, Private, Special, Unmixed
Adaa : Beauty, Charm, Elegance, Fascination, Grace, Payment Of Debt Performance, Pose, Settlement, Style

 Kuch To Duniya Ki Inaayaat Ne 
 Lyrics by Sudarshan Faakir
kuchh to duniyaa ki inaayaat ne dil to.D diyaa
aur kuchh talKhii-e-haalaat ne dil to.D diyaa

Inaayaat: Blessing, Favour, Kindness, Acceptance Of Love, Reciprocation Of Love
Dil ToDna : To break the heart
Talkhii : Acidity, Bitterness, Pungency
Haalaat : Condition, Circumstance, Liking, State

ham to samajhe the ke barsaat me.n barasegii sharaab
aayii barsaat to barsaat ne dil to.D diyaa

Barsaat: Rain, Rainy Season
Sharaab : Alcohol, Wine, Liquor

dil to rotaa rahe, aur aa.Nkh se aa.Nsuu na bahe
ishq kii aisii rawaayaat ne dil to.D diyaa

Bahana: Flow, Pour
Aansuu : Tears
Rawaayaat : Accustomed, Legend, Ordinary, Tradition

wo mere hai.n, mujhe mil jaaye.nge, aa jaaye.nge
aise bekaar Khayaalaat ne dil to.D diyaa

Bekaar: Friendless, Futile, Good-For-Nothing, Idle, Ineffective, Invalid, In Vain, Junky, Kaput, Meaningless
Khayaalaat : Ideas, Thoughts

aap ko pyaar hai mujh se ke nahii.n hai mujh se
jaane kyo.n aise sawaalaat ne dil to.D diyaa

Sawaalaat: Demands, Questions, Queries

 Mere Ham-nafas Mere Ham-navaa 
 Lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni
mere ham-nafas, mere ham-navaa, mujhe dost banake daGaa na de
mai.n huu.N dard-e-ishq se jaa.N_valab jaa.N_va-lab, mujhe zindagii kii duaa na de

Nafas: Breath
Navaa : Sound, Voice
Ham-nafas, Ham-navaa : Friend
DaGhaa : Deceit, Treachery, Delusion
Jaan-valab: Dead
Va-Lab : At the brink of, at the lips of
Jaan-va-Lab : At the brink of death
Duaa : Blessing, Prayer, Wish

mere daaG-e-dil se hai raushnii, usii raushnii se hai zindagii
mujhe Dar hai aye mere chaaraagar, ye charaaG tuu hii bujhaa na de

DaaGh: Blemish, Calamity, Grief, Loss, Scar, Stain, Taint
Raushnii : Light, Brightness, Illumination
Chaaraagar : Doctor, physician
Charaagh : Lamp
Bhujaanaa : To extinguish, to put out

mujhe chho.D de mere haal par, teraa kyaa bharosaa hai chaaraagar
ye terii nawaazish-e-muKhtasar, meraa dard aur ba.Daa na de

Nawaazish: Kindness, Favor, Felicitation, Praise, Patronage
Mukhtasar : Abridged, Abbreviated, Brief, Concise, Epitomise, Laconic, Short, Small

meraa azm itanaa bala.nd hai ke paraaye sholo.n kaa Dar nahii.n
mujhe Khauf aatish-e-gul se hai, ye kahii.n chaman ko jalaa na de

Azm: Conviction, Decision, Fortitude, Intention, Resolve
Baland : Lofty, High, Strong
Khauf : Awe, Fear, Jeopardy, Jitters, Threat
Aatish : Fire, Flame, Ember
Gul : Flower, Rose
Chaman : Flower Garden, Flower Bed, A Blooming or Flourishing Place

wo uThe hai.n leke hom-o-subuu, arey o ‘Shakeel’ kahaa.N hai tuu
teraa jaam lene ko bazm me.n koii aur haath ba.Daa na de

Hom: An oblation with clarified butter, a burnt-offering, a sacrifice; the casting clarified butter, &c. into fire as an offering to the gods, accompanied with invocations and prayers according to the objects of sacrifice
Subuu : Ewer, jar, pitcher, pot, cup, glass
“Shakeel” : A reference to the poet, Shakeel Badayuni
Bazm : Meeting, Assembly, Company (At A Feast Or Entertainment), Gathering, Party

 Sar Mein Saudaa Bhi Nahin 
 Lyrics by Firaq Gorakhpuri
sar me.n saudaa bhii nahii.n dil me.n tamannaa bhii nahii.n
lekin is tark-e-mohabbat kaa bharosaa bhii nahii.n

Saudaa: Bargaining, Madness, Marketing, Melancholy, Trade, Traffic, Wackiness
Tamannaa : Wish, Desire, Inclination, Request, Hope, Longing, Prayer, Supplication, Petition, Yearning
Tark : Abandon, Abdicate, Break, Evacuate, Give Up, Leave, Relinquish, Renounce, Walkway, Waive
Tark-e-Mohabbat : Break Up, To Give Up Love, Abandonment Of Love, Relinquishing Of Love, Separation
Bharosaa : Faith, Trust

yuu.N to hangaame uThaate nahii.n diivaanaa-e-ishq
magar ai dost kuchh aiso.n kaa Thikaanaa bhii nahii.n

Hangaama: Affray, Confusion, Disorder, Riot, Ruckus, Tumult, Turmoil, Uproar
Thikaanaa : Abode, Bearing, Goal, Limit, Proper Place

muddate.n guzarii.n terii yaad bhii aaii na hame.n
aur ham bhuul gae ho.n tujhe aisaa bhii nahii.n

Muddat: Awhile, Duration, Length Of Time, Period Of Time, Term, While

ye bhii sach hai ke mohabbat me.n nahii.n mai.n maabuur
ye bhii sach hai ke teraa husn kuchh aisaa bhii nahii.n

Majbuur: Compelled, Enforce, Helpless, Limitation, Oppressed, Overwhelmed

dil kii gi.ntii na yagano.n me.n na begaano.n me.n
lekin is jalvaagaah-e-naaz se uThataa bhii nahii.n

Gintii: Account, Estimation
Yagaana : Unique, Single, Sole, Agreed, Unequalled, Kinsman, Kindred, Relative
Begaanaa : Stranger, Alien, Foreign
Jalvaagaah : Place Of
Naaz : Airs, Arrogant, Blandishment, Coquetry, Delicacy, Elegance, Gracefulness, Pride, Softness

badgumaa.N ho ke mil aaii dost jo milanaa hai tujhe
ye jhijhakte hue milanaa koi milanaa bhii nahii.n

Gumaan: Distrust, Deception, Doubt, Fancy, Likelihood, Mistrust, Opinion, Pride, Suspicion, Surmise, Thought
Bad-Gumaan : Without Doubt
Jhijhaknaa : Hesitate Show Reluctance, Hesitant, Reluctant

shikvaa-e-jaur kare kyaa koii us shoKh se jo
saaf qaayal bhii nahii.n saaf mukartaa bhii nahii.n

Shikvaa: Complaint
Jaur : Oppression, Tyranny
Shokh : Attractive, Bold, Bright, Coquettish One, Daring, Insolent, Kittenish, Lascivious, Malapert
Saaf : Clean, Clear, Even, Explicit, Expressly, Legible, Lucid, Innocent, Openly, Plain, Pure
Qaayal : To accept
Mukarnaa : To Turn Away From, Deny

meharbaanii ko mohabbat nahii.n kahate ai dost
aah mujhase to merii ra.njish-e-bejaa.N bhii nahii.n

Meharbaanii: Kindness
Aah : Ah!, Groan, Oh!, Sigh
Ranjish : Anguish, Distress, Enmity, Grief, Indignation, Misunderstanding, Unpleasantness
Bejaan : Flat, Lifeless, Inanimate, Vapid

baat ye hai ki sukuun-e-dil-e-vahashii kaa maqaam
ku.nj-e-zi.ndaa.N bhii nahii.n vusa’at-e-seharaa bhi nahii.n

Sukuun: Contentment, Peace
Vahashii : Crazed (Person), Wild, Untamed
Maqaam : Abnormal, Basis, Dwelling, Location, Locus, Occasion, Opposite, Place, Position, Rank, Station
Kunj : Corner
Zindaan : Cage, Prison, Jail
Vusaat : Area, Breadth, Expanse, Expansion, Extent, Largeness, Latitude, Quantity
Seharaa : Desert, Wilderness

muu.Nh se ham apane buraa to nahii.n kahate, ke ‘Firaq’
hai teraa dost magar aadmii achchhaa bhii nahii.n
 Uzr Aane Mein Bhi Hai 
 Lyrics by Daag Dehlvi
उज्र आने में भी है और बुलाते भी नहीं
बाइस-इ-तर्क-इ-मुलाक़ात बताते भी नहीं
uzr aane me.n bhii hai aur bulaate bhii nahii.n
baais-e-tark-e-mulaaqaat bataate bhii nahii.n

उज्र, Uzr: Apology, Disapproval, Excuse, Helplessness, Hesitate, Objection, Plea
बाइस, Baais : Basis, Bring About, Cause, Ground, Occasion, Origin, Reality, Reason
तर्क, Tark : Abandon, Abdicate, Break, Evacuate, Give Up, Leave, Relinquish, Renounce, Walkway, Waive
मुलाक़ात, Mulaaqaat : Encounter, Interview, Meeting, Visit
बाइस-इ-तर्क-इ-मुलाक़ात, Baais-e-Tark-e-Mulaaqaat : Basis for terminating acquaintanceship

खूब पर्दा है के चिलमन से लगे बैठे हैं
साफ़ छुपते भी नहीं सामने आते भी नहीं
Khuub pardaa hai ke chilaman se lage baiThe hai.n
saaf chhupate bhii nahii.n saamane aate bhii nahii.n

खूब, Khuub: Amiable, Beautiful, Excellent, Good, Really, Thoroughly, Well
पर्दा, Pardah : Curtain, Eyelid, Modesty, Privacy, Screen, Secrecy, Veil Wall
चिलमन, Chilman : A Venetian Blind
साफ़, Saaf : Clean, Clear, Even, Explicit, Expressly, Legible, Lucid, Innocent, Openly, Plain, Pure

हो चुका क़ता ताल्लुक तो जफ़ायें क्यों हों
जिनका मतलब नहीं रहता वो सताते भी नहीं
ho chukaa qataa ta’lluq to jafaaye.n kyo.n ho.n
jinako matlab nahii.n rahataa wo sataate bhii nahii.n

क़ता, Qataa: Break, Intercept, Fault
ताल्लुक, Ta’lluq : Relation, Related
जफा, Jafaa : Oppression, Injustice, Injury, Unfaithful, Violence
मतलब, Matlab : Aim, Desire, Meaning, Motive, Object, Wish

ज़ीस्त से तंग हो ऐ दाग़ तो जीते क्यों हो
जान प्यारी भी नहीं जान से जाते भी नहीं
ziist se ta.ng ho ae ‘DaaG’ to jiite kyo.n ho
jaan pyaarii bhii nahii.n jaan se jaate bhii nahii.n

ज़ीस्त, Ziist: Life, Whirlpool
तंग, Tang : Close, Contracted, Tight, Narrow, Straitened, Scanty, Poor, Distressed, Dejected, Limited, Narrow
दाग़, Daag : A reference to the poet, Daag Dehlvi

 Khush Huun Ki Mera 
 Lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni
Khush huu.N ki meraa husn-e-talab kaam to aayaa
Khaalii hii sahii merii taraf jaam to aayaa

Husn: Attractiveness, Beauty, Elegance, Loveliness
Talab : all, Claim, Demand, Desire, Hunger, Inquiry, Need, Needfulness, Pursuit, Quest, Request, Salary
Husn-e-Talab : Way Of Wanting, Desiring
Jaam : Goblet, Wineglass

kaafii hai mere dil ki tasallii ko yahii baat
aap aa na sake aap kaa paiGaam to aayaa

Kaafii: Adequate, Ample, A Lot, Sufficient, Effectual, Enough, Quite A Few
Tasallii : Comfort, Consolation, Satisfaction
PaiGaam : Message, News, Advice

apano.n ne nazar pherii to dil ne to diyaa saath
duniyaa me.n koii dost mere kaam to aayaa

Pheyr: Manipulate, Maze, Misfortune, Refund Reject, Return, Reverse, Restore, Revolution, Trick, Turn, Twist

wo subah kaa ehasaan ho ya merii kashish ho
Duubaa hua Khurshiid sar-e-baam to aayaa

Ehsaan: Beneficence, Benefaction, Benevolence, Boon, Good Deed, Goodness, Good Will, Favour, Kindness
Kashish : Attraction, Allurement, Drawing, Magnetism, Strife
Duubaa hua : Sunken
Khurshiid : Sun
Baam : Balcony, Eel, Morning, Roof, Terrace, Upper Storey
Sar-e-Baam : On Roof Top

log un se ye kahate hai.n ki kitane hai.n “Shakeel” aap
is husn ke sadaqe me.n meraa naam to aayaa

Shakeel: Handsome, Beautiful. Also, a reference to the poet, Shakeel Badayuni
Sadaqa : An alms; a gift, donation; a propitiatory offering, a sacrifice (to avert misfortune, or sickness)

 Ishq Mein Gairat-e-Jazbaat Ne 
 Lyrics by Sudarshan Faakir
ishq me.n Gairat-e-jazbaat ne rone na diyaa
varna kyaa baat thii kis baat ne rone na diiyaa

Ishq: Affection, Amour, Love, Excessive Passion Mania, Romance
Gairat : Honour, Pride, Self-respect
Jazbaat : Emotion
Varna : And If Not, Else, Otherwise

aap kahate the ke rone se na badale.nge nasiib
umr bhar aap kii is baat ne rone na diiyaa

Badalnaa: Alter Exchange, Transform, Vibrate
Nasiib : Destiny, Fortune, Fate, Lot, Quota

ronewaalo.n se kah do unakaa bhii ronaa role.n
jinako majbuuri-e-haalaat ne rone na diiyaa

Majbuur: Compelled, Enforce, Helpless, Limitation, Oppressed, Overwhelmed
Haalaat : Condition, Circumstance, Liking, State
Majbuurrii-e-Haalaat : Difficult circumstances

tujhase milakar hame.n ronaa thaa bahot ronaa thaa
ta.ngii-e-waqt-e-mulaaqaat ne rone na diiyaa

Tangii: Narrowness, Hardship, Poverty
Waqt : Hour, Occasion, Opportunity, Time, Term, Season
Mulaaqaat : Encounter, Interview, Meeting, Visit
Tangii-e-Waqt-e-Mulaaqaat : Shortness Of The Time Of Meeting

ek do roz kaa sadamaa ho to ro le.n ‘Faakir’
ham ko har roz ke sadamaat ne rone na diiyaa

Roz: A day
Sadmaa : Affliction, Bereavement, Blow, Calamity, Collision, Jar, Shock, Suffering
Faakir : A reference to the poet, Sudarshan Faakir
Sadmaat : Sorrow