Monday, June 05, 2006

Hum Hain Mataa-E-Kucha O Bazaar Ki Tarah

One of my favourite songs remains "Hum Hain Mataa-E-Kucha O Bazaar Ki Tarah" from the movie Dastak. The movie is an eloquent flow, punctuated with the dramatic ease of cinema not constrained by commercial motives, and the consequent grace and ease of story-telling. The music and songs are AMAZING and unsurprisingly, Madan Mohan won the National Award for the same.

The ghazal "Hum Hain Mataa-E-Kucha O Bazaar Ki Tarah" was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and remains a great mover of emotions.

The complete lyrics are available at this page.

ham hai.n mataa-e-kuuchaa-o-baazaar kii tarah
uThatii hai har nigaah Khariidaar kii tarah

is kuu-e-tishnagii me.n bahut hai ke ek jaam
haath aa gayaa hai daulat-e-bedaar kii tarah

vo to hai.n kahii.n aur magar dil ke aas paas
phiratii hai koii shay nigaah-e-yaar kii tarah

siidhii hai raah-e-shauq pa yuu.N hii kabhii kabhii
Kham ho gaii hai gesuu-e-diladaar kii tarah

ab jaa ke kuch khulaa hunar-e-naakhuun-e-junuun
zaKhm-e-jigar hue lab-o-ruKhsaar kii tarah

'Majrooh' likh rahe hai.n vo ahal-e-vafaa kaa naam
ham bhii kha.De hue hai.n gunahagaar kii tarah


The movie's song used the first, third and the last stanza only.

In the first stanza a woman laments her plight of being seen only as a commodity. She calls herself "Mata-e-Kuuchaa-o-Baazar" (Things available for sale in a marketplace). The second line hits like anything when it says that everyone's eyes for her are like a buyer only!

In the next stanza of the song, she says that her lover is somewhere else, but her thoughts are with him, proclaiming undying love.

But the real gem is the last stanza. It says that "Majrooh" (the poet/shayar) is compiling the list of people who have loved faithfully and that she has failed that test and is standing like a sinner/criminal. A stark contrast to the previous stanza, which can be understood by watching the movie and the situation in which the song is picturised.

You can download the song here. (Free login required @ Coolgoose.com)

Read more about Majrooh here and here.

3 comments:

  1. bahut koshish kari...samajh hi nahi aaya kya likha hai urdu mein :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is brilliant! cant thank you enough for posting this sir :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Majrooh' likh rahe hai.n vo ahal-e-vafaa kaa naam
    ham bhii kha.De hue hai.n gunahagaar kii tarah -


    took me with it. really.

    ReplyDelete