Sahir the Lyricist

Sahir was the man who played magic with words. He cast spell through his words and will always be remembered for his heart touching poetry.

Sahir Ludhianvi

Jashne maqtal he na barpa hova warna hum bhi,
Pa bajolaan he sahe hum bhi naachtay gaatay jaatay.

 
A reader quoted this couplet in the mail that I received after publication of my write up on Ahmed Faraaz in this column of mine, last September, and today, propelled by one word, pabajolaan, as I begin to write about another Urdu poet apt verses of Faiz Ahmed Faiz cascade down with such intensity, I have no strength to withhold:  

       
Cheshme num jaane shooredah kafi nahi,
tohmatte ishq posheedah kafi nahi,
Aaj bazaar main pa bajolaan chalo

 
and I remember nostalgically the excerpted words from my obituary on Punjabi poetess Amrita Pritam, put in the masthead window by editor in the Nov 08, 2005 issue of newspaper :

When you leave for the Next World,
Do a favour unto me,
Don’t steal a glance of my face, please.

You got it right, dear reader, if Sahir Ludhianvi knocks on the door of your heart - the Piscean born on 8 March 1922, as Abdul Hai- selected verses of his poetry I intend to present today- without any attempt to translate, just to refresh your memory. As is fairly known Sahir was the estranged son of wealthy zamindaar who suffered financial deprivation; was expelled from Govt College Ludhiana for his non-conformist behaviour. Some people link his expulsion to the ardent fan, Amrita- who, it is said, puffed away with his cigarette butts and openly acknowledged her relation with Sahir.

        Remember his verses: 

Tu aaj bhi hai mairay liye jannate khayaal,
Hain tujh main daffan meri jawani kay chaar saal,
Nagma nishaate rooh ka gaaya hai baar ha,
Geetoon main aansovoon ko chupaya hai baar ha,

Masoomiyoon kay jurm main badnaam bhi howay,
tairay tufail mooride ilzaam bhi hovay,
Laykkin hum in fizavoon kay paalay howay to hain,
ghar yaan nahi to yahaan say nikalay howay to hain
                                                (Nazzere College-1943). 

He settled in Lahore to publish Talkhiyaan in 1945 that depicted the personal pathos of this eternal bachelor whose passionate affair didn’t solemnize into marriage.

Main nay daikha hai shikastay saaze ulfat ka samma,
Ab kisi tehreek per barbut utha sakta nahi,

Tum mairay ho ker bi baigana he pavo gi mujhay,
Mai tumhara ho kay bi tum main samma sakta nahi,
Kis tarah tum ko bana loon main shareeke zindagi,
Main to apni zindagi ka baar utha sakta nahi 

                                                                    (- Maezoori).

Or see his defeated mood in these verses:

Meri mehboob! Yeh hangamaie tajdeede wafa,
Meri afsordah jawaani kay liye raas nahi,
Mai nay jo phool chunnay thay teray qadmoon kayliye,
Unka dhundhla sa tasavor bhi meray paas nahi.
Tairay aariz pe yeh dhalkay howay seemein aanso,
Meri afsordagi gum ka madawa to nahi,
Teri mehboob nigahoon ka payaame tajdeed,
Ik talafi hi sahe meri tammana to nahi 

                                                                   (_ Shikast).
    
He voices his distaste about the conservative society of his time in these verses:

Sochta hoon ke mohabat pe kaddi shartain hain,
Iss tamadoen main masarat pe buddi shartain hain,
Sochta hoon ki basher aur mohabat ka janoon,
Aisay boseedah tamadoen main hai ik karre zaboon                                                                                         
                                                                    (_Soochta-hoon.)                  

Yet the thought of beloved captivated him:

Tairay hoonthoon pe tabasum ki who halki si lakeer,
Mairay takhayul main reh reh kay jhalak othti hai,
Youn achanak teray aariz ka khayaal aata hat,
Jaisay zulmaat mai koie shameh bhadhak othti hai
Raat ki sard khamoshi main her ik jhonkay say,
Tairay unfaas teray jism ki aanch aati hai 

                                                                            (_Hiraas.)
     
In separation Sahir wove the warp and woof of his beloved’s presence thus: 

Aur nagmoon main chhupa ker mairay khoye howay khwaab,  

Mayri roothi hovi neendo ko manna laaye hai,
Raat ki sateh pe ubray teray chehray kay naqoosh,
Wohi chup chaap se aankhain wohi saadah se nazzer,
wohi dhoya aanchal wohi raftaar ka  khum,
wohi reh reh kay lachakta hova nazzuk paikker,
Dhoondh laingi meri tarse hovi nazrain tujh ko,
Nagma o shayr ki omdi hovi barsatoon main. 

                                                                           (Tayri Aawaaz).
    
True Sahir conveyed his yearning in moving words:

Youn na ja dil ki shameh gul karkay,
Abhi daykha nahi hai jee barr kay,
Mairay mehboob na ja, aaj ki raat na ja.

Singing praise of beloved he spoke eloquently:

Hoanth hain ya kisi shayir ki dovawoon ka jawaab,
Zulf hai ya kisi sawan kay talubgaar ka khawaab.

Simple words expressed his sensuous facet:

Chho laynay say hoota hai tera jism jawaan aur,
Her waqt teray hussn ka hota hai samma aur.

Yet Sahir was alive to the issues of the day. He identified himself with commoners and his leftist beliefs found expression even from his early days in poems like Taj Mahal: Mairi mehboob kaheen aur mila ker mujh say.

His poetry is an honest depiction of his time and the plight of people:

Mann wa salva ka zamana ja chukka,
Bhook aur aaftab ki baatain karain
…Faaqakash jamhoor ki batain karain.

He dedicated his poetry to the working class:

Aaj say ai mazdoor kissano, mairay raag tumharay hain,  …maira  fun maire omeedain aaj say tum ko arpan hain,
Aaj say mairay geet tumharay dukh aur such ka darpan hain .… aaj say mairay  fun ka maqsad zanjeerain pighlana hai.

He was pained to see the degradation of women: 

Sana khwaane Taqdees e mashrik kahaan hain 

                                                                        (_ chuklay.)

He had the courage to speak out:

Hum jo insaano ki tehzeeb liye phirtay hain,
Hum sa vehshi koye jungal kay darindoon main nahi.

He was honest enough to voice his disgust: 

Yeh insaan kay dushman samajoon ki duniya,
Yeh dowlut kay bhookay rivajoon ki duniya,
Yeh basti hai murdah parastoon ki basti,
Yahaan per to jeevan say hai moat sasti,
Yeh duniya agar mil be jaye to kya hai,
Tumhaari hai tum he sambhalo yeh duniya.

He pleaded passionately in heart- renting tone: 

Apnay nagmoon ki jholi pasaray darbadder phir rah hoon, mujh ko aman aur tehzeeb ki bheek do
…mujh ko phir maira khoya hova saaz do

Instead of complacent attitude he depicted courage to question the leaders, over the poor achievement on socio-economic front:

Aav ki aaj goar karain is sawal per,
Daikhay thay hum nay jo woh hassen khwab kya hovay, Baykas  birhangi ko kaffn tak nahi naseeb,
Woh  vadah haie attlas o kemkhawab kya hovay.

He openly expressed distaste over Indo-Pak war:

Khoon apna ho ya paraya ho,
Nassle aadam ka khoon hai aakhir,
Jung mashriq main ho ki magrib main,
Amanne aalam ka khoon hai aakhir.

 
His long poem Parchhaiaan is an impressive anti-war document
  
Yet Sahir pinned hope on better tomorrow:

Beetain gay kabhi to din aakhir
yeh bhook kay aur baykaari kay
….jab aik anookhi duniya ki buniyaad uthaye jaiyegi
…Seenay kay dehktay dozakh main
armaan na jallaye jaayengay,
Woh subeh kabhi to aayegi.
  
In fact it wasn't a vague hope but faith in our capacity to bring about a positive change:

Bay ghar bay der bay bus insaan,
tareek biloon say niklaingay,
Duniya aman aur khush hali kay
phooloon say sajayee jayeigi
….iss subeh ko hum he layeingay,
Woh subeh hummein say aayegi.
  
He invested hope in new generation; to whom he addressed thus:

…wattan kay imaam…
kal jahan mai tha. Aaj tu hai wahaan,
aay nayee nasl tujh ko mera salaam.

From Lahore Sahir had moved to Bollywood in the neighbourhood of Gulzaar to become essential component of S.D Burman compositions till Piyaasa & of Yash Chopra till Kabhi Kabhi, 1976, bagging the prestigious Padam Shri Award.

Mai nay jo geet teray pyaar ki khatir likhay,
Aaj in geetoon ko bazaar main lay aya hoon,
Aaj chandi kay tarazo main tulay gi her cheez,

Meray ufkaar meri shairri mera ehsaas 

                                                                   (_ Fankaar ).

Sincerity, spontaneity and unaffected style together with rich thought content are the hall marks of Sahir.

He left for the next world in Oct 1980, after giving scores of sensitive yet melodious lyrics- that have intellectual as well as progressive colour, & find place in the hearts of people even today.

To conclude I would like to narrate the story believed to have been told by Amrita Pritam when she heard about Sahir's death; that speaks volumes about genuine sentiments and honest and bold expression of uncensored feelings - very few are capable of.

Sahir                            Amrita

It is said that the news of his death first left her speechless- the most profound response. Later in the day she narrated an incident of bygone days when both of them, along with some other men of repute were invited to a function, organized to honour them with robes. Engrossed in tet-a-tete they had to be goaded to hurry and don the cloaks as the time of function was approaching fast. As they were last to enter the greenroom, Sahir and Amrita hurriedly put on the cloaks only to discover on the dais that the one carrying the name badge of Amrita was donned by Sahir and vice versa – triggering mischievous smiles from spectators. Relating this, Amrita Pritam is said to have expressed thus on the day of Sahir’s demise: probably the Angel of Death read the name, Sahir Ludhianvi, on the cloak; not knowing the wearer was actually Amrita, whom death has come, today.