cheen-o-arab hamaaraa
Today’s song is “cheen-o-arab hamaaraa” from the movie Phir Subah Hogi. I know this is not a “patriotic” song per say, but being a nice parody on Iqbal’s “taraana-e-milli” and his “taraana-e-Hind”, I thought I might as well post it while waiting for Independence day 2010.
Here’s an interesting comment by “Bismil” originally posted in RMIM (rec.music.indian.misc)
Bismil@Delphi comments :-
This song is a very very clever take-off of Iqbal’s Tarana-e-milli. Just to show what a clever parody this is of Iqbal, the first verse of Taraanaa-e-milli goes as follows:
Chin-o-arab hamaara
hindostaan hamaara
muslim hai hum, vatan hai saara jahaan hamaaraThe real beauty of the first verse is that it turns around Iqbal’s arguably communaland national hymn into a cry of of the oppressed and anguished that is neither communal nor chauvinist nor nationalist, but internationalist. Parts are also recognizable as being borrowed from Iqbal’s hymn of INDIAN nationalism, “Taraana-e-Hind”. Some of the references are easily identifiable, especially to Indians who know
“saare jahaan se achha”.e.g. ae aab-e-rud-e-Ganga,
voh din yaad hai tujhko
utra tere kinaare jab kaarwaan hamaara?To which the parody goes “sarkon pe ghoomta hai ab kaarwaan hamaara” or the final line to “saare jahaan” which most people don’t know, goes as follows: “iqbal, koyi mehrum apna nahin jahaan mein, maa’lum kya kisi ko, dard-e-nihaan hamaara” Here, of course, it is “milti nahin majoori, ma’lum kya kisi ko dard-e-nihaan hamaara”
or, from taraana-e-milli, the line goes:
- ae gulistaan-e-andalus, voh din yaad hai tujh ko
tha teri daliyon mein jab aashiyaan hamaara?contrast that with “footpaath bambai ke hai aashiyaan hamaara”. Overall, it seems that the song takes a somewhat dim view of the lofty and grandiose nationalism of Iqbal by presenting some home-truths about real present day life.
Here are the lyrics:
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa, hindostaaN hamaaraa
rahne ko ghar nahiiN hai, saaraa jahaaN hamaaraa
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa …
kholii bhi chhin gayi hai, bencheN bhii chhin gaiiN haiN
saRakoN pe ghumtaa hai, ab kaarvaaN hamaaraa
jebeN haiN apani khaali, kyoN detaa varnaa gaali
vo santari hamaaraa, vo paasabaaN hamaaraa
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa…
jitani bhi bilDiNgeN thiiN, seThoN ne baaNT lii haiN
fuTpaath bambaii ke haiN aashiyaaN hamaaraa
sone ko ham kalandar, aate haiN borii bandar
har ek kholii yahaaN hai raazadaaN hamaaraa
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa….
Taaliim hai adhuri, miltii nahiiN majuurii
maaluum kya kisiko, dard-e-nihaaN hamaaraa
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa…
patlaa hai haal apnaa, lekin lahuu hai gaaRaa
phaulaad se banaa hai, har naujavaaN hamaaraa
mil-jul ke is vatan ko, aisaa sajaayeiNge ham
hairat se muNh takegaa, saaraa jahaaN hamaaraa
cheen-o-arab hamaaraa….
For comparison purposes, I’d like to include Iqbal’s “taraan-e-Hind” here. So here it is:
Sare Jahan se achachha Hindustan hamara,
hum bulbulen hainiski yeh gulistan hamara!
Ghurbat men hon agar ham rehta hai dil watan men,
Samjho wahin hamen bhi dil ho jahan hamara!
Parbat woh sab se uncha hamsaya aasmaan ka,
woh santari hamara, woh pasban hamara!
Godi men khelti hain iski hazaron nadiyan,
Gulshan hai jinke dam se rashke jinan hamara
Aiy ab-e-rood-i-ganga ! woh din hain yaad tujhko,
utra tere kinare jab karavan hamara!
Mazhab nahin sikhata apas men bair rakhna
Hindi hain ham watan hai Hindustan hamara!
Yunan-o-misr-o-Roma sab mit gaye jahan se,
ab tak magar hai baqi nam-o-nishaan hamara!
Kuchh bat hai ki hasti mitthi nahin hamari,
sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-i-zaman hamara
Iqbal! koi mehram apna nahin jahan men
Ma'loom kya kisi ko dard-i-nihan hamara!
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