I’ll be posting some patriotic poetry by Sahir with India’s independence day approaching.  Continuing with that theme (see last post -- ab koi gulshan na ujare) here’s another beautiful song: bachchom tum taqdeer ho kal ke hindustaan ki from the movie Didi (1959), sung by Rafi and Asha with music by N Dutta.

bachchoN tum taqdeer ho, kal ke hindustaan ki
baapu ke vardaan ki, Nehru ke armaan ki
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho…

aaj ke TooTe khaNDaroN par tum kal ka desh basaaoge
jo ham logoN se na huaa, vo tum kar ke dikhlaaoge
tum nanhii buniyaadeN ho duniyaa ke naye vidhaan ki
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho….

deen-dharam ke naam pe koii beej phoOT kaa boye na
jo sadiyoN ke baad milii hai vo aazaadii khoye na
har mazhab se ooNchii hai, qeemat insaanii jaan ki
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho…

phir koii Jaichand na ubhare, phir koii jaafar na uThe
GhairoN ka dil Khush karne ko apnoN par Khanzar na uThe
dhan-daulat ke laalach meiN, tauheen na ho eemaan kii
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho…

naari ko is desh ne devi kah kar daasii jaanaa hai
jisko kuchh adhikaar na ho vo ghar kii raanii maanaa hai
tum aisaa aadar mat lenaa, aaR ho jo apmaan ki
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho…

rah na sake ab is duniyaa meiN yug sarmaayaadaari kaa
tumko jhaNDaa lahraanaa hai, mehnat ki sardaari kaa
tum chaaho to badal ke rakh do qismat har insaan ki
bachchoN tum taqdeer ho…

[

Today’s post, a beautiful song from “Mujhe Jeene do” (1963) sung by Rafi and music by Jaidev

ab koii gulshan na ujaRe, ab vatan aazaad hai
ruuh gangaa kii himaalay ka badan aazaad hai

khetiyaaN sonaa ugaayeiN, vaadiyaaN motii luTaayeiN
aaj Gautam ki zameeN, Tulasii kaa ban aazaad hai!

madiroN meiN shaNkh baaje, masjidoN meiN ho azaaN
sheKh ka dharm aur deen-e-barhaman aazaad hai

looT kaisii bhi ho ab is desh meiN rahane na paaye
aaj sabke vaaste dhartii ka dhan aazaad hai

[

saathiyo! maiNe barsoN tumhaare liye
chaaNd, taaroN, bahaaroN ke sapne bune
husn aur ishq ke geet gaataa rahaa
aarzoo_oN ke aivaaN sajaataa rahaa
maiN tumhaaraa muGhannii, tumhaare liye
jab bhi aayaa naye geet laataa rahaa

aaj lekin mire daaman-e-chaak meiN
gard-e-raah-e-safar ke sivaa kuchh nahiiN
mere barbat ke seene meiN naGhmoN ka dam ghut gayaa hai
taaneN cheeKhoN ke anbaar meiN dab gayii haiN
aur geetoN ke sur hichkiyaaN ban gaye haiN
maiN tumhaaraa muGhannii huuN, naGhmaa nahiiN houN
aur naGhme kii taKhleeq kaa saazo-saamaaN
saathiyo! aaj tumne bhasm kar diyaa hai
aur maiN — apnaa TooTaa huaa saaz thaame
sard laashoN ke anbaar ko tak rahaa houN
mere chaaroN taraf maut ki vahshateiN naachtii haiN
aur insaan kii haivaaniyat jaag uThii hai

barbriyat ke KhunKh(w)aar afreet
apne naapaak jabRoN ko khole
Khoon pee pee ke Ghurra rahe haiN
bachche maaoN ki gotoN meiN sahme hue haiN
ismateiN sar-barhanaa pareshaan haiN
har taraf shor-e-aaho-bukaa hai
aur maiN is tabaahii ke tuufaan meiN
aag aur Khoon ke haijaan meiN
sarnigouN aur shikastaa makaanoN ke malbe se pur raastoN par
apne naghmoN ki jholi pasaare
dar-ba-dar phir rahaa houN –
mujhko amn aur tahzeeb kii bheek do
mere geetoN ki lay, mere sur, meri nai
mere majrooH hoToN ko phir sauNp do

saathiyo! maiN barsoN tumhaare liye
inqilaab aur bGhaawat ke naGhme alaape
ajnabii raaj ke zulm kii chaaNv meiN
sarfaroshii ke Khwaabeeda jazbe ubhaare
is subah kii raah dekhi
jismeiN is mulk ki ruuh aazaad ho
aaj zanjeer-e-mahkoomiyat kaT chuki hai
aur is mulk ke bahro-bar, baamo-dar
ajnabi qaum ke zulmat-afshaaN farere kii manhoos chaaNv se aazaad haiN
khet sona ugalne ko bechain haiN
vaadiyaaN lahlahaane ko betaab haiN
kohsaaroN ke seene meiN haijaan haiN
saNg aur Khisht beKhwaab-o-bedaar haiN
inkii aaNkhoN meiN ta’ameer ke Khwaab haiN
inke KhwaaboN ko takmeel ka roop do
mulk kii vaadiyaaN, ghaaTiyaaN, khetiyaaN, aurateiN, bachchiyaaN –
haath phailaaye Khairaat ki muntazir haiN
iinko amn aur tahzeeb kii bheek do
maaoN ko unke hoNToN ki shaadaabiyaaN
nanhe bachchoN ko unko Khushi baKhsh do
mere sur baKhsh do, meri nai baKhsh do
aaj saari fazaa bhikaari hai
aur maiN is bhikaari fazaa meiN
apne naGhmoN ki jholi pasaare
dar-ba-dar phir rahaa houN
mujhko phir mera khoyaa huaa saaz do
maiN tumhaaraa muGhannii tumhaare liye
jab bhi aaya, naye geet laataa rahouNgaa
(1947)

Glossary:

aivaaN = palaces (here aarzooN ke aivaaN means palaces of hopes and wishes)
muGhannii = musician
daaman-e-chaak = faTaa huaa daaman (ripped shirt collar)
gard-e-raah-e-safar = the dust from the journey
barbat = musical instrument
anbaar = pile
taKhleeq = creation
barbriyat = barbarism
afreet = demons
ismateiN = pride, honor
sar-barhanaa= uncovered head
shor-e-aah-o-bukaa =  wailing and crying noises
haijaan = scrambling
sarnigouN = with bowed head
shikastaa = broken
majrooh = injured
ajnabi = here it would imply foreigner
sarfaroshi = willing to get the head cut off (revolting)
Khwaabeeda = dreamy
zanjeer-e-mahkoomiyat = the chains of restrain
bah-ro-bar = sea and earth
baam-o-dar = roofs and doors
zulmat-afshaaN = spreading darkness
farere = flags
kohsaaroN = mountains
sang aur Khisht = stones and bricks
beKhwaab-o-bedaar = awake
taameer = new beginnings, building something
takmeel = completion
muntazir = awaiting
shaadaabiyaaN = happiness, full color

An exquisite song in my humble opinion, rendered beautifully by Mahendra Kapoor on the tunes of N Dutta.  This song really captured my romantic imagination.. the singing, the words.. and the beautiful melody.  A video that I found on youtube is attached below the lyrics.

bhool saktaa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aaNkheiN
raNg meiN Doobi huii neeNd se bhaarii aaNkheiN
bhool saktaa hai bhalaa kaun …

meri har sos ne har soch ne chaahaa hai tumheIN
jab se dekhaa hai tumheiN tab se saraahaa hai tumheIN
bas gayii haiN mirii aaNkhoN meiN tumhaarii aaNkheiN
raNg meiN Doobii huii, neeNd se bhaari aaNkheiN
bhool saktaa hai bhalaa kaun …

tum jo nazaroN ko uThaao to sitaare jhuk jaayeiN
tum jo palkoN ko jhukaao to zamaane ruk jaayeiN
kyuN na ban jaayeiN in aaNkhoN kii pujaarii aaNkheiN
raNg meiN Doobii huii, neeNd se bhaari aaNkheiN
bhool saktaa hai bhala kaun …

jaagati raatoN ko sapnoN ka Khazaanaa mil jaaye
tum jo mil jaao to jeene ka bahaanaa mil jaaye
apnii qismat pe kare naaz hamaarii aaNkheiN
bhool saktaa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aaNkheiN
raNg meiN Doobii hui neeNd se bhaarii aaNkheiN
bhool saktaa hai bhalaa …

How does a poet chooses his pseudonym? Specifically, the question is, how did Sahir chose his?  Sahir which means “magician”, was definitely a pseudonym worthy of this poet who created magic with his words.  Note that Sahir, nee Abdul Hayee, was born in 1921 in Ludhiana.  His life-story has been talked about in several posts on this blog.  See the posts under the category “Articles” and “Documentary” on the left sidebar.   None of them have mentionned how Sahir chose his taKhallus or pen-name.

Recently there was a discussion on ALUP about the origin of Sahir’s taKhallus.  I thought it would be pertinent to sum up the discussion here (which wasn’t much of a discussion regarding the authenticity of this claim).

The original poster of this thread (linked above) mentionned that he heard on a Radio program that Sahir chose his taKhallus from a sh’er he heard written by the noted Urdu poet Allama Iqbal.  The sh’er in question is:

is chaman mein hoNge paida bulbul-e-sheraaz bhi,
saiNkRon saahir bhi hoNge saahib-e-eijaaz bhi

The meaning of this sh’er was further discussed in the ALUP thread, the gist of which is being presented here:

The term bulbul-e-sheraaz most probably refers to the famous Farsi poet Haafiz, whose name was Khvaajah Shamsuddin Muhammad and as he hailed from Shiiraaz, hence the word Sherazi making him Hafiz Sherazi.  He was also known as “bulbul-e-Shiiraaz”.  The term “saahib-e-eijaaz” refers to those who perform miracles.  The literal meaning of this couplet would be

There will be poets like Haafiz who will be born in this garden
There will also be thousands of magicians and those who perform miracles

Interesting to know that Sahir actually settled on his taKhallus after reading this sh’er.