I was listening and meditating upon this beautiful ghazal by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, beautifully composed by Mehdi Hassan. It is one of my favorite ghazals of Mehndi Hassan which I first heard in a ghazal baithak at my uncle's home in the late 80s.
People used to asked Mehdi Hassan, ‘Mehdi bhai, please sing the badalo bahar ghazal for us.’ He used to tell them it is "bad-e-naubahar" to which they would reply, ‘We don’t understand it but it is really good’. Here is an attempt to expand the aura of this beautiful ghazal by providing a better understanding of it through multiple translations.
"Gulon Main Rang Bhare" is a love poem, in which the poet expresses his feelings of longing and desire for his beloved. The first couplet is arguably the most beautiful. The poet starts with a request: "Colors are filling the flowers, the spring breeze blows the atmosphere. O love, why don't you come so the business of the garden can continue?". Love is not a business, it is not an occupation. But the poet is preoccupied with his love. The color filling the flowers, and the spring breeze blowing gently is beautiful - but it seems empty without the love. So, the poet requests the love to come so spring can be spring, and flowers can be flowers.
Lyrics and three translations are given below. I love the one by Mustansir Dalvi the best. It is truly compact and innovative. I wrote a poem inspired by this which I excerpt here:
A Breeze of Spring in Fall
- After Faiz Ahmed Faiz
I like to think of the garden
as a place with its own timetable,
a bureaucrat of blossoms and weeds
negotiating with the breeze of spring,
petals posing as unsigned documents
awaiting the flourish of love's approval.
Lyrics of Gulon Mein Rang Bhare
The following lyrics include all the seven couplets of the ghazal. The 6th couplet was usually not sung by Mehndi Hassan; one of the translations does not include it.
gulon mein rang bhare, baad-e-naubahaar chale
chale bhi aao ki gulshan kaa karobaar chale
qaffas udaas hai yaro, sabaa se kuchh to kaho
kahin to bahr-e-Khudaa aaj zikr-e-yaar chale
kabhi to subh tere kunj-e-lab se ho aagaaz
kabhi to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushkabaar chale
bada hai dard ka rishtaa, ye dil garib sahi
tumhaare naam pe aayenge gam gusaar chale
jo ham pe guzari so guzari magar shab-e-hijraa
hamaare ashk teri aaqabat sanawaar chale
huzoor-e-yaar hui daftar-e-junoon ki talab
girah mein leke garebaan kaa taar taar chale
maqaam ‘Faiz’ koii raah mein jachaa hii nahiin
jo kuu-e-yaar se nikale to suu-e-daar chale
Gulon Main Rang Bhare Translated by Mustansir Dalvi
Like the new breeze of spring
that grants blossoms their hue,
come forth love, grant the garden
leave to go about its business.
This birdcage is forlorn.
Call upon the gentle wind, friends
to petition the Lord, if it will,
to speak of my beloved.
Let the dawn, for once, arrive
through the archway of your lips.
Let the dusk spread its perfume
like musk from your tresses.
This impoverished heart
is privileged to suffer
and, hearing your name,
to swell, leaving comfort behind.
What is done is done
but, sundering night,
know that your passing
is adorned with our tears.
So insatiable is my vehemence
to be in your presence, my love,
I bunch up my shirt in a knot
and rip its collar to shreds.
No destination along the way
has any appeal for Faiz,
a step away from his beloved’s street
is a giant leap to the gallows pole.
Translation of Gulon Mein Rang Bhare with Vocabulary
1. Gulon mein rang bhare baad-e-naubahaar* chale
Chale bhi aao ke gulshan** ka kaarobaar chale
गुलों मे रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
Let the breeze of a new spring, flow and Fill the flowers with colours
Please do come so that the garden can get on with its daily business
Gul गुल گل = flower
shammaa parvaanaa hon ke Gunchaa o gul
zindagii kis ko raas aa.ii hai #Shakeel badayuni
baad-e-naubahaar बाद-ए-नौ-बहार
بادِ نوبہار =breeze of new spring
Baad= here it means breeze , wind, air but also means afterwards , subsequent )
Gulshan , गुलशन
گلشن = garden/ rose garden
ai nau-bahaar-e-naaz terii nikhaton* kii KHair (*khushbu)
daaman jhaTak ke nikle tere gulsitaan se ham #Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi
Kaarobaar ,कारोबार , کاروبار = business, affair, kaamkaaj
kaarobaar-e-jahaan sanvarte hain
hosh jab be-KHudii* se miltaa hai Jigar Moradabadi ( Being besides Oneself, Intoxication, Rapture, Senseless)
2. Qafas* udaas hai yaaron sabaa** se kuchh tau kaho
Kahin to bahr-e-Khuda*** aaj zikr-e-yaar chale
कफ़स उदास है यारों सबा से कुछ तो कहो
कहीं तो बह्र-ए-खुदा आज ज़िक्र-ए-यार चले
The prison is sad, friends ask the breeze to say something
At least somewhere for God’s sake, let there be discussion of the beloved
Qafas क़फ़स قفس = cage, prison ( emphasis on ‘f’)
qafas mein jii nahiin lagtaa kisii tarah
lagaa do aag koii aashiyaan men #Altaf Hussain Hali
Sabaa सबा صبا = a gentle breeze
KHush-buu pighalte lamhon kii saanson mein kho gaii
KHush-buu kii vaadiyon mein sabaa le gaii mujhe
#Iffat Zarrin
Bahr e Khuda बहर-ए-ख़ुदा بہر خدا = khuda ke liye, for God’s sake
zikr-e-yaar ज़िक्र-ए-यार ذکرِ یار = mehboob ki baatein , mention of the beloved
maahaul saaz-gaar karo main nashe mein huun//
zikr-e-nigaah-e-yaar karo main nashe mein huun
Ganesh Bihari ‘tarz’
3. kabhi tau subah tere kunj-e-lab* se ho aaghaz**
Kabhi to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushakbaar *** chale
कभी तो सुब्ह तेरे कुन्ज-ए-लब से हो आगाज़
कभी तो शब् सर-ए-काकुल से मुश्कबार चले
At least once let the morning start from the corner of your lips ( a gentle morning kiss/touch)
At least once let the night be filled with the musky smell of your tresses
Kunj e lab कुन्ज -ए-लब کنج لب = kunj=corner. Lab =lips here it refers to a smile or a touch/ kiss
سرِ کاکل Sar e kakul सर-ए-काकुल = tresses
आग़ाज़ AaGaaz beginning, commencement,start, genesis
Ibtidaa* ishq kii hai dekh ‘amaanat’ hushyaar
ye vo aaGaaz** hai jis kaa ko.ii anjaam nahii.n (both mean beginning, start, commencement but aaghaaz also used for genesis #Amaanat Lukhnavi
Aaghaaz karna= Commence, Start
Aaghaaz hona= start
Din ka aaghaaz = start of day
Mushk-baar मुश्क-बार مشکبار = scented like musk
kah sabaa vo khulii hai zulf kahaa.n
tujh me.n buu mushk-naab* kii sii hai ( smell of pure, unadulterated musk )
#Sher Mohd Imaan
4. Jo hum pe guzri so guzri magar shab-e-hijraan*
Hamaare ashk** teri aaqibat*** sanwaar chale
जो हम पे गुज़री सो गुज़री मगर शब्-ए-हिजरां
हमारे अश्क तेरी आक़िबत संवार चले
Whatever befell me, I endured but at least on the night of separation
My tears adorned your future
Guzri — ‘z’ not ‘j’
Shab e hijraan शब-ए- हिजरां شبِ ہجراں = the night of separation ( shab = night| hijr = separation)
Ashk अश्क اشک ( k not q ) = aansoo, tears
Aaqibat आक़िबत عاقبت = the end, conclusion , future life
And aaqabat (conclusion, future, future life, life after death, other world),
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/conclusion
future 2) other world 3) life after death 4) conclusion
5. huzuur-e-yaar huyii daftar-e-junuun* kii talab
girah men le ke girebaan kaa taar taar chale
हुज़ूर-ए-यार हुई दफ़्तर-ए-जुनूँकी तलब
गिरह मे लेके गरेबां के तार-तार चले
The beloved has summoned me to her court with my documents of infatuation
I have only my torn to tatters collar, which I take tied in a knot
Daftar e junuun دفتر جنوں = literally multitude of frenzy/ but here documentation of infatuation
Roz-e-hisaab jab mera pesh ho daftar-e-amal
Aap bhi sharmsaar ho, mujh ko bhi sharmsaar kar #Iqbal
daftar didn’t originally mean office .It was a colloquial term 4 file/folder The clerk looking after them in govt offices was called daftari, a Class IV position in govt offices.
girah गिरह گرہ = here it means a knot, but is also used for one-sixteenth of gaz(yard)
the famous song “dil ki girah khol do, chup na baitho koi geet gao”.
girebaan गरेबां گریبان = literally means the collar,the opening of breast portion of a garment
apne girebaan mein jhank kar dekho = self introspection
chaak-e-garebaan = collar torn to bits in amorous frenzy.
Girebaan-geer= adj.: accuser, one catching by neck or collar, plaintiff
aashiq hain magar ishq numaayaa’n nahiin rakhte
ham dil kii tarah chaak girebaan nahiin rakhte Bekhud dehalvi
kaanTon ko bhii ab baad-e-sabaa chheD rahii hai
phuulon ke hasiin chaak girebaan se guzar ke #Ali Jawwad Zaidi
6. Maqaam* Faiz koi raah mein jacha** hi nahin
Jo ku e yaar*** se nikle to su e daar**** chale
मक़ाम फैज़ कोई राह मे जचा ही नही
जो कू-ए-यार से निकले तो सू-ए-दार चले
No place attracted Faiz, en-route
After leaving the Beloved’s lane he headed for the gallows
Maqaam मक़ाम مقام = dwelling,occasion,place,position ( here place)
جچا जचा jacha = liked
Kuu e yaar कू-ए-यार کوئے یار = yaar ki gali , lover’s street
kitnaa hai bad-nasiib ‘zafar’ dafn ke liye
do gaz zamiin bhii na milii kuu-e-yaar me.n
yaaro kuu-e-yaar kii baate’n kare’n
phir gul o gul-zaar kii baate’n kare’n
Akhtar Shiraani
Suu e daar सू-ए-दार سُوئے دار = towards the gallows ( suu-e = towards / suu = evil, bad |
daar = gallows as here but also means house ,place )
ham na iisaa na Sarmad* o Mansur(name of a Sufi saint who was hanged for saying “I am God”)
log kyuu.n suu-e-daar le ke chale (* hanged for heresy by Aurangzeb) #Naushad Ali
Another Translation of Gulon Mein Rang Bhare
gulon mein rang bhare, baad-e-naubahaar chale
chale bhi aao ki gulshan kaa karobaar chale
The flowers need to flush with color,
The winds need to blow in the change,
Love, would waft in like the spring?
The flowers, they need to bloom again.
qaffas udaas hai yaro, sabaa se kuchh to kaho
kahin to bahr-e-Khudaa aaj zikr-e-yaar chale
The cage around us is still, and silent,
Please, speak of kindness into the breeze
For god’s sake, fill the quiet around us,
With beautiful descriptions of my lover.
kabhi to subh tere kunj-e-lab se ho aagaaz
kabhi to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushkabaar chale
Someday, somewhere, my day will start
From the corner of your smiling lips,
Someday, somewhere, my day will end
With the heady perfume of your hair.
bada hai dard ka rishtaa, ye dil garib sahi
tumhaare naam pe aayenge gam gusaar chale
The bond that pain forges is strong,
Though we, alone, have broken, weak hearts,
But we will wait, in anticipation of you,
Your call pulling us through the haze.
jo ham pe guzari so guzari magar shab-e-hijraa
hamaare ashk teri aaqabat sanawaar chale
What we have felt, and we have borne,
Will end as this evening of separation will,
Maybe my tears will drip on your soul,
And washed it clean for your next life.
huzoor-e-yaar hui daftar-e-junoon ki talab
girah mein leke garebaan kaa taar taar chale
We welcomed them as friends, but their
Greed was a vast, unquencing thirst,
And they tied us up, preparing our bodies
For how they carved us out into pieces.
maqaam ‘Faiz’ koii raah mein jachaa hii nahiin
jo kuu-e-yaar se nikale to suu-e-daar chale
Unfortunately, Faiz could not find any
Solace in this exiled wanderings, home
Was nowhere to be found, nor love, and
So, I chose to find death at the gallows.
Singing oneness!
