The nib is sharp as ever
But the ink has dried up
The paints are well prepared
But there is no color
The model is ready
But the muse is not there
I have the time to think
Yet no thoughts to think about
I can indulge in an obsession
But nothing obsesses me anymore!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Flowers at thy feet
Translation of the evergreen Hindi song "Paaon choolene do phoolon ko" from the historical film Taj Mahal (1963) starring Pradeep Kumar as Shahjahan and Bina Roy as Arjumand Bano Begum. For those who don't know the history, Shahjahan (reign 1627-1658 A.D.) was the fifth Mughal Emperor, grandson of Akbar. Arjumand Bano Begum was the granddaughter of a Persian expatriate, a key nobleman in the Mughal court. They fell in love and married around 1614 and Shahjahan was said to have been faithful to her throughout their married life (highly exceptional in Mughal emperors who had big harems full off wives and concubines) - a testament to which is the fact that in the 17 years of their wedded life, Arjumand became pregnant for no less than 11 times. A more lasting and beautiful testament to their love is the Taj Mahal, which Shahjahan is said to have constructed after her death as her tomb and as an eternal monument to their love.
These lyrics of Sahir Ludhiyanvi, set to a soothing melodious music by Roshan take us back to the age of the Mughals. The sets are beautiful for a film made back in 1963 and bring alive the Mughal era. The lyrics are so meaningful that one gets immersed in them, as they tell a story of their own....beautiful imagination!
The context is that Shahjahan is waiting for an tryst with Arjumand in a marble pavilion amidst a palace garden, surrounded by fountains. He has spread flowers along the walkway to welcome her. Arjumand, when she arrives is surprised by the floral welcome, and takes care not to step on the flowers as she walks carefully around them.
I shall post a stanza at a time and translate each one. Its a duet, so one stanza by Shahjahan's character (mentioned as "Shah") and the next by Arjuman's character (mentioned as "Arj") and so on.
Shah: paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
varnaa hamko nahin, inko bhi shikaayat hogi shikaayat hogi
Be merciful and grace the flowers by thy feet
Bereft of which the flowers and I shall be distressed
(Arjumand instead of stepping on the flowers, picks one up and cradles it to her heart and touches it reverently to her eyes)
Arj: aap jo phool bichhaayen unhen ham Thukraayen - 2
hamko Dar hai
hamko Dar hai ke ye tauheen-e-muhabbat hogi, muhabbat hogi
Oh, I dare not ignore these flowers so (lovingly) spread
For how could I ever rebuke your love for me.
(She still hesitates as she walks, daintily stepping around the flowers - for she doesnt have the heart to step on them, even as Shahjahan impatiently watches on)
Shah: dil ki bechain umangoN pe karam farmaao - 2
itnaa ruk ruk
itnaa ruk ruk ke chaloge to qayaamat hogi, qayaamat hogi
paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
Oh! be kind to the restless desires of my heart
If you hesitate so much, calamity will surely befall me
Do step on the flowers and show mercy to me!
(Arjumand crosses the bed of flowers but shyly goes towards the other end of the pavilion, modestly covering her face in the purdah)
Arj: sharm roke hai idhar, shauq udhar khinche hai - 2
kyaa Khabar thi
kyaa Khabar thi kabhi is dil ki ye haalat hogi,
ye haalat hogi
Modesty restrains me, yet desires overwhelmingly pull me towards you
Never could I have imagined that my heart will face such a dilemma
(Shahjahan bridges the gap between them, approaching her)
Shah: sharm gairoN se huaa karti hai apnoN se nahin - 2
sharm ham se
sharm ham se bhi karoge to museebat hogi, museebat hogi
paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
Ye beauteous one, be modest with strangers, not with one your own
If you are shy with me, then I shall barely manage to live
(Arjumand looks into his eyes full of love and accedes)
Arj: hamko Dar hai ke ye tauheen-e-muhabbat hogi, muhabbat hogi
Truly, I shouldn't be shy, for how could I ever rebuke your love
The song echoes in the mind long after its over. Pradeep Kumar and Bina Roy are amazing to look at. Pradeep Kumar has an imposing regal figure and he emotes better here compared to the other songs in this film. He looks the part of a man in love. Bina Roy fits her role of the shy Arjumand to the bill. She's serenely pretty and has a noble bearing.
You Tube link to this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGBu_WXrhlA&feature=related
These lyrics of Sahir Ludhiyanvi, set to a soothing melodious music by Roshan take us back to the age of the Mughals. The sets are beautiful for a film made back in 1963 and bring alive the Mughal era. The lyrics are so meaningful that one gets immersed in them, as they tell a story of their own....beautiful imagination!
The context is that Shahjahan is waiting for an tryst with Arjumand in a marble pavilion amidst a palace garden, surrounded by fountains. He has spread flowers along the walkway to welcome her. Arjumand, when she arrives is surprised by the floral welcome, and takes care not to step on the flowers as she walks carefully around them.
I shall post a stanza at a time and translate each one. Its a duet, so one stanza by Shahjahan's character (mentioned as "Shah") and the next by Arjuman's character (mentioned as "Arj") and so on.
Shah: paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
varnaa hamko nahin, inko bhi shikaayat hogi shikaayat hogi
Be merciful and grace the flowers by thy feet
Bereft of which the flowers and I shall be distressed
(Arjumand instead of stepping on the flowers, picks one up and cradles it to her heart and touches it reverently to her eyes)
Arj: aap jo phool bichhaayen unhen ham Thukraayen - 2
hamko Dar hai
hamko Dar hai ke ye tauheen-e-muhabbat hogi, muhabbat hogi
Oh, I dare not ignore these flowers so (lovingly) spread
For how could I ever rebuke your love for me.
(She still hesitates as she walks, daintily stepping around the flowers - for she doesnt have the heart to step on them, even as Shahjahan impatiently watches on)
Shah: dil ki bechain umangoN pe karam farmaao - 2
itnaa ruk ruk
itnaa ruk ruk ke chaloge to qayaamat hogi, qayaamat hogi
paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
Oh! be kind to the restless desires of my heart
If you hesitate so much, calamity will surely befall me
Do step on the flowers and show mercy to me!
(Arjumand crosses the bed of flowers but shyly goes towards the other end of the pavilion, modestly covering her face in the purdah)
Arj: sharm roke hai idhar, shauq udhar khinche hai - 2
kyaa Khabar thi
kyaa Khabar thi kabhi is dil ki ye haalat hogi,
ye haalat hogi
Modesty restrains me, yet desires overwhelmingly pull me towards you
Never could I have imagined that my heart will face such a dilemma
(Shahjahan bridges the gap between them, approaching her)
Shah: sharm gairoN se huaa karti hai apnoN se nahin - 2
sharm ham se
sharm ham se bhi karoge to museebat hogi, museebat hogi
paaNv chhoo lene do phooloN ko inaayat hogi, inaayat hogi
Ye beauteous one, be modest with strangers, not with one your own
If you are shy with me, then I shall barely manage to live
(Arjumand looks into his eyes full of love and accedes)
Arj: hamko Dar hai ke ye tauheen-e-muhabbat hogi, muhabbat hogi
Truly, I shouldn't be shy, for how could I ever rebuke your love
The song echoes in the mind long after its over. Pradeep Kumar and Bina Roy are amazing to look at. Pradeep Kumar has an imposing regal figure and he emotes better here compared to the other songs in this film. He looks the part of a man in love. Bina Roy fits her role of the shy Arjumand to the bill. She's serenely pretty and has a noble bearing.
You Tube link to this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGBu_WXrhlA&feature=related
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Stranger in me
I knocked my hearts door one day
And found a stranger inside
Since then I have been roaming everywhere
Aimless knowing not what I desire, what I seek
An unknown quest awakens me everyday
Yet leaves me with no direction
Amidst the desert, where sands cover footmarks
I know not where I come from, where I go
Now I have been out of my heart for so long
I know not even who I am, forgot who I was
Thankful not to have a mirror to look in
For fear I shall not recognize the stranger I see
And found a stranger inside
Since then I have been roaming everywhere
Aimless knowing not what I desire, what I seek
An unknown quest awakens me everyday
Yet leaves me with no direction
Amidst the desert, where sands cover footmarks
I know not where I come from, where I go
Now I have been out of my heart for so long
I know not even who I am, forgot who I was
Thankful not to have a mirror to look in
For fear I shall not recognize the stranger I see
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Musical Ear?
I made a wonderful discovery just now. 4 Hindi songs, which are very very special favorites of mine - I mean they are part of some ten select songs or so, which never fail to move me...I so love listening to them...and the discovery is that these 4 songs are based on the same raga.
1. Dil mein tujhe bithake from Fakira
2. Kuch dil ne kaha from Anupama
3. Nainon mein bhadra chaaye from Mera Saaya
4. Kismat se tum humko mile ho from Pukaar
Other good songs on the same raga are "Khiltey hai gul yahaan" from Sharmilee and "Tum mile dil khile" from Criminal...and the raga is Bhimpalasi. Actually I got interested when I listened to a ghazal by the Pakistani singer Tahira Sayeed on this raga. Her voice was haunting making me listen to it again and again...but I knew there was also something about this raga. It just attracted me. Then I did a research and found that there are whole lot of songs which I dearly love, which are based on this raga.
Same is the case with another raga called Reetigowla. There are a few Tamil songs based on this which I listen to again and again. Everytime I listen to them, its like I just get inspired. These songs are
1. Chinna kannan azhagiran from Kavi Kuyil
2. Thalayai kuniyum Thamaraye from Oru oadai nadiagirathu
3. Sudum Nilavu from Thambi
4. Kangal Irandal from Subramaniyapuram
Now I do not have any musical training or understanding or ragas, yet my ears, my heart or something very sensitive inside me really knows what it wants to hear and when I listen to that melody, I just get enthused, inspired, engrossed and energized. Like a moth I get attracted to the flame and burn. I guess music is just a language that everyone understands though there are a privileged few who are accomplished enough to speak it.
1. Dil mein tujhe bithake from Fakira
2. Kuch dil ne kaha from Anupama
3. Nainon mein bhadra chaaye from Mera Saaya
4. Kismat se tum humko mile ho from Pukaar
Other good songs on the same raga are "Khiltey hai gul yahaan" from Sharmilee and "Tum mile dil khile" from Criminal...and the raga is Bhimpalasi. Actually I got interested when I listened to a ghazal by the Pakistani singer Tahira Sayeed on this raga. Her voice was haunting making me listen to it again and again...but I knew there was also something about this raga. It just attracted me. Then I did a research and found that there are whole lot of songs which I dearly love, which are based on this raga.
Same is the case with another raga called Reetigowla. There are a few Tamil songs based on this which I listen to again and again. Everytime I listen to them, its like I just get inspired. These songs are
1. Chinna kannan azhagiran from Kavi Kuyil
2. Thalayai kuniyum Thamaraye from Oru oadai nadiagirathu
3. Sudum Nilavu from Thambi
4. Kangal Irandal from Subramaniyapuram
Now I do not have any musical training or understanding or ragas, yet my ears, my heart or something very sensitive inside me really knows what it wants to hear and when I listen to that melody, I just get enthused, inspired, engrossed and energized. Like a moth I get attracted to the flame and burn. I guess music is just a language that everyone understands though there are a privileged few who are accomplished enough to speak it.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Dream come true
I watch the sunset.
And wonder,
If many sunsets later
Someday, I shall
Create that which
I wish to see.
The expression
of my thoughts.
The solidity from
a figment of imagination
The reality
out of fantasy.
A thousand brilliant suns
shall shine anew
When my dreams come true.
And wonder,
If many sunsets later
Someday, I shall
Create that which
I wish to see.
The expression
of my thoughts.
The solidity from
a figment of imagination
The reality
out of fantasy.
A thousand brilliant suns
shall shine anew
When my dreams come true.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Loving
Happiness is but thinking of you
Every moment, every hour, every day
Emptiness is not having you
Need is yearning for you every day
Love is such a beautiful thing
Creating such wonderful fantasies
Enjoying pleasures without having them
Keeping harsh realities firmly away
And then I see you walking
the long distance to my heart
Heavenly flowers pave your path
Like God you answer as I pray
I am lost in the trance
Feeling, sensing every pulse
Absorbing you in my hearts boundless ocean
Where like Vishnu you lay
Every moment, every hour, every day
Emptiness is not having you
Need is yearning for you every day
Love is such a beautiful thing
Creating such wonderful fantasies
Enjoying pleasures without having them
Keeping harsh realities firmly away
And then I see you walking
the long distance to my heart
Heavenly flowers pave your path
Like God you answer as I pray
I am lost in the trance
Feeling, sensing every pulse
Absorbing you in my hearts boundless ocean
Where like Vishnu you lay
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Excerpt
After a long long while I have finally written a little bit of my second story
"The long wafer thin curtains swayed in the gentle breeze, that kissed his dense mane and dried the emerging droplets of sweat on his forehead on a humid day. He was reclining upon a divan propping his head up on high round cushion. He rubbed his forehead to be rid of the irritating after effects of dried up sweat. If only he could rub away the irritating memories of the morning’s events in the durbar. If only a fine gentle breeze from somewhere would blow them away. Never before had he felt so alone, so lost in this wide world. He possessed two wives who loved him deeply, sweet children to whom he was attached, his mother, his caring, doting sister-in-law and above all a protective, possessive brother that no one else could have and yet he felt he could not bare his deepest angst with anybody, his eternal restlessness none could quieten, this thirst for something unknown, indefinable that none could quench, except for one proud, irreverent lady, or could even she achieve the impossible? His instincts had never lied to him and it was an instinct that drove him, made him possess her. Now though she was his, she was still not his….not completely anyway and the question still remained – was she the panacea to all that ailed him?"
"The long wafer thin curtains swayed in the gentle breeze, that kissed his dense mane and dried the emerging droplets of sweat on his forehead on a humid day. He was reclining upon a divan propping his head up on high round cushion. He rubbed his forehead to be rid of the irritating after effects of dried up sweat. If only he could rub away the irritating memories of the morning’s events in the durbar. If only a fine gentle breeze from somewhere would blow them away. Never before had he felt so alone, so lost in this wide world. He possessed two wives who loved him deeply, sweet children to whom he was attached, his mother, his caring, doting sister-in-law and above all a protective, possessive brother that no one else could have and yet he felt he could not bare his deepest angst with anybody, his eternal restlessness none could quieten, this thirst for something unknown, indefinable that none could quench, except for one proud, irreverent lady, or could even she achieve the impossible? His instincts had never lied to him and it was an instinct that drove him, made him possess her. Now though she was his, she was still not his….not completely anyway and the question still remained – was she the panacea to all that ailed him?"
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