Paradox Pourri

Life is full of paradoxes such as the Socratic paradox of I know that I know nothing at all. Some of these are obliterated by the times we live in; some are eternal and hold their own. By the way, Wikipedia (do I hear the purists yell/scream in horror) has a good article on some of the famous paradoxes of our times grouped thematically. They make for a good read in free time.

After the past couple of posts about the gala time on Sifar's birthday and the rare geek-a-log about boost::function with boost::bind, a couple of buddies asked if I had written anything on the "Sher-A-Day" series at all. Clearly, they don't give a jack about what fun I had on my birthday or how to bind functions with random # of arguments to do container visitation in a library. And I don't blame them :). So I figured, since people want me to write a blog post which they really care to read, I should give in to public demand and do just that.

Today's post is about a Saleem Kausar ghazal titled "मै ख़याल हूं किसी और का मुझे सोचता कोई और है". Composed by Ustad Rais Khan, the ghazal "originally" appeared in a Pakistani movie. The inimitable Anu Malik (note the paradox) has dhapofied this in Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin where with a garbled version of the lyrics, its picturized on Aamir Khan in a party song.

This ghazal is sung by several ghazal singers including Ustad Rais Khan himself but my favorite is a rendition by Ustad Mehdi Hassan. The Mehdi Hassan saab version is set in Raga Bhairavi (I may be wrong and erudite folks out there are welcome to correct me) with a few shades of Lalat in the maqta. Each couplet in the ghazal is full of paradoxes and appeals to the human mind. The version I like the most has Tabla sangat by Ustad Tari Khan and is available on YouTube in two distinct parts making it about 16 minutes of sheer listening fest.

http://bit.ly/bvfc1N
http://bit.ly/axuN38

I am including the entire ghazal here for completeness (shamelessly copied from here) but would pay my respects to the lyrics using a couple of couplets.

मै ख़याल हूं किसी और का मुझे सोचता कोई और है
सर-ए-आईना मेरा अक्स है पस-ए-आईना कोई और है

(सर-ए-आईना = in front of the mirror; पस-ए-आईना = behind the mirror)

मै किसी के दस्त-ए-तलब में हूं तो किसी के हर्फ़-ए-दुआ में हूं
मै नसीब हूं किसी और का मुझे मांगता कोई और है

(दस्त = hand; तलब = desire; हर्फ़-ए-दुआ = words of prayer)

कभी लौट आयें तो पूछना नहीं, देखना उन्हे ग़ौर से
जिन्हें रास्ते में ख़बर हुई कि ये रास्ता कोई और है

अजब ऐतबार-ओ-बेऐतबारी के दर्मियां है ज़िंदगी
मै क़रीब हूं किसी और के मुझे जानता कोई और है

(ऐतबार = confidence, belief ; बेऐतबारी = disbelief)

वही मुन्सिफ़ों की रिवायतें वही फ़ैसलों की इबारतें
मेरा जुर्म तो कोई और था पर मेरी सज़ा कोई और है

(मुन्सिफ़ = judge; रिवायत = traditions; इबारत = diction)

तुझे दुश्मनों की ख़बर न थी, मुझे दोस्तों का पता नहीं
तेरी दास्तां कोई और थी, मेरा वाक़या कोई और है

तेरी रोशनी मेरी ख़द्दोख़ाल से मुख़्तलिफ़ तो नहीं मगर
तू क़रीब आ तुझे देख लूं तू वही है या कोई और है

(ख़द्दोख़ाल = appearance; मुख़्तलिफ़ = different)

जो मेरी रियाज़त-ए-नीमशब को “सलीम” सुबह न मिल सकी
तो फिर इस के मानी तो ये हुए के यहां ख़ुदा कोई और है

(रियाज़त-ए-नीमशब = religions exercises at midnight)

सलीम कौसर

Here is my 0.02$ on the meaning. The matla of the ghazal is simple yet very appealing. The poet is caught in this quandary, this catch-22 of being a conception of the ONE but being an object of affection/love of someone else. In a vain attempt to find the real meaning of Self, he is caught in between the base reflection (sar-e-aaina) of himself and the real HIM behind the mirror (pas-e-aaina). The paradoxes of life keep growing on him. In the second couplet he seems torn between how at times he is powerless and in the hands of the Almighty, and at times powered by the prayers of his well-wishers. How does fate and destiny compare to our desires? Are our desires and will strong enough to drive our fate? These fundamental, yet un-answered (NP-Hard ;)) questions of life bother him. The rest of the poem themes around how life is walking the tight rope of trust-mis-trust, rewards-punishments, desires-achievements, love-hate, friends-foes. While the contradictions are evident, the poet seems to be at peace with them.

Worth mentioning for its musical value is the last couplet or the maqta of the ghazal. Here Mehdi Hassan sahab transitions from Bhairavi to Lalat justifying the word "subeh." Lalat (Lalit) is an early morning raga and the arrangement of notes creates a magical morning atmosphere in the listener's mind. Ustadji moves seamlessly between Bhairavi, Lalit and back to Bhairavi giving the maqta a tacit beauty of its own. All in all a wonderful ghazal totally worth listening.

Sifar signs off with a promise of more to come.

-- Sifar.