Saturday Art: A Song, A Poem, A Feeling

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Today's art topic, is not art in its strict sense, but poetry that touches us as much as art does. There have been very few instances when a song is not just a song, but a feeling. I am referring to one of the finest songs of Bollywood, 'Humne dekhi hain’ from the 1966 film, Khamoshi. It would not do justice to call it just a song, when it is poetry, that is art of a very high order.  Each line of the lyrics evokes a feeling of love, not unbridled, but restrained and understated. The metaphor for love is not expression, but experience. Gulzar poignantly writes love does not require words, the silence is enough and it is within this silence love finds eloquent expression.

There is a common refrain, ‘‘सिर्फ एहसास है ये, रूह से मेहसूस करो’, where love is raised to an almost spiritual level, falling in the domain of the soul. It bears silent witness to the magical glow that even a drop of it confers upon one in pure love. It is not ephemeral but timeless. "नूर की बूँद है, सदियों से बहा करती है", Gulzar could not have put it better. 

What would you call such a love? Giving it a name would only limit it. It is beyond definition as after all it is only an experience. "प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम ना दो", that's how Gulzar wishes it to be. 

He also creates a beautiful image of silence and stored emotion, if ever there can be. It is of a silence that is very potent, that leaves the strongest feelings unsaid. The lips won't tell, but the quivering of the lips is very suggestive. Sample this:

होंठ कुछ कहते नहीं, काँपते होठों पे मगर
कितने खामोश से अफसाने रुके रहते हैं

A song of such depth and meaning could only be given justice by Lata. There are a number of Urdu words in the lyrics and her pronunciations and diction is perfect. For example hear her sing the words, रूह, महकती, इल्जाम, एहसास, अफसाने, मेहसूस. Particularly the way she says, 'एहसास' in the context of the line transports you in another world.

I am giving the audio clip of the song below. Could have given the song video, but felt that the beauty and depth of the song is best experienced by hearing it with eyes closed.

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