The album Hope... Review on Five Best Ghazals of Jagjit Singh

Jagjit Singh - it would be sinful to say, my favorite or a student’s favorite(as indeed he is) Proud to say India’s answer to any soulful singer or poet. The student loves them for the moody fits of depression. India loves him for his soulful music. And I like him because he speaks sense whatever the language.

Below are a few songs from the album Hope -(this album was it a tribute to his son?) I have actually changed part of the lyrics to compose it as a poem in English. Read it and let me know if it makes sense.

Eh! English? Why English? Because Jagjit Singh songs do make meaning in English too. Try rendering Choli ke peeche kya hain(What is behind the blouse?) in English to the strains of Guns and Roses November Rain(Tune and music). Oops, no sense there! Or Billy Joel singing an item number Rama Rama! Button mera…. to the strains of Uptown Girl. Crass?

No - sense. They might just do that if they run out of lyrics…(but then that’s a thought)

(If possible try to play the song Dhuup hain Kya, Saaya Kya from the album Hope when you read the poem below for comparison.) The song does not match the poem, but it has been my inspiration, (Hint! Iffypatels review. What’s with these newcomers giving me all the ideas?) Consider each para at a time, not a poem at a time.

Hope

Nomads! A wandering crowd

An eternal search to quench that thirst

A piece of cloud to them

What it means - I know.

Teachers! That look from behind(the spectacles)

Of knowledge, nobility and fear

Insecure in their thirst for perfection

What it means - I understand

Girls! To some, worth gawking at

To others, an explosion of colors

And to a lot - superhuman

What it is - I can gauge

Children! Those juvenile scamps

Adventure and joy hold them together

Responsibility -they shirk to seek trouble

What it means - I have gone through

Now not all lines are from the same song. There are a few lines from the song and a few of my additions. But then, that’s Jagjit Singh inspiring you. I only “fill in the blanks” sort of  to give it more meaning. One more from the same album, where he sings Itna na de, Bagwan, Ki hum apne aap ko Bhool Jaaye. This one seems more philosophical, but turned out rather badly in English, nevertheless good as I tried to do a line by line translation.

Prayer

Let the lord not give so much

That we become lords

So that - Leaving ourselves

We’ r blind to everything

Oh, Lord! The world will hold you at fault

If thou - After giving so much

Bid us farewell

Do bind us with twines of similarity before you go.

Heartbroken, empty handed prayers flourish

In such a place who is the stranger?

The chants, shouts… that pass as prayers!

The mediocre publicity goes on.

One more from the same album. This time it is the song Qatil kaun. But I get the feeling that the below song is incomplete and mediocre in English and will need more working on. But anyway the lines penned so far.

Who should I call the murderer?

Everyone here is a friend

Truth is now that looks matter

I have lost friendship

What do I do?

Even stones have hearts,

But pass as human beings

It is a mass crowded place(of stones)

How do I live?

Decorate my homely doors

Even while searching

That’s - a wrong glimpse of life

Why do I care?

When life passes by -

But - the image matters

I have to live it for life

Well! There they are.  I took some trouble translating them into English since I want the translated meanings to reach an international crowd. Hindi/Urdu poetry can be very sweet and lyrical when used in the right sense. But the translations above are unfortunately much watered down versions.(The sweetness appears to be washed away, but the meaning restored partially)