I know Punjabi is a pretty tough language to understand for Non-Punjabis, and so I understand that this category may not be a very liked one for many. But I will still advice u to read on, for The Man who sang these songs did not sing in Punjabi, he sang in Love... love for God, For Humanity, For Singing. He sang out of Passion..Immense passion!!!
Often in lonely nights, while I try to fight my thoughts which hurt me, I play a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan song, and listen to it... with my eyes closed... and soon the thoughts become pleasant, the pains vanish, and its ONLY me... Smiling, mesmerized and enjoying... until sleep takes the better of me!!! Nusrat Saab was born in Pakistan, and was a citizen of the country till his death; despite the offers he was given by India and England to take their citizenship. He was amongst the first people who tried to bring India and Pakistan to friendly terms through ''Art''. Nothing less than an Epitome of his art, died an early death, leaving an un-amendable void in the field of music.
Though Nusrat Saab's music cannot be clubbed with the ''Sufi'' form of music, it can neither be clubbed with any other particular genre. We see glimpses of Sufiana,Folk, Filmy, Love, Religious and Celebration in his songs. And my favourites of his are innumerable, but let me list the 5 rarest and most valuable gems; And I bet, if u have not heard these 5, you haven't ever known music, the power of music and its depth.
Afreen...This is the most famous song of Nusrat saab, The song that was turned into a vedio as well, with Famous Model Lisa Ray, looking her best EVER!!! With its beautiful and deeply discriptive lyrics, the song can make you feel the enchanting beauty of a devine virgin, untouched and pure, right inside u, or around you. I actually get up to look at the mirror by the time the song gets over, and yes it can make u ''Feel beautiful'' inside... I wonder if beauty was ever discribed in better words that these!!! ..... AFREEN..meaning ''the purest, most beautiful and heavenly''
Read here a couplet or two from the song...
Husn-e-jana ki tareef mumkin nahi, tu bhi dekhe agar to kahe hum-nasheen...
Afreen afreen afreen afreen...
Aisa Dekha nahi khoobsoorat koi,
Jism jaise ajanta ki moorat koi,
Jism jaise nigaho ka jaadoo koi,
Jism nagma koi, Jism khushboo koi,
jism jaise machalti hui raagini,
Jism jaise mehekti hui chandani,
jism jaise ki khilta hua ik kamal,
jism jaise ki sooraj ki pehli kiran,
jism tarsha hua dilkash-o-dil nasheen
sandali sandali, marmari marmari.
and....
Aankhe dekhi to main dekhta reh gaya,
Jaam do aur dono hi do aatisha,
Aankhe yaan maikade ke wo do baab hain,
Aankhein unko kahun yaan kahun khaab hain,
Aankhein neechi hui to haya ban gayi,
Aankhein oonchi hui to dua ban gayi,
Aankhein jhuk kar uthi to kaza,
Aankhein uth ker jhuki to ada,
Aankhein jin mein hai faila aasmaan-o- zameen,
nargisi nargisi, surmagi surmagi!!!
Kinna Sona Tenu Rab Ne Banaya.. The song describes a girl expressing her admiration for her beloved... She feels that God has made him the MOST attractive one, and she cannot move her eyes from him, no matter how hard she tries. She knows he might not come to her, but all she wishes to do is have his love in her heart and keep looking at him, from a distance. She has a picture of his in her heart, and feels that she needs no more. Her love for him is life for her, she feels he is her God... Can love be so selfless and pure???...
Kinna sona tenu rab ne banaya, dil kare wekhdi rahu,
Dil mur-da nai, lakh samjhaya, dil kare wekhdi rahu!!
Pyaar tera hai Zindagi meri,
karni hai main pooja teri.
Tennu akhiyaa de wich main wasaya,
Dil kare wekhdi rahun.
Mera Piya Ghar aya O Laal ni...A very distorted virsion of the song was what Madhuri Dixit danced on. The original song is entirely different from its bad copy. The song describes the hapiness and joy of a girl who's beloved has returned home after a long time, and she sings out to give vent to her feelings... The song can make you dance, cry, feel a certain happiness...all at the same time!!!...She feels she can even die after this one union!!!
Piya ghar aya, sannu allah milaya,
hun aape ho jaan nihaal ni
Piya re Piya re... Yes it is very difficult to get myself off those eyes I see my whole world in. It were his eyes which played a magic on me and even when its been almost 3 months that I saw them, I still feel I am captured in them. The song voices the feelings of a girl who sings for her beloved who's miles away, telling him how her heart achs and breaks everytime she feels he is not around!!!
naina ne thari kaisa jaadoo kiya re...
thare bina lage nahi mara jiya re;
Pyaar ki kaliyaan kab ki rakhiyaan,
raawaan tak tak main te thakiyaan,
saanjh sawere dekhan laagi,
thari suratiya maari akhiyaan.
Sannu ik pal chain na ave...This is my favourite song of all times!!! I just can get over its music,lyrics and voice... I cry each tim I hear it...even if its 5 times a day!!! It is about a lover who feels that she cannot pass even a moment of her life in peace when her beloved is not around. She feels her heart pains at the thought of their parting. I can go on and on about this song... It shows how ''judai''(staying away) is so torturous that she prays that even her enimies are not parted from their loved ones!!! She feels that his not returning means he doesn't love her and doesn't understand her worth, so she feels her fateis to sit and cry forever. And then she adresss her beloved, that ur habbit of forgetting and no being carfull about me makes me feel that my destiny is sleeping an eternal sleep...
Tan bhi pyaasa, Mann bhi pyaasa...
Tenu kol bulaawan...
Tu aave te jaan na dewa...
Jaav te marr javaan!!!!
I dont know what to end this with.... but all that I can say is that Nusrat Saab's works have made him immortal for music lovers like me!!!Its all about his Golden Voicewhich makes thes songs a heavenly experience!!! To sum up with a couplet of his...
ishq de rog da kithe na daarooo...
ishq de rog awalle;
aklaan, shaklaan waale, kitte ishq ne kamle, jhalle...
ruswaaiyan te khwaariyaa bajoo, kuch ni ishq de palle,
o barbaad hue khair haafas... jo ghar ishq ne malle!!!
Kithe ishq da rog na la baithi...
