For time changeth a man,
And another changeth time,
Friends change, and foes change:
Forever change is sublime:
Yet thou shalt forever in repining restless lie,
O Lover!—thy love is forever thine!
# # #
There is a strange romance about the love tales of the distant past. Myriad tales of lovers separated centuries apart, waiting, as spirits, for reunion scatter the world and our history. Each story is similar to the other—painful, yet similar. Yet, each story, each fable of separated lovers and their enduring love, has a charm, something peculiar, that engages us to listen, rapturously. We cry often for each lover, though we have heard of a similar only moments ago. Love is something strange. To love is our natural state. Men are made to love.
But that is another story…
# # #
== Lekin—The Album ==
I don’t know what year the movie “Lekin” was released, but it is another story, set in the enigmatic background of a palace in Rajasthan, its troubled history, that made lovers victim and their separation. I have not watched the movie either, but I know, it must have been nothing cinematically brilliant. I also know that it was only for its music that it has whatever fame it has. Lyrics by Gulzar and music composed by the enigmatic composer Pt. Hridyanath Mangeshkar—one of the four legendary Mangeshkars.
== Yaara Sili Sili ==
Voice: Lata Mangeshkar
A song of silent suffering separation, notes dancing to the divine voice of the Nightingale, Yaara Sili Sili claims the listener’s attention at once. Set to a rhythm that very naturally involves the listener, who will find himself swaying to the very engaging percussion, and nodding instinctively to the very involving music. Its words send a shiver of goosepimples down the spine, as Lata Didi sings very emotionally—
Pairon mein nasaaya koi sar pe nasaayi re
Mere saath jaye naa meri parcchai re
Baahar ujaada hain
Andar wiraana!
Yaara sili sili,
Ho dhola sili sili!
== Suniyo Jee ==
Voice: Lata Mangeshkar
I never could understand who this song was sung to—was it sung to her lover, pleading him to return? Or was it sung to her father, reminiscing on the childhood she spent with him, as she left with her lover to begin life afresh? Whatever it is… there is some dard in this song that haunts on and on… there is no English word for it… it is called “Dard”… Listen to Lata Didi sing “araj mhaariyo”… listen to it with a softened heart and an open ear… and you will see something strange happen to you… something strange indeed!
Suniyo jee araj mhaariyo
Baabula humaar
Saawan aayo ghar lei jaiy ho
Baabula humaar!
Bisara diyo he kaahe bides bhijaay ke
Hum ka bulay re babul, doliya sajaay ke,
Bhejo ji doli uthaate,
Chaaro aur kanwaar
== Surmai Shaam ==
Voice: Suresh Wadkar
A ghazal in the silken and golden voice of Suresh Wadkar, flowing like a brook down a mountain side, into the depths of the listener’s heart, “Surmai shaam” was sung by a lover who has visions of his very long lost love, not understanding what they mean or why they are coming to him.
Surmai shaam is tarah aaye,
Saans lete hain jis tarah saaye!
Koi aahat nahin badann ki kahin,
Phir bhee lagtaa hain too yehin hain kahin,
Waqt jaata sunaai detaa hain,
Tera saaya dikhai detaa hain!
Jaise khushboo nazar se chhoo jaye!
Saans lete hain jis tarah saaye!
== Kesariya Baalma ==
Voice: Lata Mangeshkar
Soft, tender yet very gay, “Kesariya Baalma” is when she sings to her lover, describing what became of her when she was him for the first time, as she fell hopelessly in love with him. Very chanchal (English is so poor a language) background music taking peculiar patterns, it is once again a song that will involve the listener, making him sway involuntarily to its rhythm.
Kesariya baalma O’ji
Ye tumse laage nain!
Rangliyo main aaj ang-ang ke rang mein,
Tann huaa mann hua kesariya!
Chandni hai raat, ab to aa jaa piyaa!
Takraa ke sar ko jaan na de doon
To kya karoon?
== Main Ek Sadi Se ==
Voice: Lata Mangeshkar
This song sums up the entire suffering of these two lovers separated centuries apart—of her soul that is still locked to the corridors of the history, waiting for emancipation. You will know what I mean if you read the lyrics… You must listen to this song if nothing else…
Main ek sadi baithi hoon
Is raah se koi guzraa nahin
kucch chaand ke rath to guzre the
par chaand se koi utraa nahin
Din raat ke dono pahiye bhee
kucch dhool udaa kar beet gaye
Main mann aangan mein baithi rahi
Chaukhat se koi guzraa nahin!
Aakash bada boodha baba
Sab ko kucch baat ke jaata hain
Aankhon ko nichoda mainein bahut
Par koi aansoo utaraa nahin...!
== And ==
There are two other songs—“Jhoothe naina bole”, a duet between Asha Bhosle and Sandeep Jaiswal and “Jaa ja re”, a duet between Hridayanath himself and Lata Mangeskhar. Since I have not watched the movie, I don’t know their significance. Set in austere Hindustani classical music, they add variety of a very different kind to the collection.
== In the End ==
Let me not bore more words into this brilliant musical rhapsody… I will try to procure MP3 versions of these songs if I can. You could request for them on e-mail. I’ll let you know everything else later.
