Urdu Rock

So, I am currently in the midst of writing my final paper of the year - for my South Asian Languages course - on the concept and character of the lover in Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib''s Urdu ghazals. Sound like a concentrated topic? Well, actually, it's probably one of the broadest topics I could have picked, and thus, is one helluva hard paper to write.

For the past hour or so, I've been typing out all the ashaar (verses) I've found in a copy of Ghalib's abridged divaan (a divaan is essentially the "Complete Works of Ghalib" organized alphabetically by rhyme scheme). As a music-nut, I always listen to music, and so, I decided to turn-on my Windows Media Player and play some...

Now, this may come as a surprise to those of you that know me, but I am an Evanescence fan. I love Amy Lee's music and the power that arises from the combination of her beautiful voice and those absolutely amazing electric guitars.

At first, I thought that Ghalib and Evanescence were an odd combination, and a part of me still does. But, at the same time, I have come to realize that they are quite similar. Ghalib, and the ghazal genre for that matter, is quite obsessed by the concept of unrequited love and much of Ghalib is a cry from the 'aashiq (lover) to his ma'shuq (beloved). And, similarly, much of Evanescence's music deals with the same topic. Listen to Lithium or Snow White Queen or even My Immortal and you'll find a modern version of Ghalib's 'aashiq.

If I could play electric guitar (hmm...what would electric violin sound like?) I would take this following verse from my favourite Ghalib ghazal and revolutionize South Asian rock.

Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeene aur marne ka

Usi ko dekh kar jeete hain jis kaafir peh dam nikle.

There is no difference between living and dying in love

We live by gazing at the unbeliever for whose love we are dying.

Hmm...Urdu ghazals don't translate well. Oh well, back to my paper and my music.

That's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die...

~me

Do Not Ask of Me..

Do not ask of me, my love, that love I once had for you.

There was a time when life was bright and young and blooming,

And your sorrow was much more than any other pain,

Your beauty gave the spring everlasting youth,

Your eyes were everything, all else was vain,

While you were mine, I thought, the world was mine,

Though now I know that it was not reality, that’s the way I imagined it to be,

For there are other sorrows in the world than those of love,

And pleasures other than that of union.

Do not ask of me, my love, that love I once had for you.

- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

(adapted from a translation by Mahmood Jamal)

This isn't an accurate translation of the Urdu, but gets the main thoughts across decently.

That's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die...

~me

mujh se pehli si mohabbat

mujh se pehli si mohabbat meri mehboob na maang.

maine samjha tha ki tu hai to darakhshaan hai hayaat,

tera gham hai to gham-e-dahar ka jhagdaa kya hai,

teri surat se hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat,

teri aankhon ke siva duniya mein rakkha kya hai,

tu jo mil jaaye to taqdeer nigun ho jaaye

yun na tha maine fakat chaahaa tha yun ho jaaye

aur bhi dukh hai zamaane mein mohabbat ke siva

raahatein aur bhi hai vasl ki raahat ke siva.

mujh se pehli si mohabbat meri mehboob na maang.

- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

with apologies to those who don't understand Urdu/Hindi

that's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die

~me

मुझ से पहली सी महब्बत

मुझ से पहली सी महब्बत मेरी महबूब ना मांग ।

मैं ने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख्शाँ है हयात

तेरा ॰गम है तो ॰गम -ए- दहर का झगड़ा क्या है

तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात

तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है

तू जो मिल जाये तो तक़दीर निगूं हो जाये

यूं न था मैं ने फ़कत चाहा था यूं हो जाये

और भी दुःख है ज़माने में महब्बत के सिवा

राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा ।

मुझ से पहली सी महब्बत मेरी महबूब न मांग

- फैज़ अहमद फैज़

with apologies to those who cannot read nagari...

that's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die

~me

Freefall Freefall All Through Life

four in three months...

to whoever...we're not flies...


that's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first - ah forget it

Music @ the Corner

i've been somewhat depressed for the past couple of days and i was standing at the bus stop today at around 9:30pm. it was a beautiful night and a guy was sitting at the corner of the street singing "Yesterday" by the Beatles. He wasn't a great singer or anything, but sang with so much passion it was quite touching. And then it started raining slightly....


That's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die

~me

the hypocrisy of it all....

so...ever since i started going to school at the wee age of 2.5 years, my teachers and those around me have told me that i live in a secular nation - that religion has no place in government and blah blah blah...

as a non-religious person, i've always loved the idea of living in a secular country - seriously, politics without god/gods is less-screwd than politics with god/gods...i have nothing against religions and religion and people who profess to them - i just dont think it makes good political sense to incorporate it into government...

so, i'm kinda upset right now...because it's Good Friday and Easter Monday this week...and it's a national holiday..like come'on seriously...this is totally shattering my notion of secularism in Canada...

if we can have a national holiday for Easter, why can't we have one for Eid (both of them), Vesak, Diwali, why don't we observe Sabbath???

secularism and national holiday for Easter...ahh..the hypocrisy of it all...


that's it for now...ciao, adios, au revoir...and remember...to be born again first you must die

~me