Dhoop Kinaray...

raat yun dil mein teri khoyi hui yaad aayi,
jaise veeraane mein chupke se bahaar aa jaye,
jaise sehraaoN mein haulay se chale baad-e-naseem,
jaise beemaar ko be-wajh qaraar aa jaaye

This is a ghazal by Nayyara Noor, which always puts me in a somber mood, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I heard it long back in a very old Pakistani play called Dhoop Kinaray which I first saw when I was 15 or 16. I’ve grown up a lot on Pakistani influence in my household. Being from Punjab, very close to Amritsar, we used to catch Pakistani channels on our TV every now and then. My dad used to be a big fan of serials like Neelam Ghar, Bakra kishton pe, Budda ghar pe hai. Those are the precious memories from my childhood, when we used to sit together watching one of these absolutely hilarious plays and laugh all the way through. Among the serious ones, I remember watching Tum se kehna tha (ok, this was funny too!!), Tanhayian and Sitara aur Mehr-un-Nissa. I think all of them had Marina Khan in them and I was in love with this Pakistani TV personality at that time....

But my fondest memories are from Dhoop Kinaray – a play I used to watch over and over again during that time, but completely forgot about it for so many years in between. A few days ago, I found several old VHS of that play catching dust in my house and I couldn’t resist watching it again. Strangely enough, even after so many years it had the same effect on me….I was in love with every single bit of it. The play is about the intricacies of relationship between two people separated by a big chunk of age gap – but who fall in love with each other against all odds. I love the way the characters blend so well into their persona, the way they make you laugh and live every single bit of life -as it is, with all the blues and all the greys….

Even today, when I listen to the title song, it makes me want to believe in the idea of that one love, which will walk into my life stealthily one day and sweep me off the floor! Maybe it already has done so, who knows :) as for now, I’m rooted right here in the ground listening to this song on repeat, for the nth time.

Here is where you can listen to it too, and no I can’t translate it for you. I feel there is something so pure, so complete about urdu ghazals, that it defies the very idea of moulding it into any form other than it’s own. But if you must insist, here is a translation by Vikram Seth from Musings and Such

Last night your faded memory came to me
As in the wilderness spring comes quietly,
As, slowly, in the desert, moves the breeze,
As, to a sick man, without cause, comes peace.

hmmmmm...on second thoughts if I had to change that translation to make the essence of the ghazal stay and not do a literal translation, I would have changed it to..

Last night your faded memory came to me
As in the wilderness spring comes quietly,
As, slowly, in the desert, moves the breeze
As, a wound, for no reason, heals....

still doesn't do an iota of justice to the ethereal lyrics :)