Auld Lang Syne/ Purano Shei Diner Kotha: Part - II.

Author's Note: The 1^st part can be read HERE.

Auld Lang Syne: The popular belief is that Robert Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne" and this has been the subject of much debate. In short, though it is apparent that Burns "restored" the piece based on fragments of an old ballad dating from before his time, it can be reasonably concluded that Burns probably only added a few verses of his own - to the song. The most compelling evidence, however, is demonstrated in a letter from Burns to Mrs. Agnes Dunlop in which he comments:

              

"Light be the turf on breast of the heaven-inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment! There is more of the fire of native genius in it than in half a dozen of modern English Bacchanalians."

In this statement, Robert Burns was confirming that someone else had written this marvelous piece, albeit that the original words had been lost in the mists of time. His reference to "Light be the turf" means... the turf lying upon the writers grave. The "glorious fragment" confirms that Burns had taken the only known verses and added to them. His praise of the unknown writer's talent ("... the fire of native genius") demonstrates Burns great admiration for the words.   

On this basis, it has been concluded that Rabbie Burns certainly wrote at least two verses, which have been attributed to his style. (Verses 3 and 4) The other verses and the famous chorus are believed to have dated from the middle of the 16th century, if not before.

[Note: Here's Robert Burns' version of "Auld Lang Syne."]

The phrase: "Auld Lang Syne" - is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757) and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Matthew Fitt uses the phrase, "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.

Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man." [This old man is thought to have been an old shepherd from whose lips Burns first heard this song c. 1788. Later on, he added two new stanzas of his own - to the original Scottish song. Then in 1799, this song was formally published and has ever since been associated with Burns; rather been credited to him.]

Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem, and is almost certainly derived from the same "old song". It is a fair supposition to attribute the rest of the poem to Burns himself.

"Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung each year at midnight on New Year's Day (Hogmanay in Scotland) in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the English-speaking areas of India, Pakistan, and Canada ... and signifies the start of a new year.

It is used as a graduation song and a funeral song in Taiwan and Hong Kong, symbolizing an end or a goodbye. In Japan and Hungary, too, it is used in graduation, and many stores and restaurants play it to usher customers out at the end of a business day. In both the Indian Armed Forces and the Pakistani Military, the band plays this song during the graduating parade of the recruits. In the Philippines, it is well known and sung at celebrations like graduations, New Year and Christmas Day. Also, before 1972, it was the tune for the Gaumii salaam anthem of The Maldives (with the current words). In Thailand, it is used for Samakkkhi Chumnum (Together in unity), sung after sports. In Brazil, Portugal, France, Spain, Greece, Poland, and Germany this song is used to mark a farewell. It is also used in the Scout movement for the same purpose, but with somewhat different lyrics.

The tune to which "Auld Lang Syne" is universally sung is a pentatonic Scots folk melody, probably originally a sprightly dance in a much quicker tempo.

In the United States, the song is used as a song of remembrance at 9-11 memorials and other memorial events. The University of Virginia's alma mater ("The Good Old Song"), and the anthem of Alpha Kappa Psi, the largest professional business fraternity in the U.S., is both sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne".

In India, the melody was the direct inspiration for the popular Bengali song "Purano shei diner kotha" (About the old days) composed by the great Nobel laureate Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. And it forms one of the more recognizable tunes in Rabindra Sangeet (the songs of Rabindranath Tagore) - a treasure-trove of 2,230 songs and lyrical poems that form the backbone of Bengali (Bangla) music. In Japan, the Japanese students' song Hotaru no hikari ("Glow of a Firefly") uses the "Auld Lang Syne" tune. The words are a series of images of hardships that the industrious student endures in his relentless quest for knowledge, starting with the firefly’s light - that the student uses to keep studying when s/he has no other light sources.

The tune is also used for the Dutch football song, Wij houden van Oranje (We love Orange). In France, the melody is used with French words and the parting song is entitled Ce n’est qu’un au revoir (This is only 'until we meet again' [not goodbye]). In Indonesia, the melody is used as a farewell song that is commonly sung during graduation or farewell parties. In South Korea, the melody was used for their national anthem, Aegukga, until composer Ahn Eak-tai composed a new melody to the existing lyrics. In Italy, Italian football supporters are very familiar with this melody since the 1970s. It is often sung in stadiums during the matches, especially after the kick-off. Many Italian supporters of different regions and cities adopted this tune and arranged its lyrics according to their teams. These are the lyrics sung by A.S. Roma supporters: La nostra fede mai morrà/canteremo noì ultrà/e insieme a te saremo allor/forza Roma vinci ancor (Our faith will never die/we, the ultrà, will sing/then we'll be with you/come on Roma, win again). In Spain and in Poland, the Scouts movement - for their farewell song at the end of summer camps or just to say goodbye after big events - uses this tune.

So, I guess, one can safely conclude that "Auld Lang Syne" is indeed a very well traveled song.

"Your friend is your needs answered." So said the Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer - the great Kahlil Gibran.

And I say, true that! Wholeheartedly.

Frankly, there are no words to fully express the joys of having friends, especially friends that one can grow wise with. However, both the great bards – Robert Burns and Robi Thakur tried to, what say?

Here are Kahlil Gibran's complete words:

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.”

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

[by Kahlil Gibran (January 6, 1883 - April 10, 1931)

From The Prophet (1923)

Section - Friendship]

Do listen:

1. Julie Andrews singing Auld Lang Syne: Link.

2. Auld Lang Syne with Bagpipes: Link.

3. Auld Lang Syne (Celtic Version): Link.

4. Susan Boyle singing Auld Lang Syne: Link.

5. And here's the Bee Gees singing Black Diamond (YouTube link). The lyrics can be found: HERE.

Listen to them and be claimed by nostalgia!

[Concluded]

PS: Here's the Bee Gees' How Deep Is Your Love (link). Timeless, isn't it? Just couldn't resist mentioning it here and providing the link too. Enjoy!

PPS: As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today include A Red, Red Rose; A Man's A Man for A' That; To a Louse; To a Mouse; Halloween, The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o' Shanter, and Ae Fond Kiss. To know more about this Scottish genius, hop on to: Link.

Photograph: The best-known portrait of Burns, by Alexander Nasmyth. Full view of the Nasmyth portrait of 1787, Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Pic. courtesy: Link.

Auld Lang Syne/ Purano Shei Diner Kotha: Part - I.

Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore, Bishwakobi Robindronath Thakur - our very own Robi Thakur - was born on 7 May 1861 and sailed into the sunset leaving behind his considerable oeuvre and legacy - for us to savour - on 7 August 1941. This being the month of July - the official rainy season, though Mr. Rain is happily vacationing in Spain; yet the occasional pitter-patter of the raindrops brings to mind Robi Thakur's evergreen songs and poems. And that pretty much helped me to decide on what I want to write next.

I have an old friend, a friend from my schooldays and he is very good at playing the mouth organ. And though he lives in Japan now, he faithfully did his bit as our Cultural Ambassador there - playing Rabindrasangeeth at a concert - last year.

Now, Rabindrasangeeth (or the songs of Robindranath Tagore) is the most melodious of songs ... according to yours truly of course. And if this doesn't seal or giveaway my true blue bongololona roots, what will?! You agree, don't you? [Note: Mind it, I said roots and not grassroots :)]

But let me not digress.

Umm, so you want to know what tune my friend played? Well, he played Purano Shei Diner Kotha - penned by our much-loved poet laureate - and mesmerized his audience.

'Purano sei diner kotha bhulbi ki re hai o shei chokher dekha, praaner kotha shaykii bhola jaaye' - is about the beauty of days gone by. A nostalgic tune that brings you back your childhood, takes you through down memory lane.

Tagore particularly admired the celebrated 18th century Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns (1759-96) - the one who penned O My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. Burns is Scotland's national poet and is also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as The Bard.

He is regarded, as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement, and after his death became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora around the world.

As you may know, Tagore's "Purano shei diner kotha" (Memories of the Good Old Days) was inspired from the tunes of "Auld Lang Syne" - a Scottish poem composed by Robert Burns. Burns did not compose it per se but rather saved it from obscurity.

There is some doubt as to whether the melody used today is the same one Burns originally intended, but it is widely used in Scotland and in the rest of the world.

Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (not to mention English, Welsh and Irish people) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.

As for us: much of our culture and heritage - including songs, poetry, folklore, art and music has been lost to the mists of time. Or has been twisted beyond recognition. Much of it - our heritage, that is - now revolves around whether women or girls, I mean the female of the species, should wear jeans. Must say, our self-proclaimed 'sons-of-the-soil' aka dhartiputra-s aka 'defenders of our ancient culture and traditions' are quite convinced that Levi Strauss also moonlighted as Manu's darzi. But ... the dhoti, panche or mundu has absolutely nothing to do with the upliftment of 'our ancient culture and traditions'. This is perhaps because it is difficult to uplift anything else let alone 'our ancient culture and traditions' ... while wearing them. One is too busy uplifting the dhoti, the panche or the mundu instead. Also these are major hindrances when the sundry 'defenders' and the 'sons-of-the-soil' have to answer their call of sacred duty whenever the womenfolk 'ask for it'. Tying them back on after having done one's duty is a momentous task indeed. Therefore selective amendments have been made ... so as to allow the inglees pants, better known as trousers, to sneak in.

Umm, I have been digressing yet again. My apologies. You see the compass is on a vacation. But henceforth I'll stick to the straight and narrow, I promise. So, lets retrace our steps.

In other cultures however, there are composers whose compositions have stood the test of time. Auld Lang Syne by Scotland's best-loved bard, Robert Burns (1759-1796) is one such example. This wonderful pentatonic tune influenced two popular compositions in Bangla. Tagore himself composed Purano Shei Diner Kotha based on it, while Suparnakanti Ghosh did the same many years later by injecting the tune verbatim - in order to introduce the lyrics of Gauriprasanna Majumder's Coffee House-r Shei Adda, that Manna De's golden vocal chords elevated to the status of anthem for the youth. The story of Burns ends here, very little of the rest of the genius of Burns lives on. Be that his poetry or his music. For many other popular Celtic or Scottish songs, the tune or composition has survived while the composer has gone into oblivion ... claimed by that wise, old man with a long, gray beard - also known as Father Time.

"Auld Lang Syne" ("s" rather than "z") is Scottish for "old long ago" or "a long time ago" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".

[Note: "Auld Lang Syne" - the song's (Scots) title may be translated into English literally as, "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long, long ago" or "days gone by".]

In Scots syne is pronounced like the English word sign - IPA: [sain] - not [zain] as many people pronounce it.

As for 'Purano Sei Diner Kotha': The lyrics are so simple and yet so profound. Memories about the simple joys of life, shared with someone you love. Memories that are old sepia-tinted but cannot be forgotten. Memories of meeting of the eyes and heartfelt talks; memories of picking flowers together - early in the morning; memories of swinging on a swing and singing under the shade of a tree. Can one really forget those (g)olden days?

Who did Robi Thakur pen this for? Who did he have in mind - that inspired such timeless lyrics that also tugs at one's heartstrings?

Maybe he wrote it for Kadambari Debi - his much-adored sister-in-law-cum-childhood playmate - in her memory, that is. [Note: I am not completely sure though. The net  - particularly Prof. Google - wasn't of much help and none of my friends could throw any light on this. But, if any of you are aware of any more snippets, please do share.]

Tagore composed this song after he came back from England, and it was in England that he first heard this Scottish folk song: Auld Lang Syne. He has captured the pathos of parting, and used the same notes as were used in the original song ... with his amazing, vivid and lyrical imagination. So much so that it reaches in and touches the soul. Needless to say, 'Purano Sei Diner Kotha' is one of my favorite songs.

This song is about nostalgia, about loss of old friends and the hope of meeting them again. It is about the memories that remain in our hearts forever. It is about remembering those old times and wishing them back. It is about the friendships that we have let go of ... while we were too busy with ourselves ... only to realize one fine day what actually we have lost.

Here is the song in Bangla:

Purano shei diner kotha

Bhulbi kii re

Hai o shei chokher dekha, praaner kotha

Shaykii bhola jaaye

Aaye aar ektibar aayre shokha

Praner majhe aaye mora

Shukher dukher kotha kobo

Praan jodabe tai

Mora bhorer bela phuul tulechi, dulechi dolaaye

Bajiye baanshi gaan geyechi bokuler tolai

Hai majhe holo chadachadi, gelem ke kothaye,

Abaar dekha jodi holo shokha, praner majhe aai

And here is the English Translation (not mine though): it is not an exact text translation, but sort of:

Old times' tale - how could they be forgotten?

Lived through our eyes,

Words spurting from our hearts - sweet memories

Come once again ... to the embrace of the soul,

Sharing joys and woes, gratifying our hearts.

We gathered flowers in the dawn, swayed on the swing,

We sang songs and played the flute beneath the bokul tree

Alas we parted then, who knows where we went...

Now that we meet again, friends, let's embrace.

Here is a link to the fabulous Purano shei diner kotha - rendered by the evergreen Hemanta Mukhopadhyay: Link.

The lovely Purano shei diner kotha played in piano [along with piano notation]: Link. 

Link to the iconic Coffee House-r Shei Adda-ta Aaj Aar Nei, Aaj Aar Nei - rendered by Manna-da's golden vocals: Link  [Guitar chords: Link.]

[The Lyrics/ Coffee House-r Shei Adda-ta Aaj Aar Nei, Aaj Aar Nei: Link.]

Purano shei diner kotha – by the peerless Kishore Kumar (Kishore Kumar Ganguly): Link.

Purano shei diner kotha – By Srikanto Acharya: Link.

Purano shei diner kotha/ Auld Lang Sine: From the movie 'Ballygunge Court': Link.

(More later ...)

Photograph: Who else, but Winnie the Pooh! Found it while trawling the net. Don't remember the link though :(

"Paimana Bideh"... (Part-III)

Author's Note: If you want to read the 1st part of this post... and listen to this fabulous song, click HERE.

For the 2nd part, click HERE.

This is the concluding part. Let me begin this post with five fabulous songs. From the album "Ustad & The Divas". Ustad Sultan Khan with Chitra, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal. Music: Sandesh Shandilya. Lyrics: Irshad Kamil. The songs are amazing, to say the least. Really... "music is the food of love." Though I must admit... I have never doubted that *smiling*

You can download all the 10 songs from HERE. Following are the links to their videos.

1. Ustad & The Divas - 'Hainiya' - LINK. Alternate link: HERE.

2. Ustad & The Divas - 'More Piya' - LINK.

3. Ustad & The Divas - 'Billo' - LINK.

4. Ustad & The Divas - 'Haire Raatbhar' - Ustad Sultan Khan and Chitra (LINK).

5. Ustad & The Divas - 'Leja Leja Re' - Ustad Sultan Khan with Shreya Ghoshal (LINK).

Marvelous, romantic and refreshing songs... all. You are sure to enjoy them.

Here are a few more for you to savour.

1. 'Chandni si Raat' - Ustad Sultan Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain - Video LINK. The Magic of Sarangi... music is truly divine. Wah Ustad Wah!

2. 'Shaam Dhale' - Chitra and Ustad Sultan Khan - Video LINK. It is a soothing song and brings back memories. (Its evening again/ time passes, it does not wait for anyone/ look another day has passed us by/ it is time to stop all the negativities/ and learn to live... and love...). So true yet so magical!

3. 'Maula Maula' - Ustad Sultan Khan. Features DJ Suketu - Video LINK.

Lets get back to Zeb and Haniya. Here is a little background info... on them. 'Zeb and Haniya' was conceived circa 2000-2003, during the girls' college days in the United States, where Zeb studied Economics and History of Art while Haniya studied Computer Science and Anthropology (at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College in the Pioneer Valley). 'Chup', their first song, came to life in sessions at an abandoned café in the basement of Zeb's dorm. After a tremendous response from the college community, Zeb and Haniya recorded a rough version of 'Chup' and another song titled 'Yaad' with Mekaal Hasan of Mekaal Hasan Band fame (website). Once again, the response was remarkable... and the songs were a hit.

Produced by Mekaal Hasan, 'Chup' also features some of the best talent that Pakistan has today: Gumby, Shallum, Kamran Zafar, Mohammad Ahsan Papu, Omran Shafique, Hamza Jafri, Sameer Ahmed and Sikandar Mufti; as well as Norwegian musician Hildegunn Øiseth. The album (also titled 'Chup') opens with the song 'Chup' and the vocals on this are a treat to listen to.

You can download all the 10 songs in this album - 'Chup' - a myriad of jazz, blues and rock with a pinch of folk and classical thrown in, courtesy this LINK. It contains 9 songs. The 10th song 'Ahaan' can be downloaded from HERE.

I've already given the links for 'Paimana Bideh' - by far one of the best songs on the album - in the 1st part of this post. Now, I'll give you a little background about the remaining 9 songs and the links to some of their videos as well. They are a must-watch! So, here you go:

1. 'Chup' is this sweet, folksy song that packs a jazzy punch because of the use of the trumpet, played by Hildegunn. It has very simple lyrics... yet the song is very endearing. [Video Link].

2. 'Chup' is followed by 'Rona Chhor Diya' which packs a far stronger punch - the girls sound infinitely more passionate, the music is fiery as is the chorus 'maine rona chhor diya' (tr: I've stopped crying). Take a note of the lyrics 'paani barsa / yeh dil tarsa / par jab beeta thoda arsa / maine rona chhor diya' (tr: it rained / my heart pined / but after a while / I stopped crying) and 'ab to bas mai hi khabar hoon / gardish main hoon / rahguzar hoon / toofaan hoon main / tera darr hoon' (tr: now, I'm the news / I'm revolving / I walk the path / I'm a force of nature / I am your fear) - 'Rona Chhor Diya' could very well become the darker, twisted Pakistani version of post-breakup anthems like, Destiny's Child's 'Survivor', Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive' and Meredith Brooks' 'B**ch'. [Video link].

3. The next track 'Kabhi Na Kabhi' has darker undertones - it evokes images of old black and white films and would be perfect for a hindi film soundtrack. A poignant track, carried through by the vocals and the smooth and sultry trumpet provided by Øiseth. [Video link - performed live].

4. 'Kahaan' is fairly forgettable and it highlights the only issue I have with the album; that listening to it from start to finish makes it feel slightly monotonous. Whereas, if you listen to the songs individually they're all great listening. Perhaps the CD would make for a better hear if the track listing was done in a better way.

5. 'Chal Diye' has an absolutely beautiful guitar arrangement - kudos to Shallum, Kamran, Haniya and Mekaal, and the song's vocals have more of a classical flavour as opposed to the earlier tracks. A slow acoustic ballad that soothes the listener into the lyrics. [Video Link].

6. 'Ahaan' is another track to keep an ear out for - this alternative pop song will be a big hit if Zeb and Haniya opt to make a video for it. [Video Link - this is an amazing track with animation].

7. 'Seh Na Sakay' is another song with an old-world feel to it, like 'Kabhi Na Kabhi' which features early on in the album.

8. 'Aitebar' is an instant classic and here the vocals suddenly sound so much more grown up - even seductive. The song's been complemented by a fantastic video directed by Saqib Malik, who has showcased the concept fantastically through dance. The video, shot in a gorgeous haveli, shows a couple dancing to symbolize their relationship, until the girl closes the door (literally!) on it. The basic concept is a woman who's ended the relationship and she's symbolically closing the door of the house... where she spent time with her partner, husband, we don't know, that's been left open.

And as she goes through each room she relives a part of her relationship that coincides with what Zeb and Haniya are singing about, the emotion they're trying to express. So sometimes it's anger, sometimes it's hatefulness, nostalgia, freedom, some sort of tension...

Zeb and Haniya look gorgeous as they stand on the sidelines and sing this song in the video. The line 'raat thee teri to ab din hai mera' (tr: if the night was yours, the day is mine) jumps out - and the song finishes off with mélange of guitar and drums, proving how much better live drums sound on an album. [Video Link].

9. 'Ban Kay Touri Jogan' features Zeb on vocals and is probably the most fast-paced song on the album. Zeb holds her own in the face of lyrics that one would usually hear from classical music singers, and it is perhaps the most befitting end to this album. It starts slow but picks up a very fusion-like sound, showcasing the singer's tutelage of classical music.

'Zeb and Haniya' is the music I want to listen to on a holiday, weekend or on a Sunday morning/afternoon. Great vocals; not so mellow that I wander back into bed, but not so aggressive that I'm further traumatized... the first few hours I'm up after hearing them, that is. I'm sure you'll second my opinion/views. Their music draws on a number of different traditions - folk, the blues, jazz, rock, swing (!), ghazals, qawwali, Hindustani classical music, and Turkish and Lebanese music.

In their grandmother's house in Kohat in the North-West Frontier Province, recall Zeb and Haniya, there were always "lots of harmoniums and tablas lying around." Their uncles, "all big strapping Pathan men," sang "beautifully." And their grandmother too wrote and sang in three languages - Pashto, Urdu and Punjabi.

"We are not fighting our culture to make music. When Pathan families get together, there's lots of fun, lots of food, lots of meat, and lots of music. That has been fading away from our experience and other people's perception of Pathan culture. It is something we want to reclaim," said Zeb.

Their songs bring a spectrum of style, instrumentation and influence. Some tracks ring with the cheeriness of pop while others capture the evocative richness of Pashto and Farsi folk traditions. Their sound is not confined to one genre, and has been described as alternative, art folk, ethnic blues and World Music. Their influences are many, including pioneering pop and folk from Pakistan, 60s and 70s folk guitar-based music from the US and UK, classical South Asian music, classic jazz, delta blues.

The artists skim across decades, genres and borders to produce a truly innovative sound. Their songs seamlessly mix blues grooves and jazzy rhythms into complex melodies grounded in local traditions. Finally, we have a sound that touches the brilliant kaleidoscope of language, history, art and culture that is South-Asia... or rather this region. The band draws upon a diverse set of influences including Suzanne Vega, Turkish singer Barış Manço, and jazz and blues singers like Muddy Waters. They have been touted as the successors to the iconic Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan, a singer who achieved worldwide fame in the 1980s. Remember the song "Aap Jaisa Koi" from the Feroz Khan-Vinod Khanna-Zeenat Aman starrer (1980) hindi film Qurbani? Remember the voice behind the super-hit song "Boom Boom"... ?? Here is the video of yet another of her popular songs - "Disco Deewane". Sadly, Nazia passed away on August 13, 2000 in London due to lung cancer... at the age of 35.

In an outstanding display of chivalry, it was some of the top male musicians in the industry (in Pakistan) who held the door open for Zeb and Haniya: Mekaal Hasan, Shallum Xavier, Louis 'Gumby' Pinto, Omran Shafique, Hamza Jafri, Sameer Ahmed and Sikander Mufti (from Co-Ven), are just some of the musicians. Fulfilling the duty of brass instruments here is Hildegen Øiseth, an established Norwegian Jazz musician. His trumpets serenade the songs and their lyrics, and quite frankly if you remove his contribution to the album, it would sound incomplete and unfinished. These gents did everything from contributing music to help on production details on this album, and one wonders if there was a case of "too many cooks spoiling the broth" here. Thankfully, under the careful eye (and ear) of Mekaal Hasan, everything is in proportion.

Let me end this post with the great 13th-century Persian poet and sufi mystic Rumi. His poems elegantly and consistently touch our inner being and inspire us to go beyond our limitations towards the Divine. Enlightened souls such as Rumi belong to the entire world... as do all great genius', masterpieces and works of (true) art. When it comes to spiritual manifestations... elements such as nationalities, language, gender, time and space do not apply. Rumi was a global citizen, a lover of all of God's creation. A note for those who overlook his message and want to 'claim' Rumi as their own (country, nationality, language, etc) - they've missed the point completely. The sufi poet's message of love still reverberates years after his death (LINK).

You can read some of Rumi's 'Poems of Passion' (translated into English) - HERE.

1. Rumi's poetry: 'Say I Am You' (a Sufi poem) - LINK. I've been seeking the One for a while now, it's hard, but it's worth it. At moments I feel the Divine within every fiber of my being, taking me over completely. For the rest of my life I wish to know only Him, but I still have so much seeking to do.

2. Rumi's Poem, Iranian Music and Divine Dance - LINK. This video is on the theme of divine love, unity, oneness and the similarity of nations/faiths. God is separate from nothing and nothing is separate from God. We are all ONE. Nothing else matters. God loves everyone.

The music is from the album titled "Gift Of Love Vol.1". The Artist is Deepak Chopra. The track name is "Agony And Ecstasy Of Divine Discontent". The poem is by Rumi, recited by Madonna (not sure if she is the right person to recite it, though). The singer and the Music are Iranian.

Enjoy... and have a great weekend!

Note: Some info gathered, courtesy Wikipedia and instep.

There is some disappointment in seeing how Pakistani record labels market their bands. If one were to visit Zeb and Haniya's website, they get a much closer feel to the group's music than the one depicted on their album. The picture on the back of the album, for example, is a much more relaxed and truer image of the two women than the one on the front - juxtaposed in darkness and with big, bold, manly letters. Clearly the record label needs to let their bands be true to themselves. But a book can't be judged by its cover and a band (in this case) not by its album cover. Zeb and Haniya are all set to be heard out loud and clear, across the radio, on the telly and on your music players. They will be anything but 'chup' from now on...

K.S. Chitra is also known as the 'Nightingale of South India'. I think she is simply amazing!

Rumi's poetry: 'Say I Am You' (Sufi poem): The credits do appear at the end of this video, but it is by the composer, Eleni Karaindrou, and is the theme music called "Eternity and a Day" from the movie, Aggelopoulos.

Photograph:

The cover of the album "Ustad & The Divas". Quite appropriate for this post, right... ?!! Pic courtesy: link.

"Paimana Bideh"... (Part-II)

Author's Note: If you want to read the 1st part of this post... and listen to this fabulous song, click HERE.

'Paimana Bideh' is a gem of a track. Originally a Pasthun/Darri folk song, the girls (Zeb and Haniya) get everything right here. It's the kind of track you'd want to listen to after a long tiring day at work. With its almost lullaby-like vocals and careful use of the trumpet by Hildegunn Øiseth (an established Norwegian Jazz musician), this track is about yearning and love, and is the perfect number. Hildegunn's use of the horn... in this number, is fantastic. It draws to a whispery close all too soon! This traditional folk song is sung in Pashto and Dari and it brings home the charm of great world music: that it even strikes a chord with someone who does not understand the language.

Given the unfortunate signs of our times... I thought it would be appropriate if I began this post with a beautiful song rendered by Abrar-ul-Haq - "Tere Rang Rang".

You can view the video HERE. A lovely song indeed! The video is a must watch!

The complete lyrics of this fabulous song can be read: HERE. It is an Urdu-Sufi kalam. Download link: HERE.

Since we are talking about poetry... let me quote the great Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869): "Hazaron khwahishein aisi ke har khwahish pe dumm nikley." [Meaning: that I have a thousand wishes and the uncontrollable desire to fulfil each one of them]. Wonderful words, indeed.

For those of you who have listened to this song (Paimana Bideh) and fallen under its spell... let me just add that the original poetry (in Pashto/Dari language) is by the great Persian polymath, astronomer, poet and mystic Omar Khayyám (1048-1123/1131). Following is the complete lyrics with english translation. The new translation is based on the earlier translation. You can even find the urdu translation in that link.

Paimona bedah key khumar astam
Man ashiq e chasm e mast e yaar astam
(Bring me the chalice, so I may lose myself,
I'm in love with my Beloved's intoxicating Gaze).

Chashmat key bagh e khutan memanaat
Royat ba gulab haye chaman memanaat
(Your Eyes light up my secret garden
Your Face lights up every rose therein).

Gul roo ba kuneed waraq waraq boyee kaanee
Ba lalazar e be watan me yaraat
(Face like a flower, it give petals their fragrance
The land of my Beloved is placeless).

Man ashiq e chasm e mast e yaar astam
Bedeh bedeh kay khumar astam
Paimona bedah key khumar astam
(I'm in love with my Beloved's intoxicating Gaze,
Bring! Bring! So I may annihilate myself.
Bring me the chalice, so I may lose myself).

Az O madanet ager khaber me dashtaam
Pesh e qadamat kocha ragul me kashtaam
(If I hear of Your sacred arrival,
Under Your feet, I will spread a carpet of flowers).

Gul me kashtam gul e gulab me kashtam
Khak e qadamt padi dam e war dashtaam
(Spread flowers, Spread rose flowers,
I will sacrifice myself at the dust of Your feet).

Paimona bedah key khumar astam
Man ashiq e chasm e mast e yaar astam
(Bring me the chalice, so I may lose myself,
I'm in love with my Beloved's intoxicating Gaze).


Symbology of "Wine" and "Beloved's Intoxicated Gaze": In Sufi poetry and music... a much used symbol is "Wine" and "Beloved's Gaze".

The Sufis define their relationship with God through "Love" and thus their favorite name for God is "Beloved". No wonder some medieval European writers thought of the Sufis as the lost and hidden Esoteric Christians in disguise... since Christ's teachings and the Sufi doctine of love are so strikingly similar.

"Beloved's Intoxicating Gaze" is an imagery used to mean the special grace that falls upon the heart of the devotee that give rise to God realization or recognition of God and brings bliss of the soul's loving self-surrender.

For some its a surprise that despite intoxication or strong drink being prohibited in the Scripture, yet the imagery of wine is found in the works of many Sufis... even though they themselves never touched wine or any other intoxicating drink.

The great Sufi teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) wrote: "What makes the soul of the poet dance? Music. What makes the painter paint beautiful pictures, the musician sing beautiful songs? It is the inspiration that beauty gives. Therefore the Sufi has called this beauty sāqī , the divine Giver who gives the wine of life to all.

In the imagery of the Sufi poets, this tavern is the world, and the sāqī (wine giver) is God. In whatever form the wine-giver comes and gives the wine, it is God who comes. In this way, by recognizing the sāqī , the wine-giver, in all forms, the Sufi worships God. He recognizes God in friend and foe as the wine-giver."

About losing oneself, about becoming annihilated by the intoxicating divine wine, the 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic Rumi said it beautifully, "Dissolve like sugar in water before the Beloved."

The mystic desires that which Omar Khayyám calls wine, the wine of Christ, after drinking which, no one will ever thirst. (:: Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan).

1. Omar Khayyám - In Praise of Wine - LINK.

2. Khayyám's poetry (with persian music and english translation) - Do not Reproach Lovers - LINK.

Khayyám I believe is saying... live your life to the fullest but be ready for death whenever it comes. Echos of it can be found in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's celebrated poem "Ulysses".

"Ulysses" is a dramatic monologue (since Ulysses is the only speaker throughout the poem) about an old man who loves to travel and remain active. He is unhappy and dissatisfied as a king and is speaking of his love for travel and dislike for redundancy. Ulysses would rather "Drink life to the lees" (lines 6-7). This means: he wants to get all he can... from life. Keeping this in mind, he gives the throne to his son, Telemachus (who would appreciate it more than him). Then he sails off to enjoy the final voyage of his life. Tennyson uses the theme of desire. "Ulysses'" entire speech is about wanting to travel rather than be idle (and be a king). Tennyson's poem is filled with connotative language. The poet writes about enjoying life to the fullest. Every moment of it. "From that eternal silence, something more". Ulysses also makes allusions to Achilles.

In "Ulysses" Tennyson explains his philosophy of life through the words of the lone speaker, the Greek hero, Ulysses. According to Tennyson, the purpose of life is to remain active. One should not waste time waiting for death. That would make life dull. He explains the brevity of life and urges the readers to devote themselves to action and make their life worth living.

In Urdu, a whole lot of ideas are expressed with the help of 'intoxication'... propping up suffering as a metaphor. It's not meant to be taken literally. Omar Khayyám used words like 'maikhana' to stand for 'the world as a whole' and 'paimana' to mean 'a glass brimming with life'.

"Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night

Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:

And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught

The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light."

-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain I

"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
And Wilderness is Paradise enow."
-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain XI


The Persian poet, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer - Omar Khayyám - is probably the most famed of all Persian poets in the West, ever since Edward FitzGerald translated the Rubáiyát in Victorian 19th century. This profoundly influenced the West's perception (or misperception) of Persia in the turn of the century. In fact as unusual as it may seem, one of the original manuscripts of the Rubáiyát was carried aboard the RMS Titanic and was to disappear with the doomed liner under the sea... never to resurface again.

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, (rendered into English Verse by Edward FitzGerald) can be viewed HERE. Alternative links: 1. HERE and 2. HERE.

A Persian ruba'i is a two line stanza with two parts (or hemistechs) per line, hence the word "Rubáiyát", (derived from the Arabic root word for 4), meaning "quatrains". The nature of a translation very much depends on what interpretation one places on Khayyám's philosophy. The fact that the Rubáiyát are a collection of quatrains - and may be selected and rearranged subjectively to support one interpretation or another - has led to widely differing versions.

"Yet Ah, that Spring should vanish with the Rose!

That Youth's sweet-scented manuscript should close!

The Nightingale that in the branches sang,

Ah whence, and whither flown again, who knows!"

-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain XCVI

"Ah Love! could you and I with Him conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits--and then
Re-mold it nearer to the Heart's Desire!"
-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain XCIX

Here is a video... with haunting, heart-rending music. Quite akin to Khayyám's intensely passionate poetry. It is from the very depths of the eternal soul. Fatalistic, yes, but so beautifully stunning, in my opinion... with the whirling dervish and the divine music. The link is: HERE.

With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,

And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:

And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd--

"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."

-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain XXVIII

1. "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám" (Part 1) by Richard Le Gallienne (reading): LINK 1

2. "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám" (Part 2) by Richard Le Gallienne (reading): LINK 2

Magnifique! Verses about how one must accept the transience of all sublunary things.

None answer'd this; but after Silence spake

A Vessel of a more ungainly Make:

"They sneer at me for leaning all awry;

What? did the Hand then of the Potter shake?"

-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain LXIII

These lines are from the very first edition/publication (in 1859) of the "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám" translated by Edward Fitzgerald - "The Potter's House" - LINK.

Of course, we too are made of clay. "All this of Pot and Potter - Tell me then, Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?"

And strange to tell, among that Earthen Lot

Some could articulate, while others not:

And suddenly one more impatient cried--

"Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?"

-- Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát, Quatrain LX

FitzGerald himself called this a "transmogrification" rather than a "translation" - he made up much of it. There were five editions - this is from the first.

Here is another LINK. These verses (from "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám" by Edward FitzGerald) were cherry-picked from all the five editions, not in order. The pictures are mostly photographs of plates by Edmund Dulac.

Omar Khayyám is a true legend and his poems sound wonderful everywhere and in any language. To have these beautiful lines running through one's mind throughout the day/evening/night, is, in a word, heavenly. What the 'cowboys' and their cronies are doing to this great land/region (Persia: present-day Iran) we are all aware of. Not to be left behind, Hollywood also did its bit... with the Gerard Butler starrer "300".

Note: Some info gathered courtesy, Wikipedia.

The translation of Khayyám's Rubáiyát: Nicolas took the view that Khayyám himself clearly was a Sufi. Others have seen signs of mysticism, even atheism, or conversely devout and orthodox Islam. FitzGerald gave Khayyám's Rubáiyát a distinct fatalistic spin, although it has been claimed that he softened the impact of Khayyám's nihilism and his preoccupation with the mortality and transience of all things. Even such a question as to whether Khayyám was pro- or anti-alcohol gives rise to more discussion than might at first glance have seemed plausible. (I have already explained the symbolism involved vis-a-vis 'wine' and 'glass'... in this post).

More info on Hazrat Inayat Khan - the exemplar of Universal Sufism and founder of the Sufi Order International: HERE.

Photograph:

Illustration by Arthur Szyk for the 1940 edition of "The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám". Pic courtesy: Wikipedia.