Shahryar

Shahryar. The name might not mean anything to most of us. For those few others who are roughly aware of his existence know him no more than the lyricist of Umrao Jaan. He has been one of my favourite shayars for some time now. I thought the moment had come for writing an ode to him.

My introduction to Shahryar was the song “Seene main jalan aakhon main toofan sa kyon hai…”After I heard the song I got so touched by those lines that like a mad man I tried to find out who the hell was the lyricist of the song. Especially the last stanza of the song completely captivated me…
kyaa koi nayi baat nazar aatii hai ham mein
aaiinaa hamen dekh ke hairaan saa kyon hai

In this post I will share with you some of his best works.

ajeeb saanehaa mujh par guzar gayaa yaaro
main apne saaye se kal raat dar gayaa yaaro
har ek naqsh tamannaa kaa ho gayaa dhundhalaa
har ek zakm mere dil kaa bhar gayaa yaaro
bhatak rahii thii jo kashtii vo Gaqr-e-aab huii
chadhaa hua tha jo dariya utar gayaa yaaro
vo kaun thaa vo kahaan kaa tha kya hua tha use
sunaa hai aaj koi shaks mar gayaa yaaro

While the pathos of a broken man is evident in the above verses the next verse philosophies the fact of life.

kabhii kisii ko mukammal jahaan nahin miltaa
kahiin zameen to kahin aasmaan nahin miltaa

jise bhii dekhiye vo apne aap mein gum hai
zubaan milii hai magar ham_zubaan nahiin miltaa

bujhaa sakaa hai bhalaa kaun waqt ke shole
ye aisii aag hai jis mein dhuaan nahin miltaa

tere jahaan mein aisaa nahin ki pyaar na ho
jahaan ummiid ho is kii vahaan nahin miltaa

Then he uses words like…

aise hijr ke mausam ab kab aate hain
tere alavaa yaad hamen sab aate hain

jaagatii aankhon se bhii dekho duniyaa ko
Khvaabon kaa kyaa hai vo har shab aate hain

kaagaz kii kashtii mein dariyaa paar kiyaa
dekho ham ko kyaa kyaa kartab aate hain

The following sher was used in Umrao Jaan..

kis-kis tarah se mujh ko na rusvaa kiyaa gayaa
Gairo.n kaa naam mere lahuu se likhaa gayaa

kyon aaj us kaa zikr mujhe Khush na kar sakaa
kyo.n aaj us kaa naam meraa dil dukhaa gayaa

is haadase ko sun ke karegaa yaqiin koii
suraj ko ek jhonkaa havaa kaa bujhaa gayaa

He didn’t have the proficiency of a Faiz or the burning anger of a Sahir neither was his work acclaimed to the hilt but he gave us some of his simple unpretentious thoughts that don’t fail to touch a cord. No matter who you are.

And lastly couplets of his immortal song from Umrao Jaan…

justajoo jis kii thii us ko to na paya hamne
is bahane se magar dekh lii duniya ham ne

kab milii thii kahaan bichhadii thii hamen yaad nahiin
zindagii tujh ko to bas Khvaab mein dekhaa ham ne...