Movie: ALAM ARA (1956)
Maiden Release: Taj Talkies, Bombay.
Music: A.R. Qureshi
Lyrics: Shewan Rizvi
Rafi’s Sahaab’s trend-setting Ramzan Song: kartaa hai ek raavi yeh dil-soz yeh bayaan…
Roman Transliteration/English Translation of the Urdu filmy lyrics:
kartaa hai ek raavi yeh dil-soz yeh bayaaN
A NARRATOR UNFOLDS THIS HEART-TOUCHING
EXPOSITION
ramzaan ke mahine ki mashhuur daastaaN
ABOUT THE FAMOUS STORY OF THE MONTH OF RAMADAN,
mulk-e- yaman meN ladkaa thaah ek aaTh saal kaa
IN YEMEN, THERE WAS AN EIGHT-YEAR LAD
charchaa thaah sheher sheher meN jis ke jamaal kaa
WHOSE BEAUTY WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWNS,
rozaa KHuda ke naam pe rakhne kaa shauq thaah
FASTING FOR ALLAH, WAS HIS DEEP-LONGING,
ramzaan ka jo chaand nazar us ko Aa gayaa
AS HE SIGHTED THE RAMADAN’S CRESCENT
kehne lagaa yeh maa se ke rozaa rakhuNgaa maiN
HE TOLD HIS MOTHER: “I’D OBSERVE THE FAST,
mujh ko jagaanaa raat ko sehri karuuNgaa maiN
WAKE ME UP AT NIGHT FOR THE PRE-DAWN MEALS!’
bachche ki baat kaa naa kiyaa maa ne kuchh Khayaal
THE MOTHER DIDN’T TAKE THE KID’S RESOLVE SERIOUSLY,
laRkaa jo subah uTha toh us ko huaa malaal
WHEN THE BOY GOT UP IN THE MORNING, HE WAS SAD,
samjhaaya maa ne ay mere dil-bar naa kar malaal
“DON’T BE SAD, O SWEETHEART,” THE MOTHER EXPLAINED,
rozaa nahiiN hai farz abhii tujh pe mere laal
“THE FAST IS NOT OBLIGATORY ON YOU NOW, MY DEAR,”
maasuum dil pe THes lagii maa se yuuN kahaa
THE INNOCENT HEART GOT A BLOW, HE TOLD HIS MOTHER THUS:
ammi suno yeh kehtaa hai Qur’an meN Khuda
“LISTEN MOM, ALLAH SAYS IN THE QUR’AN,
roze ki bhuukh pyaas kaa jo GHam uTHaayegaa
‘HE WHO’LL ENDURE THE HUNGER-THIRST OF THE FAST,
us rozaadar ko naa jahannam jalaayegaa
THE HELL WON’T BURN THAT OBSERVER OF THE FAST’,
Qur’an kaa nuzuul isii maah meN huaa
“THE QUR’AN DESCENDED IN THIS VERY MONTH,
taubaa qabuul kartaa hai is maah meN Khuda
ALLLAH ACCEPTS REPENTENCE IN THIS MONTH!”
al-qissa raat aayii toh woh jaagtaa rahaa
IN SHORT, AS THE NIGHT CAME HE KEPT A VIGIL,
kehnaa kisii kaa kuchh naa sunaa rozaa rakh liyaa
LISTENING TO NO ONE, HE KEPT THE FAST,
sehri woh kar ke so gayaa aur so ke jab uTHaa
AFTER HIS PRE-DAWN MEAL HE WENT TO BED, AND AFTER HE WOKE UP FROM SLEEP
bete kaa maathaa chuum ke maadar ne yeh kahaa
THE MOTHER KISSED HER SON’S FOREHEAD AND SAID:
rozaa naa rakh sakegaa tuu zid apnii chhoR de
“YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO KEEP THE FAST, STOP INSISTING,
de duuNgi apnaa rozaa tujhe rozaa toR de
I’LL GIVE MY FAST TO YOU, BREAK THE FAST!”
laRkaa yeh bolaa khaanaa maiN hargiz naa khauuNgaa
THE BOY SAID THIS: “ON NO ACCOUNT WILL I EAT FOOD,
apne Khudaa-e- paak ko kyaa muNh dikhauuBgaa
HOW WILL I SHOW MY FACE TO ALLAH THE GLORIFIED?”
doh-pahar Dhal ke ‘Asr kaa jab waqt Aa gayaa
AFTER-NOON PASSED AWAY, AND AS THE DAY DECLINED,
paani baGair pyaas se KHushk ho gayaa galaa
WITHOUT WATER, THE THROAT BECAME DRY WITH THIRST,
siine meN saaNs ruk gayii chakkar sa Aa gayaa
THE CHEST BECAME BREATHLESS, DIZZINESS ENSUED,
kamsin thaah naazniiN chakraa ke gir paRaa
THE YOUNG BOY WAS DELICATE, HE FELT GIDDY AND FELL DOWN,
harkat jo dil ki band huwii aaNkh jhuk gayii
AS THE HEART STOPPED BEATING, THE EYES CLOSED,
nabzeN idhar rukiiN toh udhar saaNs ruk gayii
ONCE THE PULSES STOPPED, THERE THE BREATH CEASED!
maa ne kahaa pukaar ke maasuum chal diyaa
THE MOTHER CRIED LOUDLY THAT THE INNOCENT ONE HAS PASSED AWAY,
aftaar ki KHushii se bhii mahruum chal diyaa
DEPRIVED OF EVEN THE JOY OF BREAKING THE FAST, HE HAS GONE!
maa-baap laash dekhte theh apne laal ki
THE PARENTS VIEWED THE CORPSE OF THEIR DEAR ONE,
mayyat paRii thiih saamne ik aaTH saal ki
AN EIGHT-YEAR OLD CORPSE LAY BEFORE THEM!
aaKHir ko rozaa kholne kaa waqt Aa gayaa
AT LAST, THE TIME CAME FOR BREAKING THE FAST,
donon ne Gham meN beTe ke khaayaa naa kuchh piyaa
GRIEVING FOR THEIR SON, BOTH OF THEM NEITHER ATE NOR DRANK,
naagaah dar pe Aa ke sawaalii ne dii sadaa
SUDDENLY, AN ASKER CALLED AT THE DOOR,
saa’il ki shakl meN thaah farishtaa khaRaa huaa
IN THE GUISE OF A BEGGAR, AN ANGEL STOOD THERE!
aawaaz dii ke le lo faqiiroN ki tum duaa
“TAKE THE BLESSINGS OF THE FAQIRS”, HE CALLED OUT:
main bhii huuN rozaadaar doh Allah ke naam kaa
“I, TOO, AM FASTING, GIVE IN THE NAME OF ALLAH!”
jis damm sunii faqiir ki donoN ne yeh sadaa
THE MOMENT BOTH HEARD THIS PLEA OF THE FAQIR
aftaar ko jo rakha thaah saa’il ko de diyaa
WHATEVER REPAST WAS THERE, THEY GAVE IT TO THE BEGGAR,
saa’il ne bhiikh leke kahaa maajraa hai kyaa
ON RECEIVING THE ALMS, THE BEGGAR INQUIRED ABOUT THE MATTER,
maatam hai ghar meN kaisaa yeh mujh ko bhii doh bataa
“WHAT’S THIS MOURNING IN THE HOUSE, LET ME ALSO KNOW,”
saa’il ko apne saath fidar ghar meN le gayaa
THE FATHER TOOK THE BEGGAR INSIDE THE HOUSE,
farzand ke janaaze ko la kar dikhaa diyaa
HE BROUGHT HIS SON’S BIER AND SHOWED IT TO HIM,
bachche ki laash dekh ke saa’il ne kuchh paRHa
ON SEEING THE DEAD BODY OF A CHILD, THE BEGGAR RECITED SOMETHING,
siine pe haath rakh ke yeh murde ko dii sadaa
PLACING HIS HAND ON THE CHEST, HE ADDRESSED THE DEAD:
ay nanne rozaadaar tuu ab rozaa khol le
“O LITTLE OBSERVER OF FAST, BREAK THE FAST NOW!
Ghamgeen maa khaRii hai zaraa maa se bol le
MOURNFUL MOTHER IS STANDING, JUST SPEAK TO THE MOTHER,”
zumbish laboN pe hone lagii aaNkh khol dii
THE LIPS MADE SOME MOTION, HE OPENED HIS EYES,
bachche ko zinda dekh ke maadar lipaT gayii
ON SEEING HIM ALIVE, THE MOTHER HUGGED THE CHILD,
saa’il yeh keh ke aaNkhoN se ruuhposh ho gayaa
THE BEGGAR DISAPPEARED, SAYING
bhejhaa huaa maiN aaya thaah parwardigar kaa
“I HAD COME ON BEING DEPUTED BY GOD”,
thaah imtihaaN kaa waqt musiibat ki yeh ghaRii
IT WAS THE TESTING-TIME, THIS MOMENT OF AFFLICTION,
jo us pe jaan dete haiN, marte nahiiN kabhii
THOSE WHO GIVE THEIR LIFE TO HIM, NEVER DIE!
marte nahiiN kabhii.
NEVER DIE!”
TRANSLATED BY NASIR ALI
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