After watching Black Friday and Parzania , these two songs came to my mind. Just to celebrate the ‘secular’ spirit of my country.
First is ‘ Ishwar Allah’ from ‘1947 Earth’, a film directed by Deepa Mehta, based on a novel by Bapsi Sidhwa, on 1947 riots in the Indian subcontinent. The lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar and this song is one of his best according to me. Music has been composed by A.R Rehmaan. Sung by Sujata Mohan and Anuradha Sriram.
Second is ‘ Padh likh ke’ from ‘Zakhm’, directed by Mahesh Bhatt and is about inter religious marriage and the lack of tolerance in our lives. The song has been written by Anand Bakshi, composed by M.M Kreem and sung by Alka Yagnik.
I greatly recommend both the albums. They are both amazing buys.
Lyrics of ‘Ishwar Allah’
Ishwar Allah tere jahaan mein, nafrat kyon hain, jung hai kyon
tera dil to itna bada hai, insaan ka dil tang hai kyon
Ishwar( a synonym for Hindu gods) and Allah why is there hatred and war in your world.
Your heart is so expansive, why are the hearts of humans so narrow.
kadam kadam par sarhad kyon hai, saari zameen jo teri hai
sooraj ke pehre dharti hai phir kyon itni andheri hai
is duniya ke daaman par insaan ke lahoon ka rang hai kyon
When all the land belongs to you, why are there boundaries drawn at every step
Despite the sun guarding the earth why is there so much darkness on earth
why is there colour of blood (of humans) on the ‘daaman’ of the world.
(Daaman is an interesting word. It means a ‘chunni/dupatta or any kind of cloth covering that a woman may have, especially in the Indian subcontinent. But daaman is what usually covers the ‘lap’ so when you are impoverished you spread your daaman to ask for alms and the kids find solace in a mother’s daaman. Earth is like a mother according to Hindu scriptures, country is called ‘matrubhumi’ or ‘motherland’ , therefore this analogy. And isn’t Javed Saab a genius, notice when he says the ‘sun is guarding the earth’ …sigh…)
Goonj rahin hai itni cheekhein, pyaar ki baatein kaun sune
toot rahe hain itne sapne in ke tukde kaun chune
dil ke darwaazon par taalein, un taalon par hai zunk hai kyon
Ishwar Allah…
So many screams echo, who can possibly listen to any talks of love
So many dreams are shattering, who can sift through them
there are locks on the doors of heart, why is there rust on those locks.
Lyrics of Padh likh ke
(The song is being adressed by a mother to her son. The mother is a muslim who dared to love a Hindu man, who is married. However she brought up her sons as Hindus. I might be wrong , but the film is damn intersting, I am hoping someone may want to watch it, so I am not writing anything about it now.)
Padh likh ke bada ho ke, tu ik kitaab likhna ,
apne sawaalo ka tu khud hi jawaab likhna
When you grow up and have studied, you write a book
and write the answers of your questions yourself.
Haathon se jin ka daaman hai ek din chhoot jaana
taaron ke doobte hi jin ko hai toot jaana
yeh aankhien dekhti hain kyon aise khwaab likhna
One day the hands will leave their shade (of the daaman, refer to the previous song for daaman)
They will break as soon as the stars drown(fade away)
why do the eyes see such dreams , do write.
Maine to pyaar ko hi mazhab bana liya hai
is dil ko dil ki duniya ka Rab banaa liya hai
Imaan ho gaya kya mera kharaab, likhna.
I have made love ,only , my religion
I have made ‘this’ heart the God of my heart
Has that corrupted my imaan, do write.
(Imaan is the conscience and the sense of right and wrong, so what she is asking is that, has my love made me betray my conscience or have I done sonmething wrong.)
Kehte hain log, un ki rasmon ko maine toda
yeh faislaa bhi maine teri samajh par chhoda
meri khataaon ka poora hisaab likhna
People say that I have broken their conventions/rules
But I leave at your sense of discretion
please do keep a meticulous account of all my sins.
hindi film songs translated 