Ai Gham-e-dil Kya karun

Ai gham-e-dil kyaa karoon
 Ah! The heartache!

A very common theme in Hindi songs is the heartache, that oh-so-sweet mixture of the pain of separation and the pleasure of the memories and dreams, when one longs for the lover. In every story portrayed on the Indian screen, there was an inevitable turn of events where the lovers are separated. Then comes the heartache.

Shammi Kapoor in 1953

     Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,

     Could ever hear by tale or history,

    The course of true love never did run smooth;

     -- Shakespeare, 

     A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1, scene 1

The word for this heartache is ग़म, pronounced as the word gum, but when pronouncing the 'g' sound you must open the back of your throat ever so slightly to produce the right sound, for this letter comes from Persian. Listen to the song, you will get it. If you are ever going to try singing ghazals, you must learn how to make this consonant. Without it, ghazals would never sound right. In fact, the word ghazal itself starts with this consonant which does not exist in any Indian language except Urdu.

Thokar was produced in 1953, when the incredibly handsome Shammi Kapoor was in his early twenties. It was a phase in his acting career that preceded his playboy image which we know much better from his movies in the sixties, like Junglee or Tumsa Nahin Dekha. It was not a box office hit, but it was remembered for the soulful music composition of Sardar Malik and the mellifluous voice of Talat Mahmood. As I remember it, this was one of those songs in the early 50's that made Talat Mahmood the King of Ghazals for the next 25 years. The style of K.L. Saigal in singing love songs and ghazals in the previous decades had run its course by then, with Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Talat carving out their niches by developing their own distinct styles. 

Talat Mahmood excelled in in producing the best rendition of Urdu from his native Lucknow, a style which is unique to Lucknovites. The gentle tremolo in his voice filled the words with romance and tenderness. 

The poet was Majaz Lucknawi. Here are some interesting facts about the poem from which the lyrics were selected, and the poet who wrote. It resulted from doing some research in response to a comment from one of the readers of my blog.

Majaz Lucknavi was born, not in Lucknow, but in a small town in the region known as Awadh, a place with a rich cultural life which produced many Urdu scholars, and is also known for its wonderful cuisine which was cultivated over many centuries in the kitchens of Nawabi palaces. He later moved to Lucknow.

As a young man, Majaz, whose given name was Asrar, and was lovingly called Jaggan by his family members, held a small job in government. His interest in poetry drew him away regularly to sit with like-minded friends in mushairas. Contrary to the popular image portrayed in Indian cinema as singing sessions, mushairas were sessions of poetry of all kinds, not just love songs and ghazals. These excursions led to the loss of his job just as he was about to go back to his village to marry his sweetheart. The girl's parents hear of his dismissal and call off the wedding. That led to the heartache which is expressed in this song.

The poem he wrote under the influence of this heartache is a very long one with fourteen stanzas. It describes his feelings as he wandered the streets of Bombay, jobless, with heavy heart. The poem is filled with beautiful contrast. The first two lines of each stanza speak of the splendor, opulence and the excitement of the city, all of which should have been uplifting. There is a "but" in the third line, in which he writes about why he cannot feel the excitement as his sorrow pulls him down.

Here is an example:

झिलमिलाते क़ुमक़ुमों की राह में ज़ंजीर सी

रात के हाथों में दिन की मोहनी तस्वीर सी 

मेरे सीने में मगर रखी हुई शमशीर सी

ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ, वहशत-ए-दिल क्या करूँ

Translation:

The road is lined with twinkling lanterns as if in a chain (referring to the streetlights, which in those days were gas lanterns, but I digress). It was as if the night held an enchanting picture of the day in its hands.

But in my heart, the rays of light stuck like a sword.

 Ah, the heartache, the desolation! What could I do?

Note the beautiful contrast between the exciting brilliantly lit city with its throngs and the desolation in his heart. 

I do not know the plot of the movie Thokar. Just two of the stanzas were selected from this long poem to depict the heartache of the handsome Shammi Kapoor, whose character in the movie no doubt suffered from an unrequited love as well. 

Let us move on to the lyrics of the song in the movie Thokar in Hindi:

शहर की रात, और मैं नाशाद-व-नाकारा फिरूँ

जगमगाती जागती सड़कों पे आवारा फिरूँ

ग़ैर की बस्ती है कब तक दर बदर मारा फिरूँ

ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ, वहशत-ए-दिल क्या करूँ

क्या करूँ, क्या करूँ... ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ

यह रुपहली छाउँ यह, आकाश पर तारों का जाल

जैसे सूफ़ी का तसव्वुर, जैसे आशिक़ का ख़याल.

आह लेकिन, कौन समझे, कौन जाने दिल का हाल,

ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ

रास्ते में रुक के दम लूँ, यह मेरी आदत नहीं

लौटकर वापस चला जाऊँ मेरी फ़ितरत नहीं

और कोई, हमनवा मिल जायें यह क़िस्मत नहीं

ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ, वहशत-ए-दिल क्या करूँ

क्या करूँ, क्या करूँ... ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ

ऐ ग़म-ए-दिल, क्या करूँ

  In English script:

Shahar ki raat, aur main,  naashaad-o-naakaara phiroon 
Jagamagaati jaagati, sadakon pe aavaara phiroon,

Ghair ki bastii hai, kab tak dar badar maaraa phiroon
Ai gham-e-dil kya karoon, Ai vahashat-e-dil kya karoon 
kya karoon, kya karoon

Ai gham-e-dil kya karoon......

Yeh roopahali chhaanv, yeh aakaash par taaron ka jaal
Jaiise sufi ka tasavvur, Jaise aashiq ka Khayaal
Aah lekin kaun samajhe, kaun jaane dil ka haal

Ai gham-e-dil kya karoon......

Raaste men ruk ke dam loon, ye meri aadat nahin
Laut kar vaapas chala jaoon meri Fitarat nahin
Aur koi ham-nava mil jaayen yeh qismat nahin

Ai gham-e-dil kya karoon
Ai vahashat-e-dil kya karoon
kya karoon, kya karoon

Ai gham-e-dil kya karoon.....

Translation:

Note: Because of the big difference in style and structure between English and Hindi, literal translations fail to convey the meanings or the pathos in a comfortable way. Therefore, we will use a translation style that renders the meaning in modern spoken English, occasionally inserting remarks to explain a poet's twist of phrase and language play wherever it would add to your appreciation of the poetry,

It was night in the city, the streets are brightly lit as if there were no night, and the city is awake round the clock as  I roam aimlessly with a heavy heart. How long can I wander, knocking on the doors of strangers?

(The word 'Awaara' is often translated as vagrant, but that word has a negative connotation. Poets often use the word to imply a positive sense of the word and depict the attitude of someone who is madly in love and unaware and uncaring of the world around them. It depicts a carefree attitude.)

Ah, the heartache, and the desolation! What could I do?

The shadows shimmer like silver under the lights, while up in the sky is the lattice of twinkling stars. It was like the fancy of a poet, the thoughts of a lover...
 but who can understand the yearnings, and how the heart suffers?

It is not like me to stop and pause on the way, nor is it in my nature to turn and go away. 
It is not in my destiny to find a helpmate.
Ah, the heartache, and the desolation! What could I do?

Listen to this fine song on Youtube, and let the voice of the King of Ghazals haunt you. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxERYtiDQ_Q

Note:

This was the song with which I started my blog over five years ago. I can see why. The voice of Talat Mehmood has the haunting quality that stays in your head forever. It is impossible for me to hear his name without the voice resounding in my head at the same time. I blushingly admit to having made a mistake in the opening line of the lyrics which changed the meaning quite a bit. That has been fixed now. I had a chance to read about the poet and the full poem that he wrote. Then it became clear what the meaning should be.

Venkat