Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azami, Shakeel Badayuni, Raja Mehandi Ali Khan, Rajendra Krishna and others ....these shayars penned so many immortal ghazals for Hindi films... And the composers, most notably Madan Mohan saab, turned them into the most memorable songs that made permanent marks on our minds

I am creating this topic to post the lyrics of the ghazals that you like...

Now this topic is strictly for ghazals and not for any other song lyric. So to understand if the song you are posting is a ghazal, here is the classical definition of Ghazal, illustrated with one example that follows all the rules---

Note: The definition and the explanation taken from the article written by Abhay Avachat on rec.music.indian.misc

Film: Dastak
Shayar: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Composer: Madan Mohan

hum hain mataa-ye-koonchaa, baajaar kee tarah
uthhatee hain har nigaah, khareedaar kee tarah

wo to kahee hain aaur magar dil ke aasapaas
firatee hain koee shay nigaah-ye-yaar kee tarah

majaruh likh rahe hain wo, ahala-ye-wafaa kaa naam
hum bhee khade huye hai, gunahagaar kee tarah

Definition:
Ghazal is a collection of Sher's of the same 'Beher' that have the same 'Radif' and 'Kaafiyaa' with atleast one 'Matla' and one 'Maqta'.

Lets look at these rules and at the terms 'beher', 'radif', 'kaafiyaa', 'matla' and 'muqta' with our example----

... Ghazal is a collection of Sher's ....

What is a Sher ?
It's a poem of two lines. This definition is deceptively simple. Note that, every Sher is a poem in itself ! A Sher does not need, anything around it, to convey the message.


- This is simple .. all the 3 stanzas in our example are 2-line independent poems, Sher's. if the stazas are not of 2 lines it is not a ghazal

... of same 'Beher'...

What is 'Beher' ?
'Beher' is the 'meter' of the Sher's. It can be considered as the length of the Sher. Both the lines in the Sher *MUST* be of same 'Beher'. And all the Sher's in one Ghazal *MUST* be of the same 'Beher'. In simple terms, 'Beher' is categorized in 3 classes. Short, medium, long

- As you can see in our example that the length (meter) of each sher is same and all shers are of same 'beher' (length)

.... that have the same 'Radif' and 'Kaafiyaa'.....

What is 'Radif' ?
In a Ghazal, second line of all the Sher's *MUST* end with the *SAME* word/s. This repeating common words is the 'Radif' of the Ghazal.

- In our example, the 'Radif' highlighed in red is "kee tarah".

What is 'Kaafiyaa' ?
'Kaafiyaa' is the rhyming pattern which all the words before 'Radif'
*MUST* have. This is a necessary requirement. Something which is followed even in the exceptions to all these rules.

- In our example the 'Kaafiyaa' or the rhyming words before the 'radif', highlighted in blue, are baazar, khareedaar, nigaah-ye-yaar, gunahagaar...

... with atleast one one 'Matla'....

What is 'Matla' ?
The first Sher in the Ghazal *MUST* have 'Radif' and Kaafiyaa in its both lines. This Sher is called 'Matla' of the Ghazal and the Ghazal is usually known after its 'Matla'.

- In our example, the first sher is a 'matla' since it has 'radif' "kee tarah" in both the lines and kaafiyaa before radif-- bazaar and khareedaar.

.... and one 'Maqta'.

What is 'Maqta' ?
A Shayar usually has an alias ie. 'takhallus' eg. Mirza Asadullakhan
used 'Ghalib' as his 'takhallus' and is known by that. There is a Sher in a Ghazal, the last one, which has the Shayar's 'takhallus' in it.

- In our example the last sher is 'Maqta' as it has the Shayar's 'takhallus' "Majrooh" in it.

Please note that most of the ghazals in Hindi films do not follow the 'Maqta' rule.

So to simplify the definition..

Ghazal is a ----
-- collection of 2-line independent poems (shers)
-- of the same length (meter -- 'beher')
-- with same words at the end of both lines of first sher and second lines of all shers (radif)
-- with rhyming words before all the radifs (kaafiyaa)
-- with the first sher following the radif and kaafiyaa rules for both lines (matla)

OK.... enough... now start posting your favorite ghazals.

Here is one I like ...in a medium beher with 'radif' "bana liye" and kaafiyaa -- bahaane, thikaane, fasaane, khajaane...

Film: Adalat, Shayar: Rajendra Krishna, Music: Madan Mohan

jaanaa thaa hum se door, bahaane banaa liye
ab tum ne kitanee door, thhikaane banaa liye

rukhasat ke wakt tum ne jo aansoo humei diye
un aasooon se hum ne fasaane banaa liye

dil ko mile jo daaga, jigar ko mile jo dard
un daulaton se hum ne, khajaane banaa liye


credit-salil

Salil from the same film theres another very beautiful Ghazal. Unko yeh shikayat... just luv this one.


Unko Yeh Shikayat

un ko ye shikaayat hai ke ham kuchh nahin kehete
kuchh nahin kehete
apani to ye aadat hai ke ham kuchh nahin kehete
kuchh nahin kehete
Un ko ye shikaayat....

majboor bahot kartaa hai, ye dil to zubaan ko
ye dil to zubaan ko
ye dil to zubaan ko
kuchh aisee hi halat hai ke, ham kuchh nahin kehete
kuchh nahin kehete
Un ko ye shikaayat....

kehene ko bahot kuchh tha, agar kehene pe aate
agar kehene pe aate
agar kehene pe aate
duniyaa ki inaayat hai ke, ham kuchh nahin kehete
kuchh nahin kehete
Un ko ye shikaayat...

kuchh kehene pe toofaan uThaa leti hai ye duniyaa
uThaa leti hai ye duniyaa
ab is pe qayaamat hai ke, ham kuchh nahin kehete
kuchh nahin kehete
Un ko ye shikaayat...

credit-barnali(di)

There are many songs in Hindi films which follows all the rules of Ghazals but the stanzas are not stictly shers as they have generally 3 lines -- the classic example of this is a song from film Ghazal -- rang aur noor ki baaraat kise pesh karun --- this song is referred as Ghazal (and you will find it in many Hindi Film Ghazal albums) by many even though it is not strictly a Ghazal --

Film: Ghazal
Shaayar: Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Music: Madan Mohan
Singer: Mohd. Rafi

rang aaur noor kee baaraat kise pesh karu
ye muraadon kee haseen raat kise pesh karu

maine jajabaat nibhaaye hain usulon kee jagah
apane aramaan peero laayaa hoo, foolon kee jagah
tere chehare kee ye saugaat kise pesh karu

kaun kahataa hai, ke chaahat pe sabhee kaa hak hai
too jise chaahe teraa pyaar usee kaa hak hai
muz se kah de, main teraa haath kise pesh karu

surkha jode kee tabotaab mubaarak ho tuze
teree aakhon kaa nayaa khwaab mubaarak ho tuze
mai ye khwaayish ye khayaalaat kise pesh karu

As you can see this song follows all the rules of beher, radif, kaafiyaa, matla but the stanzas are not shers (not of 2 lines) so this is not a Ghazal in strict sense.

Another example is a song from Prem Parbat

Film: Prem Parbat, Shayar: Jaan Nissar Akhtar, Music: Jaidev

ye dil aaur un kee nigaahon ke saaye
muze gher lete hain baahon ke saaye

pahaadon ko chanchal kiran chumatee hai
hawaa har nadee kaa badan chumatee hai
yahaa se wahaa tak, hain chaahon ke saaye

lipatate ye pedon se baadal ghanere
ye pal pal ujaale, ye pal pal andhere
bahot thhande thhande, hain raahon ke saaye

dhadakate hain dil kitanee aazaadeeyon se
bahot milate julate hain in waadiyon se
mohabbat kee rangeen panaahon ke saaye


credit-salil