Friday, 25 September 2015

Hare hare baans kata more angna...

I am a coke studio fan (both India and Pakistan versions of it). I know! I know, the Pakistan one is better as Indian one has too much bollywood involvement. But for me coke studio is one. Anyway, I wait eagerly for its new seasons. Currently watching season 8 and the music is superlative to say the least. However I was disappointed to hear this particular song-





Excellent singing, brilliant music but no attention paid on the lyrics. It's Amir Khusro's kalaam. A folk 'Shaadi Geet'. Here are the lyrics-



Hare-hare baans kata more angna, neeka mandha chhawao re

Parbat baans manga, more baabul, kanu mandha chhawao re

Sagre najoomi, jyotishi; baabul, sabka bhej bulao re
Jaiso laadli bitiya, re baabul; waisa hi kaaj rachao re

Mandhe oopar, kalas viraaje, dekhe raja rao re...

I don't remember the next line of this couplet but its definitely not what these singers here are singing. None of it makes any sense. I wish they do a little research before recording a song which is something that is going to go into the musical database of our time and will serve as a reference to the future generation of music.

Edit(20.02.2016):
I found these two versions of the song in Mehnaz Begum's (thanks to @drkns on twitter :) and  Bilqees Khanum/Ishrat Jehan's voices. 

http://gaana.com/artist/bilqees-khanum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbEp2646Gv8

Listening to it repeatedly helped me understand a few more lines. Though there are a few words which are still not very clear to me. 

Mandhe oopar, kalas viraaje, dekhe raja rao re
Ghode haathi soha deena, baabul dil dariyao(?) re

Ek na deeni sar ko ri kanghi, mori saas bol bolat hai
Sona bhi deena ropa bhi deena; deena (or 'Dee-Na') chatar(?) charhao re