It would be a crime to select just the 5 from over at least 50 masterpieces. Therefore, here's an attempt to have the top 5 of a different kind. Not all ghazal lovers are into hard-core poetry. Some may like sharaabi-romantic ones while others are into deep poetry. Here's an attempt to rate ghazals that depict/describe love or life.
Top 5th:
I let 4 songs take-up this spot.
i. Apne hothon par sajaana chaahtah hoon, aa tujhe main gungunaana chaahta hoon
Album: In Search
ii. Zindagi, tuune lahu leke kya diya?
Album: Face to Face
iii. Kuch na kuch toh zaroor hona hain, saamna aaj unka hona hain(Love)
Album: Rishton mein darar aaye
iv. Dhoop mein niklo
Album: Sajda Vol. II
v. Koi fariyaad
Album: Tum Bin
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4th:
This is an interesting love ghazal. Let the lyrics do the talking.
Album: Come Alive - Vol I
Tum nahin, gham nahin, sharaab nahin,
Aisi tanhaai ko bhi jawaab nahin|
Jaane kis-kis ki maut aayi hain,
Aaj rukh pe koi nakaab nahin|
Woh karam ungliyon pe ginthey hain,
zulm ka jinke kuch hisaab nahin|
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3rd:
With all due respect to all songs from all languages, I guess this ghazal praises the woman the most in the most beautiful way ever.
Dare lagi aane mein tumko
Album: Live in Concert at Wembley
Shafaq, dhanuk, mehtaab, ghataaye, taare, nagmein, bijli, phool
(Shafaq kehte hain kirnon ko, dhanuk - rainbow, mehtaab - moon, baaki aap ko maloom hain)
If you notice, these are the words representing the most beautiful natural aspects of the Universe.
Uss daaman mein kya-kya kuch hain.shafaq, dhanuk, mehtaab, ghataaye, taare, nagmein, bijli, phool|
Woh daaman haath mein aaye toh|
Dare lagi aane mein tumko, shukr hain phir bhi aaye toh|
Aas ne dil ka saath na choda, lekin phir bhi ghabraaye toh|
Suni-sunaayi baat nahin hain, apne upar beethi hain|
Phool nikalthey hain sholon se, chaahat aag lagaaye toh|
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2nd:
Bombay during 70s-80s was THEcity of India but with city life, came its own life style. Here's a song that depicted that in the first line. Now, we can relate this line with any of us, irrespective of the city we are living in. How many of us actually know our neighbours? We communicate with a few strangers living across the globe but don't know what the person living across the street. But then, we do smile at each other in this'unknown essence' to be in the same world.
Koi dosth hain na rakeeb hain, tera shehar kitna ajeeb hain|(Rakeeb= Foe, We no longer have true friends but we don't have enemies either. We are just living a life in which we are just busy with ourselves)
Album: Visions Vol - II
This ghazal starts with Santoor and is very melodious. But Jagjit Singh's voice and the tune is absolutely mesmerizing.
Woh jo ishq tha, woh junoon tha.
Yeh jo hijr hain, yeh naseeb hain|
(This guy was in love, deep love, but this separation is the truth and is the fate)
Yahaan kiska chehra padha karun?
Yahaan kaun itna kareeb hain? . Tera shehar kitna ajeeb hain
(Everyone is busy with his or her life)
Main kisey kahun mere saath chal?
Yahaan sabke sar pe saleeb hain|
(Everyone is sweating with their own problems, how could I ask someone out?)
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Finally, No. 1:
Bombay waali aunty, that's how I know my Mausi. I visited her sometime in 1999 and was mesmerized by her ghazal-collection. I borrowed the album Encore. And I sat on my swing listening to a line that is considered a'bad slang' in English.'Mind your own business^'. Isn't that so rude when you are at the recieving end? And here's a ghazal that rendered this very line in Hindi in absolute elegance. You guessed it, the song is'Thukraao' or'Main nashe mein hoon'. The ghazal starts of melodiously with Tabla coupled with Guitar and Santoor. After 45 seconds of music, with the light Tabla beat that stays throughout the song . . .
Thukraaaooo, thukraao. thukraao ab ke pyaar karo, main nashe mein hoon|
Jo chaahe mere yaar karo, main nashe mein hoon|
~ Santoor solo~
Ab bhi dila raha hoon yakeen-e-wafa magar,
Mera na aetbaar karo, main nashe mein hoon|
~ Violin Solo~
Girne do tum mujhe, mera saagar sambhaal lo|(Let me fall, but save my drink(wOw)
Itna toh mere yaar karo, main nashe mein hoon|
~ Guitar solo~
Mujhko kadam-kadam pe bhatakne do waaison,
Tum apna karo karobaar karo^, main nashe mein hoon(chorus)|
~ Santoor solo~
Phir bekhudi mein hadh se guzar ne laga hoon mein,
Itna na mujhse pyaar karo, main nashe mein hoon|
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I hope you enjoyed reading through this as much as I enjoyed sorting my collection to write this review. If you are someone in India, or even better, someone in Bangalore and have a ghazal/hindi songs collection and are looking forward to expand, please write to me at sparshATgraffiti.net. I will be happy to allow you to borrow my collection in exchange of yours. The record companies that compiles Jagjit Singh's ghazals simply pick songs from various albums to create new albums and you are stuck with redundant ghazals. Therefore, 'borrowing' is a cost effective and easier way to expand your collection if you have a CD-Writer. And yes, I have assorted Hindi songs(best songs from good albums) including a few from Pakistan, albums like Uss rah par(Junaid Jamshed), Panah(Mahmud Khan - Nandini Srikar), Mantra(Faakhir), Huqa Pani(Ali Zafar), Sunset Point(Gulzar, Bhupender, Chitra), Bombay Longue, Rog, Chaand sa mukhda, Ali Haidar, Aghosh, Shreya Ghoshal's songs and those typical 1970s-80s filmi(Non-Jagjit) ghazals & more.
My best ghazal CD is a recording of all the above ghazals with the ones listed below:
Sarakthi jaaye hain rukh se nakaab
Na keh saaqi, bahaar aane ke din hain
Aapko dekhkar dekhtah reh gaya
Hazaaron khwaishon aisi ke har khwaish pe dam nikley
Kal chaudhavi ki raat thi, shabh-bhar raha charcha tera
Maan mausam ka kaha
Jhoom ke jab rindon ne pilaa di
Mere kareeb na aao, main sharaabi hoon
Ishq ki daastaan hain pyaare
Aaj ke daur mein, ae dosth yeh manzar kyoon hain
Woh rulaakar hass na paaya dare tak
Kahin aisa na ho daaman jalaa lo
Ya toh mit jaayiye, ya mita deejiye
Kaisey-kaisey haadsey sehtey rahe
Tum aao toh sahi
Bebasi jurm hain, hausal jurm hain
Bahut dinon ki baat hain
Shaayad main zindagi ki sahar
Charaag, aaftaab ghum, badi haseen raat thi
Mujhse bichad ke khush rehtey hain
Yaad nahin kya-kya dekha tha
Ghar se nikley they, hausala karke
Iss duniya mein
Jeevan kya hain
Yeh karen ya woh karen
Zindagi-e-zindagi
Uss mode se shuru kare
Yun zindagi ki raah mein
Tere khusboo main basey khat
Kabhi yun bhi toh ho
Kiya hain pyaar jisey
Ishq mein ghairat-e-jazbaat ne sone na diya
Main bhool jaun tumhe
Humko dushman ki nigaahon se na dekha keejiye
Maine dil se kaha
Yeh bata dey mujhe zindagi
Manzil na dey, charaag na dey, hausal toh dey
Shaam se aankh mein nami si hain
Mujhe ghussa dikhaaya jaa raha hain
Baat saaqi ki
Tera chehra kitna suhaana lagtah hain
Kaanton ki chuban paayi
Aap se gila
Yeh toh nahin ke gham nahin
Mere dukh ki koi dawa na karo
Tumko dekha toh yeh khayaal aaya
Tum itna jo muskuraa rahe ho
Milli hawaaon mein jo udne ko saza yaaron
Jhuki-jhuki si nazar
Har taraf har jagah, beshumaar aadmi
Hothon se chu lo tum
Gham ka khazaana, tera bhi mera bhi
Saamne jo hain, log bura kehtey hain, jisko dekha hie nahin, usey Khuda kehtey hain
Hosh waalon ko khabar kya
Tu nahin toh zindagi mein aur kya reh jaayega
