Sahir Ludhianvi Was Truly A People’s Poet!


These lanes, these alluring whore houses,
These plundered caravans of life,
Where, o where are the preservers of pride!

Those who’re proud of the orient, where are they?

What soul stirring words and what a potent decry about the plight of the prostitution and the hallow pride of the national makers!

Listen to Sahir Ludhianvi Songs on Raaga.com

 These hard hitting words are of Indian cinema’s most brilliant and probably the most popular and highest poet SahirLudhianvi, the same lyricist whom the younger generation remembers for his immortal hit song kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai… picturised on heartthrob of millions Amitabh Bachchan in Yash Chopra’s KABHI KABHI.

8 March marked the birthday of the great lyricist but tragically the nation had no time to remember the great poet! Probably Sahir knew the pulse of the generation hence he not only wrote songs that pierced like bullets into the hearts of music lovers but he had sarcastically predicted in advance about how with passing phase he will be forgotten. Hence he wrote …

Kal koi mujhko yaad karhey;  Kyon koi mujhko yaad karhey
 Masruf zamana mere liye;  Kyon waqt apna barbadh kare
 (Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon;  Pal do pal meri kahani hai
 Pal do pal meri hasti hai;  Pal do pal meri jawani hai….

(Tomorrow someone might remember me; but why should anyone remember me
For my sake why should this busy world; waste its time
I am a poet only for a second or two; my story will be over in a few seconds
My laughter is only for a moment or two; my youth will be over in a few moments)

Sahir’s madness for the poetry and his nation was so touching that for the sake of poetry he never married for he believed that besides love there are many more things in this world for which he is born. Hence he rightly wrote ….

“Bhook aur pyaas ki maari huyi iss duniya mein
 ishq hi ek haqeeqat nahin kuch aur bhi hai,
tum agar aankh churao to yeh haq hai tumko,
 maine tumse hi nahin sabse mohabbat ki hai

(In a world besieged by hunger and poverty,
Love cannot be the only reality,
 if you wish to shut your eyes to this, so be it,
 My heart goes out to others too).

SahirLudhianvi wasn’t merely a revolutionary poet, but a poet sensitive to the human condition, hence he was fondly called People’s Poet.

 Raaga.Com pays our humble homage to the majestic poet!  

Comments