بے زبانی زباں نہ ہو جائے
راز الفت عیاں نہ ہو جائے
– نا معلوم
Bezubani zubaN na ho jaaye
Raz-e-ulfat ayan na ho jaaye
– Unknown
बेज़बानी ज़ुबाँ न हो जाये
राज़-ऐ-उल्फत अयाँ न हो जाये
– नामालूम
Meaning of:
Bezubani, बेज़बानी, بے زبانی: चुप रहना, Keeping quiet
Raaz-e-Ulfat, राज़-ऐ-उल्फत, راز الفت : प्यार का राज़, The secret of love
Ayan, अयाँ , عیاں: ज़ाहिर, Obvious
Photo credit: LaVladina / Foter / CC BY
This is Malika Pukhrajís memorable ghazal (Bezubani zuban na ho jaye,) which was brought out by HMV in the forties on a 78 RPM record. On the flip side of the disc was yet another unforgettable ghazal, Zahid na keh buri ke ye mastaney aadmi hain.
It was at about the same time that Woh kehte hain ranjish ki baatein bhula dein was recorded, which has been as haunting a recording as Her eik jalwa-e-rangeen teri nigah mein hai. The one point which her critics raised persistently was that from the sixties onwards, she hardly added anything to her repertoire. She played safe by walking on tested ground ó singing her hit numbers at concerts and for the electronic media.
Pukhraj was a contemporary of Begum Akhtar and though their respective styles were vastly different, they had two things in common. Their strong moorings in classical music, which lent immortality to their ghazals, and their fondness for the folk songs of their own provinces. Malika didnít leave any opportunity to praise Begum Akhtar, and one hears that the Indian singer had nothing but compliments to pay to the Pakistani exponent of ghazals and Dogri folk songs.
Another passion of Malika Pukhrajís was needle work. Those who saw it or pictures of it thought she could have held many solo exhibitions of her craft. But one feels that that was too private a pursuit for her to have been exhibited. (From Youtube) Listen: