The Moon Awaits – Chand Fir Nikla – Paying Guest

A heartbreak song,and yet such a favourite,that you keep listening to it, innumerable times. The lyrics,the composition and the rendition each priceless on its own and as a combined presentation..
The way karta composed the beautiful words,describing the sheer angst, depression and hopelessness of a heartbroken soul,and yet made it so very beautiful, is something awe-inspiring..

Chand fir nikla
Magar tum na aaye
Jalaa fir mera dil
Karun kya main haaye

Majrooh connects the situation to the moon rise and its effects on the mind of the mournful leading lady. The way SDB conceived the pronunciation of the very first word, Chand, is a work of a master. Chand,t he Moon, being the celestial body considered to have a huge influence on everything on earth, high and low tides of the oceans, the growth of flora and fauna, the changes on the entire Jeev srishti, and so naturally, the human mind too..its a known fact, that the emotions touch their highest or lowest,during a New -moon or a Full -moon..We see a rising Full moon on screen, which otherwise lends such pleasantness and beauty all around,and causes a sense of calm and peace..But the lady is in despair, so SDB drenched the word into a sombre hues, composing it on a low note depicting her sorrowful state of mind..and the pronunciation of nikla and the tiny pause after that – clinches it for listeners, a scenario full of hurt and pain!!

The pause after magar is so eloquent again..in fact the song has a lot of these,as if describing the long pause,her life has come to,after he walked away..wouldn’t say it’s a full-stop,but a comma,which leaves things suspended,and her in a state of despair and wavering hope..The pause are the silences,that speak of dashed hopes,time and again..and afterwards, the sharp rise of notes from the word jala from jala fir mera dil, karu kya main haye, portray the cry of the heart, and its helplessness,for falling so hopelessly in love,and that rise and fall of her hopes,that,somehow her love will return to her..

Ye raat kehti hai wo din gaye tere
Ye jaanta hai dil ki tum nahi mere
Khadi hun main fir bhi nigahein bichhaye
Main kya karun haaye, ki tum yaad aaye

Yet, there is no sign of him..she waits, relentlessly, singing,expressing her state,..its a beautiful moonlit night,casting a spell on the already glorious, beautiful environment making it all the more appealing,but without HIS presence in her world,all seems futile..infact, it tortures her…The more beautiful it gets, the more is her growing desolation…A stark contradiction portrayed so beautifully, of the circumstantial outer and inner world of a soul scorched by unrequited,unfulfilled love..

Sulagte seene se dhuan sa uthta hai
Lo ab chale aao ke dum ghunta hai
Jalaa gaye tan ko baharon ke saaye
Main kya karun haaye ki tum yaad aaye

What more can one say, about this song..SDB’s mastery evident all over it..He keeps the embellishments to the minimum, as he always liked..The opening on the strings and the flute, give out sonorous sounds and I was dumbstruck to hear that wailing sound created at the beginning 0.52/53 and before Lata ji begins (flute again ,I think) notes that describe the mood of the entire song.
He uses a very subdued rhythm on the dholak, and just ‘so much’ of the notes on the keyboard,barely heard, but adding so much to the song..He perhaps had the image of a burning fire in his mind, as he composed the tune..look at the way the he has composed the words jala gaye tan ko or jala fir mera dil, like leaping flames rising high up ,and later subsiding a little to say karun kya main haye only to rise up again. The entire song composed with rising and ebbing phrases of notes,envisaging a consuming fire in the heart conjured up so effectively, making one marvel at his being gifted.
Lataji ‘s rendition, matchless..No one can convey pathos as effectively as her voice does..each of her pronunciations for magar, jala, bichhaye and her every haye,..that Aah in her Haye echoes in your heart too..it all tugs at your heartstrings..and makes you wish that whoever is in such a predicament,(Nutan ji onscreen here), may her beloved rush back to her..
A song that lives on in the heart, forever!!

https://youtu.be/ii8D7gNn318