Tumse Bichhad Ke Chain

 

The year was 1986. HMV announced a master set of 12 cassettes of rarely heard Hindi songs from 1932 to 1978 titled Yaadon Ki Manzil - Down Memory Lane to commemorate 50 year of Hindi Cinema. The Cassettes were available only as a set and initial offer was to send a demand draft of Rs.850/- towards cost plus postage to their Calcutta Office. With a salary of Rs 750, the album was only a dream. But my elder brother Arvind, himself a huge Hindi Film Music and Ghazal Lover made a magnificent gesture by gifting me this treasure. I can still vividly remember our joyous faces when the album was received by registered post.

 

Whenever I listen to a melody for the first time, if I like the lyrics, then I have habit of listening to same song repeatedly till I understand full nuances of how the singer and music director have captured the essence of the lyrics.

 

After all lyrics are the soul and song is the body.

 

Two songs caught my attention in the Sr No 12 and 11. I started to listen to the album in the reverse order 12 to 1. Cassette No. 12 had the RD Burman's later remixed and now popular Kahin karati Hogi woh Mera Intezar from Phir Subah Hogi. And Album No 11 (Side B second Song) was even now rarely heard gem by Kaifi Azmi from the flop Movie Maharaja. The song goes Tum se bicchad ke chain kahan.

 

I rate this amongst the best composition of Madan Mohan from the era when Rais Khan and Sitar were not part of his music.

 

Lost count of how many times we heard this song in a day by play, rewind and then play again. That was only way to capture and write the lyrics in my diary.

 

After some days I had a chance meeting with my music composer friend Vivek. Those days he was working with the famous orchestra, Melody Makers, which had show near my home. I went there to meet him and share about this song. He was zapped to know that this song is available on a cassette. After the show he offered to stay at my home, I was alone that day, only to listen to this song. We started at around 12.30 in the night and right upto morning 4 went on rewinding and listening to this song as Vivek wanted to take notations. After many attempts, Vivek got tired. He said, kya cheez banai hai yaar Madan Sahab ne. Ek din fresh hoke baithana padega aur kai baar sunenge tab aayega. At the moment, I am lost in noting various nuances of this song and not able to capture the notations.

 

All these memories of Arvind gifting and Vivek trying to take notations, came gushing to the mind as my friend Ar. Sandeep Garg played this song as his farmaish in the R4 Nostalgiaana online listening show.

 

To listen to the song, please click on following YouTube link 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=femSnV1VWtk 

or for still a better listening experience listen on Amazon Music 

https://music.amazon.in/search/tum+se+bichhad+ke+chain+kahan?filter=IsLibrary%7Cfalse&sc=none

 

I am deliberately sharing a link without video as watching Hindi songs is a pain for music lover.

 

For the benefit of fellow music lovers, I give below the lyrics in Devanagari Script and then translation in English.

 

I am not an expert of Hindi or Urdu language and this is just an attempt at translation. As we in business invoice say, E&OE. Errors and Omissions Expected :)

 

Sing along and enjoy this masterpiece lyrics of Kaifi Azmi composed by Madan Mohan and sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

 

तुमसे बिछड़के चैन कहाँ हम पाएँगे 

होगे जहाँ तुम हम भी वहीं आ जाएँगे 

पूछो क्यों हां हां हां हां  पूछो क्यों

हम ये कहेंगे 

कि तुम हो हमारी मंज़िल 

तुमसे बिछड़के चैन कहाँ हम पाएँगे

 

Where will I find peace after parting from you 

Wherever you are, I will reach there too 

Ask me why I say this 

Because you are my destination 

Where will I find peace after parting from you

 

 

दिल हमें लाया यहाँ हम आ गए 

देखकर तुम हमको क्यों घबरा गए 

राज़ तुम, हमराज़ दा  साथ जैसे जिस्म-ओ-जाँ 

छुपके जाओगे कहाँ 

नज़रें चुराओगे और नज़र हम आएँगे 

हम आएँगे, हम आएँगे 

तुमसे बिछड़के चैन कहाँ हम पाएँगे

 

My heart brought me here, so I came 

Why did you panic when you saw me 

You are a secret, a confidant, like body and soul together 

Where will you go hiding 

Even if you avert your eyes, I will appear 

I will come, I will come 

Where will I find peace after parting from you

 

 

कितना दिलकश है ये रूहों का सफ़र 

पाँव काँटों पर हैं, फूलों पर नज़र 

डर है क्या, दीवार क्या, जीत क्या है, हार क्या 

रुक सकेगा प्यार क्या 

फूल तो क्या है, काँटों को हम महकाएँगे 

महकाएँगे, महकाएँगे 

तुमसे बिछड़के चैन कहाँ हम पाएँगे

 

How beautiful is this journey of souls 

Feet on thorns, eyes on flowers 

What is fear, what is wall, what is victory or defeat 

Can love be stopped 

Not just flowers, I will make even thorns fragrant 

I will make them fragrant, I will make them fragrant 

Where will I find peace after parting from you

 

नाम होठों पर तुम्हारा, दिल में प्यार 

बस यही सज-धज, यही अपना सिंगार 

ज़िंदगी तुमसे हसीं, तुम कहीं और हम कहीं 

दिल खिलौना तो नहीं 

तुम ही बता दो कैसे इसे बहलाएँगे 

बहलाएँगे, बहलाएँगे 

तुमसे बिछड़के चैन कहाँ हम पाएँगे

 

Your name on my lips, love in my heart 

This is my adornment, my decoration 

Life is beautiful with you, you elsewhere, me elsewhere 

The heart is not a toy 

You tell me, how shall I console it 

How shall I console it, how shall I console it 

Where will I find peace after parting from you

 

Lyricist: Kaifi Azmi

Music Director: Madan Mohan

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Movie: Maharaja (1970)