Song Title: Gham Uthane Ke Liye, Main To Jiye Jaaunga
Singer: Mohammad Rafi
Film: Mere Huzoor (1968)
Lyricist: Hasrat Jaipuri
Music Director: Shankar Jaikishan
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English Translation of Lyrics
The stars that are on the sky, they too feel shy
O Giver, grant me just this much life
This is my punishment, just let death not come to me
May someone find peace, give me only restlessness
(To bear sorrow, I will surely live) – 2
To the rhythm of my breath, I will take your name
To bear sorrow, I will surely live
Alas, you gave me nothing but love
And I gave you nothing but hatred
Alas, you gave me nothing but love
And I gave you nothing but hatred
I am ashamed of you, O goddess of my loyalty
I am your culprit, I gave nothing but trouble
To bear sorrow, I will surely live
To the rhythm of my breath, I will take your name
To bear sorrow, I will surely live
You still come in my thoughts
Carrying the funeral of those tears on your eyelashes
You still come in my thoughts
Carrying the funeral of those tears on your eyelashes
You sacrificed sleep on my path
I remained intoxicated, leaning on strangers’ support
To bear sorrow, I will surely live
To the rhythm of my breath, I will take your name
(To bear sorrow, I will surely live) – 4
Note: Hindi readers should refer to the original lyrics, not the translated version.
In-Depth Song Analysis
Film’s Context
“Mere Huzoor” (1968) tells the complex story of love, regret, and perseverance, woven through emotional highs and lows. The song “Gham Uthane Ke Liye Main To Jiye Jaunga” expresses the protagonist’s soulful acceptance of suffering as an inseparable part of his existence. Mohammad Rafi’s voice poignantly captures this resolve, simultaneously projecting pain and endurance. This song’s placement deepens the film’s exploration of human vulnerability and emotional resilience during moments of heartache and introspection.
Lyrical Quality & Alignment
Hasrat Jaipuri’s lyrics are exemplary in exposing the paradoxes of love — where affection and pain coexist powerfully. Lines like “you gave me nothing but love, and I gave hatred” reveal the emotional complexity of flawed relationships. The recurring theme of living to bear sorrow resonates with the narrative arc of endurance despite heartbreak. The poetic devices balance raw emotion with sophistication, ensuring the lyrics support the film’s somber mood while elevating the personal nature of suffering.
Musical Composition Analysis
The music by Shankar Jaikishan fuses classic and contemporary elements, perfectly suited for emotional ballads. Utilizing Raag Bhairavi, known for its poignant and devotional tone, the composition evokes a deep sense of introspective melancholy. The steady 8-beat Keharwa taal provides a rhythmic backdrop that allows expressive phrasing and vocal improvisation. Subtle orchestral touches highlight the fragile sentiments embedded in the lines. The entire musical arrangement reinforces the lyrical theme of agonizing yet dignified love, creating a timeless emotional experience.
Initial Verse
Falak pe jitne sitare hain wo bhi sharmaaye (The stars that are on the sky, they too feel shy): Mohammad Rafi opens with a carefully modulated softness, his tone embodying humility and wonder. The imagery of shy stars elevates the personal pain to a cosmic scale. His gentle vibrato and the slow, deliberate phrasing evoke feelings of delicate vulnerability, inviting the listener to empathize deeply with the protagonist’s quiet despair and longing. The ambiguity between celestial beauty and embarrassment mirrors the conflicting emotions of shame and hope.
O denewale mujhe, itni zindagi de de (O Giver, grant me just this much life): Here Rafi’s voice gains a worried urgency, yet remains tender. The plea to the divine is expressed with exquisite restraint, portraying the balance between desperation and graceful acceptance. Subtle dynamic shifts in his voice magnify every word’s emotional weight, hinting at the fragile thread holding the protagonist’s will to live amid relentless sorrow.
Yahi saza hai meri, maut hi na aaye mujhe (This is my punishment, just let death not come to me): The vocal delivery shades into a resigned lament, layered with the resignation of enduring a painful fate. Rafi’s nuanced pauses allow the listener to feel the heaviness of punishment and the paradoxical wish to evade death despite unbearable suffering. The expressive tone captures existential anguish with dignified sorrow.
Kisiko chain mile, mujhko bekli de de (May someone find peace, give me only restlessness): Rafi’s voice softens here but is thick with selfless melancholy, reflecting the protagonist’s willingness to suffer so that others may find peace. His plaintive phrasing carries deep empathy, drawing attention to the loneliness and acceptance of perpetual unrest. The tenderness in his voice contrasts the harshness of “restlessness,” reinforcing the emotional complexity of sacrifice.
1st Stanza
Gham uthane ke liye, main to jiye jaunga (To bear sorrow, I will surely live): Sung with powerful resolve, this line becomes a personal mantra of survival. Rafi’s voice conveys both the weariness of sorrow and the determined acceptance of it as an inevitable part of existence. His delivery holds a mix of stoicism and vulnerability, inviting listeners to recognize the beauty in human resilience.
Saans ki lay pe tera, naam liye jaunga (To the rhythm of my breath, I will take your name): The phrase’s rhythm aligns with breath and life itself, beautifully linking the beloved’s name with the very essence of being. Rafi’s intonation is gentle and rhythmic, emphasizing the constant presence of love amid suffering, an unbreakable connection binding soul and song.
2nd Stanza
Hai tu ne mujhe, ulfat ke siwa kuch na diya (Alas, you gave me nothing but love): This line captures profound contradiction. Rafi’s voice shades between softness and shaking emotion, allowing the listener to sense gratitude mixed with pain. The delivery suggests a heart torn between cherishing love and mourning its consequences.
Aur maine tujhe, nafrat ke siwa kuch na diya (And I gave you nothing but hatred): Contrasting the previous line, Rafi expresses self-reproach and regret with profound empathy. His voice dips into a darker timbre, weighted with guilt yet tender enough to reveal fragile humanity. The juxtaposition reveals complicated emotional dynamics that Rafi conveys masterfully.
Tujhse sharminda hoon, ai meri wafa ki devi (I am ashamed of you, O goddess of my loyalty): Here, the vocal tone is suffused with contrition and reverence. Rafi’s phrasing delicately balances shame and devotion, projecting an emotional depth that transcends simple apology, evoking complex loyalty amid imperfection.
Tera mujrim hoon, musibat ke siwa kuch na diya (I am your culprit, I gave nothing but trouble): Rafi’s nuanced delivery expresses acceptance of blame with sorrowful dignity. The measured pace and subtle vibrato emphasize the pain of self-judgment and the weight of being a source of hardship for his beloved.
3rd Stanza
Tu khayalon mein mere, ab bhi chali aati hai (You still come in my thoughts): The vocal becomes almost ethereal, softly reverent, as if recalling ghostly memories. Rafi’s smooth, lingering notes suggest an unresolved attachment and bittersweet nostalgia, filling the listener with a poignant sense of haunting presence.
Apni palkon pe, un ashkon ka janaza lekar (Carrying the funeral of those tears on your eyelashes): The vivid imagery here is made more profound by Rafi’s expressive phrasing, which delicately mimics the solemnity of mourning. His intonation carries a fine balance of sorrow and compassion, painting a sonic picture of grief carried silently and gracefully.
4th Stanza
Tune neenden kari, qurban meri raahon mein (You sacrificed sleep on my path): The delivery underlines respect and awe, with Rafi’s voice reflecting gratitude for profound sacrifice. He sings with smooth warmth, the phrase resonating as a moving testament to love’s cost.
Main nashe mein raha, gairon ka sahara lekar (I remained intoxicated, leaning on strangers’ support): This line’s tone is weary and reflective, tinged with loneliness and regret. Rafi captures the character’s vulnerability, his voice conveying dependence and the messy realities of coping with loss.
Gham uthane ke liye, main to jiye jaunga (To bear sorrow, I will surely live): The refrain is re-affirmed with a tender but resolved tone, embodying acceptance and fortitude. Rafi’s repeated declaration feels both like a surrender and a courageous stand against fate.
Saans ki lay pe tera, naam liye jaunga (To the rhythm of my breath, I will take your name): Closing the song, Rafi’s voice fades out softly, reinforcing the eternal bond between love and pain, life and memory.
Summary
“Gham Uthane Ke Liye” exemplifies the extraordinary blend of Hasrat Jaipuri’s emotive lyricism, Shankar Jaikishan’s evocative composition, and Mohammad Rafi’s masterful vocal expression. The lyric’s exploration of love’s dual nature—its capacity to nurture and to wound—is powerfully manifested through Rafi’s nuanced delivery which oscillates between sorrow, resolve, regret, and devotion. The musical framework based in Raag Bhairavi and Keharwa taal enhances the introspective and contemplative mood.
This song remains a timeless testament to human resilience, the endurance of sorrow, and the persistence of love’s memory in Hindi film music history.
~ Balwant S. Wadhwani