13 Forgotten Classic Nayyara Noor Songs That Will Touch Your Soul

By Hurmat Riaz | 29 Sep, 2017

As I sit on the parapet of my balcony, having a cup of tea in the middle of the night while listening to Nayyara Noor Jee’s heart fluttering voice, I smile inside out that Pakistan is gifted with a lady having such a dainty voice that makes you believe that life is beautiful. Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry in Nayyara Noor’s voice is a combination which can melt a stone cold heart or heal a shattered heart. Music heals and here’s a list of Nayyara’s treasure chest of music that can make life more bearable:

 

1. Aaj Bazar Mein

chashm-nam jān-e-shorīda kaafī nahīñ

tohmat-e-ishq-e-poshīda kaafī nahīñ

aaj bāzār meñ pā-ba-jaulāñ chalo

dast-afshāñ chalo mast o raqsāñ chalo

Faiz wrote this poem when he was jailed and taken out to go to the dentist and people recognized him on the road. The poetry and Nayyara Jee’s voice takes you to a mind palace where you can actually feel Faiz’s pain and witness all the scene.

 

2. Hum Ke Thehre Ajnabi

ham ki Thahre ajnabī itnī mudārātoñ ke ba.ad

phir baneñge āshnā kitnī mulāqātoñ ke ba.ad

kab nazar meñ aa.egī be-dāġh sabze kī bahār

ḳhoon ke dhabbe dhuleñge kitnī barsātoñ ke ba.ad

This is, again, a Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Nayyara Noor combination which is gut-wrenching because Faiz wrote it after his return from Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1974, where he lost countless friends.

 

3. Raat Yun Dil Main Teri

raat yuuñ dil meñ terī khoī huī yaad aaye

jaisay vīrāne meñ chupke se bahār aa jaaye

jaisay sahrāoñ meiñ haule se chale bād-e-nasīm

jaisay bīmār ko be-vaj.h qarār aa jaaye

Even if some of us don’t know Nayyara Noor, we all know this classic gem as Dhoop Kinaray’s OST.

 

4. Vo Jo Hum Main Tum Main Qarar Tha

vo jo ham meñ tum meñ qarār thā tumheñ yaad ho ki na yaad ho

vahī yaanī va.ada nibāh kā tumheñ yaad ho ki na yaad ho

vo jo lutf mujh pe the beshtar vo karam ki thā mire haal par

mujhe sab hai yaad zarā zarā tumheñ yaad ho ki na yaad ho

This one is by Momin Khan Momin who was a Mughal era poet being contemporary of Mirza Ghalib and Zauq.

 

5. Ae Ishq Hmain Barbaad Na Ker

ae ishq na chheir aa aa ke hameñ ham bhūle huoñ ko yaad na kar

pehle hī bahut nāshād haiñ ham tū aur hameñ nāshād na kar

qismat kā sitam hī kam nahīñ kuchh ye taaza sitam ījād na kar

yuuñ zulm na kar be-dād na kar

ae ishq hameñ barbād na kar

Akhtar Shairani who’s considered the most romantic poet of Urdu language wrote this poem and Nayyara Noor’s voice brought the words to life with more intensity and depth reflecting Shairani‘s attachment to it.

 

6. Panchi Bawara Chaand Se Preet Lagaye

kaun bataye tujhe chakora  

goray mann kay kalay

jun jun preet barhaye ga tu

tun tun wo ghat jaye

chaand se preet lagaye

panchi bawra chand se preet lagaye

This song has a rich history as it was first released in an Indian film Bhakta Surdas (1942) starring Madhubala and Dilip Kumar. DN Madhok wrote this song about unrequited love and Khursheed Bano sung it. Years later, our very own Nayyara Noor sung it with the same intensity doing justice to the beautiful poetry.

 

7. Ae Jazba E Dil Gar Main Chahoon

ai jazba-e-dil gar maiñ chāhūñ har chiiz muqābil aa jaa.e

manzil ke liye do gaam chalūñ aur sāmne manzil aa jaa.e

ai dil kī ḳhalish chal yūñhī sahī chaltā to huuñ un kī mahfil meñ

us vaqt mujhe chauñkā denā jab rañg pe mahfil aa jaa.e

We all remember this spirit awakening song in Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed‘s drama aired on PTV. Nayyara Noor put warmth into Behzad Lakhnavi‘s words sending chills down your spine.

 

8. Kabhi Hum Khoobsurat Thay

kabhi hum khoobsurat thay

kitabon main basi khushboo ki man’nid saans saakin thi

bohat say ankahay lafzon say tasweerain bnatay thay

parindon kay paroon per nazmain likh ker

duur ki jheelon main basnay walay logon ko sunatay thay

Ahmed Shamim’s poetry and Nayyara Noor’s voice in Kabhi Hum Khoobsurat Thay bring tears to everyone’s eyes thinking about their childhood, lost loved ones or life in general.

 

9. Khwab Martay Nahi

khwab dil hain, na aankhain, na saansain

keh jo raiza raiza huwe tou bikhar jayen gein

jism ki mout say ye bhi mar jayen gein

khwab tou roshni hain, nawa hain, hawa hain

jo kalay paharon se ruktay nahi

khwab tou noor hain

khwab suqraat hain

khwab mansoor hain

This beautiful song was the OST of iconic PTV drama Zebunnisa penned by Ahmed Faraz.

 

10. Mera Dard Naghma-e-Besada

meray dard ko jo zabāñ milay

mujhe apnā nām-o-nishāñ milay

merī zaat kā jo nishāñ milay

mujhe rāz-e-nazm-e-jahāñ milay

jo mujhe ye rāz-e-nihāñ milay

mirī ḳhāmushī ko bayāñ milay

mujhe kā.enāt kī sarvarī

mujhe daulat-e-do-jahāñ milay

This is again a Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Nayyara Noor’s collaboration in which Faiz beautifully talks about women rights and empowerment.

 

11. Har Chand Sahara 

har chand sahara hai tere pyar ka dil ko

rehta hai magar ee ajab khauf sa dil ko…

woh khoab ke dekha na kabhi le ura neendein…

woh dard ke utha na kabhi kha gaya dil ko

yaan saans ka lena bhi guzar jana hai jee se…

yaan maarka-e-ishaq bhi ek khel tha dil ko…

This ghazal is about the internal turmoil a human being faces in their lives, and is every bit as beautiful

 

This is just a glimpse of Nayyara Jee’s legacy in our classic music industry. Go back to the golden era of our music when lyrics were pure and the music was distinctly gut-wrenching. What’s your favorite Nayyara Noor ghazal?

 


Cover image via: NayyaraNoor2 / YouTube

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