Mere mehboob na jaa

Aaa…aaa…
Mere mehboob na jaa, na jaa, na jaa…

Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa
Honewaali hai sehar, thodi der aur thehar
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa
Honewaali hai sehar, thodi der aur thehar
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa

Dekh kitna haseen mausam hai
Har taraf ik ajeeb aalam hai
Jalwe is tarah aaj nikhre hain
Jaise taare zameen pe bikhre hain,
Jaise taare zameen pe bikhre hain,
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa

Aaa... aaa...
Maine kaaten hain intezaar ke din
Tab kahin aaye hain bahaar ke din
Yoon na jaa dil ki shamma gul karke
Ab bhi dekha nahin hai jee bharke,
Ab bhi dekha nahin hai jee bharke
Mere mehboob na jaa…

Jab se zulfon ki chhaanv paayi hai
Beqaraari ko neend aayi hai
Is tarah mujhko yoon hi sone de
Raat dhalne de subah hone de
Raat dhalne de subah hone de,
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa

Aaa... aaa...
Is tarah pherkar nazar mujhse
Door jaayega tu agar mujhse
Chandni se bhi aag barsegi
Shamma bhi roshni ko tarsegi
Shamma bhi roshni ko tarsegi
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa
Mere mehboob na jaa, aaj ki raat na jaa

Movie: Noor Mahal (1965)
Director: Noshir Engineer
Singer: Suman Kalyanpur
Lyricist: Saba Afghani
Music Composer: Jani Babu Qawwal

January 28 is Suman Kalyanpur’s birthday. Although I love some of her duets better, I chose this song because it is a solo. This is a great song in a not-so-great movie, made beautiful by Kalyanpur’s soulful rendering.

Many mistook Kalyanpur's voice for Lata Mangeshkar’s. Unlike the Mangeshkars, she was not from a musical family. Nor did she have any particular fascination for films. She was a simple homemaker, who loved painting and music. A combination of all these factors probably kept her from being as famous as some of her peers, despite a great knowledge of classical music, a melodious voice and a wide range. ~ S