Jis din se dekha hai tumko sanam!

 I like listening to Gazals! Lately I came across an old gem, "Jis din se dekha hai tumko sanam"! I want to talk about this today! This ghazal seems a profound exploration of longing, love, and the ineffability of deep emotional connections. At its core, the lyrics echo the universal sentiment of being undoubtedly and irrevocably in love, expressing an unsettling yet beautiful turmoil that ensues from the moment of encounter. The repeated lines, "Tum mere ho...," serve not just as an affirmation of love but also as a mantra that encapsulates the entirety of the lover's world view, transforming an ordinary observation into a statement of profound emotional and existential truth.

The imagery in the ghazal, particularly the reference to the monsoon ("Sawan hai barsat hoti nahi") and the inability to communicate the depth of love ("Khul ke koi baat hoti nahi"), evokes a sense of yearning that is both personal and universal. Monsoon, often associated with renewal and fertility, here paradoxically symbolizes a period of emotional drought, suggesting that despite the lover’s deep affection, a fulfillment of love remains just out of reach, much like the rains that refuse to fall. This creates a poignant contrast, highlighting the lover’s internal conflict between the richness of their emotional world and the barrenness of their reality without the beloved's reciprocation.

The ghazal's musicality and structure further amplify its emotional intensity. The repetition of certain lines, paired with the unique melody that ghazals characteristically possess, lends the piece a haunting quality. It's as if the melody itself becomes a vehicle for conveying the depth of longing and the cyclical nature of obsessive thought that love often brings.

Additionally, the verse "Shayir jo hota to tere liye/Kehta ghazal main koi pyar ki" reflects on the power and inability of art to capture the essence of love fully. This metatextual element invites listeners to contemplate the limits of expression and the ineffable quality of love, suggesting that even the most eloquent verses or the most exquisite paintings fall short of encapsulating true emotion. This adds a layer of complexity to an already rich and layered ghazal, making it a reflection not just on love but also on the nature of art itself.

In the continuation of this haunting ghazal, the poet laments, "Hota musawir to apne liye/Moorat banata ruthe yaar ki/Tasveer teri banata main/Saare jahan ko dikhata main." These lines capture the artist's wishful thinking, illustrating a deep desire to immortalize the beloved's visage through art, to not just keep for oneself but also to proudly display to the world. Yet, the lament, "Par kya karoon ke musawir nahi/Hai bad-naseebi ke shayir nahi," brings us back to the harsh reality of unfulfilled potential and the cruel twist of fate that prevents the poet from capturing this essence either through poetry or painting. This intrinsic inability to convey love's profound depth is both poignant and profoundly relatable. "Kaise batayein yeh tumko sanam/Tum mere ho...." reverberates as a heartfelt cry of love and longing, encapsulating the entire emotional spectrum of love—from the joy of belonging to the sorrow of inexpressible feelings—marking the ghazal not just as a musical piece but as an existential reflection on the nature of love itself.

Overall, the ghazal "Jis din se dekha hai tumko sanam" transcends the traditional boundaries of love poetry, intertwining deep emotional insights with evocative imagery and musicality. It speaks not only to the heart but to the soul, inviting a reflective engagement with the nature of love, longing, and the human condition’s inexorable pull towards connection, even in the face of insurmountable odds.