Miracle of ‘Mir’: The Poet’s Alternative to Sexist Bollywood Songs

Planning to dance your heart out this Navratri? Mir Taqi Mir has a few alternative lyrics to those hit sexist songs.

(This article was first published on 21 September 2017. It has been reposted from The Quint’s archives on Mir Taqi Mir’s death anniversary.)

Mir Taqi Mir. The name sounds familiar, but wouldn’t elicit much from people not well-versed with his verses. A generation which loves to quote everybody from Ghalib to Gulzar and even Raghuram Rajan at the drop of a hat – many a times erroneously so – haven’t taken much to the shayari of ‘Mir’, also called Khuda-e-Sukhan (God of Poetry).

Why, you wonder, when Mir – the 18th century Urdu poet – had romance, intensity, and fabled drama.

Today, on his death anniversary, here’s revisiting some of his classic lines, and how they can actually be a better, cleaner and saner version of the romantic songs you need.

So, before you jump onto that track for the Navratri 2017 dance, here’s what you should know.

The Feeling of First Love

Kya ye aapka pehla pehla pyaar hai? If yes, I suggest you don’t confess your love by saying you’d like to ‘ride them’.

This would make them uncomfortable, and you’d definitely NOT feel like the ‘Badshah’ of the world.

You need something mellow, and yet to take their breath away? Sample this:

Translation:
“She appeared in such a way that I lost myself And went by taking away my 'self' with her,
Just her glimpse rendered me numb, away she went leaving me separated from me.”

And once you’ve confessed your love, it’s time to take your relationship to the next level (depending on which of the above routes you take).

Ready for Romance?

Pyaar hua, iqraar hua hai, pyaar se phir kyun darta hai dil, you ask? It’s not the ‘dil’, but the possible overkill, that is, if you take things a bit too fast unkil.

Agreed that you can talk nasty if you both are in that comfort zone, but to screech that now you’re done playing the ‘good guy’? So, the mask’s off, right?

I bet these are not the right alphabets for you. Instead, you should count on something just like this:

Translation:
“It's the beginning of Love, why do you wail
Just wait and watch how things unveil”

In case you botch this section up (which I highly suspect), then you’d definitely need to heal your broken heart.

Doorie Ka Dard Be Like...

Mard ko dard nahin hota? This one-liner has more fiction than the time I was told “Demonetisation was to bust black money” (Before you troll, even the government accepts this now, so chill).

So yeah, back to dard. Not everybody nurses a breakup with muffled cries, and damp handkerchiefs, at least publicly. If you feel like venting, make sure you don’t veil your angst in personal insults, like exhibit A:

Or you can go FULL Nirupa Roy mode, with eyes reddened, and stream of tears flooding your existence. There are two benefits – a) You’ll vent beautifully, so people may console AND compliment you. b) Your significant other may melt, and come back to you. *Fingers crossed*

Translation:
“From my eye, when doesn't a tear fall
Blood falls when it doesn't fall”

If you manage to patch-up or create an even worse blunder, you’d definitely need a drink for the occasion.

Humming for Hangover

In India, apart from cocktails, daaru is an important ingredient for all our songs. Most of these songs talk about brash behaviour, blingy cars, and bohot hi zyada beautiful ‘babes’. Hashtag party scenes.

All in all, we should know our limits – of drinking, and of behaving when zyada chadh jaye.

While overdoing on alcohol can turn you into a Rum-ta Jogi, you can totally control your dose by conjuring your inner Mir. As soon as you mouth these lines, your friends would go into a tizzy, and would understand you’ve had enough for the day. Be a responsible drinker.

Translation:
“Pardon me my friends, I am in a drunken stupor
give me just an empty cup now, if you give me any more”

Don’t you agree that a bit of Mir can handle a lot of our daily struggles? Let us know if you think of other sexist songs that can be made #SwachhWithGhazal. Do share this story with poetry lovers, and sexism fighters.

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