Chaap Tilak is a qawwali that has been graced by every legendary voice of this region for the last 700 years. Close your eyes, take a breath and allow this timeless poem to transport you to the realm of the Beloved.
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Penned by the Indian subcontinent’s musical genius Hazrat Amir Khusrau, and written in braj bhasha, the popular country dialect which was a forerunner of Urdu, its beauty lay in its simplicity.
Sung from the perspective of a young girl, it is replete with modest yet enchanting symbols, as it celebrates the splendor of losing oneself in love. Both the use of motifs as well as the language itself were deliberate creative choices by Hazrat Amir Khusrau, as they communicated to the common people using their own ideas and aesthetics.
This video by Coke Studio serves as the host to a resplendent performance of this classic by Pakistan’s greatest living artists, Abida Parveen and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The two musical legends have performed this song almost as a story, delivering the verses in an exhilarating back-and-forth style. The song’s composition is deliberately structured to create an environment where both these distinctive voices had the freedom to be heard on their own terms. ​
Lyrics:
تن من دھن باجی لاگی رے
tan man dhan baaji laagi re
I’ve staked all I have – my wealth, my body, my very soul
دھن دھن مورے بھاگ باجی لاگی رے
dhan dhan more bhaag baaji laagi re
And good fortune has showered its blessings on me
موسے بول Ù†Û Ø¨ÙˆÙ„
mose bol nah bol
Whether or not you agree to speak to me
موسے بول Ù†Û Ø¨ÙˆÙ„
mose bol nah bol
Whether or not you agree to speak to me
موسے بول Ù†Û Ø¨ÙˆÙ„
mose bol nah bol
Whether or not you agree to speak to me
موسے بول Ù†Û
mose bol nah
Whether or not...
موسے بول Ù†Û Ø¨ÙˆÙ„
mose bol nah bol
Whether or not you agree to speak to me
میری سن یا Ù†Û Ø³Ù†
meri sun ya nah sun
Whether or not you agree to listen
میں تو توÛÛ’ Ù†Û Ú†Ú¾Ø§ÚˆÙˆÚº Ú¯ÛŒ اے سانورے
main to tohe nah chhaaá¸oon gi ay saanware
I will not leave your side, my swarthy beloved