The poem uses the metaphor of a Sahokaar (Money Lender) and Naqdi (Cash) to represent the transaction of life and time.
The narrator begins with a stark realization of his mortality and the depletion of his life's savings:
"Ab umar ki naqdi khatam huyi / ab hum ko udhaar ki haajat hai..." (The cash of my age is now finished / now I have a need for a loan...)
Explanation: The poet equates his life span with a bank account that has run dry. He urgently needs more time, which he frames as a loan.
"hai koi jo sahokaar bane? / hai koi jo dewan haar bane?" (Is there anyone who can be a money-lender? / Is there anyone who can be a giver?)
Explanation: He pleads with an unknown entity (perhaps God, life, or the universe) for an extension.
"kuch saal maheene din logon! / par sood biyaj ke bin logo!" (A few years, months, days, people! / But without interest or profit, people!)
Explanation: He makes a simple request for time, hoping to avoid the heavy price (interest) of borrowed time.
The narrator's request is met with silence, leading to reflection on unfinished business:
"kya koi bhi sahokaar nahi? / kyun sab ne sar ko jhukaya hai..." (Is there no money-lender? / Why has everyone lowered their head...)
Explanation: When the topic of lending time (life) comes up, everyone (representing his peers or the world) turns away, acknowledging the impossibility of the request.
"kuch kaam hamein niptaane hain... / kuch pyar dulaar ke dhande hain / kuch jag ke doosre phande hain" (I have some tasks to complete... / some business of love and affection / some other worldly traps/dealings)
Explanation: He justifies his need for more time by listing the unfulfilled emotional tasks—the gentle dealings of life and love he still needs to attend to.
His plea becomes more desperate, showing he is willing to pay any price:
"hum mangte nahi hazaar baras / dus paanch baras do chaar baras" (I am not asking for a thousand years / just ten, five, two, or four years.)
"haan sood boyaaj bhi de leinge / haan aur khiraaj bhi de leinge" (Yes, I will give the interest too / Yes, I will also give the tax/tribute.)
Explanation: He retracts his earlier request for a free loan and is now willing to pay the price—be it sood (interest) or khiraaj (tribute/tax)—for a short extension.
A sudden shift introduces an unexpected presence and dismisses his initial audience:
"tum kon tumhara naam hai kya? / kyun is majme me aaye ho?" (Who are you, what is your name? / Why have you come to this gathering?)
Explanation: He confronts someone new who has entered the "gathering" of his financial crisis (his friends/peers).
"ab geet gaya sangeet gaya / haan shair ka mousam beet gaya... / ab patjhar aayi paat girey" (Now the song is gone, the music is gone / Yes, the season of poetry is over... / Now autumn has come, the leaves have fallen.)
Explanation: He uses the metaphor of autumn to describe his age, signaling the end of his prime creative life.
"tum jao, insey baat karein / hum tum se na mulaqaat karein" (You go, I will speak to them / I will not meet with you.)
Explanation: He tells the intruder to leave, preferring to deal with his old friends (yaar purane), who possess umer ke maah-o-saal (the months and years of age), hoping one of them will offer him time.
The poem reaches its emotional climax as the old friends flee, leaving only the intruder:
"Sub dost gaye sub yaar gaye / They jitnay sahookaar gaye" (All friends left, all lovers left / All the money-lenders left.)
"Bus Eik yeah naari bethi hai! / Yeah kon hai? kiya hai? kaisi hai?" (Only this one woman is sitting! / Who is she? What is she? How is she?)
Explanation: His peers, who had plenty of time, all fled when asked to share. The only one left is the mysterious, beautiful woman he had initially dismissed.
"Tum sohni ho, man-mohnni ho! / Tum ja ker poori umr jeeyoo!" (You are beautiful, heart-stealing! / You go and live your full life!)
Explanation: He sees her youth and urges her not to sacrifice her precious years, acknowledging the value of the time he is asking for.
The poem concludes with the narrator realizing that only love and affection can truly offer an extension of life, not money or logic:
"Jab maaNgeiN jeevan ki ghaRiyaaN / "Gustaakh AkhiyaaN kith Ja laRiyaaN" (When I ask for the moments of life / "Where did the naughty eyes go and fight [i.e., meet]?)
Explanation: This line suggests the woman is his beloved, and the memory of their loving gaze is what brings life back.
"Hum qarz tummeiN lauta deinge / Kuch aur bhi ghaRiyaaN la Deinge" (I will return the loan to you / I will bring you some more moments.)
"Ju Saa'at-o mah-o saal nahiN / Wo ghaRiyaaN jin ko zavaal nahiN" (Those moments that are not hours, months, or years / Those moments which have no end [decay].)
Explanation: He promises to repay her not with time itself, but with eternal, timeless moments of love and memory—moments of joy that defy the decay of age.
"Lo Apnay Ji MeiN Utaar Liya / Lo Hum Nay Tum Se Udhaar Liya......" (See, I have absorbed it within my soul / See, I have taken the loan from you...)
The "loan" is ultimately taken from his beloved's essence, suggesting that the best part of living longer is the love and emotional fulfillment it brings, which is the only thing that can truly conquer the fear of death.
"Usney kaha sunn! / Aehad nibhaney ki Khaatir mat aana" (She/He said, listen! / Do not come merely for the sake of fulfilling a promise.)
Explanation: This sets the central theme: the speaker refuses to accept love based on duty or a contract (Aehad - promise/oath). They want the lover to be genuinely free in their choice.
"Aehad nibhaaney vaaley aksar majaburi ya / Mahjuri ki thakan se lauta karte hain" (Those who fulfill promises often return out of helplessness or / the fatigue of separation.)
Explanation: "People who keep promises often return because of helplessness or because they are tired of being separated."
The speaker is reflecting on the common (and often disappointing) nature of people who come back after a long absence:
"Aksar majaburi se lauta karte hain" means: "They often return because of compulsion."
What this means: The person isn't coming back because they truly missed the speaker or realized their mistake. They are coming back because:
Their new path didn't work out.
They failed to find happiness elsewhere.
They need the stability, comfort, or convenience the speaker offered.
The speaker's objection: A return out of "majaburi" is not love; it's a desperate retreat. The speaker does not want to be a fallback option or a safe harbor for someone who has nowhere else to go.
"Mahjuri ki thakan se lauta karte hain" means: "They return because they are tired of separation."
What this means: "Mahjuri" is the feeling of being cut off or separated. The "thakan" (fatigue) is the exhaustion, loneliness, or boredom that comes from being alone for too long.
The speaker's objection: The person is returning just to end their own loneliness, not because they are drawn by the unique love of the speaker. They are trying to soothe their own weariness. The speaker wants to be a destination, not just a cure for fatigue.
"Tum jaao aur darya darya pyaas bujhaao" (You go and quench your thirst from river to river.)
Explanation: This is a dramatic license, giving the lover permission to explore, experience life, and seek other forms of satisfaction (pyaas bujhaao - quench thirst). It's an affirmation of the lover's freedom to explore other relationships.
"Jin aankhon mein Doobo / Jis dil mein bhi utro" (In whichever eyes you drown / In whichever heart you reside.)
Explanation: An unprecedented level of trust and emotional release. The speaker is sanctioning the other person's search for connection, no matter how deep or intimate it becomes with others.
"Meri talab awaaz na degi" (My longing will not call out to you.)
Explanation: The speaker vows to contain their own need and jealousy. They promise that their longing (talab) will remain silent, putting no emotional pressure on the traveler.
"Lekin jab meiri chahat aur meri Khwahish ki lau / Itni taiz aur itni oonchi ho jaaye" (But when the flame of my love and my desire / becomes so intense and so high...)
Explanation: Here is the condition. The lover must return, not when they are tired, but when the speaker's own longing reaches a pinnacle of emotional intensity. The signal for return is not the traveler's need, but the intensity of the one waiting.
"Jab dil ro dey / Tab laut aanaa..." (When the heart cries out / Then return.)
Explanation: This is the most profound line. The speaker sets the heartbreak of the one waiting as the signal. The lover should return only when the passion and true love of the one waiting is so strong that it causes an involuntary emotional response (dil ro dey). This ensures the return is met with a pure, overwhelming torrent of genuine feeling, not obligation.
The Nazm is a testament to a non-possessive, unconditional love. It tells the beloved:
"I love you so much that I want you to be absolutely certain I am your choice. Go and explore everything. I will not pressure you. But when you feel my love—the raw, undeniable power of my longing—drawing you back, then and only then should you return."
That is one of the most iconic, carefree, and melodious songs from Hindi cinema's Golden Era!
"Hai Apna Dil To Awara" is a timeless classic from the 1958 film Solva Saal.
The song is celebrated for its casual, charming cynicism and its slow, seductive beat. Dev Anand's portrayal of the wandering, philosophical young man is legendary. The lyrics essentially mean: "My heart is restless/wandering (awara); who knows who it will fall for next?" It perfectly captures the spirit of youthful freedom and unpredictability.
That is magnificent choice from the golden era of Hindi cinema!
"Zara Nazron se Kehdo Jii" is a quintessential romantic classic, known for its smooth melody and Hemant Kumar's unique, deep voice.
| Category | Detail |
| Film | Bees Saal Baad (1962) - A famous suspense/thriller film. |
| Singer | Hemant Kumar (He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for another song in this film, "Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil") |
| Music Director | Hemant Kumar (He composed the music for this entire film, showcasing his dual genius) |
| Lyrics | Shakeel Badayuni |
| Starring | Biswajit (The song is picturized on him) and Waheeda Rehman |
The song is a gentle, almost timid expression of love and longing. The lyrics, penned by Shakeel Badayuni, translate to: "Please tell your eyes... [to stop doing what they are doing to my heart]."
The speaker is telling his beloved that her gaze, full of affection or mischief, is having a devastating effect on his heart, and she should command her eyes to be merciful. The melody is slow, dreamy, and perfectly matches the gothic, romantic atmosphere of the film.
