man re tuu kaahe na dhiir dhare

"man re tuu kaahe na dhiir dhare" is an exceptional song.
Great rendition by Rafi, wonderful tune by Roshan and lovely poetry by Sahir make this song an all time great. In its January 26, 2006 issue the Outlook Magazine carried out a survey on the 20 Best Hindi Songs Ever, where "Outlook asked 30 leading composers, lyricists and singers to name their all-time favourite Hindi film songs" and this one emerged on top. Earlier Lata Mangeshkar had sung this song in her album "Shraddhanjali" as a tribute.

One of the verses in this song is:

is jiivan kii cha.Dhatii Dhalatii
dhuup ko kisane baa.ndhaa
ra.ng pe kisane pahare Daale
ruup ko kisane baa.ndhaa
kaahe ye jatan kare

This verse echoes two misras of a nazm "bint e lamhaat" written a year earlier by Akhtar ul Imaan.

bhalaa kisii ne kabhii raNg-o-buu ko pakRa hai
shafaq ko qaid meN rakkhaa, sabaa ko baNd kiyaa


Here is the whole nazm:
bint-e-lamhaat

tumhaare lahje meN jo ye garmii-o-halaavat hai
ise bhalaa saa ko_ii naam do wafaa kii jagah
GHaniim-e-nuur kaa hamlaa kaho andheroN par
dayaar-e-dard meN aamad kaho masiihaa kii
ravaaN davaaN hu_e KHushbu ke qaafile har suu
KHalaa-e-subah meN guuNjii saher kii shahnaa_ii
ye aik kohraa saa, ye dhundh sii jo chhaa_ii hai
is iltihaab meN is surmagiiN ujaale meN
sivaa tumhaare mujhe kuchh nazar nahiiN aataa
hayaat naam hai yaadoN kaa talKH aur shiiriiN
bhalaa kisii ne kabhii raNg-o-buu ko pakRaa hai
shafaq ko qaid meN rakkhaa, sabaa ko baNd kiyaa
har aik lamha gurezaaN hai jaise dushman hai
na tum milogii na maiN, ham bhii donoN lamhe haiN
vo lamhe jaa ke jo vaapas kabhee nahiiN aate.

23 May, 1963