Artist: Jawad Ahmad
Song: Miṭṭi Da Palwaan – مٹّی دا پلوان – A Hero Made Of Clay
Language: Punjabi
Produced by: Strings
Song Credits:
House Band
AAHAD NAYANI
BABAR ALI KHANNA
IMRAN AKHOOND
JAFFER ALI ZAIDI
KHALID KHAN
SIKANDAR MUFTI
String Section
GHULAM ABBAS
JAVED IQBAL
KALEEM KHAN
SALEEM KHAN
UMAR DARAZ
Guest Musicians
JAFFER HUSSAIN | Clarinet
OMRAN SHAFIQUE | Guitars
Backing Vocal
Momin Durrani
Rachel Viccaji
Sara Haider
Audio Player:
Song Info:
Born to two professors of political science, Jawad Ahmad’s musical career is testament to his commitment to infusing his songs with the progressive politics and emancipatory spiritualism he believes in. ‘Mitti da Pehlwan’ is a song which mocks humanity’s obsessions with its own facile creations, and reminds it of how life is transitory. Mitti, or dust, is used as a metaphor across the song, referring to the belief that human beings are created from clay as well as the transitory nature of getting blown away as mere dust, as time moves on and we are no more. Jawad’s performance specifically retains the populist flavour of the song and its message. Such songs are the hallmark of folk and rural performances, and use common language and expressions to convey profound spiritual ideas. The listener is both ridiculed and entreated, and the marvel of the lyrics lies in their usage of the same words to deliver profound concepts. The arrangement of this song is also one of the most original ones of the season, bringing together a bossa nova percussive style with flourishes of funk and pop in the melody. It retains the gregarious nature of the performance, and adds a light, almost flippant and dismissive feeling when the gravity of the message delivered is dramatically juxtaposed with the musical styling of this decidedly versatile, Punjabi song.
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Lyrics:
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
بس مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
bas miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
Just a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
جھوٹی تیری شان او بندیا
jhooṭi teri shaan o bandiya
Your pride and grandeur is all meaningless, O human
جھوٹی تیری آن
jhooṭi teri aan
Your rank and fame is all meaningless
جھوٹی تیری شان او بندیا
jhooṭi teri shaan o bandiya
Your pride and grandeur is all meaningless, O human
جھوٹی تیری آن
jooṭhi teri aan
Your rank and fame is all meaningless
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
کڈ کے تیری جان
kaḍ ke teri jaan
And wrest your life away
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
بس مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
bas miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
Just a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
اچّے اچّے ترلے تیرے
ucche ucche turle tere
All your pride and grandeur
ایتھے رہ جانیں نیں
aithe rah jaanen nen
Will get left behind here
محل منارے سارے تیرے
mahl manaare saare tere
All your grand castles and palaces
اک دن ٹہہ جانیں نیں
ik din ṭah jaanen nen
Will fall down one day
رہنا نئیوں نشان و بندیا
rahna naiyon nishaan o bandiya
No trace of them will be left, O human
رہنا نئیوں نشان
rahna naiyon nishaan
No trace will be left
چھڈ دے کرنے مان توں بندیا
chhaḍ de karne maan toon bandiya
Get rid of your false pride, O human
چھڈ دے کرنے مان
chhaḍ de karne maan
Get rid of your false pride
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
کڈ کے تیری جان
kaḍ ke teri jaan
And wrest your life away
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
بس مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
bas miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
Just a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
وے توں مرناں نئیوں
ve toon marna naiyon
Do you think you’re immortal?
کی توں بندے کھاناں ایں
ki toon bande khaanaan en
More powerful than anyone else?
توں تے کج وی نئیں چھڈیا
toon te kuj vi naeen chhaḍiya
Your greed has devoured everything
دس ہن کی چاہناں ایں
das hun ki chaahnaaan en
Now what do you want for?
تیرے باہجوں ڈاہڈے وی پلوان زمانے ویکھے
tere baahjon ḍaahḍe vi palwaan zamaane wekhe
Since you, heroes much more powerful have come into the world
کلّم کلّے خالی ہتّھی لوکاں جاندے ویکھے
kallam kalle khaali hatthi lokaan jaande wekhe
The world has seen people depart from here alone and empty-handed
تیرے باہجوں ڈاہڈے وی پلوان زمانے ویکھے
tere baahjon ḍaahḍe vi palwaan zamaane wekhe
Since you, heroes much more powerful have come into the world
کلّم کلّے خالی ہتّھی لوکاں جاندے ویکھے
kallam kalle khaali hatthi lokaan jaande wekhe
The world has seen people depart from here alone and empty-handed
تیری کل کمائی اکّو چادر کوری چٹّی
teri kul kamaayi ikko chaadar kori chiṭṭi
The full sum of your earnings is one plain white shroud
مٹّی مٹّی ہو جانی اے آخر تیری مٹّی
miṭṭi miṭṭi ho jaani e aakhir teri miṭṭi
In the end, your body will go and merge with the dust
مٹّی مٹّی ہو جانی اے آخر تیری مٹّی
miṭṭi miṭṭi ho jaani e aakhir teri miṭṭi
In the end, your body will go and merge with the dust
ایویں کریں گمان او بندیا
aiwen kare gumaan o bandiya
You are proud for no reason, O human
اپنا آپ پچھان
apna aap pachhaan
Learn to recognize your own reality
ہو اپنا آپ پچھان
ho apna aap pachhaan
Learn to recognize your own reality
ساہنواں دی اے کھیڈ جنّاں چر آندے جاندے رہن
saawaan di e kheḍ jinnaan chir aande jaande rahn
This game of life continues only till the body draws breath
ویلا سر تے آجاوے تے ٹٹّن سجرّے ٹہن
wela sir te aajaawe te ṭuṭṭan sajrre ṭahn
When the time of death is here, even fresh and verdant branches break
ککّھوں ہولا ٹاہن توں بندیا
kakkhon haula ṭaahn toon bandiya
You’re nothing but a feeble twig, O human
ککّھوں ہولا ٹاہن
kakkhon haula ṭaahn
Nothing but a feeble twig
چڑھ پانویں آسمان توں بندیا
chaṛh paanwen aasmaan o bandiya
Even if you reach as high as the sky, O human
چڑھ پانویں آسمان
chaṛh paanwen aasmaan
Even if you reach as high as the sky
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
ہو اک دن اوہنیں لے جانی اے
ho ik din ohnen lai jaani e
One day, Fate will come
کڈ کے تیری جان
kaḍ ke teri jaan
And wrest your life away
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
بس مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
bas miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
Just a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
You’re a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
بس مٹّی دا پلوان توں بندیا
bas miṭṭi da palwaan toon bandiya
Just a hero made of clay, O human
مٹّی دا پلوان
miṭṭi da palwaan
A hero made of clay
