Xmas songs bring back nostalgic memories like those of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, for who can forget Tiny Tim doomed to die young! His character is almost akin to that of Little Nell whose death made another famous writer throw the book out of the window in tears. Delhi Christmases also had their own nostalgia in World War days, interspersed with the tones of “I’m Weeping for a White Christmas”. You could hear the girls singing it aloud wherever Christians lived –– Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Daryaganj, with its Old Pataudi House, Karol Bagh and Paharganj but not Connaught Circus which was sparsely inhabited. One can still picture Maggie in the mind’s eye leading a group rehearsing carols, starting with “Silent Night” and ending with “Children Come to the Manger”. But “We Three Kings” was reserved for the Epiphany 12 days later. Not to be outdone, Hindi song singers gave vent to their own repertoire which, besides the cheerful ones also had such sorrowful numbers as “Mehroom bhaiyon par/airaf mein jo hain/ Un par nahin kare ga meharbani aur daya”. A plea for God’s mercy to the souls in purgatory. It was by an Italian priest, although some think actually a translation of a long-forgotten Latin or English hymn enriched with choice Urdu words that brought out the pathos of the emotional suffering of those undergoing punishment in semi-hell before eternal salvation. When a Hindustani-knowing memsahib heard it she burst into tears. One still cannot forget the slap one got from an aunt for starting off the hymn with the words, “Ghamgeen bhaiyon par”. The aunt explained that they may be sorrowful but here it was a lament of their being “mehroom” or bereft of the sight of the Lord in the fire of purification.
However, joyful is the hymn, “Ai bacchay log aaoo/Sab mil ke chalo/Bethlehem ke gaushale ke andar chalo/Woh dekho khuda ka noor ghalib hota hai/Yesu Masih Baap aaj paida hua hai.” It’s a translation of “Children Come to the Manger” and set to the same tune. Then there is the rendering of “We Three Kings” (“Hum teen badshah mashriq ke hain”). “Silent Night Holy Night” had its vernacular version in “Gadaryon ne dekha sitara adhi raat ko” (shepherds saw the star at midnight).
The hymnal brought out by the Delhi Archdiocese has the famous song : “Showers of blessing” which a former parish priest detailed thus: During the American Civil War a major under treatment in hospital was persuaded to come and console a teenaged soldier who was restless because of approaching death from a mortal wound. The Major held the boy’s hand and the words came automatically to his mind : “There shall be showers of blessing/This is the promise of Love/There shall be seasons refreshing/Sent from the Saviour above,” concluding with, “There shall be seasons refreshing/If we let God have His way.” By the time the Major ended the song the young soldier had passed away but with a peaceful expression on his face. Late Father Monthu Marian D’Souza of Mayapuri parish once disclosed that “Lead Kindly Light” was written by Cardinal Newman when his ship was stranded in the Mediterranean in mid-19th Century and he thought the end of all on board was near, “The night is dark and I am far from home,” he wrote. His prayer was heard and in the morning the storm ceased and the sea became calm so that Newman could visualize the happy faces he could hope to see again on landing on the home shore. “Abide with me” was also written on board a ship by an Irish pastor going to Italy to recuperate from tuberculosis with the gloomy thought that he might not return alive. Both hymns were Gandhiji’s favourites. The one by the Cardinal could well become the prayer of women returning home late these days.
They are not really Xmas hymns but somehow carol singers don’t mind rendering them. Of course the ones sung by Jim Reeves are the traditional hymns. The one titled, “I Just Called to Say” begins with the words –– “No New Year’s day to celebrate/No chocolate-coloured candy hearts to give away” has its counter in the Hindi-leavened one, ‘Halwa Wala’ : “In the evening when it’s seven/And the stars are in the heaven…. You see a fellow coming with a tray, where flies are humming and the people all begin/A hearty call, “Aa gaya, aa gaya… halwa wala aa gaya”. For this and other such the credit goes to Father John Ferreira, ex-Principal of St Peter’s College who brought out the Harmony collection in two volumes; it has a lot of Xmas songs too and that all- time favourite, “We wish you a Merry Christmas/We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.
(The author is a veteran chronicler of Delhi)
