Super Moon

Super Moon

We just had a ‘super moon’ a popular terminology. People from all over the world enjoyed the full moon. It is true that today we hardly take a look at the moon. Being an Indian, I feel lucky to be born in a country where so many songs are written on moon. Unfortunately today we hardly see any song written on moon. This may be a reason today I am penning down this article.

In Hinduism, Chandra is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus, he rides his chariot across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. He is a god of fertility. May be this is the reason one of the linguistic coinage on pre-independence of India is – Chanda Mama, as a brother of our mom and not a friend or anybody. Later this coinage is added with British Policewalah as a police mama.

Roman people believe and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon. She is often presented as the female complement of the Sun. As we move towards scandavian countries, Moon is called Máni is the personification of the moon in Norse mythology is attested in the Poetic Edda, Máni appears throughout Old Norse literature. Scholarly theories have been proposed about Máni's potential connection to the Northern European notion of the Man in the Moon, and a potentially otherwise unattested story regarding Máni through skaldic kennings.

"The Moon is made of green cheese" is a proverb and metaphor for credulity with roots in fable, this refers to the perception of a simpleton who sees a reflection of the Moon in water and mistakes it for a round cheese wheel. It is widespread as a folkloric motif or meme among many of the world's cultures. It is a part of both popular and modern culture.

In Russia by Slavic mythology the Zorja are the two guardian goddesses, German people believe on folklore – man of the moon.

Moon has its effect on animals, humans and planet. We all are aware of it. Bollywood has composed number of songs on this occasion. Mohammad Rafi’s earlier song ‘suhani raat dhal chuki’ - written by Shakeel Badayuni and music by Naushad. This song reminds us the emotional impact and singing rendition of Rafi who had Punjabi accent on singing this song is the best example. Rather it was a deliberate attempt. 1960 film Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Guru Dutt sang it for Waheeda Rehman. M. Rafi made this song immortal with his celestial voice. Ravi provided music. It became very famous and many people know Rafi and Moon due to this song.

Chand Si Mehbooba Ho Meri Kab Aisa Maine Socha Tha, film- Himalay Ki God Mein. , this song use moon as a metaphor for beauty and praising of beloved.  Hasrat Jaipuri penned a song in 1967 for movie Diwana  “Ai sanam jisne tujhe chand si surat di hai; usi malik ne mujhe di to mohabbat di hai”. Raj kapoors and Nargis in film Aawara made a song on moon as if she is the witness of their love. Moon has not only been a metaphor of beauty, it has been a companion, friend and witness.

Dev Anand in Jaal movie a song on moon as – Ye raat ye chnadani phir kahhan… a memorable song of Dev Anand. Dil Ki Nazar Se Nazron Ki Dil Se a famous song from Raj Kapoor and his another which made history, Ye raat bhiigi bhigi make us transform even today to that black and white era.

1961 Main Chup Rahungi- Rajendra Krishana lyrics and Chitragupta music Chand Jane Kahan Kho Gaya – as if moon is a witness or pal. woh chaand khila woh taare hanse yeh raat ajab matwari hai from Anaadi 1959 made moon and stars alive at least in the lyrics. 1954 Shart film gave a Geeta Dutta song Na yeh chand hoga, na taare rahenge. Chand Phir Nikla, Magar Tum Na Aaye  a song from 1957 film paying guest sung by Lata Mangeshkar made moon a companion by describing it as a pal.  Chalo Dildar Chalo Lata Mangeshkar Film Pakeezah Music Ghulam Mohammed.

Moon today is used as a metaphor in bollywood songs. As the time has changed and people are more enjoying the cyber world and mobile telephony, the concept of moon gazing or waiting is gone. Even today the film like 3 idiots which does not have great music directors like yesterday or no celestial voice like Rafi.

Even today films like 3 idiots has used moon in zoobi zoobi song, Aamir and Karina did dance merily on that song. Om Shanti Om has many songs of Vishal Shekhar and moon has played important role as a mise en scene. Very recent example of David Dhavan, who has become famous for his Govinda films. David Dhavan who definitely deserves credit for portrayal of comedy of dialogue and action based comedy. Some may say David is the director of last millennium or 90s but he has come up with bang. A song from his recent film "Main Tera Hero" Palat - Tera Hero Idhar Hai where we find moon in the lyrics. Certainly the lyrics of recent bollywood songs are not considerable but as a film professional and copy writer I become happy at least to listen it.

Todays kids are more busy with mobile or computer games, these real time gaming consoles entice them with virtual reality and do not make them think of real environment. It is an big issue today, folklores and myths make the childhood more curious and at the same time it provide strength to lead in youth. A person is made into childhood only.

I remember the lines of Juliet when she says this to Romeo in the balcony scene when Romeo is confessing his love to her. “O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable” Shakespeare wrote it in 16th century.

Mark Twain once said “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” We find Khalil Gibran and Mary Haskell, Houston, 1964 reference in love letters “We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.”
W.B. Yeats has a poem “The Cat and the Moon which helped him later to think on literary criticism.

Umberto Eco who is Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist, famous for his groundbreaking 1980 historical mystery novel Il nome della rosa I find a quote from it. “Sometimes I look at the Moon, and I imagine that those darker spots are caverns, cities, islands, and the places that shine are those where the sea catches the light of the sun like the glass of a mirror...I would like to tell of war and friendship among the various parts of the body, the arms that do battle with the feet, and the veins that make love with the arteries or the bones with the marrow. All the stories I would like to write persecute me when I am in my chamber, it seems as if they are all around me, the little devils, and while one tugs at my ear, another tweaks my nose, and each says to me, 'Sir, write me, I am beautiful'.”

Pablo Neruda in his poem ‘Ode To A Naked Beauty’ quoted  “As if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”

Even the scientist like Galileo Galilei, said in 1610 "From Doubt to Astonishment" The Starry Messenger, Venice that “It is a beautiful and delightful sight to behold the body of the Moon.” 

I remember the lines of Ernest Hemingway from The Old Man and the Sea, “The fish is my friend too...I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars. Imagine if each day a man must try to kill the moon, he thought. The moon runs away. But imagine if a man each day should have to try to kill the sun? We were born lucky; he thought” 

A line from crime and punishment novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky “It's the moon that makes it so still, weaving some mystery.” I find a great meaning in to it. It is moon which connect us from all over the world. It is the literature and hindi films which made her our friend, companion, lover and deity. Peop0le from all generations have loved it.

Poets have dried their ink and writers have invented millions of metaphors. Story tellers have always resided to moon; right from Gulliver’s travels to even today’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez. If it is not the main theme then it is in the background but the presence of moon makes the life complete.

Do we have lovers today who watch the moon and confess to her? Do we have people who stare or gaze at moon? Just do it for a minute and tell me your reply. She has power to offer you solace. You will be rejuvenated. It will be a good exercise to introspect. Give a time to yourself and love yourself as moon is a part of you.

  Writer is a media professional and has more than 14 year experience of documentary film making and copy-writing.