Sanam Beraham Song Lyrics

Tu jo keh deta to hans ke mar jaate hum,
Tere ek ishare pe yeh jahaan chhod aate hum.
Magar tune to dosti ka bhi bharam na rakha,
Meri wafaon ka tune koi karam na rakha.

O sanam beraham, o sanam beraham,
Tune diya hai kaisa yeh zakhm-e-sitam!
O sanam beraham, o sanam beraham,
Tune diya hai kaisa yeh zakhm-e-sitam!

Duaon mein jisko maanga tha har pal,
Wahi ban gaya meri aankhon ka jal.
Khushi ke bahaane aansu de gaya tu,
Meri hasti-khelti duniya le gaya tu.

O sanam beraham, o sanam beraham,
Tune diya hai kaisa yeh zakhm-e-sitam!
O sanam beraham, o sanam beraham,
Kyun toda tune mera yeh bharam?

Mohabbat ki raahon mein tanha khade hain,
Dard ke toofaan dil pe pade hain.
Rab se karenge shikwa tera,
Kyun tune chheena jahaan yeh mera?

O sanam beraham, o sanam beraham,
Tune diya hai kaisa yeh zakhm-e-sitam!

तू जो कह देता तो हंस के मर जाते हम,
तेरे एक इशारे पे यह जहां छोड़ आते हम।
मगर तूने तो दोस्ती का भी भरम ना रखा,
मेरी वफ़ाओं का तूने कोई करम ना रखा।

ओ सनम बेरहम, ओ सनम बेरहम,
तूने दिया है कैसा यह ज़ख्म-ए-सितम!
ओ सनम बेरहम, ओ सनम बेरहम,
तूने दिया है कैसा यह ज़ख्म-ए-सितम!

दुआओं में जिसको मांगा था हर पल,
वही बन गया मेरी आँखों का जल।
खुशी के बहाने आंसू दे गया तू,
मेरी हंसती-खेलती दुनिया ले गया तू।

ओ सनम बेरहम, ओ सनम बेरहम,
तूने दिया है कैसा यह ज़ख्म-ए-सितम!
ओ सनम बेरहम, ओ सनम बेरहम,
क्यों तोड़ा तूने मेरा यह भरम?

मोहब्बत की राहों में तन्हा खड़े हैं,
दर्द के तूफान दिल पे पड़े हैं।
रब से करेंगे शिकवा तेरा,
क्यों तूने छीना जहां यह मेरा?

ओ सनम बेरहम, ओ सनम बेरहम,
तूने दिया है कैसा यह ज़ख्म-ए-सितम!

To truly understand "Sanam Beraham", one must appreciate the classical Urdu and Sufi poetic heritage that underpins its vocabulary. In Persian and Sufi verse, the word "Sanam" originally refers to a sculpted idol, but is metaphorically used to describe a beloved so deeply adored that their adoration borders on devotion. The companion term "Beraham" translates to ruthless, merciless, or devoid of compassion (Reham). Thus, "Sanam Beraham" addresses a paradox: the person placed on the highest pedestal of worship becomes the sole source of agonizing, callous cruelty.

The song's opening declaration sets a standard of absolute loyalty: "Tu jo keh deta to hans ke mar jaate hum" (Had you asked, I would have embraced death with a smile). The speaker emphasizes that physical sacrifice or abandoning the worldly realm would have been effortless if commanded with love. What shatters the protagonist, however, is not the end of the romance, but the total disregard for mutual dignity—the lover did not even maintain the illusion of basic friendship ("Dosti ka bhi bharam na rakha").

The second verse exposes the bitter irony of answered prayers. The beloved, whose presence was sought in every sacred prayer (Duaon mein jisko maanga), has transmuted into the tears that flood the protagonist's eyes (Aankhon ka jal). Rather than delivering fulfillment, the relationship systematically stripped away the protagonist's joyful existence (Hasti-khelti duniya).

In the final movement, the narrative expands from personal grief into cosmic lamentation. Standing isolated in the ruins of affection (Mohabbat ki raahon mein tanha), the protagonist prepares to present their case before the Almighty ("Rab se karenge shikwa tera"). In traditional Eastern thought, taking one's complaint to the Creator represents the ultimate threshold of earthly suffering, indicating that mortal remedies and human justice have been entirely exhausted.