Guiding the Child: Understanding Bayaan’s Tifl Lyrics

Bayaan’s song “Tifl,” from their debut album “Suno” (Listen), is a gentle and thoughtful conversation, likely between an adult or guide and a child, about starting life’s journey. The title “Tifl” is an Urdu word for “Child.” The song beautifully captures the mix of hope, guidance, caution, and innocent wonder that comes with facing the path ahead.

The adult figure wakes the child to a new day, promising a beautiful, dream-like destination, while also advising them to walk carefully and watch out for obstacles on the long and difficult road. The child, in return, asks innocent questions about the magical wonders they hope to find at the journey’s end. The song blends the practical need for caution with the hopeful promises needed to encourage a child (or perhaps one’s own inner child) to embark on life’s challenging journey (“Safar,” the title of their later album, which continues journey themes).

What Does the Title “Tifl” Mean?

The title “Tifl” is an Urdu word, borrowed from Persian and Arabic, that simply means “Child” or “Infant.” Choosing this title immediately tells us the song is focused on childhood, innocence, and perhaps the experience of guiding or speaking to a young person.

Using “Tifl” sets a gentle, perhaps protective tone. It frames the conversation within the song as one directed towards someone young, vulnerable, and at the beginning of their journey. It highlights themes of guidance, hope offered to the innocent, and the questions a child might have about the world ahead.

“Tifl” Lyrics Meaning Explained

Let’s explore the conversation and feelings in each part of the song, explained simply, without using the original non-English lyrics in the descriptions.

Verse 1 & Bridge 1: Waking Up to a New Day (Adult Speaker)

The song begins with a gentle voice waking up a child. “Child, get up, open your eyes,” it says, announcing that a new day has begun. The speaker points out that the sun has risen, bringing its rays of light specifically to show the way forward. This creates a hopeful and encouraging start, like the beginning of a new journey.

The speaker then offers to show the child a wonderful “world of dreams.” They offer their guidance and support, suggesting they will lead the way by holding the child’s finger. This is offered gently, perhaps “secretly,” adding a touch of magic or intimacy to the guidance. It sounds like promising beautiful possibilities to encourage the child.

Verse 2 / Refrain: Walking Carefully on the Path (Adult Speaker)

After the hopeful beginning, the speaker gives some practical advice for the journey ahead. They tell the child to walk carefully, keeping their eyes focused on their steps. This caution is necessary, they imply, so that the child doesn’t stumble over any stones or obstacles along the way.

The speaker acknowledges that the destination they are heading towards is far away and reaching it will take a long time. However, they reassure the child with confidence: this path, despite being long and potentially difficult, will eventually lead to that destination. This refrain mixes caution about the journey with reassurance about the outcome.

Verse 3: A Child’s Innocent Questions (Child Speaker?)

Here, the perspective seems to shift, perhaps to the child asking questions. The child wonders about the destination they are traveling towards. If the path is so hard and long, what kind of amazing place must it be at the end?

The child’s questions are filled with innocent wonder. Will there be fairies there? Will those magical beings play with the child? Will they give the child rides on swings? These questions show a child’s hopeful imagination, focusing on magical rewards and fun rather than the hardships of the journey mentioned by the adult.

Verse 4: Magical Promises (Adult Speaker)

The adult figure seems to respond to the child’s questions with more enchanting promises, designed to comfort and encourage. They assure the child that magical colors will spread happiness everywhere at the destination.

They promise that fairies will indeed be there, offering rides on swings made of clouds and singing beautiful songs. The speaker encourages the child to hum along, joining in the future joy. This response uses fantasy and magical imagery to paint a picture of a wonderful, happy ending, addressing the child’s hopes directly.

Ending: Repeating the Advice

The song ends by repeating the earlier advice about walking carefully, watching for stones, and trusting that this long path does lead to the destination. Bringing back this practical advice after the magical promises reinforces the song’s balance: hope for a beautiful future exists alongside the need for care and patience on the difficult journey of life.

Understanding the Comparisons (Metaphors) in “Tifl”

The song uses simple yet evocative comparisons (metaphors) and symbols, fitting for a conversation involving a child, to talk about life’s journey.

Symbols of Guidance and Hope

• The Child: “Tifl”
  • Word: Tifl means “Child.”
  • Meaning: The child (Tifl) addressed in the song represents innocence, potential, the start of life’s journey, and the need for guidance and protection. The whole song revolves around nurturing this potential and guiding it forward.
• Rising Sun and Light: Din charh aaya hai / Sooraj raah dikhanay ko / Kirnein laaya hai
  • Words: Din charh aaya means “Day has risen”; Sooraj means “Sun”; Raah means “Path/Way”; Kirnein means “Rays (of light).”
  • Meaning: The rising day and the sun (Sooraj) bringing its rays (Kirnein) to show the way (raah) are metaphors for new beginnings, hope, clarity, and guidance. Light illuminating the path represents knowledge or direction appearing after darkness or uncertainty.
• World of Dreams: Duniya sapnon ki
  • Words: Duniya means “World”; Sapnon means “Dreams.”
  • Meaning: The “world of dreams” (Duniya sapnon ki) that the speaker offers to show the child represents imagination, hope, and perhaps an idealized, comforting vision of the future destination. It’s a promise of beauty used to inspire the child to keep going.
• Holding the Finger: Ungli thaam ke
  • Words: Ungli means “Finger”; Thaam ke means “Holding.”
  • Meaning: Offering to guide the child while holding their finger (Ungli thaam ke) is a direct symbol of support, protection, care, and gentle guidance provided by the adult figure on life’s journey.

Metaphors for Life’s Journey and Challenges

• The Path and Destination: Raasta / Manzil
  • Words: Raasta means “Path/Road”; Manzil means “Destination.”
  • Meaning: The song uses the journey on a path (Raasta) towards a destination (Manzil) as a clear metaphor for life itself. The speaker acknowledges the path is long (Duur hai dair lagaygi) but reassures that it does lead somewhere (Manzil yeh jaaega raasta), representing hope in achieving life’s goals despite difficulties.
• Watching Your Steps: Ankhein qadmon pe rakh ker
  • Words: Ankhein means “Eyes”; Qadmon means “Steps”; Rakh ker means “Keeping.”
  • Meaning: Being told to keep your eyes on your steps (Ankhein qadmon pe rakh ker) is a metaphor for being careful, mindful, and paying attention to the present moment and immediate actions while navigating life’s path. It advises caution to avoid dangers.
• Stumbling Stones: Pathhar koi larkhara day naa
  • Word: Pathhar means “Stone.” Larkhara day means “Cause to stumble.”
  • Meaning: Stones (Pathhar) on the path are used as a metaphor for the obstacles, difficulties, hardships, or unexpected problems that one encounters on the journey of life. The advice is to watch out for these to avoid falling or being set back.

Images of Innocent Hope and Magic

• Fairies and Cloud Swings: Pariyaan / Jhoolay baad'lon k
  • Words: Pariyaan means “Fairies”; Jhoolay means “Swings”; Baad'lon means “Clouds.”
  • Meaning: The child’s questions about fairies (Pariyaan) and the adult’s promise of fairies singing and providing swings made of clouds (Jhoolay baad'lon k) use fantastical imagery. These represent the innocent hopes, magical thinking, and idealized happiness associated with childhood dreams. They serve as symbols of the beautiful, perhaps unattainable, perfection imagined at the end of life’s difficult journey, offered as encouragement.

The Story Behind “Tifl”

“Tifl” is track 5 on the debut album “Suno” (Listen) by the Pakistani rock band Bayaan, released in 2018. The album encouraged listeners to pay attention to their inner world and the messages around them. Farhan Zameer, who produced this track, helped shape Bayaan’s early sound, often blending rock elements with thoughtful lyrics.

Within the “Suno” album, “Tifl” offers a unique perspective, framed as a conversation guiding a child. This fits the album’s theme by encouraging one to “listen” – perhaps for the adult figure to listen to the child’s innocent hopes, and for the child (or the listener) to listen to the guidance offered about navigating life.

The song can be interpreted in several ways. It could be a literal conversation between a parent and child about facing life. It could also be seen metaphorically, perhaps as an older, wiser self speaking to one’s own younger, innocent inner child, acknowledging life’s hardships while trying to hold onto hope and imagination. Bayaan often explores complex emotions and philosophical ideas, and “Tifl” does so with a gentle touch, balancing the reality of a difficult path (kathin aur duur) with the hopeful promise of a beautiful destination, even if described in dream-like terms.

Final Thoughts: Hope and Caution on Life’s Path

Bayaan’s “Tifl” is a gentle yet profound song about guiding innocence through the journey of life. It beautifully captures the dialogue between realistic caution and hopeful imagination. The adult voice offers steady guidance and reassurance, acknowledging the path is long and hard but promising a destination worth reaching, painted with magical colors and singing fairies. The child’s voice reminds us of the innocent wonder and simple hopes we start with.

The song leaves the listener with a feeling of tender encouragement. It acknowledges life’s difficulties (the stones, the long road) but emphasizes moving forward with care and holding onto a vision of future happiness, even if that vision seems like a dream. “Tifl” is a comforting reminder of the hope needed to face life’s journey and the importance of guiding ourselves and others with both care and encouragement.