KATTEYA KARUN- TRANSLATED

In recent times there have been a few songs that have stirred up something inside me. I love the oldies, as I am sure everyone knows by now. There was a phase in the 90s when Hindi music wasn't cool anymore and got trapped in a strange cycle of khatiyas and takiyas, ILU ILUs and Baby babys.

That was the time when many of us switched loyalties and looked westward. Thankfully for me that phase also coincided with my college years when, as it is if you do not gravitate towards rock, you are a moron and misfit of some sort. And our college had the coolest rock band ever! Comprising mostly of students from the North Eastern states of India, where music comes naturally, the rock band belted out all from G N' R to Bryan Adams, from Springsteen to Metallica. Most of these guys played the guitar naturally, were comfortable with drums and had voices that set our college auditorium on fire. They were all laid-back, had longish hair, doing some or other form of (mild) drugs, lived bohemian lifestyles and were least interested in studies.  So it was but natural that they were our instant heroes! To us regular and rather straight jacketed North Indians, it was the opening of a whole new world. That is partly the beauty of India, that there are in fact so many sub-cultures region wise, that it takes a lifetime to truly understand and discover India. Needless to say our college jam sessions were legendary and great fun.

Coming back to the film music, in the last decade or so lyrics have made a great come back in Hindi movies. There are some really gifted lyricists such as Prasoon Joshi, Irshad Kamil, Neelesh Misra who have redefined lyrical paradigms, building moments of great imagery and imagination.

This song is a case in point. To be very honest I loved the music from the word go. With A R Rehman's music there is no other way. The picturisation even if with the gorgeous Nargis Fakhri, misses the point somewhere. And somehow the first phrase escaped me as it was wrongly written as 'Katiya Karun'. It was almost after a month of assuming it was some South Indian love phrase,  when one late night when I just couldn't sleep, I realised it was actually Punjabi 'Katteya Karun' as in spinning a yarn, as I was doing precisesly that night. And I thought wow! What a beautiful expression. The song, I feel is a milestone in adapting Punjabi lyrics to a passionate song. For, when it comes to the matters of the heart, Punjabi does it just a tad bit more. :-)





 

A translation of this beautiful song by Irshad Kamil. Pardon a few poetic liberties:
 

I spin your yarn
Every night
That is what I do all night
Spin fluffy balls of cotton all night.

As if my body were a spinning wheel,
And the love of my beloved-
Fluffy balls of pure white cotton.
I spin and spin and spin,
Till it’s a thread shiny and thin.
In your thoughts my days fly.
I live for you, for you I'll die.

I dance, I hop, and I measure the bales.
And whatever I compare you with,
It but fades and pales.
I go to extremes.
I am bursting at the seams.
I am exploding like pop corn
Abundant cotton like puffs of pop corn.
I am not afraid of the world now.
I live for you, I’ll die for you. 

But for the time being,
In my love’s lively, lonely little barn,
Every night I spin your yarn.
Fluffy white balls of cotton I spin,
That’s what I do all night.

 

JAANE KYA TUUNE KAHI-TRANSLATED

Lata is the prima donna and there is no denying that. But the two voices that come closest to my heart are those of Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt. I have always enjoyed listening to and singing their songs. One reason is that I am an untrained voice and couldn't handle Lata songs to save my life. But I get by Asha and Geeta ones, who were the voices of the sirens and the nymphs. If Lata was the conventional, dignified, solid voice of a heroine, Geeta Dutt's voice was the first choice when unconventional or quirky characters were supposed to be portrayed. Here for instance Waheeda plays a street walker with a heart of gold, but oh so graceful and bewitching even in that form. The silent chemistry between Guru Dutt and her is so evident and all encompassing. Waheeda's enigmatic face, her hypnotic eyes, the subtle interplay of light and shadow, Sahir's minimalistic lyrics that say nothing yet say a lot and S D Burman's evocative music that again uses that unique instrument that sounds like the wild song of crickets on a monsoon soaked night, giving allusions to a natural, unmasked mating dance of the senses, give this song a special allure and make it a classic. Also the little line that she hums in the beginning is indeed another gem of a song in a different tune, sung by Mukesh and Asha, worth listening to in original.

A translation of this rather minimalistic but brilliant song by Sahir. Talk about economy of words!

Dunno what you said
Dunno what I heard
But something transpired.

There was a sensation
There was a shiver
Many dreams woke up
Something transpired

My eyes lowered and rose
My feet tread gingerly and froze
I acquired a new gait
Something transpired

My tresses curled at the shoulders
A fragrance emanated
Many secrets were set free
Something transpired....

DIL KI GIRAH KHOL DO-TRANSLATED

Another classic song in a waltz setting composed by Shankar Jaikishan from that mesmerising psychological thriller, Raat Aur Din. It's all about unfolding all the layers of the heart, letting go of fears and inhibitions and taking life head on. Can't find a good enough video though I remember Nargis was not her best looks-wise, this being her last movie. But there was a very dashing young Feroze Khan waltzing with her. It's a great song to just listen to on a silent night as this. The crickets making that sound outside. The arch shaped moon hangs like a silver swing for imaginative flights of fantasy. Darkness is not the absence of light, but an opportunity to feel 'touch' without the distraction of 'sight'. Ha ha now before I let my loony crab mind go berserk, let's just move to Lata's songs with Manna Dey as I think I am already done with her best ones with Rafi. Nargis looked ok. She had put on a lot of weight by then. Nothing compared to her earlier Raj Kapoor movies but yes, it was a woman's role not a girl's. Hats off to these women who defied to be put into yardsticks measured only by a 24 inch waist or a size zero. In their own elegant, understated yet confident way, these movies and actresses were more progressive and liberated than the ones being churned out today where women are given little to offer than cameras gazing over bare mid-riffs, perfect abs and bossoms with little clue about what goes inside a woman's mind.


A translation of this sublime song by Shailendra. Pardon a few poetic liberties:

Open the knots of your heart,
And all the layers that keep us apart.
Don’t stay quiet, come along.
For God’s sake let’s sing a song.
We are not strangers anymore, you see.
Oh! Come, come close to me.

Let the hearts meet this instance.
Let all constraints pass.
Let all chasms and distance
Drown in this glass.
I will smile into your eyes happily
If you promise to smile back at me.

We are no more ‘you and me’ it seems.
We have become something else.
Lost in the sparkling realm of dreams
We dance to these enchanting bells.
We need not ask anyone for direction
And may not tell them our destination.

Tomorrow someone may ask us
What happened to you yesterday?
Our hearts instruct us to move on thus.
Let us not look back today.
Let’s not call or try to find
people who are left far behind.

But do open the knots of your heart
And all the layers that keep us apart.
We are not strangers anymore, you see.
Oh come, come close to me…

MORA GORA ANG LAYILE-TRANSLATED

This song is special because it is the first song ever penned by Gulzar for Hindi movies.:-)  Gulzar who went on to give stunning gems, songs of such fresh imagery and depth that they came to be remembered for his inimitable style. There are many movies that are still remembered solely for his songs-Mausam, Aandhi, Ijaazat, Kinara, Anand to name a few. This particular song borrows from the very Indian mythical story of Krishna and Radha, who were  the eternal lovers.  He uses the typical dialect of central India, the Hindi speaking belt. This pure Hindi was used a lot in Thumris, a semi-classical form.

The myth goes that Radha who was fair would seek refuge of a misty night and dress up in a deep blue saree to go meet Krishna, who was dusky and alluring. But invariably her fair skin would give her away. In this song she innocently wants a darker hue like her beloved so she can go meet him. S D Burman uses his characteristic cricket sound in this song that would always endow his songs a rustic charm and the sounds and smell of a dense, dark forest. It is amazing how he has used this sound to express moods from slow seduction to wrecklessness, though this one conveys innocence at its best. Nutan is totally deglamourised yet so simply enchanting. Her acting was her strong point. I have played this song before in Lata classics but do once again to point out how S D, who was born on 1 October 1906, in Comilla, British India, now in Bangladesh, to Rajkumari Nirmala Devi, princess of Manipur and Nabadwipchandra Dev Burman, the second son of 'Ishanachandra Dev Burman', Raja of Tripura based most of his songs on the folks songs of northeast India especially of Tripura, Manipur and Bangladesh. One reason I love these songs is that they so beautifully capture the cultural traditions of such a vast and diverse region.



Here's a translation of this mystic song by Gulzar. Pardon a few poetic liberties. He set high standards in his first song:

Take this fair form of mine.
Give me that dusky hue divine,
So that I can blend with this night’s mystery.
For all I want is my beloved’s company.

My honour tugs at my feet.
While desire pulls at my arms,
To venture out and go meet
Him and be captive to his charms.
I really don’t know which way to go.
Wish someone could tell me and take me in tow.

And oh! You wretched moon.
Why did you have to remove the silken shrouds?
You have revealed my colour as I swoon,
While you smile, gaping bright through the clouds.
Hope you too go through tough times
For making a plaything of these climes.

I have lost something but gained a lot.
I have got something but now I am in a spot.
Where are you taking me, my heart
After shaking my world apart?
I wish I could blend with this night’s mystery
For all I want is my beloved’s company.....

RAAT BHI HAI KUCH BHEEGI BHEEGI-TRANSLATED

Waheeda Rehman happened to be one of the finest dancers of Hindi film industry. Watch her move like a nimble footed gazelle in this song with unusual lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi that take alliteration to another level and enchanting music by Jaidev (so that's a Punjabi duo at deft work there....Err Punjabi rappers aka Honey Singh, take a leaf I guess!). The surprise package of this song is Sunil Dutt who otherwise had such a genial,sweet and clean visage. He looks particularly menacing with dark, piercing eyes and deadly mannerisms. She a fairy-like nautch girl in pristine white and he a notorious dacoit from the ravines of Chambal. Much of this film was shot in Bhind and Morena, areas we passed everytime we went to our previous location where we lived before Delhi in Babina near Jhansi. This was practically the dacoit hot bed, the outback that created real life anti-heroes once such as Paan Singh Tomar and Phoolan Devi. The dacoits are now long gone but even today when one passes that area at night in a train from Delhi, there is a tendency to check all doors nervously and see if your bags are in order....and if you listen hard enough through the rambling of the rail, you can hear faint gunshots in the background...well almost!;-)
A translation of this masterpiece by Sahir Ludhianvi, one of my favourite Urdu poets ever. Pardon a few poetic liberties:

The night is asplash with drizzle.
Dense clouds overcast.
The brave moon at half mast
Holds fort in the choppy skies.
If you come this way in this mizzle,
The tinkle of my anklets will open its eyes,
And find its lost sizzle.
 
Whom do I tell this?
How do I tell this?
What is the state of my heart today
My thoughts are in disarray.
There is some peace and bliss 
but then only slight.
The pain may have gone away
But a dull ache I still do fight.

The dewdrops of love from your eyes dart
And quell the flames of my scorching heart,
Before my emotions begin to scatter.
As a blazing forest stands to gain
Doused by an incessant rain
Pitter patter pitter patter.

My senses may be in a daze
But my unconsciousness is not absolute.
The will to attain you is resolute.
Even if I end up lost in this maze
And even if the sky today is mostly grays….
And the dense clouds overcast.
But the brave moon at half mast
Holds fort in the choppy skies.
If you come this way in this mizzle,
The tinkle of my anklets will open its eyes,
And find its lost sizzle…………

DO DIWAANE SHEHER MEIN-TRANSLATED

The touch-and-go weekend ingested and digested, we’re set for another long week. Sundays spent house-hunting can hardly be called laid back or refreshing. A house, a home, an abode, a retreat, a haven to fit your needs, requirements, co-ordinates and budget is elusive to say the least. This song sums up just that! The pursuit to acquire a safe roof on your head, something most young couples start life with, is indeed a daunting task. The endearing voices of Bhupinder Singh and Runa Laila provide just the right touch of freshness, vulnerability and spirit of enterprise backed by Gulzar’s unconventional lyrics and vibrant music by Jaidev. These challenges to find a suitable house may give lot of stress, cause for deliberation and differences of opinion. But often it is these worldly pursuits that keep many glued together. The desire to create a space, an asset together is not exactly the deficiency of material wealth, but the ability to see dreams together. Sometimes the pursuit of few things that we feel are lacking in our life keep the interest in life alive. If this wasn’t true, one would not see incidences of depression and such psychological ailments much higher in affluent nations or communities whose material needs are fulfilled. Wanting and working towards something means looking ahead and holding on tight till you reach that goal. Embrace your inadequacies and challenges. For complete fulfillment often means the inability to see dreams anymore…..

A translation of this delightful song by Gulzar. Pardon a few poetic liberties:

Two silly souls about town,
Come bright night or afternoon,
Look for a place to call their own-
An abode, some dreams and a bit of moon.


Oh! When will we have a house in this maze?
Will the window open to the skies?
To bring on days of sunshine or haze,
Singing rich serenades or sweet lullabies
Or the sky wide open stare in from the window?
The clouds sauntering in like spies,
And be witness to our world on the go.

Though all I want is a ruse,
A delicious excuse,
To forever live in the sky blue eyes
Of my mesmerising muse.

At times when stars tread on Earth,
The sky becomes earthy and ephemeral.
The moon adopts this home and hearth,
That night it sleeps here, vivid yet visceral.
For that one ethereal moment
I seek a lifetime in those eyes,
The cause of my bliss and torment,
Those limpid oceans in disguise.

It is for these reasons, known and unknown,
That come bright night or afternoon,
These two silly souls about town,
Look for a home to call their own-
A haven, some dreams and a bit of moon.


 




 

YEH DIL AUR UNKI NIGAHON KE SAAYE-TRANSLATED

Last year the whole year I had researched Lata songs, almost 2-3 per day and I selected only her superlative songs and imagine at the end of the exhaustive year, I still felt I had touched but a tip of her talent , vocals and expressions. There are the beautiful classical based songs, the typical nautch girl or mujra songs, the haunting sad songs, the light romantic ones, the pure spiritual ones. It was actually like immersing in an ocean of melody.





But this is undoubtedly one of my favourites out of all those. It has a lovely mountain freshness, an echoing sound, a perfect balance of innocence and vivaciousness. One could climb a hill trail singing this song and be oblivious to the distance one had to map. Lata is truly the voice of a sylph, a dream in this and it is a very difficult song to sing. The music is by Jaidev, who is rarely named by people as their favourite composer but he did create some lovely songs for films such as Hum Dono, Reshma aur Shera, Gaman and Gharonda. The lyrics too are rather evocative, written by Jan Nisar Akhtar who afterall was Javed Akhtar ka baap!!:-))...This song is composed in Raag Pahadi in the taal Keherva and as the name of the raag suggests, many mountain songs are based on this raag such as 'Aaja aaja re tujh ko mera pyaar pukare'(Gumraah),'Saawan ke Jhule pade'(Jurmana), 'Aaja re, aaja re O mere Dilbar'(Noori), 'Dil pukare Aare aare aare'(Jewel Thief), 'Isharon isharon mein dil'(Kashmir ki Kali) and 'Kabhi Kabhie mere Dil mein'(Kabhie Kabhie) and 'Kora kaghaz tha yeh man mera(Aradhana) though it's not to say that only mountain songs have been made on it. Such is the rich wealth and legacy of our classical music that it has taken myriad shapes and forms to enthrall us over the years. Here's a translation of this beautiful song by Jan Nisar Akhtar(pardon a few poetic liberties):

All I have is my heart
And the shadows of his gaze…
And soon I am engulfed in the
Warm feel of his embrace.

Naughty sunrays kiss the mountain tops.
The breeze kisses the river as it gushes and hops.
All along this way from here to above,
Are the warm silhouettes of our love.

Dense clouds reach out and cuddle
The tall shadowy trees.
Light and darkness huddle
In an interplay of mysteries .
The long, misty road ahead
Promises of many words unsaid.

Our hearts beat free, undaunted
A lot like these valleys that are haunted
By love’s colorful alcoves
And a hundred unseen treasure troves.

All I have is my heart
And the shadows of his gaze
And soon I am engulfed
In the warm feel of his embrace…………..