Please Help in Translating Kaifi Azmi's Poetic Beauty - zar

ranjani33 · Post by **ranjani33** » 17 Aug 2008, 16:58

This song is our madan mohan ji and lata ji's exceptional gift to Hindi Film Music:)

Please help in translating this poem....

Zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai To Dil Sochta Hai
kahin Yeh Woh To Nahin

chhup Ke Seene Mein, Aaaa
chhup Ke Seene Mein Koi Jaise Sadaa Deta Hai
shaam Se Pehle Diya Dil Ka Jalaa Deta Hai
hai Usi Ki Yeh Sadaa, Hai Usi Ki Yeh Adaa
kahin Yeh Woh To Nahin

shakl Phirti Hai, Haa Aa
shakl Phirti Hai Nigahon Mein Wohi Pyaari Si
meri Nas Nas Mein Machalne Lagi Chingari Si
chhoo Gayi Jism Mera, Kiske Daaman Ki Hawa
kahin Yeh Woh To Nahin
zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai To Dil Sochta Hai
kahin Yeh Woh To Nahin

Thanks in advance
ranjani

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 17 Aug 2008, 17:59

,Next to OPNayyar. MadanMohan, the king of ghazals is my most favourite music director. will you please inform in which film this song occurs. best wishes. gobilalitha

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 17 Aug 2008, 19:41

Ranjani33,

What movie is this from? I'd like to listen to the original because I have some doubts about a few of the words.

knandago2001 · Post by **knandago2001** » 17 Aug 2008, 19:50

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~navin/india/s ... 0_gif.html

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Iq5T---oQ

ranjani33 · Post by **ranjani33** » 17 Aug 2008, 22:13

This song is from the movie Haqeeqat...
Now that we have the correct version of the lyrics available:)
Could someone translate this poem:)

Thanks
ranjani

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 18 Aug 2008, 09:06

Nandagopal,

Thanks for the lyrics!

Ranjani33,

English is a very prosaic language (or at least, mine is

) to translate the intense romanticism of urdU, and kaifi sa'ab's poetry is so flowery, that the job is doubly difficult, but here is my attempt:

zarA sI AhaT hOtI hai tO dil SoctA hai
kahIn yeh wOh tO nahIn, kahIn yeh wOh tO nahIn
zarA sI AhaT hOtI haiâ€¦.

When there (hOtI) is (hai) even a slight (zarA sI) sound (AhaT), then (tO) my heart (dil) wonders (sOctA hai) if this (yeh) is not (nahIn), in someway (kahIn), â€˜that personâ€™ (wOh tO)â€¦..

chup kE sInE mein kOyI jaisE sadA dEtA hai
SAm sE pehlE dil kA diyA jalA dEtA hai
hai usI kI yeh sadA, hai usI kI yeh adA
kahIn yeh wOh tO nahInâ€¦..

It (yeh) is (hai) the voice (sadA) of â€˜that personâ€™ (usI kI), it (yeh) is (hai) the beautiful elegance/charm (adA) of â€˜that personâ€™, like (jaisE) the person who calls out (sadA dEtA hai) to one in the quietude (chup kE) of ones heart (sInE mein), and who lights (jalA dEtA hai) the lamp (diyA) of (kA) oneâ€™s heart (dil) well before (pehlE) it is evening (Sam sE)â€¦..

Sakal phirtI hai nigAhEn mein wOh hI pyArI sI
mErE nas nas mein macalnE lagI cingArI sI
chU gayI jism mErA kiskE dAman kI havA
kahIn yeh wOh tO nahIn

It is that (wOh hI) same dearly loved (pyArI sI) face (Sakal) that revolves (phirtI) in (mein) my vision (nigAhEn) constantly, and it feels as if an ember (cingArI) is dancing (macalnE lagI hai) in (mein) every fiber of my (mErE) being (nas nas), setting it aflame! I wonder whose (kiskE) influence (dAman kI havA)[1] it is that has touched (chU gayI) my (mErA) body (jism) to inflame it so!

[1] dAman kI havA literally means breeze (havA) from/of (kI) someoneâ€™s lap (dAman) â€“ a FOS to picturesquely describe a touch from the heartâ€¦

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 Aug 2008, 09:39

Ravi,
Considering the flowery language, you translated it very well!

dAman is the skirt part of a woman's garb? The sound of the swish of it here??
More than visual imagery, there are auditory images in this song...

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 19 Aug 2008, 08:34

Excellent song and excellent lyrics.The ghazal touches your heart.ii think Urdu is supposed to be the language of the courtesans .Am I correct. ? I think the song is based on raag yaman, but drifts alittle later, coming back to strains of yaman , the delicious beauty of ghazals. Thanks, Ranjani33, for beginning a post on this ghazal. gobilalitha

ranjani33 · Post by **ranjani33** » 19 Aug 2008, 18:53

Thanks a lot all rasikas:)

knandago2001 · Post by **knandago2001** » 27 Jan 2010, 13:06

Kaifi Azmi and SD Burman created this gem of a song for "kagaz ke phool" - sung by the inimitable Geeta Dutt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZR57XQ7yI

Lyrics by Kaifi Azmi

waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam
tum rahey na tum, hum rahey na hum
beqaraar dil is tarah mile
jis tarah kabhi hum juda na thay
tum bhi kho gaye
hum bhi kho gaye
ek raah pe chalke do kadam
jayenge kahaan soojhta nahin
chal pade magar raasta nahin
kya talaash hai kuch pata nahin
bun rahe hain dil khwab dum badam

translation by Iqbal Masud
The transforming exquisite cruelty of time
you are no longer you
I am no longer I
Our restless hearts have met
did we ever part?
We walked together a few steps
and then, we were lost
Where shall we go?
I see no path
Our journey is uncharted
Our quest aimless
We fabricate our dreams
moment by moment

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Jan 2010, 22:58

One of my very favorite songs and Geetha Dutt is superb in singing it. I also heard Lata's version of it on the youtub along with this in remembrance of her friend Geetha. Very nice picture of the two young playback singers. As sweet as Lata can be, she cannot match Geetha in singing this.

As for the translation, it is lovely. I had done that too and I remember that the first line went like this: what sweet cruelty time has gifted us with!

knandago2001 · Post by **knandago2001** » 27 Jan 2010, 23:29

arasi: if you still have the translation, will you post it please.. thanks so much for everything

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Jan 2010, 00:44

Now I am obliged to thank you for all the goodies you bring to the forum

No, I don't have it. Anyway, I don't understand Urdu that much to see the finer details in these beautiful lines. Still,
'bEqarAr dil is tarah milE, jis tarah kabhi hum judA na thE'--I read as follows: our restless hearts met once, though they were never apart. Also, is it 'we spin our dreams' moment after moment (ceaselessly) or moment to moment? Or, are they both the same?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Jan 2010, 00:59

arasi wrote: 'bEqarAr dil is tarah milE, jis tarah kabhi hum judA na thE'--I read as follows: our restless hearts met once, though they were never apart.

jis tarah kabhi hum judA na thE - as if/as though we were never apart...

I may have a translation from eons ago somewhere - I am not sure if I completed it, but I remember some of the parts...

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 04 Feb 2010, 09:06

Shankar....your post 6 of 18/8/2008 refers....sorry I am a bit(?) late...but I do not see your english translation...I have heard this song before, a beautiful song, well done by Lataji...but never got to understand the meaning fully...can you repost your english translation? thanks

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 04 Feb 2010, 18:34

Sam

Thank you for pointing that out - I went back to the 'oldforum' to retrieve the post in its entirety. I have edited post 6 accordingly...

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 05 Feb 2010, 01:18

Wonderful, Shankar....thanks a lot!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 05 Feb 2010, 09:16

You're welcome Sam!