Thursday, September 29, 2011

Zeehal-e-muskin (Ghulami)


This was inevitable. I know I have done (read translated) this song to death, but I have two reasons to do it again, on this blog.
  1. Previosly I had only translated the mukhda, since that was the only part in Persian, and that was what people wanted to know (not that I know Persian, but I had read the translation on net before many around me did :P). Here, I can attempt the full song. 
  2. This is a blog about Gulzar's songs, and this one is as awesome as they get.
Since I haven't watched the movie, I'll not go into the the background of, and intentions behind the song; and instead jump right to the translation part :)

Music Director: Lakshmikant-Pyarelal
Lyricist: Gulzar
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Shabbir Kumar

Lyrics, and translation
Zihal-e-muskeen maqun ba-ranjish, 
Bahaal-e-hijra bechara dil hai
[[Word meanings (Persian to English): Zihal = To notice or see, Muskeen = Poor, Maqun = Do not, 
Ba-ranjish = With enmity/anger, Bahaal = Recently, Hijr = Seperation

In Hindi: Is gareeb/laachaar (miskeen) dil ko jab dekho (zeehal), to gusse se (ba-ranjish) nahin (maqun),
is bechare dil ko haal hi mein (ba-haal) apne mehboob se judai (hijr) ka gham mila hai

In English: Don't look at this poor heart with enmity,
It (the heart) is fresh with wounds of separation.]]


Sunaai deti hai jisaki dhaDakan
Tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai
[[I can only hear but two heartbeats - yours and mine
(Everything and everyone else fades into nothingness)]]

Wo aake pehloo mein aise baiThe
Ke shaam raNgeen ho gayi hai
Zaraa zaraa si khilii tabeeyat
Zaraa si gamgeen ho gayi hai
[[When he/she comes and sits by my side, the evening takes on a whole new color
There's a feeling of part happiness, and part melancholy.]]

Ajeeb hain dil ke dard yaaron
Na ho to mushkil hai jeena iska
Jo ho to har dard ek heera
Har ek gham hai nageen iska
[[There's a strange relationship between the heart and pain, 
A heart without pain is as good as dead.
For the heart, every pain is like a diamond and grief is like its jewel]]


Kabhi kabhi shaam aise Dhaltee hai
Jaise ghooNghaT utar raha hai
Tumhaare seene se uThta dhuaaN
Humaare dil se guzar raha hai
[[Sometimes, the sunset seems like a veil is coming off
And I can feel the smoke rising from your bosom, wafting through my heart
(I feel the same emotions that you are feeling)]]

Ye sharm hai ya hayaa hai kya hai
Nazar uThaate hi jhuk gayi hai
tumhaari palakoN se girke shabanam
hamaari aaNkhoN meiN ruk gayi hai
[[Is this embarrassment or demureness that's making you cast your eyes down?
I've caught with my eyes, the droplet that fell from your eyelids]]



Points to ponder
1. In para "Ajeeb hain dil ke dard...", he's perhaps talking about the pain caused by love. The moments of love, even when they cause pain, are invaluable like diamonds and other such jewels.

2. The line "Kabhi kabhi shaam aise dhalti hai jaise ghoonghat utar raha hai" holds a special imagery, since a Hindu bride's dress is usually some shade of red, just like the the various shades of red at evening. In continuation, the next line could mean that "On such evenings, I know you're also thinking about our future together".

3. In the last para, the line "Tumhari palkon se gir ke shabnam...", could mean "I have kept your dreams in my eyes, and they're now my dreams as well."

4. The mukhda of the song is inspired by the a poem by Amir Khusro. The first few lines of which are,
       "zihaal-e-miskeen mukon taghaful, 
       doraaye nainaan banaye batyaan
       ke taab-e-hijraah nadarum-e-jaan,
       na laihyo kaahe lagaye chatyaan"
Meaning, "Do not overlook my misery, by fluttering your eyes, and weaving tales; My patience has over-brimmed. O sweetheart, why do you not take me to your bosom?" (Source - Also find the full poem and translation here)


If you liked this post, please read my novice attempt at poetry - "Dilli", on my other blog Rozaana.

54 comments:

  1. Listen to the original here - #9.
    http://mohib.net/blog/2006/12/husn-e-jaana-by-muzaffar-ali/

    It has some more songs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks Gary, will listen to it once I get home :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Came across your blog today and read every single post, back-to-back :)
    Am a huge Gulzar fan myself and you've given me something to look forward to, through this blog, great work :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks Radha :) hope u keep enjoying it!

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  5. :D Mithun style ... koi shaq nahin! ;)

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  6. this post is beautiful. its my favouritest song :)
    even i havent watched the movie but i heard its good.
    it was 2000 or 2001 when i finally got hold of mp3 of this song after rigorous searching and the one i got was with initial dialogs of jaldi chalo jaldi chalo. mazaa aa gaya tha.
    ~Saras

    ReplyDelete
  7. one of my fav too !!
    Superb translations :-)

    ~SK.

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  8. Hi, Stumbled upon your blog through google..! My love for the Hindi retro and the semblances to dard brought me to your blog.. Absolutely heart touching work you have put in here... have been reading much over the past few hours and would continue to do so and share this gem of a blog with like minded friends.
    Kudos Madam, you are really blessed to this kind of wonderful compilation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the kind words :)

      Delete
    2. Do, like what you have done here, will inform you, that your research would help a lot if you, started to learn a few languages to relate to Shahri and it's native languages. Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit. I noticed that the Word Ajeeb, you have put down as something other than what the Word does mean which is "Unusual" not to be mixed with the Word "Ajab" which means "Precious" or "Special"

      Delete
  9. amazing!!! i was looking for this forever

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's really superb translation by you Sir Kanupriya , after 28 years I found exact meanings by searching on web. You are really great. I salam you for this kindness.
    May Alla

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahah! Thanks a lot! But it's not "sir", but "madam" ;)

      Delete
  11. Sunaai deti hai jisaki dhaDakan
    Tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai..

    I thought the meaning is "i am hearing only single(one) heartbeat, and unable to distinguish between mine and yours......means our hearts have become one"

    ReplyDelete
  12. God bless you. Very few people share their knowledge. Thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kanupriya

    Shukriya for the collaboration and I certainly have become your fan as I find solace in Gulzar's words

    Shukriya fir se
    Sanjeev

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have always liked this song, but never knew the meaning... u solved my puzzle...

    ReplyDelete
  15. I always loved this song but after reading the exact translation by you i JUST CAN'T HELP BUT KEEP IT ON REPEAT MODE and enjoy it everytime more and more. Thanks for sharing this. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Superb Thing ,, I love this song a lot, thanx for the beautiful translation👍🏻😊😊

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks to Gulzar saheb jinhone yeh geet likkha Aaj isgeet ke mukhade ka arth samajh Mein aaya aapke blogdwara iski byakkhya Ki gayi aap sabhi ka Bahut Bahut sukkriya Mere hisaab se Geetkaar Ki bool hi film Mein jaan daaltein hain music,singer toh sirf jariya hai aatma dadkan toh geetkaar Ki hi hoti hai....sabhi aatmik geet poetry ke kalamkaaro /Nagmanigaaron Ke boolon Mein athaal gahraayee hai unko mai baram baar pranaam Karta hoon.Kalam je sipahiyon Ki jai hi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Several efforts have been made to understand what had been written in the first line but I could not find conclusion. finally I have read this line in a book where it has been mentiined that Ameer Qhusro had written that in persian (Farsi) that " Zihal meskin mukan taghaful dorai naina banaye bitiya" the first line of the song shows the copy of Ameer Qhusro.

      Delete
    2. Several efforts have been made to understand what had been written in the first line but I could not find conclusion. finally I have read this line in a book where it has been mentiined that Ameer Qhusro had written that in persian (Farsi) that " Zihal meskin mukan taghaful dorai naina banaye bitiya" the first line of the song shows the copy of Ameer Qhusro.

      Delete
    3. Several efforts have been made to understand what had been written in the first line but I could not find conclusion. finally I have read this line in a book where it has been mentiined that Ameer Qhusro had written that in persian (Farsi) that " Zihal meskin mukan taghaful dorai naina banaye bitiya" the first line of the song shows the copy of Ameer Qhusro's stanza. May be I am wrong but I quote the line which I read.

      Delete
    4. Kafil Raza Sir, "points-to-ponder (4) clear states the same reference ... of the 1st set of lines being inspired from the poetry of world-renowned Amir Khusro.

      Delete
  18. Hw can I subscribe ur blog ... ??
    Really liked it ...

    ReplyDelete
  19. None has answered to what I have written on 3 september 2016 it seems that what I said holds water.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it is copied, but unfortunately we can not patent the words. Amir khusro ji was great and will be ever but you have to believe sampoorna Singh( Gulzarji) is genius . he has taken only one line from the poem and composed a beautiful song
      This is not new. Almost every good song having some poetic touch is inspired from some or many poems. U might have heard one song from.masaanovie. tu kisi rail si guzarati hain main kisi pul SA thartharata hu. Is copied from grt Hindi poet dusyant kr tyagi. Poem.is lime this may jnjise odhta bichata hu wo ghazal aapko sunata hu, ek jangal hain Teri aankho me main jisme raah bhul jaata hu, tu kisi Rel SE guzarti hain.main kisi pul SA thartharata hu. ....

      Delete
    2. Yes it is copied, but unfortunately we can not patent the words. Amir khusro ji was great and will be ever but you have to believe sampoorna Singh( Gulzarji) is genius . he has taken only one line from the poem and composed a beautiful song
      This is not new. Almost every good song having some poetic touch is inspired from some or many poems. U might have heard one song from.masaanovie. tu kisi rail si guzarati hain main kisi pul SA thartharata hu. Is copied from grt Hindi poet dusyant kr tyagi. Poem.is lime this may jnjise odhta bichata hu wo ghazal aapko sunata hu, ek jangal hain Teri aankho me main jisme raah bhul jaata hu, tu kisi Rel SE guzarti hain.main kisi pul SA thartharata hu. ....

      Delete
  20. None has answered to what I have written on 3 september 2016 it seems that what I said holds water.

    ReplyDelete
  21. None has answered to what I have written on 3 september 2016 it seems that what I said holds water.

    ReplyDelete
  22. None has answered to what I have written on 3 september 2016 it seems that what I said holds water.

    ReplyDelete
  23. None has answered to what I have written on 3 september 2016 it seems that what I said holds water.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Excellent work!! Great translation and done with lot of passion.

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  25. THANKS for the beautiful translation and reference to the original poet

    ReplyDelete
  26. Did you accept that what I wrote or what I quoted is correct ?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Did you accept that what I wrote or what I quoted is correct ?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Though i am not a big Gulzar fan, this song is a regular on my playlist. Thanks for putting together a detailed translation and meaning. Excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  29. A beautiful song, my all time favourite..it is more enjoyable now as I understood it's meaning. Thanks a lot for a wonderful translation and explaining.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Do, like what you have done here, will inform you, that your research would help a lot if you, started to learn a few languages to relate to Shahri and it's native languages. Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit. I noticed that the Word Ajeeb, you have put down as something other than what the Word does mean which is "Unusual" not to be mixed with the Word "Ajab" which means "Precious" or "Special"

    ReplyDelete
  31. Also the Word "Be-haal" or Behaal, is a combined word of "haal" which means well being or a person or their condition, by adding "Be-" before the Word haal it changes the pre-fix by saying "be-" .... (without) so it becomes "Not in good health or not in good condition" haal (condition), "behaal" (no good condition)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks for this excellent blog.. beautiful translation of lyrics!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Great...i'm a huge fan of Gulzaar sahab...his lyrics r way different, challenging to understand initially, but beyond words to appreciate once we understand. Thanks to you...i understood this song from your post after all these years wondering.

    ReplyDelete
  34. The name is enough ... Gulzar

    ReplyDelete
  35. It’s 2023
    I live this blogspot
    Hope you are into newer social media
    If not please do
    You are obviously talented let the world see it

    ReplyDelete

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