An ode to her.
Here I am back with a very old song sung by one of the most melancholy voice of Bollywood playback, Mukesh. Mukesh is well-known for singing sad songs beautifully, but once you listen to this one, you will feel that he does justice to even romantic songs equally.
The song is from the 1963 movie ‘Phool Bane Angarey‘ (Do not confuse it with Rekha‘s bold movie by the same name from 1991). A typical car song from Bollywood, where the landscape keeps moving behind a stationary car, this is when Rajkumar praises Mala Sinha‘s beauty. It does actually make you believe that she is so gorgeous, not that she wasn’t but the lyrics do have a psychological effect on one’s perception. To many who are not familiar with the Hindustani style of poetry (a mix of Hindi and Urdu), it might seem like an outrageously exaggerated description. But this is the essence of romantic poetry in North India, which is a progeny of Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Hindi poetry. For a lover, to be able to create odes, describing the beauty of his beloved in the most superlative forms, was the highest form of reverence for his love. Somehow, worship and love are synonymous in this culture, which might be the topic for another blog post.
More about the song. I did find some other English translations for the song but nothing pleased me completely. Therefore, I decided to pay my own tribute to this genius penmanship of Anand Bakshi. For the native speaker, the song paints a dreamy canvas of similes and metaphors regarding the beauty of the lady. At places it brightens up and at places it becomes too delicate. At moments you might find that the painting is too fragile, while at others you feel the strength and depth of the female character as well. Words are mostly Urdu, the tune is quite repetitive and uncomplicated. All the complicacy comes to this song, courtesy of the lyrics. If you ever want to learn how to romance with just words, you need to learn Urdu. Feel free to listen to the song for that quintessential black and white car sequence from an old movie and for gorgeous Mala Sinha.
Male: Chand aahen bharega
Phool dil thaam lenge
Chand aahen bharega
Phool dil thaam lenge
Husn ki baat chali to
Sab tera naam lenge
Chand aahen bharega
English: The moon will heave sighs
The flowers will hold on to their hearts
The moon will heave sighs
The flowers will hold on to their hearts
Whenever there is a talk of extreme beauty
Everybody will take your name
Aisa chehra hai tera, jaise roshan sawera
Jis jagah tu nahin hai, us jagah hai andhera
Aisa chehra hai tera, jaise roshan sawera
Jis jagah tu nahin hai, us jagah hai andhera
Kaise phir chain tujh bin, tere badnaam lenge
Kaise phir chain tujh bin, tere badnaam lenge
Husn ki baat chali to, sab tera naam lenge
Chand aahen bharega
English: Your face is like that, as if a bright morning
Wherever you are not, that place is filled with darkness
Your face is like that, as if a bright morning
Wherever you are not, that place is filled with darkness
How then respite without you, will your infamous take
How then respite without you, will your infamous take
Whenever there is a talk of extreme beauty, everybody will take your name
The moon will heave sighs
Aankhen naazuk si kaliyan, baat misri ki daliyan
Honth Ganga ke saahil, zulfen jannat ki galiyan
Aankhen naazuk si kaliyan, baat misri ki daliyan
Honth Ganga ke saahil, zulfen jannat ki galiyan
Teri khatir farishte, sar pe ilzaam lenge
Teri khatir farishte, sar pe ilzaam lenge
Husn ki baat chali to, sab tera naam lenge
Chand aahen bharega
English: Eyes like delicate flower buds, talks like lumps of sugar
Lips the banks of Ganga, tresses the lanes of paradise
Eyes like delicate flower buds, talks like lumps of sugar
Lips the banks of Ganga, tresses the lanes of paradise
For your sake (even) angels will take (any) blame on their heads
For your sake (even) angels will take (any) blame on their heads
Whenever there is a talk of extreme beauty, everybody will take your name
The moon will heave sighs
Chup na hogi hawa bhi, kuchh kahegi ghata bhi
Aur mumkin hai tera, zikr kar de Khuda bhi
Chup na hogi hawa bhi, kuchh kahegi ghata bhi
Aur mumkin hai tera, zikr kar de Khuda bhi
Phir to patthar hi shaayad, zabt se kaam lenge
Phir to patthar hi shaayad, zabt se kaam lenge
Husn ki baat chali to, sab tera naam lenge
English: The breeze will also not be silent, the clouds will also say something
And it is possible that God might also mention you
The breeze will also not be silent, the clouds will also say something
And it is possible that God might also mention you
In that only stones perhaps, will be able to exercise restrain
In that only stones perhaps, will be able to exercise restrain
Whenever there is a talk of extreme beauty, everybody will take your name
Chand aahen bharega, Phool dil thaam lenge
Husn ki baat chali to, sab tera naam lenge
Chand aahen bharega
English: The moon will heave sighs
The flowers will hold on to their hearts
The moon will heave sighs
The flowers will hold on to their hearts
Whenever there is a talk of extreme beauty
Everybody will take your name
The moon will heave sighs
Glossary:
- Aahen: Sighs. It is a kind of onomatopoeia since a person sighing will let out an ‘aah‘
- Thaamna: To hold
- Baat: Talk(s) or conversation
- Naam: Name
- Roshan: Bright and radiant
- Sawera: Morning, dawn
- Jagah: Place, in place of
- Andhera: Darkness
- Chain: Respite, peace, relief
- Bin: Without
- Badnaam: This word comes from the combination of two words bad (bad)+ naam (name). Therefore a person who has earned bad name or is infamous and disreputable is badnaam. In this context, these are people earning a bad name, being crazy in love with the beautiful lady of the song.
- Naazuk: Dainty, delicate or fragile
- Misri: Rock sugar. In pure hindi, it is called mishri.
- Daliyan: Pieces or lumps
- Honth: Lips
- Ganga: The holy river Ganga (Ganges) flowing through North India
- Saahil: Coast or bank(s)
- Zulfen: Tresses, beautiful curling locks of hair that fall over the face, temple or ears of a woman
- Jannat: Paradise
- Galiyan: Lanes
- Khatir: Sake
- Farishte: Angels
- Ilzaam: Blame or accusation
- Chup: Silent, still
- Hawa: Air or breeze
- Ghata: Clouds, mostly dark clouds which bring rain
- Mumkin: Possible
- Zikr: Mention
- Khuda: God, Almighty
- Patthar: Stone(s)
- Shaayad: Maybe or perhaps
- Zabt: Restrain or self-control
The Heritage Chutney 