The sorrow of life…
After the lack of internet last weekend, I am back again with another song. This one is a melancholic song, but I decided to translate it last week after being not able to converse with the love of my life for about 48 hours continuously (probably that’s why the sad song). Internet does that to you, if you are in a long distance relationship. I cannot even begin to imagine how people used to maintain long-distance relationships before the advent of telecommunication. Next time if you hear the love story of your grandfather, be impressed because times were so different back then.
This here is a beautiful but sorrowful song from the 1948 movie Aag (Fire). This fire is the central theme of the whole movie and denotes many forms of fire, viz. the fire to achieve his dreams, the fire of love which burnt in his heart for this one girl since he was ten years old and finally the literal fire which burnt his face. The movie was released just one year after independence and you can see the beginnings of cinema. Most of the night time frames are too dark to clearly see anything, almost all of the movie is shot in indoor sets and the voices are quite nasal.
While trying not to give any spoilers, the movie is focused on the main character of Kewal (only) who fell in love with theatre at the age of ten and wanted to run a theatre company of his own with his childhood sweetheart, Nimmi. Nimmi left the town without even saying goodbye to him, and thus begins his whole life in search of Nimmi(s). So stuck is he in his love for ten year old Nimmi, that the next two girls which come into his life will also be called as Nimmi by him. He does fall in love with two more women, while imagining them as Nimmi, and yet none of them stays (just like Nimmi the kid). In one sentence you can summarize the movie as ‘3 Nimmis and Kewal‘.
Raj Kapoor plays the lead role and does really make some important comments on the contemporary education system of India, on how parents enforce their desires on their children without paying heed to their wishes, how theatre actors are viewed by the erstwhile society, the outrageous gender imbalance in higher education institutes at that time (one girl in a class of about 100 students), how girls used to be married off without their wishes or even a timely notice, how a woman and her family struggled in Punjab during partition and how little attention is given to the beauty of soul but more to physical beauty. And yet even after raising so many issues, the movie doesn’t emphasize on any of them at length. Nonetheless, you can discover the rise of the great showman Raj Kapoor, who will go on to address such burning social issues with utmost dedication and sincerity in his upcoming work.
The ladies, Kamini Kaushal (whom I have only seen in the roles of aunty or mother previously) and the gorgeous Nargis, are present to provide the quintessential glamour and melodrama to the story. My personal favourite character is the mother of Kewal. She mostly evades overly melodramatic acting (which was very normal in movies from this time), so much so, that at one point she gives such a dry unemotional response to Kewal’s father, I was close to bursting into tears with laughter. And yet, she does fall into the trap now and then. The movie doesn’t make sense at many points, the events sometimes occur too abruptly or inconsequentially, logic is also not the forte of the script writer and also at some points, you wonder: Is this really a movie? Or is it an abstract artistic performance? There are unexplainable dance sequences in hazy sets which might not have been necessary at all. And the biggest let down of the movie is that the central character is not lovable. You do not miss him on the screen and you do not feel close to him. Even though he doesn’t show any hateful characteristics, his personality just doesn’t enkindle enough pathos to ever relate to him or feel sorry for him. You can watch the whole movie on YouTube. Watch it to see a dashing and handsome Raj Kapoor without moustache (which hardly ever left him after this) and a beautiful and cute ten year old Shashi Kapoor (as young Kewal).
Coming to the song which is translated here, it has been a faithful companion to me in grievous times. Mukesh‘s melancholy voice is the epitome of expression of sadness. Kewal sings this song to lament the wedding of his beloved Nimmi (2nd one from college) to an NRI (big feat). The words from Behzad Lucknowi (must be from Lucknow) are a beautiful piece of poetry, very deep in their meaning and quite many heavy Urdu words. The song is quite long but once it starts, there are hardly any interludes and one stanza quickly comes after the other. The tune also is not very complicated. Enjoy the song.
Male: Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-zindagi nahin
Jaltaa hua diya hun magar roshani nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-zindagi nahin
Jaltaa huaa diya hun magar roshani nahin
English: I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow of life
I am a burning lamp but without any light
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow of life
I am a burning lamp but without any light
Woh muddaten huyi hain kisise juda hue
Woh muddaten huyi hain kisise juda hue
Lekin ye dil ki aag abhi tak bujhi nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-
English: It has been a long time since I have been separated from someone
It has been a long time since I have been separated from someone
But this fire in my heart hasn’t extinguished yet
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow
Aane ko aa chukaa tha kinara bhi saamne
Aane ko aa chukaa tha kinara bhi samane
Khud us ke paas hi meri naiyyaa gai nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-
English: Even though the shore had already appeared in front
Even though the shore had already appeared in front
My boat itself didn’t go close to it, of its own accord
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow
Honthon ke paas aaye hasi kya majaal hai
Honthon ke paas aaye hasi kya majaal hai
Dil ka muamalaa hai, koi dillagi nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-
English: Smile might come close to my lips, how dare it?
Smile might come close to my lips, how dare it?
This is a matter of heart, not just any other jest
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow
Ye chaand ye hawa ye fazaa sab hain madmast
Ye chaand ye hawa ye fazaa sab hain madmast
Jab tu nahin to in mein koi dilkashi nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-zindagi nahin
Jaltaa hua diya hun magar roshani nahin
Zinda hun is tarah ki gham-e-zindagi nahin
English: This moon, this air, this ambience, all are intoxicated
This moon, this air, this ambience, all are intoxicated
When you are not here, then there is no attraction in these
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow of life
I am a burning lamp but without any light
I am alive in a way as if numb to the sorrow of life
Glossary:
- Zinda: Alive
- Gham-e-zindagi: Sorrow of life. The ‘-e-‘ in Urdu denotes ‘of’ and is used to form many words in a similar manner. Consequently, gham is sorrow and zindagi is life.
- Diya: To live
- Magar: But
- Roshani: Light
- Muddaten: Length of time, period or duration
- Juda: separate
- Lekin: But
- Aag: Fire
- Bujhna: To be extinguished or to stop burning
- Kinara: River bank or sea shore
- Saamne: Front
- Khud: Itself
- Paas: Near or close
- Naiyyaa: Boat
- Honth: Lip(s)
- Hasi: Laughter or smile
- Majaal: Power, strength or courage. In this context it literally means ‘what power it has’ which can be translated to ‘how dare it’.
- Muamalaa: Matter or affair
- Dillagi: Amusement, jest, light-hearted fun, badinage or mischief. In the context of romantic songs, dillagi mostly refers to casual infatuation or affair, if the person is not serious about it and just takes it in the spirit of fun and enjoyment.
- Chaand: The moon
- Hawa: Air
- Fazaa: sab hain
- Madmast: This word is made of the combination of two words mad (intoxication) and mast (overjoyed, drunk or crazy). So madmast is someone or something which is enjoying the state of being intoxicated.
- Dilkashi: Attraction, appeal or charm. This is a combination of two word roots dil (heart) and kashi (pull). Whatever has the ability to pull your heart towards itself has dilkashi
The Heritage Chutney 