Look, the sky has flown from my head, its ends have been freed from the earth!
Such a beautiful image! I can almost see two ends of the sky like a huge blue sheet clipped to the earth somewhere on the horizon, suddenly released and floating free above. The words sum up happiness in delightful picturesque ness.
dekhna mere sar se aasmaan ud gaya hai...
dekhna aasmaan ke sire khul gaye hai zamen se...
It reminds me of another of my favorite Gulzar songs, O dil banjaare, khol dorian, sab khol de. O wandering heart, undo all the ties.
One of my friends tells me that I don’t understand music, because all I listen to is lyrics. And I should buy books rather than music CDs. Gulzar sa’ab’s beautiful poetry, set to music communes with my heart. For the while I’m listening, the words cocoon me blissfully and transport me to places in the mind where there is solace, serenity and calm.
We enjoy and hum these songs so often without pondering over their words. Remember Hawaon pe likh do hawaon ke naam, hum anjaan pardesiyon ka salaam (Do Dooni Char)? Just pause to run through the words and such playful images of nature will emerge that you’ll be surprised how you’ve hummed it all life without seeing those.
shaakh par jab dhoop aaye, haath choone ke liye
chaanw chham se neeche koodee, has ke bolee aaeeye
yahaa subah se khelaa karatee hain shaam
When the sunlight tried to touch the branch, the shadow jumped down with a ‘cham’ (only Hindustani can capture the sound - perhaps a payal), and grunted playfully. The dusk plays with the dawn here.
No more translations, I’m no good. August 18 was Gulzar Sa’ab’s birthday. I have no clever words to say about his poetry, his simple and beautiful persona and the tremendous strength his support lends to Arushi, a Bhopal-based NGO. All I can do is remind you of some of his beautiful lyrics.
Ganga aaye kahan se, Ganga jaaye kahan re... (Kabuliwala)
Humko man ki shakti dena, man vijay karen, dooseron ki jai ke pahle khud ki jai karein... (Guddi)
Jab bhi ye dil udaas hota hai jaane kaun aas-paas hota hai (Seema)
Hamne dekhi hai in aankhon ki mehkati khushboo, haath se cho ke inhe rishton ka ilzam na do (Khamoshi)
Beeti na bitaee raina, birha ki jaaye raina (Parichay)
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne
Naa jiya laage na, tere bina mera kahin... (Anand)
Ruke ruke se kadam
Dil dhoondhta hai phir wohi (Mausam)
Is mod se jaate hain
Tum aagaye ho, noor aa gaya hai
Tere bina zindagi se koi (Aandhi)
Tujhse naaraaz nahin zindagi, harain hoon mein
Do naina ek kahani thoda sa baadal, thoda sa paani (Masoom)
Mera kuchh saamaan tumhare paas pada hai
Katra Katra milte hai, katra, katra jeene do, zindagi hai
Khali haath shaam aayee hai, khali haat jayegi
Chhoti si kahani mein, baarishon ke paani mein (Izazzat)
Khud se baaten karte rehna
Mere sirhaane jalaao sapne (Maya Memsaab)
Such a beautiful image! I can almost see two ends of the sky like a huge blue sheet clipped to the earth somewhere on the horizon, suddenly released and floating free above. The words sum up happiness in delightful picturesque ness.
dekhna mere sar se aasmaan ud gaya hai...
dekhna aasmaan ke sire khul gaye hai zamen se...
It reminds me of another of my favorite Gulzar songs, O dil banjaare, khol dorian, sab khol de. O wandering heart, undo all the ties.
One of my friends tells me that I don’t understand music, because all I listen to is lyrics. And I should buy books rather than music CDs. Gulzar sa’ab’s beautiful poetry, set to music communes with my heart. For the while I’m listening, the words cocoon me blissfully and transport me to places in the mind where there is solace, serenity and calm.
We enjoy and hum these songs so often without pondering over their words. Remember Hawaon pe likh do hawaon ke naam, hum anjaan pardesiyon ka salaam (Do Dooni Char)? Just pause to run through the words and such playful images of nature will emerge that you’ll be surprised how you’ve hummed it all life without seeing those.
shaakh par jab dhoop aaye, haath choone ke liye
chaanw chham se neeche koodee, has ke bolee aaeeye
yahaa subah se khelaa karatee hain shaam
When the sunlight tried to touch the branch, the shadow jumped down with a ‘cham’ (only Hindustani can capture the sound - perhaps a payal), and grunted playfully. The dusk plays with the dawn here.
No more translations, I’m no good. August 18 was Gulzar Sa’ab’s birthday. I have no clever words to say about his poetry, his simple and beautiful persona and the tremendous strength his support lends to Arushi, a Bhopal-based NGO. All I can do is remind you of some of his beautiful lyrics.
Ganga aaye kahan se, Ganga jaaye kahan re... (Kabuliwala)
Humko man ki shakti dena, man vijay karen, dooseron ki jai ke pahle khud ki jai karein... (Guddi)
Jab bhi ye dil udaas hota hai jaane kaun aas-paas hota hai (Seema)
Hamne dekhi hai in aankhon ki mehkati khushboo, haath se cho ke inhe rishton ka ilzam na do (Khamoshi)
Beeti na bitaee raina, birha ki jaaye raina (Parichay)
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne
Naa jiya laage na, tere bina mera kahin... (Anand)
Ruke ruke se kadam
Dil dhoondhta hai phir wohi (Mausam)
Is mod se jaate hain
Tum aagaye ho, noor aa gaya hai
Tere bina zindagi se koi (Aandhi)
Tujhse naaraaz nahin zindagi, harain hoon mein
Do naina ek kahani thoda sa baadal, thoda sa paani (Masoom)
Mera kuchh saamaan tumhare paas pada hai
Katra Katra milte hai, katra, katra jeene do, zindagi hai
Khali haath shaam aayee hai, khali haat jayegi
Chhoti si kahani mein, baarishon ke paani mein (Izazzat)
Khud se baaten karte rehna
Mere sirhaane jalaao sapne (Maya Memsaab)
Very well written! You transport us to another world; a world of solace, sukoon, imagination, dreams and melody. Yes melody of words and music that forces one to go on humming the songs even after decades these were first written. Keep it up.
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