Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi – “Aap Ke Haseen Rukh …”
In my continuing series of
Bollywood songs translation in English, I have chosen Aap Ke Haseen Rukh. This
is an ethereal Hindi film song, and one of my favourites. The hit number is from
Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi and has lilting music by O.P. Nayyar. It is one of the
most popular Rafi songs because the haunting inflections of the playback singer
are on full display. But this blog is about Bollywood lyrics English
translation. I want to focus on the lyrics writer Anjaan. Till then he was a
small-time lyricist depending on the mercy of music directors. This song
propelled him to the big league and he ended up writing songs for blockbuster
Amitabh Bachchan movies.
But first one word about the picturization of the song.
It belongs to the genre that is referred to as piano songs in Hindi films, which
have the hero playing the piano while singing to his love interest. What makes
Aap Ke Haseen Rukh stand out is that Dharmendra is serenading two beautiful
ladies, Mala Sinha and Tanuja, who are listening in rapt attention each one of
them coyly imagining to be the recipient of the praise. To find out who the
lucky lady was you will have to see Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi. I do not want to
play spoiler. The black and white film accentuates the light and shade in
harmony with the lyrics of the song.
Aap Ke Haseen Rukh is unique in the list of
Bollywood songs in that it uses repeated words in almost every line. I cannot
recall any other Hindi film song that incorporates this feature. Normally “subah
subah ki dhoop” would hinder the flow of the music, but such is lyric writer
Anjaan’s virtuosity that such repetitions do not appear awkward. Instead, they
create the rhythm that takes listeners to a higher plane of enjoyment. Please
check out the video of Aap Ke Haseen Rukh.
There are several lyrics English
translation of this song on the Internet, but I have created a good translation
of Aap Ke Haseen Rukh. Let me explain translation versus transcreation.
Translating poetry from Hindi to verse form in English has natural limitations
because of the idiomatic differences in the languages. One way to overcome this
hindrance is to use a process that is known as transcreation. The literal
translation of the lines is abandoned and so is the metre and rhyme scheme, but
the specific rhythm of the poem and its core emotion and tone are maintained. I
have provided a translation versus transcreation of Aap Ke Haseen Rukh with
lyrics and English translation.
The Original Hindi Lyrics
Aap ke haseen rukh pe
aaj naya noor hai
Mera dil machal gaya to mera kya kasoor hai
Aap ke nigaah ne
kaha to kuchh zaroor hai
Mera dil machal gaya to mera kya kasoor hai
Khuli laton
ki chhaanw mein khila khila ye roop hai
Ghata se jaise chhan rahi, subah subah
ki dhoop hai
Jidhar nazar mudi, udhar suroor hi suroor hai
Mera dil machal gaya
to mera kya kasoor hai
Jhuki jhuki nigaah mein bhi hain bala ki shokhiyaan
Dabi
dabi hasi mein bhi tadap rahi hain bijaliyaan
Shabaab aap ka nashe mein khud hi
choor choor hai
Mera dil machal gaya to mera kya kasoor hai
Jahaan jahaan pade
kadam wahaan fiza badal gai
Ke jaise sarabasar bahaar aap hi mein dhal gai
Kisi
mein ye kashish kahaan jo aap mein huzoor hai
Mera dil machal gaya to mera kya
kasoor hai
Suroor = bliss
Bala = astonishment, awe
Shokhiyaan = vivaciousness
Shabaab = youth
Sarabasar = entirely
Kashish = attraction
This is a literal
translation in English of the Bollywood song
Your beautiful face is flush with a
fresh glow today
It’s not my fault that my heart’s been led astray
Your inviting
glance has surely something to convey
It’s not my fault that my heart’s been led
astray
Your beauty blossoms in the shade of your flowing hair
Like the morning
sunlight filtering through the hazy air
Happiness abounds wherever you choose to
stay
It’s not my fault that my heart’s been led astray
Even with your lowered
gaze you know how to beguile
Restless passion emanates from your subdued smile
Your bewitching youth is intoxicating all the way
It’s not my fault that my
heart’s been led astray
The season changes wherever your footsteps fall
And
spring spreads everywhere with its verdant shawl
Your fatal attraction holds me
in your sway
It’s not my fault that my heart’s been led astray
And this is the
transcreation of Aap Ke Haseen Rukh …
The fresh glow radiating from your angelic
face
The unspoken invitation conveyed by your glance
Blame them, not me, for my
desiring you
The soft beauty half-hidden by your flowing hair
Like the morning
sunlight filtering through the clouds
The aura of bliss that accompanies you
everywhere
Blame them, not me, for my desiring you
Your lowered gaze that
sparkles vivaciousness
Your subdued smile that incites restlessness
Your
bewitching youth that intoxicates my very being
Blame them, not me, for my
desiring you
Your footsteps that drive away the cold wintry air
And envelope the
world with the fresh sap of spring
Your fatal attraction that is beyond compare
Blame them, not me, for my desiring you
I have other interests as well and you
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