Omkara – Beedi Jalai Lay

Omkara – Beedi Jalai Lay

Omkara, which is Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Othello, has fantastic songs written by Gulzar. The music is by Bhardwaj himself. The songs include raunchy tamasha type dance numbers by Bipasha Basu who plays Billo, the equivalent of Bianca from Shakespeare’s play. The lyrics of these songs are earthy. They are intensely metaphorical and defy translation in the normal literal manner. The translations available elsewhere on the Internet are grossly inadequate, especially for the most popular number “Beedi Jalai Lay”. I have given the meanings of the less common words to enable readers to understand the literal meaning. But I have translated the lines keeping the intended essence of the song. I would also like to highlight that in such songs it is futile to look for continuity in the customary manner.

Naa gilaaf, naa lihaaf
Thandi hawa bhi khilaaf sasuri
Ho Itti sardi hai kisi ka lihaaf lei lay
Ho Jaa padosi ke chulhe se aag lei lay

Beedi jalai lay jigar se piya
Jigar maa badi aag hai
Dhuan naa nikaariyo lab se piya
Je duniya badi ghaagh hai

Naa kasoor, naa fatoor
Bina juram ke hujoor marr gaye
Aise ik din dupahari bulai liyo re
Baandh ghungru kachehri lagai liyo re
Angithi jalaai le jigar se piya
Jigar maa badi aag hai

Na to chakkua ki dhaar, na daraanti na kataar
Aisa kaate ke daant ka nisaan chhod de
Ye kataai to koi bhi kisaan chhod de
Aise¦ jaalim ka chhod de makaan chhod de

Na bulaya na bataya
Mhane neend se jagaya hai re
Aisa chauke lihaaf mein naseeb aa gaya
Woh elaichi khilai ke kareeb aa gaya
Koyla jalai le jigar se piya
Jigar maa  badi aag hai

gilaaf – pillow case

lihaaf - quilt
ghaagh - cunning
kasoor - fault

fatoor - defect
juram – crime
kachehri – court, (here mehfil)

daraanti - sickle

kataar - dagger
naseeb - luck

I do not have a quilt to keep me warm, not even a pillow case. And the goddamned wind is freezing. It is so cold that I feel like taking someone’s quilt, or warming myself with the heat from my neighbour’s stove. The sexual innuendo should not be lost. I want to cosy up with my neighbour to warm me.

The neighbour replies: you can light your beedi from my bosom since there is a firing raging in it. It is an implicit acceptance of the sexual proposal. Do not blow smoke from your lips, my love. This world is extremely cunning. The innuendo is: do not let anyone see you leaving my place or they will know what we have been up to.

Without any fault or provocation I was dragged here. One afternoon they called me to their mehfil and forced me to dance. But I have fire in my bosom and I had them lusting after me.

Not a sharp knife, not even a sickle or dagger can match her. Her love bites leave the marks of her teeth. No farmer will need implements for harvesting if he had teeth like hers. I have been telling her to leave her tyrant lover and come to me.  

Without any warning my lover woke me up from my sleep. I was startled, but glad for his company. He gave me a mouth freshener and cuddled up with me. I let him share the warmth of my body because there was a fire raging in my bosom.