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
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
ghaagh - cunning
kasoor - fault
fatoor - defect
juram – crime
kachehri – court, (here mehfil)
juram – crime
kachehri – court, (here mehfil)
daraanti - sickle
kataar - dagger
naseeb - luck
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.
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.
LOL! This is brilliant! 'He gave me a mouth fresher' that one killed me! Subscribing...
ReplyDeleteVery well translated in english
ReplyDeleteSuperb translation...
ReplyDeleteThank you 🙏
ReplyDeleteDoing Ctrl c + ctrl v
Wow!!! Thanks for this beautiful piece.
ReplyDelete