Translation of Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si Bollywood Rain Song

 

Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si – Golden Oldie Hit by Kishore Kumar

Meta Description:  Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si is from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. The popular Bollywood rain song is a Kishore Kumar classic. Sing the translation to the original track.

Setting the Background for Translating Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si

Do not expect any provocative rain-drenched dancing in Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi was released in 1958, a time when sensuality in Hindi cinema had to be subtle and understated.

In this memorable sequence, Renu (Madhubala) arrives at Mannu’s garage on a stormy night, her car broken down and her clothes soaked through. Mannu (Kishore Kumar) begins working on the car while singing this playful number, narrating the unusual circumstances—a lone woman, drenched and vulnerable, encountering a strange man in the dead of night.

Interestingly, the camera stays fixed mostly on Kishore Kumar throughout the song, which is a notable deviation from the typical Bollywood rain song. This showcases Kishore Kumar’s effortless comedic timing and charm. The result is one of the most endearing and unique sequences in Hindi cinema. Madhubala appears mostly in the interludes, but even these fleeting moments are enough for her to radiate a restrained yet unmistakable sensuality, further enhancing the scene's charm.

Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics are pure magic. The playful repetitions and internal rhymes create a rhythmic cadence that mirrors the flirtatious, teasing tone of the song. I believe I have captured that spirit in my English translation, but I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

 

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si

 

In the rain soaking-wet was she

While everyone slept, she roamed free

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

In the rain soaking-wet was she

While everyone slept, she roamed free

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

She carries angst within her heart

A trace of bother she does impart

She carries angst within her heart

A trace of bother she does impart

With some irritation and tipsy sensation

In the lonely monsoon night

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

In the rain soaking-wet was she

While everyone slept, she roamed free

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

A bit unbalanced quite unsteady

Lost her way and somewhat heady

A bit unbalanced quite unsteady

Lost her way and somewhat heady

Sad and bereft, her home she left

Crazily in the black night

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

In the rain soaking-wet was she

While everyone slept, she roamed free

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

Her body drenched her hair wet too

She’s got loose screws I’m telling you

Her body drenched her hair wet too

She’s got loose screws I’m telling you

Proud yet humble, with a stumble

She ventured in the dark night

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

 

In the rain soaking-wet was she

While everyone slept, she roamed free

She chanced upon a stranger

All alone, no one with her

You tell me if this is all right

Hmm….

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si, soti raton mein jagi si
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai hmm……..

Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si, soti raton mein jagi si
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai hmm……..

 

Dil hi dil mein jali jaati hai
Bigadi bigadi chali aati hai
Dil hi dil mein jali jaati hai
Bigadi bigadi chali aati hai
Jhunjhalati hui balkhati hui, sawan ki sunee raat mein
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai
Hmm….

Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si, soti raton mein jagi si
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai hmm……..

 

Dagmag dagmag lehaki lehaki, bhuli bhatki behaki behaki
Dagmag dagmag lehaki lehaki, bhuli bhatki behaki behaki
Machali machali ghar se nikali, pagali si kaali raat mein
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai
Hmm…

Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si, soti raton mein jagi si
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai hmm……..

 

Tan bheega hai sar geela hai, usaka koyi pech bhi dheela hai
Tan bheega hai sar geela hai, usaka koyi pech bhi dheela hai

Tanti jhukati chalti rukti, nikali andheri raat mein
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai
Hmm….

Ek ladki bheegi bhagi si, soti raton mein jagi si
Milee ek ajnabee se, koyi aage naa peechhe
Tum hi kaho yeh koyi baat hai

 

Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
·       Singer: Kishore Kumar
·       Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri
·       Composer: Sachin Dev Burman
·       On Screen: Kishore Kumar & Madhubala
 
 
Enjoy the video of Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si.  The latest Bollywood rain song, Bheegi Saree, is also available at Bollywood Translations, with more in the pipeline.
 
Please follow Bollywood Translations and give your feedback in the comments section. Connect with me on X and Instagram @HarshNev. In case you want any song to be translated, whether from Hindi films or otherwise, please mention in the comments.
 
All the translations are my original work. If you quote them, you must acknowledge my name and provide a link to Bollywood Translations.

Gulzar’s Filmfare Award Winning Song from Masoom Translated

 

Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi – Translation of Masoom Hit Song

Meta Description:  Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi a Bollywood sad song from Masoom that was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Anup Ghoshal. The Filmfare Award winning lyrics are by Gulzar.

Setting the Background for Translating Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi

 DK is a happily married man with two daughters. His tranquil life is suddenly disturbed when he learns that he has a son, Rahul, from a casual forgotten fling some years back. Rahul’s mother has now passed away, leaving DK as the boy’s sole guardian. The joy of bonding with a son is eclipsed by the dread of confessing the truth to Indu, his wife. Indu faces an equally perplexing situation when she learns the truth. Indignation at her husband’s affair is tempered by a maternal instinct for the innocent son, an emotion that her ego does not permit her to wear on her sleeve. 

 

The full version of the song, in Anup Ghoshal’s voice, plays in the background during DK’s dilemma and a shorter version, in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice, gives background expression to Indu’s internal struggle. Gulzar’s poignant lyrics point out joy and sorrow are two sides of a coin and to embrace one you must accept the other. Such is the paradox of life.

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi

 

I am not resentful of you, life

I am perplexed

O I am perplexed

 

By your so innocent questions

I am distressed

O I am distressed

 

I am not resentful of you, life

I am perplexed

O I am perplexed

 

By your so innocent questions

I am distressed

O I am distressed

 

I had never thought

In order to live

One must cultivate pain

 

I had never thought

In order to live

One must cultivate pain

 

Every time we smile

Even for that joy

A debt we must sustain

 

O When I smile sometimes then I feel

As if my lips a debt conceal

 

I am not resentful of you, life

I am perplexed

O I am perplexed

 

Life your tragedies

Have explained how

New relationships are made

 

Life your tragedies

Have explained how

New relationships are made

 

What we have earned has

Been in sunlight

A cool refreshing shade

 

I am not resentful of you, life

I am perplexed

O I am perplexed

 

If today my eyes

Are filled with sorrow

Then the tear drops will flow

 

If today my eyes

Are filled with sorrow

Then the tear drops will flow

 

Tomorrow who knows

For these tear drops

I’ll have nowhere to go

 

I don’t know when next I’ll have to weep

For that one tear I will hidden keep

 

I am not resentful of you, life

I am perplexed

O I am perplexed

 

By your so innocent questions

I am distressed

O I am distressed

I am distressed

O I am distressed

 

By your so innocent questions

I am distressed

O I am distressed

I am distressed

O I am distressed

 
 The Original Hindi Lyrics of Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi from Masoom

 

Tujhse naaraz nahiin zindagi
Hairaan hoon main
O hairaan huun main
Tere masum sawaalon se
Pareshaan hoon main
O pareshaan hoon main
Tujhse naaraz nahiin zindagi
Hairaan hoon main
O hairaan huun main
Tere masum sawaalon se
pareshaan hoon main
O pareshaan hoon main

Jeene ke liye sochaa hi nahi
Dard sambhaalane honge
Jeene ke liye sochaa hi nahi
Dard sambhalane honge
Muskuraaye to muskuraane ke
Karz utarne honge
Ho muskurauun kabhii to lagataa hai
Jaise honthon pe karz rakha hai
Tujhse naaraaz nahiin zindagi
Hairaan hoon main
O hairaan huun main

Zindagi tere gam ne hamein
Rishte naye samajhaye
Zindagi tere gam ne hamein
Rishte naye samajhaaye
Mile jo hamein dhoop mein mile
Chaanv ke thande saaye
Ho tujhse naaraaz nahin zindagi
Hairaan hoon main
O hairaan huun main

Aaj agar bhar aai hain
Boondein baras jaayengi
Aaj agar bhar aai hain
Boondein baras jaayengi
Kal kyaa pataa inke liye
Aankhein taras jaayengi
Ho jaane kab gum hoya kaha khoyaa
Ek ansuun chhupaake rakhaa thaa
Ho tujhse naaraaz nahin zindagi
Hairaan hoon main
O hairaan huun main
Tere masum sawaalon se
Pareshaan hoon main
O pareshaan hoon main
O pareshaan hoon main
O pareshaan hoon main.

Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Masoom
·       Singer: Anup Ghoshal
·       Lyricist: Gulzar
·       Composer: Rahul Dev Burman
·       On Screen: Naseeruddin Shah & Jugal Hansraj
·       Director: Shekhar Kapur
 
Enjoy the video of Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi in the voice of Anup Ghoshal and of Lata Mangeshkar. 

 

Masoom in 31^st Filmfare Awards (1984)

 

Masoom won five awards and three nominations at the 31^st Filmfare Awards, including that of Best Lyricist by Gulzar for Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi. The full list is given below.
 
·       Best Film – Nomination
·       Best Film (Critic) – Award
·       Best Director – Nomination
·       Best Actor – Award
·       Best Actress – Nomination
·       Best Music Director – Award
·       Best Lyricist – Award
·       Best Female Playback Singer – Award
 
 
I have other Gulzar songs at Bollywood Translations that have won Filmfare Awards.
 
·       Aane Wala Pal (1980)
·       Mera Kuchh Samaan (1989)
·       Hazaar Rahein (1981)
 
Please follow Bollywood Translations and give your feedback in the comments section. Connect with me on X and Instagram @HarshNev. In case you want any song to be translated, whether from Hindi films or otherwise, please mention in the comments.
 
All the translations are my original work. If you quote them, you must acknowledge my name and provide a link to Bollywood Translations.

Explanation and Translation of Wajid Ali Thumri Babul Mora

 

Babul Mora – Explanation of Babul Mora Thumri from Avishkaar

Meta Description:  Wajid Ali Shah thumri, Babul Mora finds place in many Hindi movies. This blog is based on Avishkaar. Get the complete explanation and poetic translation.

 

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Babul Mora

 

Father dear I am leaving your gate

Father dear I am leaving your gate

Father dear

Father dear I am leaving your gate

Four bearers together my palanquin decorate

Four bearers together my palanquin decorate

From my own I now separate

I am leaving your gate

 

 

Your courtyard now a mountain high and threshold feels unknown

Your courtyard now a mountain high and threshold feels unknown

Go father to your abode I leave for my love’s home

Father

Father

Father

Father dear

Go father to your abode I leave for my love’s home

I leave for my love’s home

I leave for my love’s home

Father dear I am leaving your gate

Father dear father dear I am leaving your gate

The History of Babul Mora

 

Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was not only a great patron of the arts but also a poet of renown himself. In 1856, following the annexation of Awadh by the British East India Company, he was exiled to Garden Reach in Calcutta. It was during this painful and emotional separation from his homeland that he composed the iconic thumri Babul Mora, in which he compared his exile to a bride leaving her father’s home after marriage.
 
Babul Mora remains Wajid Ali Shah’s most celebrated composition and is arguably the most enduring thumri in the Indian classical tradition. Over the years, it has been embraced by generations of classical vocalists, including the legendary Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, and continues to  be a staple in their repertoires.
 
The timeless appeal of Babul Mora has also found a place in Hindi cinema, featuring in several memorable renditions. Each version brings a unique interpretation to this soulful composition, keeping its emotional depth alive for contemporary audiences.
 
·       Street Singer (1938), by Kundan Lal Saigal
·       Avishkaar (1974), by Jagjit and Chitra Singh
·       Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017), by Arijit Singh

 

 

Explanation of Babul Mora

 

While Babul Mora was composed in the personal context of Wajid Ali Shah’s forced exile, its layered imagery allows it to be understood on three interwoven levels: bidai (bridal farewell), exile, and death.

 

1. Bidai

 

At the literal level, the thumri mirrors the traditional bidai ceremony — the moment when a bride departs from her father’s home to begin a new life with her husband. In earlier times, this parting was especially heart-wrenching since the bride had never met her husband, nor seen the place she was going to call home. Uprooted from familiar surroundings, she was transplanted into an unknown world.
In the thumri, the bride poignantly declares that her father’s home has now become foreign to her, and she must surrender to her fate in her husband’s house. This symbolic departure encapsulates both grief and stoic acceptance.

 

2. Exile

 

On a metaphorical level, Wajid Ali Shah likens his own banishment to the bride’s bidai. Just as the bride must leave her childhood home, he is being torn away from his ancestral kingdom, not by tradition but by force and never to return.  Like the bride, he accepts his fate with dignity and sorrow.

 

3. Death

 

At its most profound level, Babul Mora can be seen as a meditation on death. Even with the comforts afforded by the British during his exile, Wajid Ali Shah senses that his end is near. The symbolic image of four palanquin bearers subtly transforms into four pallbearers. In this interpretation, the bride’s departure becomes a universal allegory for the soul’s final journey — leaving the temporary home of this world (the father’s house) to unite with the eternal divine (the husband’s realm).
 
Through these multiple layers, Babul Mora achieves a timeless resonance — blending personal sorrow, historical event, and existential truth into a singular poetic expression.

 

 

Babul Mora as a Thumri

 

While an in-depth analysis of the compositional structure of Babul Mora lies beyond the scope of this blog, we can still explore some of its more accessible and defining features as a thumri.

 

Language

 

The lyrics of Babul Mora are composed in a local dialect, which is a likely a blend of Braj and Awadhi. Thumris are commonly written in such dialects so as to be accessible to a larger audience.

 

Thematic Content

 

Traditional thumris often revolve around themes of romantic longing or devotional yearning. Babul Mora, however, does not explicitly address these themes. In Sufi poetry God is considered as the ultimate beloved. In this context, the phrase "piya ke desh" (the land of the beloved) can be interpreted as the divine realm, subtly invoking both love and spiritual surrender.

 

Style

 

Though the thumri is rooted in the classical tradition, it has also evolved into a semi-classical form. Wajid Ali Shah played a pivotal role in this transformation by developing a more accessible and less formal style known as bol-baant. Babul Mora exemplifies this style. Bollywood has espoused this style of thumri in many of its movies.

 

Setting the Background for Translating Babul Mora from Aavishkar

 

In Avishkaar, director Basu Bhattacharya offers a fresh and evocative interpretation of Babul Mora, departing from its traditional use as a bidai (farewell) song. It plays in the background during the film’s final scene, when Amar and Mansi, the central couple, overcome the differences that had arisen in their marriage. The song conveys the message that both partners must leave behind the securities and traditions of the past and with new outlook and resolve tackle the uncertainties of the future.

 

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Ruaan from Avishkaar

Babul mora naihar chhuto hi jaay
Babul mora babul mora naihar chhuto hi jaay
Babul mora

Babul mora naihar chhuto hi jaay

Char kahaar mile, mori doliyaa sajave
Char kahaar mile, mori doliyaa sajave
Mora aapnaa begana chhuto jaay !
Naihar chhuto hi jay

 

Aangana toh parbat bhayo aur dehari bayi bidesh
Aangana toh parbat bhayo aur dehari bayi bidesh
Jay babul ghar aapno mai chali piya ke desh!
Babul
Babul
Babul
Babul mora
Jay babul ghar aapno mai chali piya ke desh!
Mai chali piya ke desh!
Mai chali piya ke desh!
Babul mora naihar chhuto hi jaay
Babul mora babul mora naihar chhuto hi jaay.

 

 

Meanings of Some Words and Phrases

 

Babul = Father

Naihar  = Father’s home, where a girl spends her childhood before marriage

Kahaar = Palanquin bearer

Doliyaa = Palanquin

Aapnaa begana = Own and others

Dehari = Threshhold

 

The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Babul Mora

 

My father my childhood home is being left behind

Four bearers together decorate my palanquin

The courtyard has become a mountain and the threshold like a foreign land

All known and unknown persons are being left behind

Father go back to your home I am going to my husband’s land

 

Babul Mora Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Avishkaar
·       Singer: Jagjit & Chitra Singh
·       Lyricist: Wajid Ali Shah
·       Composer: Kanu Roy
·       On Screen: Rajesh Khanna & Sharmila Tagore
·       Director & Producer: Basu Bhattacharya
 
Enjoy the video of Babul Mora from Avishkaar.  I have other thumris at Bollywood Translations with more in the pipeline.
 
·       Nazariya Ki Maari
·       Jagaave Saari Raina
·       Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam
·       Rangi Sari
 
Please follow Bollywood Translations and give your feedback in the comments section. Connect with me on X and Instagram @HarshNev. In case you want any song to be translated, whether from Hindi films or otherwise, please mention in the comments.
 
All the translations are my original work. If you quote them, you must acknowledge my name and provide a link to Bollywood Translations.

Poetic Translation of Bheegi Saree 2025 Bollywood Rain Song

 

Bheegi Saree – Hot Bollywood Rain Duet from Param Sundari

Meta Description:  Bheegi Saree is a Bollywood rain song from Param Sundari featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor. Enjoy my karaoke translation set to the original score.

Setting the Background for Translating Bheegi Saree

 

Rain songs have a cherished place in Hindi film music. The allure of romancing in the rains is obviously irresistible and right from Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua Hai (Shree 420) Bollywood has consistently delivered rain songs that remain etched in memory. Responding to the mood of the times, the rain songs are getting increasingly sensual every year.

 

It is hard to believe that Bollywood Translations with nearly 200 songs in its archive does not feature even one rain song. This oversight became glaringly obvious earlier this month with the release of Bheegi Saree from the upcoming film Param Sundari. The sizzling on-screen chemistry between Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor is impossible to miss, elevated by evocative lyrics, sensuous visuals, and an infectious melody. The song has already gone viral across social media platforms, and with the film slated for release on August 29, 2025, it is poised to break viewership records.

 

As I write this, Mumbai is experiencing a monsoon downpour, which makes it an ideal occasion to finally correct the omission.

 

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Bheegi Saree

 

Shreya

Dandy lover, wicked pleasure

Hidden intent is betrayed

That can pierce my wet body

Your gaze is sharp as a blade

 

Adnan

In your clinging drenched saree

You are as sensuous as

Fluid water that’s aflame

When you toss your tresses

To sprinkle droplets on me

My passions become insane

 

In your clinging drenched saree

You are as sensuous as

Fluid water that’s aflame

 

Adnan

O my god, O my god, O my god

O my god, O my god, O my

Both

O my god, O my god, O my god

O my god, O my god, O my

 

Shreya

Darling, with your hands’ caress

These raindrops from the sky

Change to heady wine

When I come close to you

Then my noble intentions

Are no longer fine

 

Shreya

Tugging at my saree hem

Is not what gentlemen do

Adnan

The fault for this imprudence

Lies with the magic in you

 

Shreya

In my clinging drenched saree

I am as sensuous as

Fluid water that’s aflame

Adnan

Please stay in my arms

And do not avert your eyes

Gazing at me there’s no shame

 

Both

O my god, O my god, O my god

O my god, O my god, O my

O my god, O my god, O my god

O my god, O my god, O my

 

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Bheegi Saree from Param Sundari

 

Shreya

Chhaila Piya, Maila Jiya
Fitrat Buri Hai Teri
Geele Badan Ko Cheel Dein
Nazrein Chhuri Hai Teri

 

Adnan

Bheegi Bheegi Saree Mein,

Teri Jawaani Jaise
Shole Se Lipta Paani
Chhidka Jo Mujh Par,

Zulfon Se Paani Tune
Armaan Hue Toofani

 

Bheegi Bheegi Saree Mein,

Teri Jawaani Jaise
Shole Se Lipta Paani

 

Adnan

Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai Rama
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai

Both
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai Rama
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai

 

Shreya

Tere Chhoote Hi Saajan
Boonden Yeh Saawan Ki,

Sharaab Hui Hain
Tere Nazdeek Aa Ke
Meri Bhi Thodi, Niyat

Kharaab Hui Hai

 

Shreya

Aanchaal Mera Yoon Kheenchna
Harkat Giri Hai Teri

Adnan
Yeh Harkatein Karwa Rahi
Jadoogari Hai Teri

 

Shreya

Bheegi Bheegi Saari Mein,

Meri Jawaani Jaise
Shole Se Lipta Paani

Adnan
Reh Kar Baahon Mein
Nazrein Chura Na Aise,

Aankh Mila Meri Raani

 

Both

Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai Rama
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai Rama
Hai Rama, Hai Rama, Hai

 

 

Meaning of Difficult Words

 

Chhaila = Dandy

Fitrat = Character

Harkat = Undesirable actions

Nazrein Churana = To avert one’s eyes

 

Bheegi Saree Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Param Sundari
·       Singer: Shreya Ghoshal & Adnan Sami
·       Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya
·       Composer: Sachin-Jigar
·       On Screen: Sidharth Malhotra & Janhvi Kapoor
 
 
Enjoy the video of Bheegi Saree.  I have other Amitabh Bhattacharya hit songs at Bollywood Translations with more in the pipeline.
 
·       Khairiyat
·       Aaj Ki Raat
·       Taras
·       Kesariya
·       Tere Vaaste
 
 
Please follow Bollywood Translations and give your feedback in the comments section. Connect with me on X and Instagram @HarshNev. In case you want any song to be translated, whether from Hindi films or otherwise, please mention in the comments.
 
All the translations are my original work. If you quote them, you must acknowledge my name and provide a link to Bollywood Translations.