Friday, October 4, 2013

Omkara – Namak


Namak – Transcreation and Explanation of Gulzar’s Lyrics 


Meta Description:  Namak is a Bollywood item number from Omkara featuring Bipasha Basu.  The Vishal Bhardwaj Hindi movie is a remake of Shakespeare’s Othello. Understand the risqué metaphors of the rustic original song and sing the English translation to the original beat. 


The Difficulty in Translating the Lyrics of Namak

Namak is the second Billo (Bipasha Basu) item number from Omkara, Beedi Jalay Lei being the other one. It is written by Gulzar and has the same risqué tenor. Again, a literal translation of the lyrics is meaningless. One must get to the underlying sexual metaphor to enjoy it.

 

“Main chaand nigal gayi” is the critical phrase. Once that is understood the other metaphors will fall in place. The problem is that this phrase, which literally translates as “I swallowed the moon”, is difficult to put in perspective. I interpret it as “I dreamt of my moon-faced lover”. I do not offer any justification for the same, except that the song makes sense when taken as an imaginary interaction with a lover. I have not come across any use of this phrase in this manner. However, I do recall reading the Sanskrit epic Kadmbari by Bana. The queen dreams of swallowing the moon and conceives, ultimately giving birth to a child as handsome as the moon.


The Transcreation in English of the Hindi Lyrics of Namak


I dreamt of my lover

Oh yes, I dreamt of my lover, listen

Hmm it has aroused my passion

It is a fatal attraction

Yes it has aroused my passion

It is a fatal attraction

 

Oh, I dreamt of my lover, listen

Feel the burning sensation

I’ve never been that way before

The heat I can’t, the heat, the heat I cannot ignore

It is an addiction, addiction yes

Now an addiction

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

It is, it is an addiction

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O yes! this frenzied desire

This burning desire O yes! this frenzied desire

 

Come and give me satisfaction

Give me satisfaction

Come and give me satisfaction

Give me satisfaction

Come and give me satisfaction

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O yes! this frenzied desire

O yes! burning desire, frenzied desire

 

Alas!

 

Leery cops roadside Romeos

They all make passes at me

Yes, yes, yes sir, yes

O yes sir, O yes sir, O

Rowdy cops roadside Romeos

They all make passes at me

Even the street corner grocer

Sends weekly rations for free

Some trinkets you too volunteer

Volunteer

Whisper sweet nothings in my ear

In my ear

 

I’ve never been that way before

The heat I cannot ignore

O yes! I’ve never been that way before

The heat I cannot ignore

Wild dreams are not, yes

Wild dreams are not

Wild dreams are not the solution

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

O yes! Desire

 

One look from the man of my heart

One look from the man of my heart

And I was like putty in his arms

I yielded all to my lover

Such was the magic of his charms

I was like putty in his arms

Such was the magic of his charms

 

Alas!

 

He dived deep into my eyes

He filled my lips to the brim

He dived deep into my eyes

He filled my lips to the brim

There is ecstasy in death

I cannot live without him

I tossed and turned as I waited

As I waited

Sought his footsteps with breath baited

With breath baited

 

I’ve never been that way before

The heat I cannot ignore

O yes! I’ve never been that way before

The heat I cannot ignore

I am filled sir, filled sir, filled sir

Filled sir, filled sir, filled sir yes

I am filled

I am filled to saturation

This burning desire O! this frenzied desire

It is, it is an addiction

This burning desire O yes! this frenzied desire

 

Come and give me satisfaction

Give me satisfaction

Come and give me satisfaction

This burning desire O yes! this frenzied desire

This burning desire this frenzied desire

This burning desire this frenzied desire

This burning desire this frenzied desire

This burning desire this frenzied desire

This burning desire this frenzied desire

This burning desire

 


The Original Hindi Lyrics of Namak from Omkara

Main chaand nigal gayi

Ho ji main chaand nigal gayi daiyya re

Hmm bheetar bheetar aag jale

Baat karoon toh senkh lage

Aji bheetar bheetar aag jale

Baat karoon toh senkh lage

 

O main chaand nigal gayi daiyya re

Ang pe aise chaale pade

Tez tha jhaunka ka karoon

Si-si karti, si-si si-si karti main maroon

Jabaan pe laga ji, laga ji re

Jabaan pe laga

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai re tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka haai re tere ishq ka

 

Balam se maanga maanga re

Balam se maanga re

Balam se maanga maanga re

Balam se maanga re

Balam se maanga maanga re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai re tere ishq ka

Haai re tere ishq ka, tere ishq ka

 

Haai!

 

Sabhi chhede hai mujhko

Sipahiye baake chhamiye

Haan, haan, haan ji haan

Aa ha ji, aa ha ji, aah

Sabhi chhede hai mujhko

Sipahiye baake chhamiye

Udhari dene lage hai

Gali ke baniye baniye

Koi toh kaudi tu bhi luta de

Koi toh kaudi

Aji thodi thodi shehad chata de

Thodi thodi

 

Tez tha tadka ka karoon

Si-si karti main maroon

Aji tez tha tadka ka karoon

Si-si karti main maroon

Raat bhar chhana re

Raat bhar chhana

Raat bhar chhana chhana re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Haai re tere

 

O aisi phoonk lagi zalim ki

O aisi phoonk lagi zalim ki

Ke bansuri jaisi baaji main

Arre joh bhi kaha us Chandrabhan ne

Phat se ho gayi raazi main

Bansuri jaisi baaji main

Phat se ho gayi raazi main

 

Haai!

 

Kabhi ankhiyon se peena

Kabhi honthon se peena

Kabhi ankhiyon se peena

Kabhi honthon se peena

Kabhi achchha lage marna

Kabhi mushkil lage jeena

Karvat karvat pyaas lagi thi

Karvat karvat

Aji balam ki aahat paas lagi thi

Balam ki aahat


Tez tha jhaunka ka karoon

Si-si karti main maroon

Aji tez tha jhaunka ka karoon

Si-si karti karti main maroon

Dali bhar daala ji, daala ji, daala ji

Daala ji, daala ji, daala ji re

Dali bhar daala

Dali bhar daala daala re

Namak ishq ka haai tere ishq ka

Jabaan pe laga laga re

Namak ishq ka haai re tere ishq ka


Balam se maanga maanga re

Balam se maanga re

Balam se maanga maanga re

Namak ishq ka haai re tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka, tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka, tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka, tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka, tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka, tere ishq ka

Namak ishq ka

The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Namak

The repeated lines and choruses have been eliminated

 

I dreamt of my lover

And was burning with passion … even talking about him gave me the hots

I dreamt of my lover … and it felt as if my body was full of blisters

It was like putting too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire

But what could I do … I had tasted the experience of making love to him

And I wanted more of the same from him

 

(Seeing me mature as a sexy lass)

Everyone makes passes at me, leery cops and roadside flirts

Even the grocers are extending credit hoping for repayment in kind

My lover, you can gift me at least a few trinkets

And whisper sweet nothings in my ears

The dream was like putting too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire

Yet I dreamt all night of the joy of your making love to me


My lover handled me as if he was playing a flute

And I yielded completely to his moon like charm

He gazed lovingly in my eyes, he kissed my lips passionately

Self-annihilation in love is ecstatic, life without the lover is hell

I thirsted for him as I tossed on my bed

I dreamt of hearing his footsteps at my door

The separation was like too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire

I tried to douse myself with a small dream of making love to him


Namak Fact Sheet 

 
·       Movie: Omkara
·       Singer: Rekha Bhardwaj
·       Lyricist: Gulzar
·       Composer: Vishal Bhardwaj
·       On Screen: Bipasha Basu, Vivek Oberoi, Saif Ali Khan
·       Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
 
Omkara is Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Othello. This song is a tamasha type dance number by Bipasha Basu who plays Billo, the equivalent of Bianca from Shakespeare’s play. In this context, tamasha refers to a rustic item number with provocative gestures and double entendre lyrics.
 
Enjoy the video of Namak. 
 
Bollywood Translations has more item numbers from Hindi movies.
 
·       Teri Kattili Nigahon Ne Mara
·       Tilasmi Bahein
·       Aaj KI Raat
 
 
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