Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye – Translation of Bollywood Ghazal

Meta Description:  Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye is a Bollywood Ghazal from the period movie Jaanisaar.  Shreya Ghoshal and Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan have sung this ghazal written by Wajid Ali Shah. Understand the nuances of translating ghazals into English.  

The Nuances of Translating Urdu Ghazals into English

I have explained a little bit about the ghazal genre in my Bollywood Translation of Hum Hain Mataa-e-Koocha-o. Urdu is a mellifluous language with soft sounds of “kha”, “ga”, and “za”, which create a delicateness that is not possible with English. The translator can capture the nuanced content but will always be found wanting with the easy paced flow of words that sort of constructs a stillness within the motion. Please keep this in mind when judging my translation of Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye.   

Ghazals are written as couplets with a unique rhyme scheme that goes a-a; b-a; c-a; d-a; e-a; and so on. The difficulty lies with the lines ending in “a”. The last word or few words of the line are absolutely identical throughout and the rhyme is created by the word before this identical phrase. You can cheque this out from the original lyrics given later on. This cannot be constructed in English because such verb endings do not exist in that language. In my Bollywood Translations of Ghazals I do not even attempt to maintain this aspect.

 

The Poetic English Transcreation of the Lyrics of Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye

 

Hand in hand as we went for a stroll

The fragrant champa engulfed our soul

 

Even the mirror started to blush

When coy glances at yourself you stole

 

Empty glasses keep on piling up

For the flow of wine was on a roll

 

When I gaze into her eyes Akhtar
Over my senses I lose control

 

The Original Urdu Lyrics of Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye from Jaanisaar

 

champayi rang yaar aa jaye

nikhate khush gawar aa jaye

woh haseen dekh le jo aaina

aaine par gubar aa jaye

khali shishe ko kya karun saki

jaam bhi baar baar aa jaye

unki aankho ko dekh kar akhtar

nasha be-ikhtiyar aa jaaye

Some Urdu words need explanation

champayi: Adjective from champa, a fragrant flower usually with yellow tinged petals

nikhate: Fragrances

gubar: Literally meaning dust. Dust on the mirror suggests that the mirror is blushing.

Akhtar: It is common practice for the lyricist to include his name in the last couple of the Ghazal. This ghazal was written by Wajid Ali Shah, the famous last Nawab of Awadh, who used the nom-de-plume Akhtar in his writings.

Be-ikhtiyar: Without control

 

Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Jaanisaar

·       Singer: Shreya Ghoshal and Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan

·       Lyricist: Wajid Ali Shah, Akhtar

·       Composer: Muzaffar Ali and Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan

·       Director: Muzaffar Ali

 

Jaanisaar is a period film set in the last decades of the 19^th century. The two central themes are the courtesan milieu and armed resistance against the British Raj, exactly as that seen in the Netflix TV series Heeramandi, the songs of which have been translated at Bollywood Translations. The movie is pathetic but the soundtrack of Jaanisaar is awesome. Many of the songs in the album do not find a place in the movie, so I cannot even say watch the movie for the songs.

 

Enjoy the audio of Champayi Rang Yaar Aa Jaye.  You can also check out the Bollywood Translation of the Kajari Sawan from Jaanisaar.

 

 

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