Poetic English Translation of Gulzar Bollywood Song Chhapaak
Meta Description: Chhapaak
is a Bollywood hit song from Deepika Padukone starrer. This title song has
music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and has been rendered by Arijit Singh.
Enjoy the English transcreation and understand the nuances of the lyrics by
Gulzar.
Translating Gulzar through the lyrics of Chhapaak
Translating Gulzar is always a challenge
because his metaphors are not that easy to catch. His lyrics are akin to
mathematical proofs that have some steps missing, so you need to make a leap of
imagination. This blog will not only provide a poetic transcreation of the
lyrics of Chhapaak, but also take you through the magic of Gulzar’s
idiomatic language.
Chhapaak is
a movie about the victim of an acid attack perpetrated by her jilted lover. The
attack is over in a flash, or should I say a splash, but the pain and the
consequences last a lifetime. The tempo of the music changes from rapid to
stretched out to capture both the speed of the attack and the endurance of the
pain.
With these brief words of explanation let
us move on to the transcreation.
The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Chhapaak
After defacing me
Also debasing me
With a few drops of acid, he went
In a splash my identity was rent
My entire life was gone
Like a fallen chess pawn
It was noon but the light was absent
In a splash my identity was rent
I’ve no hope of romance
I’m bereft of desire
Darkness surrounds me but
In my eyes there is fire
After defacing me
Also debasing me
With a few drops of acid, he went
In a splash my identity was rent
My entire life was gone
Like a fallen chess pawn
It was noon but the light was absent
In a splash my identity was rent
Flippant was his fervour
Like smoke without a fire
No reason and no cause
Only blinded by ire
After defacing me
Also debasing me
With a few drops of acid, he went
In a splash my identity was rent
My entire life was gone
Like a fallen chess pawn
It was noon but the light was absent
In a splash my identity was rent
My life was filled with dreams
They all are now in shreds
My work, my friends, my joys
Have become severed threads
Everything has been singed
After defacing me
Also debasing me
With a few drops of acid, he went
In a splash my identity was rent
My entire life was gone
Like a fallen chess pawn
It was noon but the light was absent
In a splash my identity was rent
The Original Hindi Lyrics of Chhapaak with Explanations
Koi chehra mita ke
Aur aankh se hata ke1
Chand chheente uda ke jo gaya
Chhapaak2 se pehchaan le gaya
1. “…aankh se hata ke” translates as removing from
your sight and one does that when the object is disgusting, which is exactly
the common reaction when one sees a face marred by an acid attack.
2. “Chhapaak” is the sound of splashing of liquid
thrown at someone or something and the song and movie is about an acid attack,
Chhapaak is also used in this song to mean “in a flash” referring to the minute
duration in which the dastardly act takes place.
Ek chehra gira
Jaise mohra gira
Jaise dhoop ko grahan3 lag gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
3. “Dhoop ko grahan” refers to a solar eclipse
when the light fades away during day, just as the life has faded away in the
victim’s life, even as she is alive.
Na chaah na chaahat
koi
Na koi aisa waada4
Haa haath mein andhera
Aur aankh mein iraada5
4. This verse describes the victim’s current state
of mind.
5. Usually, one says darkness in front of the
eyes, but Gulzar has inverted this to emphasise that though the victim suffers
physical impairment, her resolve is intact.
Koi chehra mita ke
Aur aankh se hata ke
Chand chheente uda ke jo gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Ek chehra gira
Jaise mohra gira
Jaise dhoop ko grahan lag gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Bemaani sa junoon tha6
Bin aag ke dhuaan
Na hosh na khayal
Soch andha kuaan7
6. This verse describes the senselessness of the
perpetrator’s act. When we say there is no smoke without fire, we mean there must
be some ljustifiable reason for every act, but in this case there was none.
7. The mentality of the perpetrator was like a blind
well, narrow and unilluminated
Koi chehra mita ke
Aur aankh se hata ke
Chand chheente uda ke jo gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Ek chehra gira
Jaise mohra gira
Jaise dhoop ko grahan lag gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Aarzoo thi shauq the8
Woh saare hat gaye
Kitne saare jeene
Ke taage kat gaye
Sab jhulas gaya...
8. This verse tells of the aspirations the victim
must have had prior to the attack, which are all but dashed now.
Koi chehra mita ke
Aur aankh se hata ke
Chand chheente uda ke jo gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Ek chehra gira
Jaise mohra gira
Jaise dhoop ko grahan lag gaya
Chhapaak se pehchaan le gaya
Chhapaak Fact Sheet
· Movie: Chhapaak
Chhapaak: Best Lyrics Winner at the Filmfare Awards 2021
· Kesariya: Best Lyrics winner at Filmfare Awards 2023
· Lehera Do: Best Lyrics winner at Filmfare Awards 2022
· Khairiyat from Chhichhore.
· Sajni from Laapataa Ladies
· Ruaan from Tiger 3
· Kesariya from Brahmastra
· Lehera Do from 83
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