Hoke Majboor Mujhe – English Translation of Kaifi Azmi Song
Meta Description: Hoke Majboor Mujhe is a Bollywood hit
song from Haqeeqat (1964). The
lyrics are by Kaifi Azmi and the music by Madan Mohan. Enjoy the poignant song
in English.
Setting the Context for Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usane Bhulaaya Hoga
How would a soldier,
facing death on the battlefield, envision his soon-to-be bereaved wife,
fiancée, or girlfriend? The legendary Bollywood lyricist Kaifi Azmi offers a
poignant and nuanced exploration of this haunting question. If you can listen
to the original or read the English translation without shedding a silent tear,
you might as well have a heart of stone.
Hoke Majboor Mujhe
Usne Bhulaaya Hoga jolts us
into the realization that soldiers are not automatons; they are flesh-and-blood
humans. Their despair stems not from fear of their own deaths, but from the
sorrow of leaving behind their loved ones without the emotional and financial
support they had hoped to provide. The other powerful song from Haqeeqat
(1964), Kar Chale Hum Fida, underscores their deep sense
of patriotic sacrifice.
The Poetic English Transcreation of the Lyrics of Hoke Majboor Mujhe
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Or maybe tried to end
her desolate life quietly
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Out of sheer helplessness
…
Her heart would have compelled
her to accept the worst case
Her heart would have compelled
her to accept the worst case
Eyes would have dammed
her tears not let them mar her face
Behind closed doors
burnt my letters the past to erase
But every letter would
be branded on her memory
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Out of sheer helplessness
…
She would have tried hard
to block out the impending news
She would have tried hard
to block out the impending news
Her heart-broken
ruined world coming into disuse
Hidden my photos in
the hope of ridding the blues
Hidden my photos in
the hope of ridding the blues
Alas! But my death
throes
But my death throes
felt in her heart forever will be
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Out of sheer helplessness
…
Romantic memories
would rekindle intimate desire
Romantic memories
would rekindle intimate desire
The feigned smile
would fail to hide her anguished pyre
While greeting kith
and kin in her widow’s attire
While greeting kith
and kin in her widow’s attire
But she would cry
But she would cry on a
friend’s shoulder privately
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Out of sheer helplessness
…
Her flowing hair in
simple plaits she now ties
Her flowing hair in
simple plaits she now ties
The shadow of sadness
on her face permanently lies
There will no more be
any sparkle in her jaded eyes
And her cheeks will
never experience the blush of intimacy
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Or maybe tried to end
her desolate life quietly
Out of sheer helplessness
…
The Original Hindi Lyrics of Hoke Majboor Mujhe from
Haqeeqat (1964)
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Jahar chupake se dawaa
jaanake khaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe …
Dil ne aise bhi kuchh
afsaane sunaaye honge
Dil ne aise bhi kuchh
afsaane sunaaye honge
Ashq ankhon ne piye
aur na bahaaye honge
Bund kamare men jo
khat mere jalaaye honge
Ek ek harf jabin par
ubhar aaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe …
Usane ghabaraake najar
laakh bachaai hogi
Usane ghabaraake najar
laakh bachaai hogi
Dil ki lutati huyi
duniya najar aayi hogi
Mej se jab meri taswir
hataai hogi
Mej se jab meri taswir
hataai hogi
Hai! Har taraf mujhako
Har taraf mujhako
tadapata hua paaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe …
Chhed ki baat pe
aramaan machal aaye honge
Chhed ki baat pe
aramaan machal aaye honge
Gam dikhaawe ki hansi
mein ubal aaye honge
Naam par mere jab aansu
nikal aaye honge
Naam par mere jab aansu
nikal aaye honge
Sar na kaandhe se
Sar na kaandhe se
saheli ke uthhaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe …
Zulf jid karake kisi
ne jo banaai hogi
Zulf jid karake kisi
ne jo banaai hogi
Aur bhi gam ki ghata
mukhade pe chhaai hogi
Bijali najaron ne kai
din na giraai hogi
Rang chehare pe kai
roj na aaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Jahar chupake se dawaa
jaanake khaaya hoga
Hoke majboor mujhe …
Meanings of few Urdu
words
Majboor = helpless
Afsaane = stories
Ashq = tears
Harf = letter of the
alphabet
Jabin = forehead
The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Hoke Majboor Mujhe
To capture the essence
of the song and maintain its structure as well, certain lines were changed in a
nuanced manner, moving away from their literal meaning. I am providing a line-by-line
literal translation for those who want to stay true to the exact original
meaning.
Hoke majboor mujhe
usane bhulaaya hoga
Out of sheer helplessness
she would have tried to forget me
Jahar chupake se dawaa
jaanake khaaya hoga
She would have
consumed poison quietly pretending that she was taking medicine
Dil ne aise bhi kuchh
afsaane sunaaye honge
She would have
imagined dreadful stories in her mind
Ashq ankhon ne piye
aur na bahaaye honge
Het eyes would have
stored her tears and not let them flow
Bund kamare men jo
khat mere jalaaye honge
She would have
burnt my letters in a closed room
Ek ek harf jabin par
ubhar aaya hoga
Each alphabet would
have been imprinted on her forehead
Usane ghabaraake najar
laakh bachaai hogi
Fearing bad news
she would have averted her eyes from others
Dil ki lutati huyi
duniya najar aayi hogi
She would have
sensed her world being destroyed
Mej se jab meri taswir
hataai hogi
When she would have
removed my photo from the table
Har taraf mujhako
tadapata hua paaya hoga
She would
experience my intense restlessness all around
Chhed ki baat pe
aramaan machal aaye honge
Remembering how I flirted
with her, desires would be kindled
Gam dikhaawe ki hansi
mein ubal aaye honge
Her sadness would emerge
from the feigned smile
Naam par mere jab aansu
nikal aaye honge
When hearing my
name, she would start crying
Sar na kaandhe se
saheli ke uthhaaya hoga
She would not lift
her head from her friend’s shoulder
Zulf jid karake kisi
ne jo banaai hogi
When someone would
have forcibly plaited her hair
Aur bhi gam ki ghata
mukhade pe chhaai hogi
The clouds of sadness
on her face would get enhanced
Bijali najaron ne kai
din na giraai hogi
Her eyes would lose
their sparkle for several days
Rang chehare pe kai
roj na aaya hoga
For several days
her face would have remained ashen
Hoke Majboor Mujhe Fact
Sheet
· Movie: Haqeeqat (1964)
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