Translation of Flag Song in Farishtay for National Flag Day

 

Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara – Lyrical Translation of Flag Song

Meta Description:  Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara, written by Shyamlal Gupta is India’s Flag song. It was used in Farishtay. Enjoy the English translation posted for National Flag Day.

Setting the Background for Translating Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara

India’s Flag Song Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara

Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara, revered as the Flag Song of India, was written by Shyamlal Gupta ‘Parshad’, a well-known freedom fighter and social reformer. The song containing seven stanzas was written in March 1924, at the peak of India’s freedom struggle and first publicly sung on April 12, 1924, on the fifth anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This eulogy of the national flag became an inspiration for the heroes of the freedom struggle and a clarion call for them to sacrifice their all in the unwavering quest for independence.

Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara in Bollywood film Farishtay

The iconic song was reimagined by lyricist Anand Bakshi for the 1991 movie Farishtay. The chorus and opening verse were retained, but the subsequent verses along with the musical composition were altered to suit the requirements of the film. The song appears in two versions in the film. The smaller male version is sung by Shabbir Kumar. The longer female version is sung by Asha Bhosle.

 

National Flag Day

National Flag Day in India is celebrated annually on July 22 to commemorate the adoption of the present-day tricolour flag as the official National Flag of the country by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1947. I have translated the longer Farishtay version in time to be shared on the Flag Day this year. This is Bollywood Translation’s contribution to this momentous occasion.

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara

 

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

It blazes with boundless energy

Showers the nectar of harmony

Our heroes salute it proudly

The motherland it will glorify

The motherland it will glorify

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

In our fierce war for independence

At each step it provides effulgence

Enemies tremble in its presence

Troubles and fears it will nullify

Troubles and fears it will nullify

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

Beneath this flag we proclaim fearless

Our demand for self-rule nothing less

And hail our Mother India dauntless

Freedom is ours now is the cry

Freedom is ours now is the cry

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

Come dear heroes come and rejoice

Your country now demands sacrifice

Let us sing together in one voice

O flag this nation please unify

O flag this nation please unify

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

We will forever guard its honour

Even our lives if we have to martyr

We will see it as a world victor

Our cherished goal it will satisfy

Our cherished goal it will satisfy

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

It blazes with boundless energy

Showers the nectar of harmony

Our heroes salute it proudly

The motherland it will glorify

The motherland it will glorify

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

Our flag will forever fly high

The tricolour will rule the sky

 

 

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara from Farishtay

 

jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

sada shakti darshane wala
prem sudha barsane wala
veero ko harshane wala
maatrbhumi ka tan man sara
maatrbhumi ka tan man sara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

swatantrata ke bheeshan ran me
rakhkar josh badhe kan kan me
kaanpe shatru dekh ke man me
mit jaye bhay sankat sara
mit jaye bhay sankat sara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

is jhande ke neeche nirbhay
le swaraj yeh avichal nishchay
bolo bharat maata ki jai
swatantrata hai dhyey humara
swatantrata hai dhyey humara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

aao pyare veero aao
desh dharam par bali bali jaao
ek sath sab milkar gaao
pyara bharat desh humara
pyara bharat desh humara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

iski shaan na jaane paye
chahe jaan bhale hi jaye
vishva vijay kar ke dikhlaye
tab hove prun purna humara
tab hove prun purna humara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

sada shakti darshane wala
pren sudha barsane wala
veero ko harshane wala
maatrbhumi ka tan man sara
maatrbhumi ka tan man sara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara
jhanda ooncha rahe humara
vijayi vishva tiranga pyara

 

 

The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara

 

Let our flag fly high

The world victor beloved tricolour

 

Always displaying strength

Showering the nectar of love

Gladdening the brave hearts

The entire body and soul of the motherland

 

In the fierce war for independence

We move ahead with enthusiasm in each particle

Seeing us, the enemy shivers in their minds

All our fears and troubles are erased

 

Fearless beneath this flag

We demand independence is our unwavering decision

Proclaim glory to Mother India

Freedom is our objective

 

Cone dear brave hearts come

Sacrifice yourselves for the country and duty

Together all sing

Beloved is our nation India

 

Let not the honour of the flag be lost

Even if our lives are lost

Demonstrate that we are the world victors

Only then will our resolve be completed

Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Farishtay
·       Singer: Asha Bhosle
·       Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
·       Composer: Bappi Lahiri
·       On Screen: Sridevi & Jaya Prada
 
 
Enjoy the audio of Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara. Check out Lehera Do, another tribute to our National Flag.
 
 
 
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.

Sarfaroshi Ki Tammana Poetic Translation of Patriotic Song

 

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna – Translation of Bismil Azimabadi Poem

Meta Description:  Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna is a patriotic poem by Bismil Azimabadi popularised by Ram Prasad Bismil in the freedom struggle. Enjoy the translation of this ghazal.

Setting the Background for Translating Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna

 

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna was penned in 1921 by Bismil Azimabadi in response to the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The ghazal became a clarion call to arms for those engaged in the freedom struggle against British colonial rule. It was most famously embraced by Ram Prasad Bismil, a revolutionary icon, who is said to have recited the poem on route to the gallows—an act that cemented the poem’s place in the annals of India's fight for independence.

 

The full ghazal consists of eleven couplets and has since been featured in various abridged or adapted forms in Bollywood patriotic films. Its first cinematic appearance was in Manoj Kumar’s Shaheed (1965), that rekindled the patriotic fervour in a generation born after India’s independence. I have based my translation of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna on this adaptation. I am also reproducing the transliteration of the full ghazal.

 

Translating Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna as a Ghazal

 

The qafiya (rhyme) and radif (refrain) are essential structural elements in the composition of a ghazal. However, one of the greatest challenges in translating Urdu ghazals into English lies in adapting the radif—primarily due to the stark grammatical differences between Urdu and English sentence structures.

 

In most of my translations of Bollywood ghazals, I have managed to incorporate both the qafiya and radif to preserve the integrity of the original poetic form. Unfortunately, in the case of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, the use of a consistent radif has proven elusive. As a result, the relevant lines conclude with the qafiya alone, without the accompanying refrain. If you have a suggestion for a suitable radif that works naturally within the rhythm and spirit of this translation, please feel free to share it in the comments. I would be happy to consider revising the translation accordingly and will be sure to acknowledge your contribution.

 

Translating Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna has required a fair degree of transcreation to retain the poem’s patriotic fervour and emotional intensity. To offer readers a fuller understanding of the original, I have also included a literal translation.

 

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna

 

Why are people so afraid

To speak what’s on their mind

Everywhere I look around

I see them cowering like mice

I see them cowering like mice

 

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

Let us test how much power

In the tyrant’s arms lies

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

 

When the hour of truth arrives

We’ll speak up what must be said

When the hour of truth arrives

We’ll speak up what must be said

Why to reveal our hand before

The final roll of the dice

The final roll of the dice

 

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

Let us test how much power

In the tyrant’s arms lies

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

 

We will take the battle to

The enemy’s streets and gates

We will take the battle to

The enemy’s streets and gates

In this war for liberty

Gladly we will pay the price

Gladly we will pay the price

 

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

Let us test how much power

In the tyrant’s arms lies

We are committed to perform

The ultimate sacrifice

 

 

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna from Shaheed (1965)

 

Ek se karta nahi kyon

Doosra kuchh baat cheet

Dekhta hu mai jise

Wo chup teri mehfil mein hai

Wo chup teri mehfil mein hai

 

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Dekhna hai zor kitn

Bazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Waqt aane par bataa

Denge tujhe o aasman

Waqt aane par bataa

Denge tujhe o aasman

Hum abhi se kya bataye

Kya humare dil mein hai

Kya humare dil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Dekhna hai zor kitna

Bazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

 

Khaich kar layi hai sabko

Qatl hone ki ummeed

Khaich kar layi hai sabko

Qatl hone ki ummeed

Aashiqon ka aaj jamaghat

Kuchaa-e-qaatil mein hai

Kuchaa-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Dekhna hai zor kitna

Bazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna

Ab hamare dil mein hai

Meanings of Difficult Urdu Words

 

Sarfaroshi = Willingness to sacrifice one’s life

Bazu-e-qaatil = The arms of the murderer (enemy)

Kuchaa-e-qaatil = The lanes of the murderer

 

The Original Urdu Complete Lyrics of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna by Bismil Azimabadi

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Karta nahin kyun doosra kuch baat-cheet
Dekhta hun main jise woh chup teri mehfil mein hai
Aye shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar
Ab teri himmat ka charcha ghair ki mehfil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Waqt aanay dey bata denge tujhe aye aasman
Hum abhi se kya batayen kya hamare dil mein hai
Khainch kar layee hai sab ko qatl hone ki ummeed
Aashiqon ka aaj jumghat koocha-e-qaatil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baitha udhar
Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apna idhar
Khoon se khelenge holi gar vatan muskhil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se
Sar jo uth jaate hain voh jhukte nahi lalkaar se
Aur bhadkega jo shola-sa humaare dil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Hum to ghar se nikle hi the baandhkar sar pe kafan
Jaan hatheli par liye lo barh chale hain ye qadam
Zindagi to apni mehmaan maut ki mehfil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Yuun khadaa maqtal mein qaatil kah rahaa hai baar baar
Kya tamannaa-e-shahaadat bhi kisee ke dil mein hai
Dil mein tuufaanon ki toli aur nason mein inqilaab
Hosh dushman ke udaa denge humein roko na aaj
Duur reh paaye jo humse dam kahaan manzil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai

Wo jism bhi kya jism hai jismein na ho khoon-e-junoon
Kya lade toofaanon se jo kashti-e-saahil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai.

 

The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Ruaan

 

Why ia a person not

Talking to anyone else

Whoever I see

Is silent in your party

 

The desire to sacrifice our lives

Is now within our hearts

We have to see how strong are

The arms of the oppressor

 

When the time comes we

Will reveal all to the skies

Now why should we say

What is in our hearts

 

We all have been dragged here

By the desire to die for our cause

The lovers of freedom are assembled

In the lanes of the oppressor

 

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Shaheed (1965)
·       Singers: Manna De, Mohammad Rafi, Rajendra Mehta
·       Lyricist: Bismil Azimabadi
·       Composer: Prem Dhawan
·       On Screen: Manoj Kumar, Prem Chopra, and others
 
Enjoy the video of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna.  You may also like the Rang De Basanti Chola from the same movie.
 
 
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.