Ramaiya Vastavaiya Explained and Translated from Shree 420

Ramaiya Vastavaiya: Poetic Translation of Shree 420 Hit Song

Meta Description:  Shree 420 was a musical hit from Raj Kapoor and Ramaiya Vastavaiya was its most popular song. Enjoy the translation and understand the context of the lyrics.

Setting the Background for Translating Ramaiya Vastavaiya

 

Some songs can be fully understood only within the narrative context of the film. More importantly, the listener must be aware of what is unfolding on screen—who is singing, and to whom. This becomes especially crucial when multiple characters are involved in the interaction. Ramaiya Vastavaiya is a textbook example of such a song. Before presenting the translation, we offer this brief analysis to help you better appreciate its nuances.

Raj (Raj Kapoor) and Vidya (Nargis) fall into a pure, innocent love. However, Raj is lured by criminals into promoting a fraudulent Ponzi scheme to his own community of impoverished people, creating a painful rift between the lovers. The song unfolds when Raj realises his mistake and wishes to make amends.

Set against the backdrop of an agrarian celebration, the two lead singers, a man and a woman, contrast sincere, selfless love with relationships corrupted by greed and manipulation in the first two verses. In the third verse, the focus shifts to Vidya, who, despite her anger at Raj’s betrayal of his comrades, finds herself unable to forget him. In the final verse, Raj returns to the community during the festivities, lamenting how his life has fallen apart and yearning for the simpler, happier days of the past.

Meaning of “Ramaiya Vastavaiya”

“Ramaiya Vastavaiya” is a Telugu phrase that can be loosely translated as “Ramaiya, will you come with me?” or “Ramaiya, will you return to me?” In essence, this is the sentiment that Raj conveys to Vidya through the song.

At a more immediate, on-screen level, the male dancer poses this question to his female counterpart, who signals her acceptance with the response, “I have given my heart to you.” At the same time, “Ramaiya Vastavaiya” also functions as a lyrical refrain, its cadence lending rhythmic momentum and emotional continuity to the song.

The Poetic English Translation of the Lyrics of Ramaiya Vastavaiya

 

Male

Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

Female

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Female

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

  

Male

Deep in your eyes my love would rise

It reflected only innocence and bliss
It reflected only innocence and bliss

 

Female

Then you were pure there was no lure
There was no deception and nothing was amiss
There was no deception and nothing was amiss

 

Male

So what if I am in pain now regret and complain
So what if I am in pain now regret and complain

 

Female

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Male

Please understand in your distant land
Love was traded only for silver and gold
Love was traded only for silver and gold

 

Female

In this domain where we yet feel pain
Our heartbeats agonise for that love of old
Our heartbeats agonise for that love of old
Under the starry sky the night echoes this cry
Under the starry sky the night echoes this cry
I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Background Male

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you
O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Vidya

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Vidya

Old memories retain a lingering pain
I did not know how I could console my mind
I did not know how I could console my mind
So what if you don’t come and leave me lonesome
A way to forget my love I could not find
A way to forget my love I could not find
Wherever you may be sometimes whisper to me
Wherever you may be sometimes whisper to me
I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Raj

I’ve given my heart to you
I’ve given my heart to you

 

Chorus

O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you

 

Raj

The road is the same traveller the same

One star can someone tell me where did it go

One star can someone tell me where did it go

The world is the same its people the same

That my world is shattered does someone know

That my world is shattered does someone know

Who in my eyes will be who will repeat this to me

Who in my eyes will be who will repeat this to me

I’ve given my heart to you

I’ve given my heart to you

Chorus
O Ramaiya please come will you
Ramaiya please come will you…

The Original Hindi Lyrics of Ramaiya Vastavaiya from Shree 420

 

Male

Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Female

Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Female

Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

 

Chorus
O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Male
Naino me thi pyaar ki roshani
Teri aankho me ye duniyadari na thi
Teri aankho me ye duniyadari na thi

Female

Tu aur thaa teraa dil aur thaa
Tere man me ye mithi kataari na thi
Tere man me ye mithi kataari na thi

Male

Mai jo dukh paaun to kya aaj pachhataaun to kya
Mai jo dukh paaun to kya aaj pachhataaun to kya

Female

Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Male
Us desh me tere parades me
Sone chaandi ke badale me bikate hai dil
Sone chaandi ke badale me bikate hai dil

Female

Is gaanv me dard ki chhaav me
Pyaar ke naam par hi tadapate hai dil
Pyaar ke naam par hi tadapate hai dil
Chaand taaro ke tale raat ye gaati chale
Chaand taaro ke tale raat ye gaati chale
Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Background Male

Maine dil tujhako diya
O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Vidya

Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

 

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

 

Vidya

Yaad aati rahi dil dukhaati rahi
Apne man ko manana na aaya hame
Apne man ko manana na aaya hame
Tu na aae to kya bhool jaae to kya
Pyaar karake bhulana na aaya hame
Pyaar karake bhulana na aaya hame
Wahi se door se hi tu bhi ye kah de kabhi
Wahi se door se hi tu bhi ye kah de kabhi
Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

 

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

Raj

Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya

 

Raj

Rastaa vahi aur musaafir vahi
Ek tara na jaane kahaan chhup gayaa
Ek tara na jaane kahaan chhup gayaa
Duniyaa vahi duniyawale vahi
Koi kya jaane kis ka jahaan lut gayaa
Koi kya jaane kis ka jahaan lut gayaa
Meri aankho me rahe kaun jo mujhase kahe
Meri aankho me rahe kaun jo mujhase kahe
Maine dil tujhako diya
Maine dil tujhako diya

Chorus

O ramaiya vastavaiya
Ramaiya vastavaiya....

 

Meanings of Difficult Words

 

Vastavaiya = Will you come with me
Duniyadari = Wordliness
Mithi kataari = Deceipt (idiom)
Dard ki chhaav = Sensitivity to pain (idiom)

 

 

The Literal English Translation of the Lyrics of Ramaiya Vastavaiya

 

Male

Ramaiya will you come with me

Female

I have given my heart to you

 

Male

In your eyes there was the light of love
In your eyes there was no worldliness (meaning intent to manipulate others)

 

Female

You were different your heart was different
There was no deception in your mind

 

Male

So what if I am pained so what if I repent now

Female

I have given my heart to you

Male

In that country your foreign land
Hearts are sold for silver and gold

 

Female

In this village where ability to feel pain exists
Hearts agonise in the name of love
Under the moon and stars the night sings along
I have given my heart to you

Nargis

I kept remembering you and let my heart ache
I could not learn how to console my mind
If you don’t come so what if you forget so what
I could not learn how to love and forget
From wherever far you are you too sometimes say this
I have given my heart to you

 

Raj

The road is the same and the travellers are the same

I don’t know where a star (Vidya) is hidden
The world is the same its people are the same
How will someone know that someone’s life is shattered
(For everyone else nothing has changed but my life is shattered)
Someone stays in my eyes and says to me
I have given my heart to you

Ramaiya Vastavaiya Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Shree 420
·       Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh
·       Lyricist: Shailendra
·       Composer: Shankar-Jaikishan
·       On Screen: Raj Kapoor, Nargis & others
·       Director & Producer: Raj Kapoor
 
Enjoy the video of Ramaiya Vastavaiya. 
 
Raj Kapoor remains the undisputed master of creating memorable song sequences on screen. It is not by intent that Ramaiya Vastavaiya is the first Raj Kapoor song at Bollywood translations. There is Nigahen Milane Ko Ji Chaahta Hai, though in which the thespian makes only a nondescript appearance. If you have any Raj Kapoor songs that you would like translated and explained, please mention in the comments.  
 
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