Pakeezah - "Chalo Dildaar Chalo"

This is another lyrical and romantic song from the Hindi movie Pakeezah. It is the only song that has a male voice, which is rendered by Rafi. The song and the English translation of the lyrics are provided below.

--MALE--

Chalo dildaar chalo

Chaand ke paar chalo

--FEMALE--

Hum hai tayaar chalo

--FEMALE--

Aao kho jaaye sitaaron mein kahin

Chhod de aaj yeh duniya yeh zameen

--FEMALE--

Hum nashe mein hai sambha lo hamein tum

Neend aati hai jaga lo hamein tum

 

--FEMALE--

Zindagi khatm bhi ho jaaye agar

Na kabhi khatm ho ulfat ka safar

 

--MALE--

Come my love, come with me

Beyond the moon we’ll be

--FEMALE--

My love, I am ready

  

--FEMALE--

We’ll get lost in the stars none can find us

And leave this earth and world far behind us

 

 --FEMALE--

Please hold me tight I am intoxicated

Don’t let me sleep keep me rejuvenated

 

 --FEMALE--

Even if this life of ours does come to an end

Our undying love to the next life we’ll extend

Enjoy the video of Chalo Dildaar Chalo

Pakeezah - "Chalte Chalte"

Chalte Chalte sung by Lata Mangeshkar became the defining song of the Hindi film Pakeezah. It embodied the story of the movie. A chance encounter led to almost a lifetime of waiting. The lyrics of the song are reproduced below, following which is a translation. It has been impossible to stick close to the words and in order to maintain the flow of thought I have had to take it verse by verse. A few of the crucial words are explained after the translation. In case anyone can come up with a better translation I will put it up with due acknowledgment.

Chalte chalte, chalte chalte

Yunhi koi mil gaya tha

Sare raah chalte chalte

Vahin thamke reh gayi hai

Meri raat dhalte dhalte

Jo kahi gayi na mujhse

Voh zamaana keh raha hai

Ke fasaana

Ke fasaana ban gayi hai

Meri baat chalte chalte

Yunhi koi mil gaya tha

Sare raah chalte chalte

Shabe intezaar aakhir

Kabhi hogi muqtasar bhi

Yeh chiraag

Yeh chiraag bujh rahe hain

Mere saath jalte jalte

Yunhi koi mil gaya tha

Sare raah chalte chalte

While wandering

On the way I saw a stranger

To whom I was instantly drawn

My night came to a standstill

Instead of moving towards morn

 

I did not express my feelings
Yet everybody seems to know
Puerile gossip
From this silent unspoken love
How the puerile gossip was born
On the way I saw a stranger
To whom I was instantly drawn

 

Will this night of expectation
Ever reach its desired climax
These lamps
Or with me these lamps will burn out
And extinguish before dawn
On the way I saw a stranger
To whom I was instantly drawn

Shabe intezaar - the night of waiting

Muqtasar – actually means brief. Here the implication is that the night of expectation will someday be brief and hence fulfilled

Enjoy the video of Chalte Chalte

Pakeezah - "Thade Rahiyo"

Thade Rahiyo – Poetic Translation in English of Mujra from Pakeezah

Meta Description:  This is a poetic translation of the mujra Thade Rahiyo from the Kamal Amrohi Bollywood blockbuster Pakeezah. Meena Kumari and Lata Mangeshkar created magic on the screen. Stay tuned for upgrades of all my Pakeezah translations.

 

Revisiting the hit songs from Pakeezah

Wine matures with age and so does poetry. I began Bollywood Translations more than a decade ago with Pakeezah. When I recently checked out those translations, to my dismay I found them to be dull and gawky, nowhere near the level of my current work. I have decided to upgrade these English translations from Pakeezah and some others. I will follow the process of transcreation where the focus will be on maintaining rhyme and rhythm. If I have to tweak the content a bit in order to create the poetic experience, then so be it. I start with Thade Rahiyo.

The Original Lyrics of Thade Rahiyo from Pakeezah

Bollywood songs are full of flirtatious one upmanship between the lover and the beloved. This mujra from Pakeezah is a perfect example. The girl waits night after night for lover to come. When he ultimately does so, she keeps him waiting at the door with one excuse or another.

chaandani raat badi der ke baad aai hai

ye mulaaqaat badi der ke baad aai hai

aaj ki raat vo aaye hain badi der ke baad

aaj ki raat badi der ke baad aai hai

 

thaade rahiyo o baanke yaar re

 

thaharo lagaay aaoon, nainon mein kajara

choti mein goond laaoon phoolon ka gajara

main to kar aaoon solah shrringaar re

thaade rahiyo...

 

jaage na koee, raina hai thodi

bole chhamaachham paayal nigodii

aji dheere se kholoongi dvaar re

saiyaan dheere se kholuungi dvaar re

main to chupake se

aji haule se kholuungi dwaar re

thaade rahiyo...

 

Transcreation (Or Poetic Translation) of Thade Rahiyo from Pakeezah

The moonlit night has come after a long time
This romantic delight has come after a long time
Tonight he is again very late
My errant knight has come after a long time

Tarry a while, you flirtatious amour

I am applying kohl on my eyes so please wait
Fragrant buds in my tresses I have yet to plait
Ear stud, necklace, ring, girdle, anklets and more
Tarry a while, you flirtatious amour

Everyone is in bed, the night has run deep
My damned anklets will wake them from their sleep
I have to move slowly to open the door
My love, very slowly I will open the door
Very silently
Very quietly I will open the door

Tarry a while, you flirtatious amour

Thade Rahiyo Fact Sheet

·       Movie: Pakeezah

·       Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

·       Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri

·       Composer: Ghulam Mohammad

·       On Screen: Meena Kumari

·       Director: Kamal Amrohi

 

Enjoy the video of Thade Rahiyo.

Mujra Songs in Bollywood Films

Mujra is a dance form that evolved In the Mughal era and has retained its popularity ever since. The tawaif or courtesan entertains her aristocratic patrons with songs and dances that revolve around risqué romancing. In Urdu, mujra also means paying salutations to someone of a higher social status and the name of the dance probably derives from this. Bollywood is replete with period films set in the aristocratic milieu of Northern India and most of them would include a mandatory mujra, much like the item numbers in contemporary movies. Pakeezah and the recently released Netflix series Heeramandi are set in kothas and include many mujra songs, many of which feature in Bollywood Translations.

·       Masoom Dil Hai Mera

·       Saiyaan Hatto Jao

·       Nazariya ki Maari

·       Aaj Hum Apani Duaaon Ka

·       Chalte Chalte

·       Thade Rahiyo

·       Inhi Logon Ne

 

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