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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Pakeezah - "Inhi Logon Ne"

Pakeezah was a watershed Bollywood movie for many reasons. It took 14 years in the making. After the movie was begun Meena Kumari fell out with her husband Kamal Amrohi, who was also the director and producer of the movie. Later Meena Kumari was convinced to complete the film. But by that time she was so unwell that a body double had to be used for her dances. The movie released to empty theatres. Within three weeks of the film's release Meena Kumari passed away. The public then thronged to the cinema halls and the movie was a super hit.

One of the first sequences in the film is Meena Kumari performing a mujra to the song ‘inhi logon ne’. The song and its translation in English are produced below.

The dupatta is actually a long scarf worn over both shoulders and hanging down in front. It symbolizes a woman’s modesty. At an ulterior level in this song the dupatta is symbolic of the tawayafs or dancing girls, like the heroine of Pakeezah, whose modesty is outraged at every step of their lives.

First they are usually kidnapped from their homes as young girls and sold to the kothas or dancing houses. Then they are trained in coquetry and dancing. And finally they are forced to dance in front of drooling men and often made to provide other services as well. These three stages are depicted in the three verses of the song.

Inhi logon ne, inhi logon ne
Inhi logon ne le leena dupatta mera

Hamri na maano saiyyaan
Hamri na maano bajajva se poochho
Jis ne asharfi gaz deena dupatta mera


Hamri na maano saiyyaan
Hamri na maano rangrajva se poochho
Jis ne gulaabi rang deena dupatta mera

Hamri na maano saiyyaan
Hamri na maano sipahiya se poochho
Jis ne bajariya mein chheena dupatta mera

These are the people, these are the people,

These are people who have taken away my veil.

If you don’t believe me my love,
If you don’t believe me then ask the cloth merchant
Who for a few gold coins has supplied my veil.

If you don’t believe me my love,
If you don’t believe me then ask the fabric dyer
Who in a bright pink colour has dyed my veil.

If you don’t believe me my love,
If you don’t believe me then ask the brusque soldier
Who in the market place has untied my veil.

Enjoy the video of Inhi Logon Ne.

Bollywood Translations

Bollywood Translations – English Lyrics for Hindi Film Songs

 

Meta Description: Discover translations of classic and contemporary Bollywood songs into English. Experience the poetic essence of Hindi lyrics through transcreation, enabling you to sing along to the original music.

 

Transcreation of Bollywood Hit Songs

 

Translating songs from Hindi films presents a unique challenge. Striving for literal accuracy often sacrifices the poetry and exuberance of the original content. Many online translations of Bollywood songs fall short in this regard. To maintain the magic of poetry—its meter, rhythm, and rhyme—transcreation is essential, even if some compromises are made with the literal content.

 

My transcreation process aims to capture the song's spirit, preserve its beat, and adhere as closely as possible to the original content. The ultimate test lies in singing the English lyrics with the song's instrumental music to judge its fidelity.

 

 What You Can Expect from Bollywood Translations

 

• Original Hindi lyrics in Latin script (Devnagari script has been avoided for English-speaking readers).
• Transcreation of English versions of Bollywood songs, sometimes accompanied by literal translations.
• Definitions of challenging words, especially in Hindi songs influenced by Urdu.
• Song fact sheets including lyricists, singers, and actors.
• Insights into various song genres from Hindi cinema, such as Kajaris, Ghazals, and Mujras.
• Intriguing trivia about the song, where such stories are available.
• Links to videos of songs that are translated. 
•  Translation of songs that are not from Bollywood films, but from TV series and Indian folk music

 

How You Can Contribute to Bollywood Translations 

 

• Follow the blog to stay updated.
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