Zihaal-e-Maskin – Gulzar Lyrics Translation and Explanation
Meta Description: Zihaal-e-maskin is a Gulzar song from Ghulami
inspired by Amir Khusro’s poem. Enjoy the lyrical translation with
explanation of Urdu words and metaphors.
Setting the Background for Zihaal-e-Maskin
Zihaal-e-maskin is notably distinct from a traditional ghazal
in several material aspects. For one, the rhyme scheme (aa bb cc dd) diverges
from the classic ghazal form (aa ba ca da). Additionally, Laxmikant-Pyarelal
have crafted a lively, foot-tapping composition designed to accompany the
fast-paced gypsy dance on screen, which contrasts sharply with the typically
smooth and melodious notes associated with ghazals.
However, in terms of
lyrical composition, Gulzar adheres to the essence of the ghazal. Each verse
stands as a self-contained unit, offering its own emotional depth while subtly
interlinking through recurring themes of love. Gulzar’s use of delicate metaphors
paints poignant scenarios, yet he never fully reveals the context or backstory,
leaving much to the imagination of the listener. This invites multiple
interpretations of Zihaal-e-maskin. The opening verse of the song is
inspired by a poem of Amir Khusro, and from there, Gulzar channels his own
emotions into the composition.
Given the metaphorical
richness of the lyrics, I have employed transcreation to convey both the
emotional essence of the song. Below, you will find the transcreation, original
lyrics, an explanation of the Urdu terms, a literal translation, and my own
interpretation of the verses.
The Poetic Transcreation of the Lyrics of Zihaal-e-Maskin
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
He came and sat down
so close beside me
He came and sat down
so close beside me
The joy in my heart began to swell
The joy in my heart began to swell
The joy in my heart began to swell
The evening was filled
with celebration
But there was a bit of
sadness as well
The evening was filled
with celebration
But there was a bit of
sadness as well
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
Lovers’ heartaches are
a mystery
Lovers’ heartaches are
a mystery, friends
It is difficult to
live without them
It is difficult to
live without them
The pain is like a
sparkling diamond
And every sadness like
a precious gem
The pain is like a
sparkling diamond
And every sadness like
a precious gem
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
The pulsating sound that
you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
Sometimes the evening
reveals itself as
A bride lifting her
veil to show her face
To show her face
Sometimes the evening
reveals itself as
A bride lifting her
veil to show her face
The smoke that started
from within your heart
In my heart has turned
to a blaze
The smoke that started
from within your heart
In my heart has turned
to a blaze
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
You looked up and then
you lowered your gaze
Was that coyness or
were you feeling shy
Was that coyness or
were you feeling shy
Your moist eyelids
shed a dew drop
Don’t know how but it watered
my eye
Your moist eyelids
shed a dew drop
Don’t know how but it watered
my eye
Do not regard my poor
heart in contempt
It has been jilted by
evil design
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
The pulsating sound
that you can hear now
Is it your heartbeat
or say is it mine
The Original Hindi Lyrics of Zihaal-e-Maskin from Ghulami
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hai jisaki dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hai jisaki
dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamaaraa dil hai
Wo aake pahalu mein
aise baithe
Wo aake pahalu mein
aise baithe
Ke shaam rangeen ho gayi hai
Ke shaam rangeen ho gayi hai
Ke shaam rangeen ho
gayi hai
Zaraa zaraa si khili tabeeyat
Zaraa si gamgeen ho gayi hai
Zaraa zaraa si khili
tabeeyat
Zaraa si gamgeen ho gayi hai
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hain jisaki dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai
Ajeeb hain dil ke dard
Ajeeb hain dil ke dard yaaro
Na ho to mushkil hai jeena iska
Na ho to mushkil hai jeena iska
Jo ho to har dard ek heera
Harek gum hai nageena iska
Jo ho to har dard ek heera
Harek gum hai nageena iska
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hain jisaki dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai
Kabhi kabhi shaam aise
dhalati hai
Jaise ghunghat utar rahaa hai
Utar rahaa hai
Kabhi kabhi shaam aise dhalati
Hai jaise ghunghat utar rahaa hai
Tumhaare seene se uthataa
dhuaan
Hamaare dil se guzar rahaa hai
Tumhaare seene se uthataa
dhuaan
Hamaare dil se guzar rahaa hai
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hain jisaki dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamara dil hai
Ye sharm hai ya hayaa
hai kya hai
Nazar uthaate hi jhuk gayi hai
Nazar uthaate hi jhuk gayi hai
Tumhaari palako se girake shabanam
Hamaari aankho mein ruk gayi hai
Tumhaari palako se
girake shabanam
Hamaari aankho mein ruk gayi hai
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hain jisaki dhadakan
Tumhaaraa dil ya hamaaraa dil hai
Sunaai deti hain
jisaki dhadakan
Tumhaaraa dil ya hamaaraa dil hai
Meaning of
Difficult Urdu Words
Zihaal-e-maskin = Look
at the poor
Makun = Do not
B ranjish = With
animosity
Bahaal = Condition
Hijra = Separation
Pahalu = Side
Tabeeyat = Frame of
mind
Gamgeen = Sad
Shabanam = Dew
The Literal English Translation and Explanation of Zihaal-e-Maskin
Zihaal e maskin makun
b ranjish
Bahaal e hijra bechaaraa dil hai
Do not look with
animosity at this poor heart
It is helpless
being in a state of separation
People suffering heartbreak
due to separation from their lovers should not be pitied or looked down upon.
Sunaai deti hai jisaki
dhadakan
Tumhara dil ya hamaaraa dil hai
The heartbeat that
you hear
Is it your heart
beat or mine
Continuing from the
previous couplet, it follows that today I am suffering heartbreak, tomorrow it
could be your turn. Taken independently, the couplet could be interpreted as
our hearts beat in unison, you cannot tell them apart.
Wo aake pahalu mein
aise baithe
Ke shaam rangeen ho gayi hai
She/he sat down
beside me in such a manner
That the evening
was filled with pleasure
“In such a manner”
obviously implies intimacy and this raises the expectation of more to follow.
Zaraa zaraa si khili tabeeyat
Zaraa si gamgeen ho gayi hai
My mind started
becoming joyous
But also, a bit sad
No reason has been
given for the sadness. Perhaps it is known that the intimacy will be
short-lived, perhaps only for the evening. Or there are earlier not so happy
events associated with the coming together.
Ajeeb hain dil ke dard yaaro
Na ho to muskil hai jina iska
The heartache of love is strange
If it is not there then life is
difficult
Shakespeare said that the course of true
love never did run smooth. In the intense devotional traditions, love for god
entails both pleasure and pain. So, the implication seems to be that if there
is no heartache then the love cannot be true.
Jo ho to har dard ek hira
Harek gum hai nagina iska
Each ache when it is there is like a
diamond
Every sadness is a gem
This continues from the previous couplet
and says that even the pain in love needs to be treasured. There is a line in
Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Madhushala that translates as “Only those who
take pleasure in pain shouls come to my House of Wine.” Ans this is not to be
taken masochistically.
Kabhi kabhi shaam aise
dhalati hai
Ke jaise ghunghat utar rahaa hai
Sometimes the
evening progresses in this manner
As if a veil is
being lifted
Traditionally, much
expectation and promise of pleasure is associated with the bride lifting her
veil and revealing her face to her husband on their wedding night. The lover
sitting beside has raised similar expectancy from the evening.
Tumhaare seene se uthata
dhuaan
Hamaare dil se guzar rahaa hai
The smoke rising
from your chest
Is going past my
heart
The passions are
aflame on both sides
Ye sharm hain ya hayaa
hain kya hain
Nazar uthaate hi jhuk gayi hain
Is this shyness or
coyness or what is it
You looked into my
eyes and lowered your gaze
“Hayaa” and “sharm”
both mean shyness, but that retracts from the poetry. I have used one in the
sense of “coyness”, which is pretended shyness with an intent to allure. She
looks into her lover’s eyes and instantly lowers her gaze. Why? One reason
could be traditional shyness that considers such a step as being bold. The
reason is more likely coyness.
Tumhaari palako se girake shabanam
Hamaari aankho mein ruk gayi hain
Dewdrops fall from
your eyelids
And come to rest in
my eyes
Just as lovers share
moments of ecstasy, they also share moments of grief.
In the movie, the song
is initiated by the gypsy dancer and then Javar Pratap (Mithun Chakraborty) joins
in. It ends with Javar and his companion Tulsi (Anita Raj) sharing some
poignant moments. I must confess that I have not seen the movie, but those who
have may offer a different and more definite interpretation.
Zihaal-e-Maskin Fact Sheet
· Movie: Ghulami
· Singer: Lata Mangeshkar and Shabbir Kumar
· Lyricist: Gulzar
· Composer: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
· On Screen: Mithun Chakraborty & Anita
Raj
Enjoy the video of Zihaal-e-Maskin. Being inspired by giants of the earlier
eras and crafting your own compositions is a skill that Gulzar has mastered. Hamari
Atariya is a Gulzar song inspired by Begum Akhtar. Amir Khusro has
inspired Bollywood songs, the most recent being Sakal
Ban from the Netflix serial Heeramandi.
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