Thursday, February 8, 2024

 

Pakeezah – “Nazariya ki Maari…”


This is a snippet of a song from Pakeezah, probably played in the background in one of the ‘kothas’. I recently came across a discussion about the interpretation of this song on an online forum and realized that the participants had totally missed the essence. Nazariya ki maari is one of those ethereal Hindi movie songs in which it is essential to figure out who is the speaker and about whom he or she is commenting. If you get this wrong, your interpretation will be confused. The other problem is the use of metaphorical and colloquial language that defies literal translation. I address both in my Bollywood translation. But, first the song.

Haan Haan

Nazar ka vaar tha, dil ki tadap ne chhol di
Chali thi barachhi kisi par, kisi ko aan lagi


Ho nazariya ki maari
Haye
Nazariya ki maari mari mori guyiyaan (x7)



Koyi jaraa ja ke baidh bulaayo (x7)
Aa ke dhare more naari
Haye raam aa ke dhare mori naari (x2)

Nazariya Ki Maari Mari Mori Guyiyaan (x7)

The singer is a third person narrating the condition of her friend who has been smitten by the seductive glances from a flirt, glances that were meant for someone else. The song was sung by Rajkumari, a popular Bollywood playback singer of the 1940s, before Lata Mangeshkar cornered the market. Some words and phrases need to be explained before you read my translation.

Nazar ka vaar: literally attacking glances, but here seductive glances is more suited

Baracchi: literally spear, but here dart is more suited

Chhol: scab from a wound

Nazariya ki maari: smitten by seductive glances

Guyiyaan: female friend probably from gudiyaan which means doll

Naari: pulse from naadi

The Translation


Oh Yes!

The glances were inviting, and revealed the wounds of her tormented heart

The flirtation was for some other, but she became its victim

 

Oh! Smitten by seductive glances

Alas!

Smitten by the seductive glances, my friend has succumbed (x7)

 

Someone, please fetch the doctor

Oh God! Let him calm me down (x2)


Smitten by the seductive glances, my friend has succumbed (x7)


My other Pakeezah translations are here.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Dedh Ishqiya – Hamari Atariya



Dedh Ishqiya – Hamari Atariya


Dedh Ishqiya, the sequel to Ishqiya, has fulfilled all expectations. The credits in all departments are well known and need not be repeated. The focus is on the song Hamari Atariya. The chorus line comes from a traditional song, whose authorship is perhaps lost in antiquity. The version sung by Begum Akhtar still remains popular among her fans. Gulzar has tweaked the lyrics of the Begum Akhtar version to make the song more risqué and earthy. Gulzar is a master of this genre as he had shown in Omkara. The music has been composed by Vishal Bhardwaj as a peppy foot tapping number that still retains a core of classicism. But it is Rekha Bhardwaj who steals the show with her rendering of the song in a voice as close to Begum Akhtar’s as is humanly possible. The only criticism is that the song has not been integrated into the movie, but is picturised with the credits.



Hamari Atariya is a song of a woman pining for her lover, thinking that he has been enticed by a rival.
  
Saj ke sajaaye baithi
Saazinde bulaaye baithi
Kahaan gum hua anjaanaa
Aale aale diye bhi jalaye re jalaye na
Atariya pe aaya parwana

Kaun sautan haaye barmaaye re
Hamari atariya pe
Aaja re sanwariya
Dekha-dekhi tanik hoi jaaye

Hamri atariya pe
Aaja re sanwariya
Dekha-dekhi tanik hoi jaaye
Hamri atariya pe

Kiwadiya se lag ke piya kare jhaanka jhaanki
Bahut kaudi phenke piya udaave jahaan ki (x2)

Kasam deve jaan ki
Aaja gilauri, khilai doon kimaami
Laali pe laali tanik hui jaaye
Aaja gilauri, khilai doon kimaami
Laali pe laali tanik hui jaaye
Hamari atariya pe

Padosan ke gharva jaiho
Jaiho na sawariya
Sautan sapoli mori kaate jeheriya
Jeheri najariya...
Aaja atariya pe pilai doon angoori
Jora-jori tanik hui jaaye
Hamari atariya pe
Aaja re sanwariya
Dekha-dekhi tanik hoi jaaye
Hamri atariya pe

Aaja atariya pe pilai doon angoori
Jora-jori tanik hui jaaye
Hamari atariya pe

Saajne lagaaye baithi
Chuttiya ghumaaye baithi
kahan gum hua an.jaa.na
Kaun sautan haaye barmaaye re..
 


Decked up and having decorated the room I waited
The musicians had been called to serenade us
But where has the ignorant lover disappeared
I lit oil lamps on every shelf
But the moth did not come to the terrace
Alas! Which rival of mine has bewitched him

Come to my terrace my lover
And we will make love with our eyes for a while

My lover peeps from the door waiting for a chance to enter
He splurges money on other worldly pleasures
But swears on my life that he loves me

Come I will offer you an intoxicating paan
So that your red lips become even redder

Do not go to my neighbour’s house
Do not go there my lover
That rival of mine is like a snake, her bite is poisonous
Even her looks spew venom

Come to the terrace and I will offer you wine
And we will flirt with each other for a while

I was waiting with all the accoutrements of love
Having braided my tresses in an attractive style
But where has the ignorant lover disappeared
Alas! Which rival of mine has bewitched him


saazinde – musicians
anjaanaa – one who is unaware
aala – a niche in the wall
kiwadiya – door
kaudi – generally used as pittance, but here as money
gilauri – paan
jora-jori – flirting that gets physical, even coercive
saajne – decorative accoutrements


For more Gulzar specials check out my translations of Khamoshi


Friday, October 4, 2013

Omkara – Namak



Omkara – Namak

Namak is the second Billo (Bipasha Basu) item number from Omkara, Beedi Jalay Lei being the other one. It is written by Gulzar and has the same risqué tenor. Again, a literal translation of the lyrics is meaningless. One has to get to the underlying sexual metaphor in order to enjoy it.


Mai chaand nigal gayi daiyyo re......
Bhitar bhitar aag jale … baat karu to sake lage
Main chaand nigal gayi daiyyo re … ang pe aise chhaale pade
Tez tha chaunka ka karu … sisi sisi karti main maru
Zabaan pe laga re laga re … namak isaq ka haaye tere isaq ka
Balam se maanga maanga re … namak isaq ka tere isaq ka

Sabhi chhede hai mujhko, sipahiye baake chhamiye
Udhaari dene lage hai gali ke baniye baniye
Koi to kaudi tu bhi luta de, koi to kaudi
Thodi thodi shahad chata de, thodi thodi
Tez tha tadka ka karu… sisi karti main maru
Raat bhar chhaana chhaana re … namak isaq ka tere isaq ka

Aisi phoonk lagi zaalim ki, ke bansuri jaisi baaji main
Aur jo bhi kaha us chandra bhaan ne phat se ho gayi raazi main,
Kabhi ankhiyon se pina, kabhi honto se pina 
Kabhi achcha lage marna, kabhi muskil lage jeena
Karvat karvat pyaas lagi thi
Aji balam ki aahat paas lagi thi
Tez tha chauka ka karu, sisi karti main maru 
dali bhar dala daala re namak isaq ka haaye re, tere isaq ka



“Mai chaand nigal gayi” is the critical phrase. Once that is understood the other metaphors will fall in place. The problem is that this phrase, which literally translates as “I swallowed the moon”, is it difficult to put in perspective. I interpret it as “I dreamt of my moon faced lover”. I don't offer any justification for the same, except that the song makes sense when taken as an imaginary interaction with a lover. I have not come across any use of this phrase in this manner. However, I do recall reading the Sanskrit epic Kadmbari by Bana. The queen dreams of swallowing the moon and conceives, ultimately giving birth to a child as handsome as the moon. “Namak isaq ka” is the joy of making love. So here goes …

I dreamt of my lover
And was burning with passion … even talking about him gave me the hots
I dreamt of my lover … and it felt as if my body was full of blisters
It was like putting too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire
But what could I do … I had tasted the experience of making love to him
And I wanted more of the same from him

(Seeing me mature as a sexy lass)
Everyone makes passes at me, leery cops* and roadside flirts
Even the grocers are extending credit hoping for repayment in kind
My lover, you can gift me at least a few trinkets
And whisper sweet nothings in my ears
The dream was like putting too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire
Yet I dreamt all night of the joy of your making love to me

My lover handled me as if he was playing a flute
And I yielded completely to his moon like charm
He gazed lovingly in my eyes, he kissed my lips passionately
Self-annihilation in love is ecstatic, life without the lover is hell
I thirsted for him as I tossed on my bed
I dreamt of hearing his footsteps at my door
The separation was like too much chilly in the food … when your mouth is on fire
I tried to douse myself with a small dream of making love to him

* Cops are maligned in Bollywood. Check out Inhi Logon Ne -
Hamri na maano sipahiya se poochho … Jis ne bajariya mein chheena dupatta mera

For more Gulzar specials check out my translations of Khamoshi