Power of Words: ye saaye hai.n, ye duniyaa hai
Abhijit
Gulzar introduces this song as a "shaayar kii KaamKayaalii" in his
collection "Fursat Ke Raat Din". I find in it yet another jugglery
of words and phrases typical of Gulzar. And what a masterpiece this has
turned out to be!
I have not seen the movie, but words tell me the character that sings
this song is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
"ye saaye hai.n
ye duniyaa hai parachhaa_iyo.n kii
bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
This world is full of shadows, there are no human beings here. It's a
huge mob of lonely people!
"yahaa.N koii saahil sahaaraa nahii.n hai
kahi.n Duubane ko kinaaraa nahii.n hai
yahaa.N saarii raunak hai rusavaa_iyo.n kii"
There is no support for life. Worse, there is no place to peacefully
end the life either. It's a brilliance of grudges.
"ka_ii chaa.Nd uThakar jalaae bujhaae
bahut hamane chaahaa zaraa nii.nd aae
yahaa.N raat hotii hai bedaariyo.n?? kii"
Wow, I have never come across a better description of sleepless nights!
I hear the ??ed word as "bedaariyo.n", while CISB says
"bezaariyo.n". Will be grateful if someone can correct and provide
the meaning. Does it mean "those who stay awake"? Whatever it is,
spending sleepless nights by "switching the moon on and off" is a
killer.
"yahaa.N saare chehare hai maa.nge hue se
nigaaho.n me.n aa.Nsuu bhii Taa.nge hue se
ba.Dii niichii raahe.n hai uu.Nchaa_iyo.n kii"
Look at Gulzar's play of words here. He describes this "dikhaawe
kii duniyaa" as faces "made to order" and emotions "put up for
display". Certainly one of the most powerful lyrics in HFM songs this
one. I still can't get over it.
pramod
> song is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
I saw this movie in the late 80's on Doordarshan. The story is of two
villagers in love with each other. They arrive in Bombay and she gets
a film role and becomes a big actress (a big star = Sitara). He can't
stand her success, more than that he can't stand the way men talk
about her and leaves her. Thus in this song she bemoans her plight and
describes the show business. I think this movie has a happy end.
I don't think she is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
She is not rebellious, she has accepted her situation and describes
it.
I find your explanations really good. What I've done is, just provided
word-to-word translation in English. And at places some explanations,
where I thought is needful.
> "ye saaye hai.n
> ye duniyaa hai parachhaa_iyo.n kii
> bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
> This world is full of shadows, there are no human beings here.
> It's a huge mob of lonely people!
These are shadows, this is a world of shadows. In a huge crowd, only
loneliness reigns (?). It says "tanhaa_iyo.n kii". What is of
tanhaa_i? So does it mean "ye saaye hai.n bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii
tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
Then it would mean: These are the shadows of loneliness in the huge
crowd.
> "yahaa.N koii saahil sahaaraa nahii.n hai
> kahi.n Duubane ko kinaaraa nahii.n hai
> yahaa.N saarii raunak hai rusavaa_iyo.n kii"
> There is no support for life. Worse, there is no place to peacefully end the
> life either. It's a brilliance of grudges.
No shore is a support here, nor can one drown oneself on its banks.
The whole glitter is of disgrace (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English
Dictionary:
ruswaa: infamous/dishonored/disgraced).
> "ka_ii chaa.Nd uThakar jalaae bujhaae
> bahut hamane chaahaa zaraa nii.nd aae
> yahaa.N raat hotii hai bedaariyo.n?? kii"
> Wow, I have never come across a better description of sleepless nights! I hear > the ??ed word as "bedaariyo.n", while CISB says "bezaariyo.n". Will be
> grateful if someone can correct and provide the meaning. Does it mean "those
> who stay awake"? Whatever it is, spending sleepless nights by "switching the
> moon on and off" is a killer.
I lit up many moons, I wish I could sleep a little. Here the nights
are offended (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English Dictionary: bezaar:
displeased/angry/out of humor).
> "yahaa.N saare chehare hai maa.nge hue se
> nigaaho.n me.n aa.Nsuu bhii Taa.nge hue se
> ba.Dii niichii raahe.n hai uu.Nchaa_iyo.n kii"
> Look at Gulzar's play of words here. He describes this "dikhaawe kii duniyaa" > as faces "made to order" and
> emotions "put up for display". Certainly one of the most powerful lyrics in
> HFM songs this one. I still can't get > over it.
Well said!! Thanks for lighting up on this one. "made to order" -
emotions "put up for display" is damn good comparison.
The faces here are all borrowed ones, the tears in the eyes are just
hung there. Lowly are the ways of the high.
Thanks from the bottom of my heart for bringing up this song, it
lighted up my day!
Best Regards
Pramod
UVR
>>I have not seen the movie, but words tell me the character that sings this
>>song is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
>
>
> I saw this movie in the late 80's on Doordarshan. The story is of two
> villagers in love with each other. They arrive in Bombay and she gets
> a film role and becomes a big actress (a big star = Sitara). He can't
> stand her success, more than that he can't stand the way men talk
> about her and leaves her. Thus in this song she bemoans her plight and
> describes the show business. I think this movie has a happy end.
>
> I don't think she is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
> She is not rebellious, she has accepted her situation and describes
> it.
>
> I find your explanations really good. What I've done is, just provided
> word-to-word translation in English. And at places some explanations,
> where I thought is needful.
>
>
>>"ye saaye hai.n
>>ye duniyaa hai parachhaa_iyo.n kii
>>bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
>
>
>>This world is full of shadows, there are no human beings here.
>>It's a huge mob of lonely people!
>
>
> These are shadows, this is a world of shadows. In a huge crowd, only
> loneliness reigns (?). It says "tanhaa_iyo.n kii". What is of
> tanhaa_i? So does it mean "ye saaye hai.n bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii
> tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
No, this is not what it means (as it would be grammatically
incorrect to say what you have said above). Gulzar is saying:
"[yeh] bharii bhii.D me.n Khaalii tanahaaiyo.n kii [duniyaa hai]"
In other words, [this is a world of] empty lonelinesses amidst
thronging crowds.
> Then it would mean: These are the shadows of loneliness in the huge
> crowd.
He's not talking about shadows of lonelinesses. Just about
lonelinesses.
>>"yahaa.N koii saahil sahaaraa nahii.n hai
>>kahi.n Duubane ko kinaaraa nahii.n hai
>>yahaa.N saarii raunak hai rusavaa_iyo.n kii"
>
>>There is no support for life. Worse, there is no place to peacefully end the
>>life either. It's a brilliance of grudges.
>
>
> No shore is a support here, nor can one drown oneself on its banks.
> The whole glitter is of disgrace (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English
> Dictionary:
> ruswaa: infamous/dishonored/disgraced).
I prefer your (Pramod's) translation of the last line to Abhijit's.
>>"ka_ii chaa.Nd uThakar jalaae bujhaae
>>bahut hamane chaahaa zaraa nii.nd aae
>>yahaa.N raat hotii hai bedaariyo.n?? kii"
>
>>Wow, I have never come across a better description of sleepless nights! I hear > the ??ed word as "bedaariyo.n", while CISB says "bezaariyo.n". Will be
>>grateful if someone can correct and provide the meaning. Does it mean "those
>>who stay awake"? Whatever it is, spending sleepless nights by "switching the
>>moon on and off" is a killer.
Yes, you guessed it (almost) right. 'bedaarii' refers to 'staying
awake, being sleepless, etc." A 'bedaar' is a person who is awake,
sleepless, etc.
> I lit up many moons, I wish I could sleep a little. Here the nights
> are offended (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English Dictionary: bezaar:
> displeased/angry/out of humor).
I'd prefer "extinguished" to "lit up". 'yahaa.N raat hotii hai
bedaariyo.n kii' simply means s/he is sleepless every night.
>>"yahaa.N saare chehare hai maa.nge hue se
>>nigaaho.n me.n aa.Nsuu bhii Taa.nge hue se
>>ba.Dii niichii raahe.n hai uu.Nchaa_iyo.n kii"
>
>>Look at Gulzar's play of words here. He describes this "dikhaawe kii duniyaa" > as faces "made to order" and
>>emotions "put up for display". Certainly one of the most powerful lyrics in
>>HFM songs this one. I still can't get > over it.
>
> Well said!! Thanks for lighting up on this one. "made to order" -
> emotions "put up for display" is damn good comparison.
> The faces here are all borrowed ones, the tears in the eyes are just
> hung there. Lowly are the ways of the high.
Well put, Pramod.
> Thanks from the bottom of my heart for bringing up this song, it
> lighted up my day!
Hmm. Depressing songs "light up" your day? Are you talking about
the same kind of lighting up as Gulzar's referring to in "chaa.Nd
jalaaye bujhaaye", or are you just saying that the song has brightened
your (otherwise dark) day? Somehow, I feel there's possibly something
rather ironic here. :)
-UVR.
Abhijit
UVR wrote:
> pramod wrote at 1/17/2005 5:23 AM US-Pacific:
> >
> >>"ye saaye hai.n
> >>ye duniyaa hai parachhaa_iyo.n kii
> >>bharii bhii.D me.n khaalii tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
> >
only
> > loneliness reigns (?). It says "tanhaa_iyo.n kii". What is of
> > tanhaa_i? So does it mean "ye saaye hai.n bharii bhii.D me.n
khaalii
> > tanhaa_iyo.n kii"
>
> No, this is not what it means (as it would be grammatically
> incorrect to say what you have said above). Gulzar is saying:
>
> "[yeh] bharii bhii.D me.n Khaalii tanahaaiyo.n kii [duniyaa hai]"
>
> In other words, [this is a world of] empty lonelinesses amidst
> thronging crowds.
>
"sirf". "itanii bhii.D ke baawajuud har sha.Ks yahaa.N tanhaa hai | ye
duniyaa sirf bhii.D me.n tanhaa_iyo.n kii duniyaa hai |"
>
> >>"yahaa.N koii saahil sahaaraa nahii.n hai
> >>kahi.n Duubane ko kinaaraa nahii.n hai
> >>yahaa.N saarii raunak hai rusavaa_iyo.n kii"
> >
> >>There is no support for life. Worse, there is no place to
peacefully end the
> >>life either. It's a brilliance of grudges.
> >
> >
> > No shore is a support here, nor can one drown oneself on its banks.
> > The whole glitter is of disgrace (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English
> > Dictionary:
> > ruswaa: infamous/dishonored/disgraced).
>
> I prefer your (Pramod's) translation of the last line to Abhijit's.
>
Me too.
> >>"ka_ii chaa.Nd uThakar jalaae bujhaae
> >>bahut hamane chaahaa zaraa nii.nd aae
> >>yahaa.N raat hotii hai bedaariyo.n?? kii"
> >
> >>Wow, I have never come across a better description of sleepless
nights! I hear > the ??ed word as "bedaariyo.n", while CISB says
"bezaariyo.n". Will be
> >>grateful if someone can correct and provide the meaning. Does it
mean "those
> >>who stay awake"? Whatever it is, spending sleepless nights by
"switching the
> >>moon on and off" is a killer.
>
> Yes, you guessed it (almost) right. 'bedaarii' refers to 'staying
> awake, being sleepless, etc." A 'bedaar' is a person who is awake,
> sleepless, etc.
>
Thanks for provoding the correct meaning.
> > I lit up many moons, I wish I could sleep a little. Here the nights
> > are offended (Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English Dictionary: bezaar:
> > displeased/angry/out of humor).
>
> I'd prefer "extinguished" to "lit up". 'yahaa.N raat hotii hai
> bedaariyo.n kii' simply means s/he is sleepless every night.
>
I have a slightly different interpretation of this line. "is duniyaa
me.n raat ko chain unhe milataa hai jo jaagakar mauj karanaa chaahate
hai | ye raate.n unake liye nahii.n jo chain se sonaa chaahate hai.n |"
Abhijit
pramod wrote:
> > I have not seen the movie, but words tell me the character that
sings this
> > song is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
>
> I saw this movie in the late 80's on Doordarshan. The story is of two
> villagers in love with each other. They arrive in Bombay and she gets
> a film role and becomes a big actress (a big star = Sitara). He can't
> stand her success, more than that he can't stand the way men talk
> about her and leaves her. Thus in this song she bemoans her plight
and
> describes the show business. I think this movie has a happy end.
>
> I don't think she is in "jalaa do ise phuu.nk Daalo ye duniyaa" mood.
> She is not rebellious, she has accepted her situation and describes
> it.
>
> I find your explanations really good. What I've done is, just
provided
> word-to-word translation in English. And at places some explanations,
> where I thought is needful.
>
pramod
> > Thanks from the bottom of my heart for bringing up this song, it
> > lighted up my day!
> Hmm. Depressing songs "light up" your day? Are you talking about
> the same kind of lighting up as Gulzar's referring to in "chaa.Nd
> jalaaye bujhaaye", or are you just saying that the song has brightened
> your (otherwise dark) day? Somehow, I feel there's possibly something
> rather ironic here. :)
That was a good one!!! :-))
Well, depressing songs do "light up" your day, when it is so nicely
explained, as Abhijit did. Particularly when some phrases are brought
to light like "faces "made to order" and emotions "put up for
display"". I am really grateful for such insights.
And if I got depressed just because of this song then this depression
would also be just "maa.nge hue".
Well, on the other hand, I have always liked depressive songs. In my
childhood as everybody listened to and sang "Bambai se aaya mera dost"
I hummed "vaqt ne kiyaa, kyaa hasii.n sitam". ;-))