I heard a beautiful Hindi song yesterday and I had to go and find out what the lyrics meant. It was easy enough to find them in Hindi, however, an English translation was lacking. I tried to get Google Translate to assist, but it only gave me the bare gist of them, and I could only gain a tantalising suggestion of what the song was about.
I remembered a photo on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne that I had taken some time ago and which I recovered from archives (see above). Looking at it and listening to the song, having in mind the suggestion of the meaning, I wrote a poem that more or less is akin to the essence of the Hindi lyrics. I would be grateful if any Indian readers of this blog can enlighten me as to whether an English translation of the actual song lyrics exists and whether my version is akin to it.
The song is called "Ye raatein, ye mausam, nadee ka kinaara"
From the 1958 Film “Dilli Ka Thug”; Lyrics by Shailendra, Music by Ravi
Originally sung by Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle. Here is a beautiful recent cover version by Ayushi Arora.
On a Night like Tonight
By NJV after Shailendra
On a night like tonight,
in Spring like this Spring,
When the fickle breeze blew gently,
Our two hearts came together
On the riverbank lit by the silver moonlight
On a night like tonight,
in Spring like this Spring,
When the fickle breeze blew gently,
Our two hearts came together
And they said we’ll never part.
Why is the moonlight different
On this night, which should be like that night?
Our love is no more, our hearts are broken
Our hands are not clasped,
Our eyes are blinded by our separation.
On a night like tonight,
in Spring like that Spring,
When the fickle breeze blows gently…
We should be together now, just like then,
Revelling in our love, becoming one, just like then.
The stars shone brightly on us,
Blessing our love, while the moon smiled.
Where is the moon to speak on my behalf tonight?
Why are the stars so silent?
Why have we drifted so far apart?
On a night like tonight,
in Spring like this Spring,
When the fickle breeze blew cold,
We parted and you said: “Don’t ever bother me again!”
And I was aghast, wishing our love would not end.
The stars shine brightly now,
And the moon is burning ardently,
The fickle breeze blows complicitly now –
Come back and give me your heart again
You’ve pledged it to me, and I’ve pledged you mine.
On this night, which should be like that night,
I’m telling you, I’ll always be your true love,
In this Spring, while the stars are singing and the moon avers my feelings
Come back and let’s enjoy our love while we are young,
Open your heart and let my open heart join it.
On a night like tonight,
in Spring like this Spring,
When the fickle breeze blew gently,
Our two hearts came together, remember?
And they said we’ll never part, remember?
This is a gorgeous photo. I find night photography challenging, so I do appreciate this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/06/bath-time.html
https://www.filmyquotes.com/songs/3429
ReplyDeleteHope this link is of help :)
Ah! Thank you so much! It seems I got the wrong end of the stick. The lyrics aren't as tragic as I thought. The original lyrics suggest a happier love affair...
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful view of the river at night! Enjoy your day!
Wonderful photo and song! I loved your poem and I think it goes so well with both...
ReplyDeleteThat's just magical! That woman can sing! Amazing find, something I would not have come across otherwise, thanks. Your poem is beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteWow, a stunning image! Your poem is quite extraordinary, too. I hope somebody can give you an accurate translation.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are a part of 'My Corner of the World' this week! Thanks for linking up.