Thursday, May 22, 2008

Zindagi Ne Zindagi Bhar Gham

Zindagi Ne Zindagi Bhar

(Feel so relieved having found a way out of having to resort to YouTube)
I simply love listening to this song of late. It feels cool to huddle in the corner of a seat and sing this to the background of life's scenes whizzing past with an occasional pause to reveal some character in my life before they whizz past too. I really wish I could create a video like that. Set in a train, subway or smooth running bus. Aluminum walls with large windows framed in black synthetic guards. Protagonist sitting in a corner with his back to the window, left leg hoisted on the seats (let;s condemn him later for that). Casual clothes or formals with tie loosened and shoe-laces undone. Singing to the roof. Polished steel bars in the view. The world whizzing past (as seen) through the window. Occasionally the scene stops and one of the many human beings in the life of the protagonist is shown either being themselves and absorbed in their world or reaching out to touch the protagonist before the scene whizzes past again. Hmmm.... That might be interesting to watch.

Zindagi ne zindagi bhar gham diye
Jitne bhi mausam diye sab nam diye.


Life, through life, has but given me grief
Damp have been all seasons to no relief.

Jab tadapta hai kabhi, apna koi
Khoon ke aansoo, rula de bebasi


When suffers he who is our own
Tears of blood flow in helpless groan.

Jee ke phir karna kya mujko aisi zindagi? (Very valid question!! :-D )

What then do I have in living such a life?

Jisne zakhmon ko nahin marham diye
Zindagi ne zindagi bhar gham diye.


To one who never had a salve for a wound
Life but gave a lifetime's grief, festooned.

Apne bhi pesh aayen, humse ajnabee
Waqt ki saazish, koi samjha nahin.


One's own appear to us a stranger
Time's ploy, who understands ever

Be-iraada kuch khatayein humse ho gayi.

Unintentional, I have erred seldom

Raah mein patthar meri har dam diye
Zindagi ne zindagi bhar gham diye.


On my path, every stone gave me strength (not really sure of the interpretation here)
Life but gave me grief of a lifetime's length.

Ek mukammal kashmakash hai zindagi
Usne humse ki kabhi na dosti


Life is one wholly chaotic place
Me, in friendship, never did it embrace.

Jab mili mujhko aansoo ke woh taufey de gayi

Whenever we met, she gave me gifts of tears.

Hans sake hum aise mauke kam diye
Zindagi ne zindagi bhar gham diye.


Life gave me fewer moments where I'd smile
Life, with a lifetime's grief did me revile.

15 comments:

  1. is this a contemporary emran hashmi number, also accompanied by a (bad) remix version?
    not sure if i am placing the song correctly. i liked the lyrics but not the vocals! too nasal :)
    thanks for the translation, though.

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  2. Dear M,
    Been a long time! This is from EH's movie last year. Not a remix version but the original. I didn't even bother to check the YouTube video. Yeah! Nasal tones are in. ;-) Personally, I like the songs only for its lyrics and its tune. I'll probably update the blog to just have the audio version alone...

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  3. Anonymous2:18 PM

    Sayed Quadri does a great job in writing these superb lyrics and yes,the music is good but then its by the composer who gave us "Maula mere maula' and javeda zindagi from anwar, i feel Mithoon did a good job as a composer but using his own voice for singing? Atif aslam could have done a better job. the lyrics loose their charm because of the voice at times.

    alapana
    http://aalapana.blogspot.com

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  4. Dear N,
    Jesus Christ!! You are alive!! What a pleasure! Maybe I should write more posts on hindi songs and we shall have the phoenix rise!! :-) Atif Aslam would have been good but he too has this nasal touch. Sometimes that sounds a little artificial. A lot of people still think it was AA and not Mithoon who sung this. But yes, the lyrics are the clincher and so would be the tune (as in, I heard it on a bus here and decided to hunt it down, so the tune does carry some weight for me!)

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  5. Anonymous11:50 AM

    "
    Raah mein patthar meri har dam diye
    Zindagi ne zindagi bhar gham diye.

    On my path, every stone gave me strength (not really sure of the interpretation here)
    Life but gave me grief of a lifetime's length.

    "
    Maybe the line reads "Raah mein patthar meri har dam LIYE" and not 'diye', and you misheard it?

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  6. I loved the song, the lyrics, the tune, the music composition (it is composed in such a way that the lyrics and the singer are highlighted - the bg score takes a backseat, yet is supportive and adds to the mood generated by the song).

    As for the singer, so much has been talked about over here. In my opinion he has done a decent job. True, there are others who could have done a better job. I feel the song loses its merit when people do these pointless comparisons. Quoting from the 'Desiderata' : "If you compare yourself with others,
    you may become vain or bitter,
    for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."

    So, what do we compare with? Ourselves. We can always strive to best ourselves.

    Parvati's comment interested me. When I heard the song, I heard it the way you have translated it - 'dam diye'. I think it depends on the mood of the person listening to the song and also perception.

    There actually seems to be more than one story in the song. And despite everything I think the song actually in a subtle way speaks of living in the midst of sorrows and getting past the grief in life.

    My point of view *Grin*

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  7. Dear P,
    The song's right up there. It has to be "diye" because it sounds like that and for poetic reasons!! :-)

    Dear A,
    I take your point about comparison but it is more an absolute thing than a relative thingy. Here are some lyrics, here is a singer. Does it feel like justice to the lyrics? Not entirely. Not because someone else could have sung it better, but because it doesn't sound like justice. Like saying the MS Subbulakshmi doesn't do lyrics to North Indian bhajans. She is fantastic but she still doesn't do justice...

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  8. Man when did you start with the 'thingy'? *teachery grin*

    Not relative, but absolute. MS and North Indian Bhajans. Well, you never know until you try. Maybe she could.

    Its not about justice always. My point is - one must try before throwing or putting it off. I commend the singer for having done it. If he goes by popular vote - he goes out. If he intends to stick on and try to improve himself, he must.

    Justice is a harsh word when it comes to skill and talent. One has got to try and try until one feels that's it.

    No, he may not have done justice to the lyrics according to a majority. if he has sung to the best of his ability, he has done justice to the talents God has given to him. Who are we to judge him if he decides to put his little talent to good use?

    When it comes to sharpening ones virtues and skills it is my opinion that those who want to try - let them.

    By the way, that's respecting the other. Letting them know firmly that they need to raise their standard - without hurting them - that takes a lot of goodness and not 'wimpiness' or 'mushiness' - whatever. The other raising his standard is his way of showing respect to those who believed he could do better.

    We are all in this world to help each other grow and be better than we think we can be.

    If one were belong to the crab family which tries to pull the leg of the one in front to pull it back and not let it go out - then, I rest my case. Else, lets try to encourage each other and have a good time while we are at it. Capice?

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  9. Anonymous11:03 PM

    Hi,

    I've been an avid reader of your blog ever since I happened upon its link on someone's fiction writing blog.
    I find everything from your choice of words to ideas and values fascinating.
    Sorry, I don't mean to gush..!

    I'm not one to comment on blogs usually, but I wanted to drop a line (or two) about this song you've linked to. It does something to my insides; the image of life whizzing past in particular, tugging at some deep seated emotion. It reminds me of a trip I took up to Ooty by train; of a time in my life, when I was young and the world was so full of possibilities, but I couldn't see that because I felt as though life was simply moving at some ridiculously fast speed before my very eyes, while even the beating of my heart seemed to go in slow motion-teen angst,difficult puppy love, and all that. :)
    Amazing how some memories remain so strongly etched in your 'heart'-that ubiquitous part of you; and how a song can stir it all up again.
    Thank you for making my Tuesday morning at work a little less inane.

    Keep up the great work!

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  10. Dear A,
    One has to try and try..? Who? Me? Mithoon? He can try, but once his song is out, I am sure one is entitled to an opinion of whether it is just or not, no? MS did try North Indian bhajans and I always wondered why. She sang many of them... :-o

    Dear A,
    Welcome to this blog. I am glad you find this blog interesting enough to return occasionally. I am so overjoyed that at least one commenter has bothered to stop and say something about the picturisation that I mentioned at the start of the post! Phew!Glad it made your Tuesday different... :-) It made my Wednesday!!

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  11. Thank u so much for English Translation. i like this very much ..this is help me to understand the songs

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  12. Anonymous9:50 PM

    Kis mahaan aadmi ne likha hai yeh english lyrics
    NICE :D

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  13. Anonymous10:57 AM

    Please do not translate word by word. It looks terrrible. Please consider in the emotions and meaning when you attempt to translate, so that it conveys the proper meaning..

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  14. When i m sad or stuck in any kind of problem
    this song comes in my mind
    daam great song
    i love it

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  15. The translation is awesome. ♡♡♡

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