Raaz…

Un aankhon ki mastiyon mein hai jo raaz, Un labon ki girafth mein hai jo alfaaz, Un laton ki aahton mein hai jo andaaz, Un lehron ki baahon mein hai jo saaz, Yeh dil bhool na payega uss lamhe ka ehsaas… Wrote this a while back… Stumbled onto it and thought it was worthy of … Read more

Afreen Afreen – Lyrics English Translation

Afreen Afreen Lyrics Translation If I have to attribute my love for Urdu to one literary work, Afreen Afreen would be it. Written by Javed Akhtar and performed by the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Afreen Afreen is the absolute personification of beauty that words can bring. The song describes the beauty of the … Read more

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – Poetry Translation

Its the magical words of Javed Akhtar that bring to life the essence of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Here are the four poems that Imraan narrates in the film (along with my translations)

Pighlay neelam sa behta hua yeh sama,
Neeli neeli si khamoshiyan;
Na kahin hai zameen,
Na kahin aasmaan;
Sarsaraati hui tehniyaan, pattiyaan;
Keh rahi hain ki bas ek tum ho yahaan,
Sirf main hoon, meri saansein hain, aur meri dhadkanein;
Aisi gehraiyaan,
Aisi tanhaiyaan,
Aur main sirf main
Apne honay pe mujhko yaqeen aa gaya…

This moment flows by like liquid sapphire
Silence like the blueness of the sea
No Earth below,
No Sky above.
The rustling of the branches and leaves
Whispering that only you are here
Only me, My breath, and my heartbeat
Depth like this (moment),
Loneliness like this (moment)
And me only me
And now I believe… I exist

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Lies within me…

Sach toh yeh hai kasoor apana hain
Chaand ko chuune ki tamanna ki
Aasamaan ko jamin par maanga
Phool chaaha ki paththaron pe khilein
Kaanton mein ki talaash khoshboo ki
Aarjoo ki ke aag thandak de
Barf mein dhundate rahein garmi
Khwaab jo dekha chaaha sach ho jaaye
Isaki humko saja toh milani hi thi
Sach toh yeh hai kasoor apana hain
-Javed Akhtar (Main Jahaan Rahoon[mehfil mix] – Namastey London)

(Havent done a translation in a long time… But thats not going to stop me ;) )

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