Saturday, September 29, 2007

"The perfumed fragrance" (Hindustani song -- Gulzar's)


I have seen the perfumed fragrance   of those eyes!
with touch of hand   this relation don't profane
it's merely a feeling   certain souls will recognize
you'd best let love be love!   it needs no name!

Love's not some turn of phrase   neither is love a voice
it is a silence   wherein listening has its say
it shall not cease   no shutting down   no dying flame
its droplet of brilliance   through the ages flows the same
it's merely a feeling   certain souls will recognize
you'd best let love be love!   it needs no name!

The lingering blooming of a smile   amid your eyes
and remnant gleam where light inclined around your eyelids
lips uttering nothing!   but on the trembling lips
we see so many fragments   of arrested legends
it's merely a feeling   certain souls will recognize
you'd best let love be love!   it needs no name!


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I've come up with the above translation -- thanks to Pragya Thankur's literal translation, followed by our discussion (with her detailed explanations of words & phrases in the original poem). Here is the original (transliterated):
Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mahakti khusboo
Haath Se chhu ke ise rishton ka ilzaam na do
Sirf ehsaas hai ye rooh se mehsoos karo
Pyar ko pyar hi rehne do koi naam na do

Pyar koi bol nahi, pyar aawaz nahi
Ek khamoshi hai sunti hai kaha karti hai
Na ye bujhtee hai, na rukti hai, na thahri hai kahin
Noor ki boond hai sadiyon se baha karti hai
Sirf ehsaas hai ye rooh se mehsoos karo
Pyar ko pyar hi rehne do koi naam na do

Muskarahat si khili rehti aankhon mein kahin
Aur palkon pe ujaale se jhuke rehte hain
Honth kuch kehte nahi kaanpte hothon pe magar
Kitne khaamsoh se afsaane ruke rehte hain
Sirf ehsaas hai ye rooh se mehsoos karo
Pyar ko pyar hi rehne do koi naam na do

Pragya also points to this link as a place to hear Lata Mangeshkar's version of the song (1969).

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