699. Philosophical Song of Rafi: Swapn jhare phool se...

Movie: Nai Umr Ki Nai Fasal - (1965)

Lyrics: Neeraj
Music: Roshan
Movie-Hall where first released in Mumbai:  Swastik Cinema.

Philosophical/Didactic Song of Rafi:  Swapn jhare phool se...
Transliteration/English Translation of the original Hindi (filmy) lyrics BY NASIR ALI: 

The poem conveys a sense of resignation and acceptance of the inevitable passage of time and the accompanying losses and disappointments.

swapn jhare phool se, meeth chubhe shool se,
DREAMS SHED LIKE THE FLOWERS, FRIENDS PIERCED LIKE THE LANCES,

luT gaye singaar sabhee baagh ke babool se,
THE ACACIA ROBBED THE GARDEN OF ALL THE ADORNMENTS, 

aur hamm kha.de kha.de, bahaar dekhte rahe,
AND I STOOD WATCHING THE SPRING!

kaarvaa.n guzar gayaa, ghubaar dekhte rahe...
THE CARAVAN PASSED BY, THE TRAILING DUST I KEPT WATCHING!


neend bhee khulee na theeh, ki haay dhoop Dhal gayee,
I HADN’T EVEN WOKEN UP WHEN, ALAS,  THE DAY DECLINED,

paa.nv jab talaq uThe, ke zi.ndagii fisal gayee,
BY THE TIME I TOOK A STEP, THE LIFE SLIPPED BY, 

paat paat jhar gaye, ke shaakh-shaakh jal gayee,
EVERY LEAF FELL OFF, AS EVERY BOUGH BURNT DRY,

chaah toh nikal sakee na par umar nikal gayee,
THE DESIRES COULDN’T BE SATED, BUT THE LIFETIME PASSED BY,

par umar nikal gayee,
BUT THE LIFETIME PASSED BY,

geet ashq ban gaye, Sapn ho dafan gaye,
SONGS CHANGED INTO TEARS, GOT BURIED LIKE DREAMS,

saath ke sabhee diye, dhuaa.n pehan-pehan gaye,
ALL THE ACCOMPANYING LAMPS ENDED UP IN SMOKE, 

aur hamm jhuke-jhuke, mo.d par ruke-ruke,
AND I, WEARILY STOOPING AND FALTERING AT THE CROSSINGS,

umr ke cha.dhaav kaa, utaar dekhte rahe.
OF THE MOUNTING AGE, THE DESCENT I KEPT WATCHING!

kyaa shabaab thaa ke phool phool pyaar kar uThaa,
WHAT PRIMETIME OF LIFE IT WAS THAT EVERY FLOWER BEGAN TO LOVE,

kyaa kamaal thaa ke dekh aainaa sihar uThaa,
WHAT A MARVEL IT WAS THAT THE MIRROR SHUDDERED ON WATCHING,

is taraf zameen aur aasmaa. n udhar uThaa,
THIS SIDE, THE EARTH, AND THERE THE SKY ROSE UP,

thaam kar jigar uThaa, ke jo milaa nazar uThaa,
CLUTCHING THE HEART, WHOEVER MET WAS AN OGLER,

ke jo milaa nazar uThaa,
AS WHOEVER MET WAS AN OGLER,

ek din magar yahaa.n, aisee kuchh havaa chalee
BUT HERE ONE DAY, SOME SUCH WIND BLEW,

luT gayee kalee kalee ke ghuT gayee galee galee,
RAVISHED WAS EVERY FLOWER-BUD, WHILE EVERY LANE WAS CHOKED,

aur hamm luTe-luTe, vaqt se piTe-piTe,
AND OURSELF BEATEN AND BRUISED BY TIME,

saanjh kee sharaab kaa, Khumaar dekhte rahe,
OF THE EVENING’S DRINK, THE DROWSINESS I KEPT WATCHING!

kaaravaa.n guzar gaya, ghubaar dekhte rahe....
THE CARAVAN PASSED BY, THE TRAILING DUST KEPT WATCHING!

haath theh mile ke zulf chaa.nd kee sa.nvaar doo.n,
HANDS WERE ACQUIRED SO AS TO EMBELLISH THE TRESSES OF THE MOON,

ho.nT theh khule ke har, bahaar ko pukaar doo.n
THE LIPS WERE OPEN SUCH, THAT I COULD HAIL EVERY SPRING,

dard thaa diyaa gayaa, ke har dukhee ko pyaar doo.n
COMPASSION HAD BEEN GIVEN, TO BESTOW LOVE ON EVERY UNHAPPY PERSON,

aur saa.ns yoo.n ke swarg bhoomi par utaar doo.n,
AND SUCH BREATH, THAT THE PARADISE I MAY BRING DOWN ON THE EARTH,

bhoomi par utaar doo.n,
BRING DOWN ON THE EARTH,

ho sakaa na kuchh magar, shaam ban gayee sahar
BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE, THE DAWN TURNED TO DUSK,

voh uThee lehar ke Dheh gaye, kile bikhar bikhar,
SUCH A WAVE AROSE THAT BATTERED THE FORTRESSES INTO SMITHEREENS,

aur hamm Dare Dare, neer nayn me.n bhare
AND I, SCARED STIFF, WITH TEARS IN THE EYES,

o.dh kar kafan pa.de, mazaar dekhte rahe.
LAYING DOWN IN A SHROUD, THE TOMB I KEPT WATCHING!

maa.ng bhar chalee ke ek jab nayee nayee kiran,
AS A NEW BEAM FILLED THE PARTED HAIR

Dholke.n dhunak uThee.n, Thumak uThe charan charan,
THE DRUMS RESOUNDED, EVERY FEET DANCED TO A RHYTHM,

shor mach gayaa ke lo chalee, dulhan chalee dulhan,
A HUBBUB AROSE, “THERE GOES THE BRIDE, THERE GOES THE BRIDE”,

gaa.nv sab uma.d pa.daa, behak uThe nayan nayan,
THE ENTIRE VILLAGE TURNED UP, BETRAYING THE TWINKLES IN EVERY EYES,

behak uThe nayan nayan,
BETRAYING THE TWINKLES IN EVERY EYES, 

par tabhee zehar bharee gaaj ek veh giree,
BUT THEN A POISONOUS THUNDER-BOLT CRASHED THERE,

pu.nchh gayaa si.ndoor taar taar huwee chunree,
THE VERMILION WAS WIPED OUT, THE BRIDAL GARMENT TORE TO RIBBONS,

aur hamm ajaan se, duur ke makaan se,
AND I LIKE AN IGNORAMUS, FROM THE FAR OFF HOUSE

paalkee liye huwe kahaar dekhte rahe.
THE PALANQUIN-BEARERS, I KEPT WATCHING!

swapn jhare phool se, meeth chubhe shool se,
DREAMS SHED LIKE THE FLOWERS, FRIENDS PIERCED LIKE THE LANCES,

luT gaye singaar sabhee baagh ke babool se,
THE ACACIA ROBBED THE GARDEN OF ALL THE ADORNMENTS,

aur hamm kha.de kha.de, bahaar dekhte rahe,

AND I STOOD WATCHING THE SPRING,

kaarvaa.n guzar gayaa, ghubaar dekhte rahe...

THE CARAVAN PASSED BY, THE TRAILING DUST I KEPT WATCHING!

kaarvaa.n guzar gayaa, ghubaar dekhte rahe...
THE CARAVAN PASSED BY, THE TRAILING DUST I KEPT WATCHING!

NASIR ALI.

If Life is a waste of Time, and Time is a Waste of Life, let’s all get wasted and have the time of our lives.

lyrics

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