Movie: AAS KA PANCHHI (1961)
Maiden Release: Novelty Cinema, Bombay.
Music: Shankar-Jaikishan
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
Rafi’s peppy song: char dinoN kii chuTTii hai…
Roman Transliteration/English Translation of the Hindi/Urdu Lyrics:
zameen kaaGHaz kii ban jaaye,
IF THE EARTH WERE PAPER,
samandar raushnaayi kaa,
IF THE OCEAN WERE INK,
bayaan phir bhii naa hogaa
STILL, EXPLAINING WON’T BE POSSIBLE
hamm se yeh Qissa, judaayi kaa,
FOR ME, ABOUT THIS STORY OF SEPARATION!
char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai
THERE’S A FOUR-DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaakar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER,
jis maang* ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai…
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!
[Chorus: Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER
jis maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai,
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!
Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai…
AND I GOTTA MEET HER!]
dil apnaa abhii se dhaRke hai,
FROM NOW ITSELF THE HEART IS POUNDING,
dekheNge unheN toh kyaa hogaa,
WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN I SEE HER!
hamm hosh bhii apne kho denge,
I’LL LOSE MY SENSES TOO,
mastii se bharaa jalwaa hogaa,
INTOXICATING WILL BE HER APPEARANCE!
dil apnaa abhii se dhaRke hai,
FROM NOW ITSELF THE HEART IS POUNDING,
dekheNge unheN toh kyaa hogaa,
WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN I SEE HER!
hamm hosh bhii apne kho denge,
I’LL LOSE MY SENSES TOO,
mastii se bharaa jalwaa hogaa,
INTOXICATING WILL BE HER APPEARANCE!
voh saamne ho phir aaye mazaa,
FACING HER AGAIN WILL BE FUN,
kuchh kehnaa hai kuchh sunnaa hai,
SOMETHING TO SAY, SOMETHING TO HEAR!
[Chorus: Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER
jis maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai,
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!
Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai…
AND I GOTTA MEET HER!]
voh bhii toh hamaari raahoN meN,
IN MY PATH, SHE TOO
zulfoN ko saNwaare aayeNge,
WILL COME ADORNING HER TRESSES!
aur phuul chameli ke gajre,
AND GARLANDS OF JASMINE FLOWERS
KHush ho ke hameN pehnaayeNge,
SHE WILLHAPPILY OFFER ME TO WEAR!
abb chaand kii tarhaa chamaknaa hai
NOW, LIKE THE MOON, I GOTTA SHINE,
suuraj kii tarhaa se nikalnaa hai,
LIKE THE SUN, I GOTTA GO OUT!
[Chorus: Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai…
AND I GOTTA MEET HER]
aankhoN meN jawaaN shikwe honge,
THERE’LL BE FRESH COMPLAINTS IN THE EYES,
honTHo pe hansii leharaayegi
MIRTH WILL FLUTTER ON HER LIPS!
saagar se milegi jab nadiyaa,
WHEN THE RIVER MEETS WITH THE SEA,
tuufaaN pe raunaQ aayegii,
SPLENDOROUS WILL BE THE STORM!
aankhon meN jawaaN shikwe honge,
THERE’LL BE FRESH COMPLAINTS IN THE EYES,
honTHo pe hansii leharaayegi,
MIRTH WILL FLUTTER ON HER LIPS!
saagar se milegi jab nadiyaa,
WHEN THE RIVER MEETS WITH THE SEA,
tuufaaN pe raunaQ aayegii,
SPLENDOROUS WILL BE THE STORM!
abb baadal ban ke barasnaa hai
NOW, BECOMING A CLOUD, I GOTTA FALL LIKE RAIN,
maujoN kii taraah se ubharnaa hai…
LIKE THE WAVES I GOTTA RISE!
[Chorus: Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER
jis maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai,
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!
Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai…
AND I GOTTA MEET HER!]
woh hamm se kahenge sharmaake,
COYLY, SHE’LL ASK ME
pardes gaye theh kyaa laaye,
YOU WERE ABROAD, WHAT HAVE YOU BROUGHT,
hamm un se kahenge jaane jahaaN
I’LL TELL HER, O SWEETHEART,
dil apnaa bachaa ke le aaye
MY SALVAGED HEART I’VE BROUGHT!
abb aaNkh milaao baat karo,
NOW, LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TALK
hamm saamne haiN kyaa pardaa hai…
I’M BEFORE YOU, WHY THE VEIL!
[Chorus: Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER
jis maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai,
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!
Ab char dinoN kii chhuTTi hai,
NOW, THERE’S A FOUR DAYS’ HOLIDAY
aur un se jaa kar milnaa hai,
AND I GOTTA MEET HER!
jis maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED WHO’S TAKEN THE HEART,
maang ne dil ko maang liyaa,
THE BELOVED HAS TAKEN THE HEART,
us maang meN taare bharnaa hai,
GOTTA FILL THE STARS IN HER PARTED HAIR!]
TRANSLATED BY NASIR ALI
Translator’s Notes: (1) “maang” literally refers to the parting of hair especially from the centre of the forehead.
(2) “maang bharnaa” = to apply the parting with vermillion, etc., to marry a woman.
(3) *I have alternately translated “maang” as a synecdoche to represent it as “beloved”.