Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni
Music: Ravi.
Philosophical/Didactic Song of Rafi: Zindagee kyaa hai..
Roman Transliteration/English Translation of the original Urdu-Hindi Lyrics:
zindagee kyaa hai,
WHAT’S LIFE?
gham kaa dariyaa hai,
‘TIS THE SEA OF SORROW,
na jeenaa yahaa.n bas me.n
NEITHER LIVING IS WITHIN CONTROL,
naa marnaa yahaa.n bas me.n,
NOR IS DYING WITHIN CONTROL,
ajab duniyaa hai,
‘TIS A STRANGE WORLD,
zindagee kyaa hai...
WHAT’S LIFE...
haay re voh insaan ke jis ko, gham ki nazar lag jaaye
ALAS FOR THE MAN WHO’S STRICKEN WITH SORROW’S EVIL EYE,
haay re voh, insaan ke jis ko, gham ki nazar lag jaaye,
ALAS FOR THE MAN WHO’S STRICKEN WITH SORROW’S EVIL EYE,
chupke-chupke, aah bhare aur mu.nh se naa kuchh keh paaye,
QUIETLY UTTERS A SIGH, AND THE MOUTH IS UNABLE TO SPEAK OUT ANYTHING,
dil apnaa, ha.nstaa hai khud par, aur kabhee rotaa hai,
THE HEART LAUGHS AT ITSELF, AND WEEPS SOMETIMES,
kabhi rotaa hai.
WEEPS SOMETIMES.
zindagee kyaa hai,
WHAT’S LIFE?
gham kaa dariyaa hai,
‘TIS THE SEA OF SORROW,
naa jeenaa yahaa.n bas me.n
NEITHER LIVING IS WITHIN CONTROL,
naa marnaa yahaa.n bas me.n,
NOR IS DYING WITHIN CONTROL,
ajab duniyaa hai,
‘TIS A STRANGE WORLD,
zindagee kyaa hai...
WHAT’S LIFE...
jhooTee hai.n duniyaa ki bahaare.n, ra.ng hai.n saare kachche,
FALSE ARE THE WORLDLY BLOSSOMS, VAPID ARE ALL THE COLOURS,
jhooTee hai.n duniyaa ki bahaare.n, ra.ng hai.n saare kachche,
FALSE ARE THE WORLDLY BLOSSOMS, VAPID ARE ALL THE COLOURS,
waqt pa.de toh thaam le.n daaman, phool se kaa.nTe achchhe,
HOLDING ON TO THE MANTLE IN TIMES OF NEED, THISTLES ARE BETTER THAN FLOWERS,
iss gulshan me.n qadam-qadam par, ek nayaa dhokaa hai
IN THIS ROSE-GARDEN, AT EVERY STEP, THERE’S BETRAYAL ANEW,
naya dhhokaa hai,
THERE’S A BETRAYAL ANEW,
zindagee kyaa hai,
WHAT’S LIFE?
gham kaa dariyaa hai,
‘TIS THE SEA OF SORROW,
naa jeenaa yahaa.n bas me.n
NEITHER LIVING IS WITHIN CONTROL,
naa marnaa yahaa.n bas me.n,
NOR IS DYING WITHIN CONTROL,
ajab duniyaa hai,
‘TIS A STRANGE WORLD,
zindageei kyaa hai...
WHAT’S LIFE...
jab insaan akelaa thaah toh, dukh bhee naa theh jeevan me.n,
WHEN MAN WAS ALONE, THERE WERE NO GRIEFS IN LIFE THEN,
jab insaan akelaa thaah toh, dukh bhee naa theh jeevan me.n,
WHEN MAN WAS ALONE, THERE WERE NO GRIEFS IN LIFE THEN,
paayaa jab hamaraahi us ne, Doob gayaa uljhan me.n,
WHEN HE FOUND A COMPANION, HE GOT DROWNED IN CONFUSION,
yeh duniyaa hai begaano.n ki, kaun yahaa.n, apnaa hai
HIS WORLD BELONGS TO OUTSIDERS, HERE NO ONE IS OURS,
yahaa.n apnaa hai,
HERE NO ONE IS OURS,
zindagee kyaa hai,
WHAT’S LIFE?
gham kaa dariyaa hai,
TIS THE SEA OF SORROW,
naa jeenaa yahaa.n bas me.n
NEITHER LIVING IS WITHIN CONTROL,
naa marnaa yahaa.n bas me.n,
NOR IS DYING WITHIN CONTROL,
ajab duniyaa hai,
‘TIS A STRANGE WORLD,
zindagee kyaa hai...
WHAT’S LIFE...
jitnaa apne gham ko bhulaanaa, chaahtaa hai insaan,
HOWEVER MUCH MAN DESIRES TO FORGET HIS SORROWS,
jitnaa apne gham ko bhulaanaa, chaahtaa hai insaan,
HOWEVER MUCH MAN DESIRES TO FORGET HIS SORROWS,
utnaa hee ba.Dhtaa hai gham ka, seene me.n toofan,
THAT MUCH THE STORM OF SORROW INCREASES IN THE HEART,
naa koi, manzil hai dil ki, naa koi rastaa hai
THE HEART HAS NEITHER ANY DESTINATION NOR ANY PATH,
koi rastaa hai,
ANY PATH...
zindagee kyaa hai,
WHAT’S LIFE?
gham kaa dariyaa hai,
‘TIS THE SEA OF SORROW,
naa jeenaa yahaa.n bas me.n
NEITHER LIVING IS WITHIN CONTROL,
naa marnaa yahaa.n bas me.n,
NOR IS DYING WITHIN CONTROL,
ajab duniyaa hai,
‘TIS A STRANGE WORLD,
zindagee kyaa hai...
WHAT’S LIFE...
NASIR.
Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break. ~William Shakespeare
lyrics
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