Monday, June 05, 2006

Shabke Jaage Hue


My ipod has been wearing out the signature song from Tamanna--Alka Yagnik's Shabhke Jaage Hue--repeated a few dozen times each day. (Thanks Rani, for sending it to me! :)

Finding it again, is like re-discovering mangoes every summer, after winter is finished with us for the year. I love everything about this song, I have for years. But I am especially in love with the lyrics.

Yagnik gets it so right. The cruelty of thwarted, hopeless love in the face of quiet desperation that waits patiently, only to be left behind and forgotten.

The song begins with the night and ends at dawn. With lyrics like "even the stars have fallen asleep", beautifully capturing the fading stars of a sleepless night as dawn creeps closer. Each subsequent verse closes the distance between hope and hopelessness. For example, in the second passage, the singer decides that if the lights go out, then it must mean that her love has arrived. And when morning comes, she cries out to the dawn, "why have you come alone?"

I am a poor translator, so these English bylines below are a watered down version of the original Hindi. If anyone has a better translation, let me know. I only have here a selected few of the verses.

Saas ki tarahe se aap aathe rahe jaathe rahe
shabke jaage hue taroan ko bhi neend aane lage
Aap ki aane ki ek aas bhi ab jaaane lage

(You come and go through the passages of my breath
Awake, even the stars are falling asleep
The hope of Your coming is also leaving)

And...

Patiya kadti tho hum sumje gay ki aap e gaye

(I will assume you have come, if the lights go out)


Aye subha, tu bhi jo aayi tho akeli aayi
Meri mehaboob, mere josh udane vaale
meri masjood, meri rooh pe chaanevaale

Aa bhi jaa thaake meri sajdhon ka armaan nikle
Aa bhi ja thaake tere kadmoa pe meri jaan nikle

(Ay morning, even you when you came, it was alone
My love, the one that makes me lose my senses

My love, the one who desires me


Come already, so that desires can be spent

Come already, so that my life can be laid at your feet)



2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just passed through your blog while trying to find this amazing song. I love the way you described it, I for one never seem to find the words. Love the song and if there is even a slight chance that you could send it to me let me know please. once again hats off for the way you described it.

5:47 AM  
Blogger G Man said...

I found this entry while searching for this song, and I have to say I agree with everything you've written. It is a beautiful and a very rare song indeed. Very under-appreciated. Listening to it after so long (must have been ten years or so) was a true delight, especially in today's times when lyrics are just a rehash of one another.

10:20 PM  

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