Monday, September 18, 2006

The Poetry of Hindi film songs -- III


and their tartness...as evidenced by this song from the movie Aar Paar, a guy-and-girl duet ["ra" denote the male singer, Rafi and "ge" the female singer, Geeta Dutt]:

ra : mohabbat kar lo jee bhar lo aji kisne roka hai
par bade gazab ki baat hai is mein bhi dhokha hai
ge : shiqaayat kar lo ji bhar lo aji kisne roka hai
ho sake to duniya chhod do duniya bhi dhokha hai

ra : jahaan ye masti mast nazar me chayi deta nahi kuch sujhayi
ge : takara ke nain milta hai chain murakh kyon rota hai

ge : mohabbat se kul jahaan khafa hai
par is mein bada maza hai

ra : jab dil dukhega us dam khulega
is mein kya hota hai



Guy: Oh (go) fall in love to your heart's content, nobody's stopping you
but the amazing thing is there is such deception in it

Gal: Oh complain on to your heart's content who's stopping you
but, if possible, why not leave this world; it is a deception (maya) as well...

Guy: when this passion clouds the eye one gets confused...
Gal: when the eyes meet there is no rest, o fool why do you wail?
...
The whole world seems offended with Love...but there is a lot of fun in it

Guy: When you'll feel pain in your heart then you'll know
what this thing is all about...



What a lovely call-and-response style of singing -- and what tart,
devil-may-care answers by the lady to the doubting-thomas romeo!!
And what a sly reference to the concept of the world
being a deception, maya...

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