(This was famously sung by Asha Bhonsle in the 1983 album Meeraj-E-Ghazal. The music was composed by none other than the famous Ghulam Ali)

“Roodaad-e-mohabbat kya kahiye,
Kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhool gaye
Do din ki masarrat kya kahiye
Kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhool gaye

Jab jaam diya tha saaqi ne
Jab daur chala tha mehfil mein
Wo hosh ke saathi kya kahiye
Kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhool gaye

Ehsaas ke maikhaane mein kahaan
Ab fikr-o-nazar ki kandiilen
Aalaam ki shiddat kya kahiye
Kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhool gaye”

Roughly translated,

“The story of my love… what can I say?
I remember some of it… but I forget some more
Those fleeting moments of blissfulness… what can I say?
I remember some it… but I forget some more

When she poured wine in my glass
And the drunken party whirled around me
She was all I was conscious about, what can I say?
I remember some it… but I forget some more

In those inebriated feelings,
There was no thought, no prayer
There was just an intensity of agony, what can I say?
I remember some it… but I forget some more”

After meeting Sunita last week, I was thrown back to my MBA days this weekend. I remember, when everybody would be out and about during the weekend, I would be in my dorm room with low lights listening to Ghulam Ali. My next door neighbor – Tej Mohan Singh Chhabra – often used to drop by and help me translate the songs. Tej, if you are listening, you might remember this song that we once listened to together…

“Humko kiske gham ne maara
Yeh kahaani phir sahi
Kisne toda dil hamara
Yeh kahaani phir sahi
Dil ke lootney ka sabab
Poochho na sabke saamne
Naam aayega tumhara
Yeh kahaani phir sahi”

As he explained that evening, this means…

“Do not ask me whose sorrow killed me
Let’s talk about it later some time
Who tore apart my heart…
Let’s talk about it later some time
The name behind who plundered my heart
Please do not ask in front of everybody
For your name might just come up
Let’s talk about it later some time”

“Mere rashk-e-qamar tu ne pehli nazar,
Jab nazar se milaayee maza aa gaya
Bara si gir gaii kaam hi kar gaii,
Aag aisi lagaaii maza aa gaya”

Trying to translate this is not going to be easy. The first big challenge is explaining the import of a simple phrase as “maza aa gaya”. Literally it might be said it means “(I) became overjoyed”. But it really conveys a lot more. Elements of “ecstasy” is carried thru in that phrase. And elements of “unparalleled” nature of joy is conveyed thru that phrase.

The second challenge is to translate the construct of Urdu phrases. They are constructed almost the opposite of English phrases, sequentially speaking. “Rashk e qamar” is best understood as “envy of moon”. Basically, he is describing her as somebody whose beauty is the subject of envy by the moon.

Let’s see if this does any justice…

“Oh! You – who is the envy of the moon, your first glance
When it met my own eyes, it flung me into a world of ecstasy

(And in that look) Lightning struck and completely charred me
You lit such a fire that I burnt in a fire of that ecstasy.”

“Mere ashk bhi hai is mein
Ye sharaab ubal na jaaye
Mera jam chhoonewaale
Tera haath jal na jaaye

Meri zindagi ke maalik
Mere dil pe haath rakhna
Tere aane ki khushi mein
Mera dam nikal na jaaye”

Roughly translated…

Referring to the goblet of wine…

“My tears are flowing in this goblet too
Hope the wine does not spill over
You – who is trying to touch my goblet
Be careful that your fingers don’t get singed.

Oh! You – who truly own my life
Place your hand on my heart
(So that) In my ecstasy that you have finally come
I do not run out of breath (and die) !!

“Aaj ki baat phir nahi hogi 
Yeh mulaqat phir nahi hogi
Aise badal to phir bi aayenge
Aisi barsaat phir nahi hogi”

Roughly translated…

“We will not talk about today again
Our meeting will not happen again
We will have overcast skies like this again
But we will never have the rains like this again”