Zindagi Gulzar Hai - Lyrics Translations

So this is my first blog written purely on a request- translations of Zindgai Gulzar Hai's female version. I have also added Ali Zafar's version as an added bonus J

Again- I AM NOT an Urdu speaker but a Hindi one- to be honest this Ghazal quite flummoxed me! Still not sure I understand it fully. It is obviously Khashaf's point of view vs the male voice which is Zaroon's. I guess it shows in a way she is more introspective and has faced much harsher realities than him- even though by the standards of his peers he is shown to be quite self aware and introspective too.

Some of my favorite parts of the show was when they would both be writing in their respective diaries!!!

To know my opinion about the show- WHICH DID NOT disappoint- please see my other blog- titled

WOH HUMSAFAR  THA

http://ruminatingrhetoric.blogspot.com/2013/03/woh-humsafar-tha.html

Here's another link for the song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mnnmlq_HHg

Zindagi Khaak Na thi Translation in English

Full lyrics of the OST sung by Hadiqa Kiani below. 
Written by Naseer Turabi.

Zindagi khaak na thi khaak uratay guzri

Life wasn't (like) ash (but) it was spent in blowing ashes (wasting time)

Tujh say kya kehtay teray pass jo aatay guzri

What could I have told you- it was spent in coming close to you

Din jo guzra toh kisi yaad ki ro main guzra

The day was spent in revisiting some memories
Shaam aayi toh koi khuwaab dikhatay guzri

When Evening came it was spent in showing me some dreams

Acchay waqton ki tamana main rahi umr-e-rawaan
Life was spent in wanting good times

Waqt aisa tha kay bus naaz uthatay guzri

The Time was such that is was spent in keeping up with (my) Pride

Zindagi jis kay muqadar main ho khushiyan teri
Life, whose destiny has your happiness in its hand

Ussko aata hai nibhana so nibhatay guzri
It knows how to fulfill (it) so it was spent in fulfilling

Zindagi naam udher hai kisi sarshaari ka

Life is the name out there for some intoxication
Aur udher door say aik aas lagatay guzri

And from far away there, it was spent in hoping for one wish

Raat kya aayi kay tanhaai ki sarghoshi main

The night came with the whisperings of loneliness
Hoo ka aalam tha magar suntay sunatay guzri
There was pin drop silence but it was spent in listening and speaking (communicating- maybe silently?)

Zindagi Naam Udher Hai Kisi Sarshaari Ka

Life is the name out there for some intoxication
Baarha choonk si jaati hai musaafat dil ki
The distance in the heart gets very shocked

Kis ki awaaz thi yeh kis ko bulatay guzri...

Who's voice was this? Who was it spent in calling?

The Male version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDkwCpGK_IQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9IjaHzL8DY

Zindagi Gulzar Hai- title song by Ali Zafar Translation in English

Zindagi Gulzaar Hay

Life is garden of flowers,

Humko Iss Se Pyaar Hay

We are in love with it

Aana Ek Baar Hay

It comes once

 Kho Dena Bekaar Hay

It would be useless to lose it

Zindagi .. Zindagi ..
Life….. Life….

Zindagi Gulzaar Hay

Life is garden of flowers,

Yeh Ishq Ka Darbar Hay

It is a court of love

Kisi Ke Ghum ...Ko Baant-ta

Sharing Someone's sorrow

Hee Pyaar Hay

Is what love is

Yeh Pyaar Hay

This is love

Zindagi Gulzaar Hay

Life is garden of flowers,

Yeh Ishq Ka Darbar Hay

It is a court of love

Yahan Ghumo Ko Palna

Brooding on sorrows out here

...Bekaar Hai

Is useless

Haan bekaar hai
Yes- it's useless

Yahaan titliyaan muskurati hain
Butterflies smile here

Toh geeton mein dhal jati hai

The disappear into music

Yahaan jugnoo jab jagmagate hain

When Fireflies shine here

Toh rang ban jaate hain

They become color

Yeh mana ke aankhon mein ansoo hain

Agreed we have tears in our eyes

Dilon mein basi bebasi

And hopelessness in our hearts

Chalo yeh bhi mana ke apno se behter hai ajnabi

Also agreed that strangers are better than our own (family)

Yahaan raaste dushwaar hain

The roads here are hard (difficult)
Aur manzilein us paar hain

And destinations are on the other side

Magar isse.. jeene ko dil tayyar hai

But to live it- this heart is ready

Ho tayyar hai

Yes it's ready

Zindagi Gulzaar Hay

Life is garden of flowers,

Yeh Ishq Ka Darbar Hay

It is a court of love

Kisi Ke Ghum ...Ko Baant-ta

Sharing Someone's sorrow

Hee Pyaar Hay

Is what love is

Yeh Pyaar Hay

This is love

This is a short blog post- do keep the comments coming. That’s what encourages me to write!!!!

Anthony Horowitz (and why you should read him!)

So Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series  was  recommended to me by my nephew 4 years ago- in the graphic novel version of the book.

Left me cold.

Then recently a friend recommended a BBC WW II period drama called "Folye's War" It's like the ideal Brit drama- subtle, seemingly accurate (historically) and interesting!

Trailer for it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_U6Z4xFyUQ

I love the whole understated Brit thing where things aren't spelled out or in your face!- give the series an 8/10

I think so much goes into a good production of a play movie or show. The writing is the most important but the actors matter so much- one bad actor can ruin a whole production! ( E.g. Hindi movie Rockstar- ruined by the lead actress)

Well- this one works.

So Imagine my surprise when I discovered this show was written AND created by the very same Anthony Horowitz!

So tell me what you think- I think this guy from Foyle's actually resembles Anthony Horowitz

Actor: Julian Ovenden

Anthony Horowitz:

Anyway- I immediately looked up his books and started the Alex Rider series ( now also a movie)

Have read 4 . A bit too repetitive for me now but boy- I think if I was a 12 year old boy or even girl- I would LOVE these books.

An espionage spy thriller about a kid. What makes this series stand away is this kid is an orphan but the authorities are actually EXPLOITING him- he doesn’t want to be a spy!

That is so different from the standard kids action books where the adults are like stop and the kids still go for it- this is the reverse! And the plots are not bad if a bit predictable.

This made me realize in book and actually in life too there are two types of people one finds irritating/ boring- those for whom everything is always bad and those for whom everything is always good!

Have a perspective!

So back to Mr. Horowitz- I read a few of his non series tween stuff- quite Roald Dahl-ish in his darkness!

So I think this came from his childhood.

He was an overweight bullied beaten up kid of what was  practically British peerage (rich and close to PM)! Went to boarding schools where he was beaten up etc. and from his books- I doubt he felt close to either parent- but that’s me reading between the lines though he is said to have adored his mother.

Writing was a solace and boy- he's good at it.

I wonder.

(will digress here with a favorite poem of mine by - of all people a Nobel Laureate physicist- Richard Feynman)

I wonder why. I wonder why.

I wonder why I wonder.

I wonder why I wonder why

I wonder why I wonder!

My incessant repetition of this poem in my youth has driven many a people to violence but I LOVE IT- it's just so interesting!- along the lines of "I think therefore I am"

Anyway- back to topic- As I was saying- I wonder.

1. Are all childhoods miserable in their own way?

2. Does that shape us to be who we are?

3. Can we harness that or does it hold us back?

Anthony Horowitz seems to have harnessed it and from accounts ( like interviews etc) he seems to have a current functional family life with a (talented) wife and two kids. He apparently loved writing his whole life and is really good at it- do you think t could be the Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers 10,000 hours concept?

So the other interesting thing I found was the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle has only ever commissioned one author to write a sequel and ………………….. wait for it………………………… it was……………………………….none other than…………………………………Anthony Horowitz (- I bet that came as a surprise  ;))

So the book is called House of Silk and he has done a very decent job of it- the feeling/language is quite similar to the original books though I do think the basic theme is something that Arthur Canon Doyle would never have written so I would deduct A LOT of points for that changing the rating for it from 7/10 to a 5.5/10

He is prolific and I at least have high expectations from him in the coming years. Btw- he wrote a lot of the stories for Midsomer Murders too.

Also as a side note- he had a real mystery in his life- His rich father moved their money to a Swiss account and didn’t leave the details with anyone so the money was lost!!!!!

Also now that I have mentioned him I HAVE TO write a bit about Richard P Feynman.

You know there are people you read about and really really wish you could meet sometime in life (coming to think of it there must be many people feeling that way about many celebrities but I doubt about many physicists) and you get sad that they are dead- well he is one for me.

What a Man! ( channel What a man by Salt 'n' Pepa here- though only the for the first  line- will not add the link here as the video is totally inappropriate in association with Mr. Feynman)

So he grew up in the 1920's and was basically just brilliant!

His book Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman has been read by yours truly at least 4 times and I'm still young!

He could think through ANY problem from when he was young - from fixing problems in  radios to fixing problems in  Nuclear bombs!

He actually has 3 autobiographies but Read Surely you're joking.

He lived life to the fullest- partly because he was totally uninhibited and up for anything!

I will end this post with something totally unrelated but a song that’s in my head - actually heard a singer sing it over the weekend but who can compare to …………………….

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong: Dream A Little Dream Of Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6TmogXhOZ8

Au Revoir!

Veronica Mars

This was the first TV show I was EVER addicted to- before the days of DVR and online legal and illegal methods of finding missed episodes!!

I used to hate going out on the days it was airing but alas I did miss a few.

Well- I made up for it last week when I saw all three seasons ( 20 + episodes each)!!! ( so what if it was 7 years later!)

What I found interesting was I remembered a LOT of the scenes and dialogues!

I like two songs from this- the title- quite cool.  Song by Dandy Warhols- STRANGE  video but suits the whole vibe quite well. " A long time ago we used to be friends"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1g5Yg0hUw

The other is a karaoke version of Elvis Costello's "Veronica". This has some clips from the show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOnONypuF10

SO this show is about high school- but not really! (not that I don't like tween!)

The protagonist, Veronica Mars is a chocolate box pretty girl who was part of the elite jock-cheerleader-rich kid group and then there's a murder and she is ousted in all senses.

Her dad is now a hard up Private Investigator and she is his assistant. She has now become a serious bad ass who solves at least one small crime every episode and they work towards the big mystery. What I think appeals is her whole "I don’t give a shit what you think" attitude which I think very few people actually have in life- aspirational! Of course a lot of people hate her in the show- that not so aspirational!

I mean how much of what we do or think is effected by what others think about us?

I wonder sometimes -are we always positioning ourselves?

With everyone?

What's the definition of "me" for any given person?

I mean we all have this image of ourselves in our head- which may or may not  ( normally NOT)  be how others see us. But everyone is a bit different with everyone they meet- I guess that’s natural- huh?

Facebook is now this huge platform where you can pretty much position yourself as you want to- whether or not it's accurate! Facebook envy is  so real

But actually having a mental image of who you think you are and who you may want to be can be a good thing- you can work towards it!

You know- it seems cool sometimes to be bitchy or mean about people but how many people feel good about it after the fact ( or conversation?)

It's easy to poke fun but suppose you were being made fun of? Not so easy!

Anyway- back to the show- it was cancelled in season 4 much to the disappointment of a huge fan following who banded together and are now called the " Marshmallows"!! And Boy do they want the movie BAD!

So the creator Rob Thomas wanted to make a movie from the show and Warner Brothers did not want to put in the money so he went to crowd sourcing on Kick starter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project)

Quoting wiki "On March 13, 2013, Thomas and star Kristen Bell launched a fundraising campaign to produce the film through Kickstarter, offering various incentives to those who donated $10 or more. Bell, Thomas, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, and Jason Dohring appeared in a video promoting the campaign,^[19] and it attained the $2 million goal in less than ten hours.^[20] In its first day on Kickstarter, the project broke the record as the fastest project to reach first $1 million, then $2 million; it also achieved the highest minimal pledging goal achieved and was the largest successful film project on Kickstarter"

Its raised  about USD  5.7 Million as of now!

Btw Kristin Bell who play Veronica Mars was also the voice of "Gossip Girl"!

Well the movie opens on March 14th 2014 and I plan to see it on the first day!!!!!

NUMM (Mumkin hai chashm-e-numm)

New year, new song crushes!

Actually three- but will elaborate on the first, first!

From the show Numm- another Pakistani play- discovered because of Fawad Khan- who I think is a really good actor.

This is the title song- quite a song!

Sung by Faiza Mujahid, the same singer who sang Bandya- from Khuda Key Liye- which I talked about in the blog  Who Humsafar Tha

Have a listen

Again, I could not find a very good translation- have edited some that I found to reflect what I think are some meanings after watching the whole show. I have added some words to reflect the meaning rather than just the literal translation as a lot of the beauty of poetry sometimes gets lost in the literal translation. Again disclaimer- I am not an urdu speaker!

It’s a very complicated song- not sure I fully understand it- but I really really like it. I think I really like the use of the word "Mumkin" here. It means "maybe" or "possibly" . The ambiguity of everything- it's like when you  think something but you aren't quite sure- the song brings that out quite well.

NUMM (Mumkin hai chashm-e-numm): English Translation

Mumkin hai chashm-e-numm teri, tera guror ho,

It is possible that your moist eyes, is your arrogance,

Mumkin hai ke yeh aag, paani se dur ho,

It is possible that this fire, can be extinguished by water,

Mumkin hai sarayat kare zehar ragou mein,

It is possible that  poison spreads into the veins,

Mumkin hai is zehar ka asar dur dur ho,

It is possible that this poison's effect is far, far (widespread),

Mumkin hai mumkin na ho yun mera palat na,

It is possible that it may not be possible for me to turn back like this,

Mumkin hai esterab mein bhi kuch suroor ho,

It is possible that in (this) uneasiness too there is a bit of intoxication,

Mumkin hai aa bhi jao tum mere khayal mein,

It is possible that you come in my thoughts,

Mumkin hai dur dur raho, dur dur ho,

It is possible that you stay far far (away), you are far far (away),

Mumkin hai nazar bhar ke tumhe dekh lein,

It is possible that I (may) get my eyeful (/my fill) of looking at you,

Mumkin hai ek nazar mein kabhi ishq dur ho,

It is possible that with one look, sometimes, love goes away,

Mumkin hai mera veham ho, mera khayal ho,

It is possible that it is my delusion, or (just) my thought,

Mumkin hai mere haal mein bhi tera kasoor ho,

It is possible that my state also has your fault in it,

Mumkin hai tujhe chah ke bhi, chah na sakoon,

It is possible that despite of loving you, I cannot (may not?) love you,

Mumkin hai tere paas bhi aa na sakoon,

It is possible that I cannot come close to you,

Mumkin hai yeh fareb ho, teri adavat,

It is possible that it is a deception, your bitterness

Mumkin hai tujhe keh ke bhi mile na sukoon,

It is possible that even after telling you, (I)  don't get peace,

Mumkin hai mujhe pe reham ho ya mujhse saval ho,

It is possible that I am shown mercy or that I am questioned,

Mumkin tai mère saval par woh lajavab ho,

It is possible that at my question, he is (left) with no answer

I think the best part about this show are

1. The song

2. Acting by Sania Saaed and Fawad Khan

3. Nothing else!

To be fair- I should have explored the meaning of the Name before starting to watch it- NUMM- which means moist- implying- at the verge of tears-  implying a certain kind of storyline! But it had Fawad Khan and was supposed to be really popular currently!

So this show has a SERIOUSLY strange story- I mean SERIOUSLY STRANGE!! As I hate giving spoilers (though I have to say - I am seriously tempted here- it's so strange I want to discuss it). I will just say- many elements of oedipal complexes, other complexes, tyranny, pathos, meanness, weirdness, multiple wives etc etc.

But despite all this - I think I watched the whole thing cos I just couldn't believe what they would come up with next. I seriously hope stuff like this doesn't happen!!

The one thing they did sensitively was explore the relation between a young guy and his first and older wife- that was done well- for about one episode.

So, as far as I'm aware (which may not be saying much), the concept of multiple marriages in Islam, was that it was one of the means of taking care of older and other women, who may not have had means of support- well, this is not what was happening here!

If you want a spoiler from me- will add it to the comments if asked- those who want to avoid- don’t read the comments!

So the other song is from Zindagi gulzar hai- "Tum Kehti Ho". Originally sung by Junaid Jamshed. Fawad Khan sang it himself in the show. I prefer his voice but a clean (non show-with screaming fans in the background) copy was not available so here is the  JJ version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6zfMNaShQc

I hadn't really noticed it in the show but really like it now.

What's interesting is that the words are a modern take on an old Indian song- almost the exact copy in terms of meaning but that was sung from the girl rather than the boy- "Mera kuch saman" from "Ijaazat"

Again an old favorite and beautiful poetry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjFCidDpcY

The last song- been hearing a lot- from another Pakistani drama (I do listen to other stuff but- phases, phases). I had seen this a while back but suddenly remembered the song! Go figure! Lyrics again- quite pretty but maybe I just love urdu!

From Kahi UnKahi (said, unsaid)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFd9qyJ4hwg

To be honest- I am coming to the conclusion that almost every new Pakistani drama I have seen has a similar storyline even though I like some a lot better than the others.

Rich guy, two women, one rich and spoilt (and somehow always hysterical and crazy) and the other poor and good and simple and the heroine. Lots of crying but the rich guy ends up with the poor girl and the rich girl goes mad or kills herself or something horrible (like moving to the US)!

I quite object to the implied concept that you need to be simple and poor to be sensible!

So instead of ending this blog here I will talk about another song I really like called Ankahee (reference being Unkahi from the last song- same word different spelling) from a hindi movie called "Lootera" ( yes I listen to music ALL THE TIME and all types- in the same day!)

I was obsessed with all the songs from this movie for a while.

Very nice! Here's Ankahee. But Listen to "Zinda" too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR0S-ocAmvo

Movie was quite nice too- period piece based in India around the time of independence and sort of based on The Last Leaf  by O'Henry. Unusual role for the main actors- but both redeemed themselves!

Hope you enjoyed the music!