Friday, July 03, 2009
Kya Janoon Sajan
I am beginning my music on this blog with this song of fulfillment.
It’s a song of bliss set to a poignant tune. I love the combination.
It’s a song that one naturally sings, a poem that one naturally lives, upon finding fulfillment in love.
How should I know anymore, what a sorrow filled evening is…
For, a thousand lamps have lit up, ever since I have taken your name upon my lips…
When one finds love, life takes on a new meaning. Isn’t it?
This is more of a woman’s poem than a man’s. To a man, his love is a part of his world. To a woman, her love is her entire world.
And this song is all about a woman’s love… an Indian woman… In the midst of all the clamour and clutter of equality and liberation, only she knows the beauty of surrender...to the man she loves…
Any attempt to translate this song will fail to sustain the nuances it contains.
Kya Janoon Sajan Hoti Hai Kya Gham Ki Shaam
Jal Uthe Sau Diye Jab Liya Tera Naam
Kyaa Janoon Sajan ...
Kanto Mein Main Khadi
Nainon Ke Dvar Pe
Nis Din Bahar Ke Dekhoon Sapne
Chehare Ki Dhool Kya
Chanda Ki Chandni
Utari To Rah Gayi Mukh Pe Apne
Kyaa Janoon Sajan ...
Jabse Mili Nazar
Maathe Pe Ban Gaye
Bindiya Nayan Tere Dekho Sajna
Dhar Li Jo Pyar Se
Meri Kalayiyan
Piya Teri Ungliyan Ho Gayi Kangna
Kyaa Janoon Sajan ...
I no longer desire gold and diamond …
For, when you fix your gaze upon me, you adorn my face like a jewel,
Your fingers when curled around my wrist, adorn it like a bracelet…
How should I know anymore, what a sorrow filled evening is
For, a thousand lamps light up, even as I take your name on my lips…
Lata Mangeshkar - Kya Janoon Sajan
Movie Name: Baharon Ke Sapne (1967),Singer: Lata Mangeshkar,Music Director: Burman R D,Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri, Year: 1967, Producer: Nasir Hussain, Director: Nasir Hussain, Actors: Asha Parekh, Nana Palsikar, Rajesh khanna, Sulochna Theme: Social
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
Soumya,
I just can get away from this post without commenting. This is one of my most Favorite Lataji Number. Ofcourse by my favorite composer RD Burman. This song is really haunting and the first time in Hindi music voice overlapping was done using Multitrack recording.
Being a guy woman's love part is difficult for me to understand but definitely the song reaches out to a man in a way he understand. The haunting part of the composition brings out the feeling of something out of the world which is not visible till you get into this emotion.
Nice post.
Rishi
Thanks Rishi.
I am so glad to have a comment here. Since I had no comments for a long time, I though not many people listened to Hindi music...
As for the 'woman's love' part, men and women love differently. To a man, his love is a part of his world. To a woman, it's her entire world. I dont know many exceptions :)
Sowmya,
Well I really don't know the man and woman versions. However I don't know if you have seen this movie called "Rajnigandha".
From that movie I gathered that woman what she loves and what she settles for are two different things.
And lucky are those for whom both happen to be the same. How much you think that is true?
I grew up in Bihar (Now Jharkhand) That was late 70s and all of 80s. No television all those years. Used to listen to all programmes of Vividh Bharathi name it , Mann-chahhey-geet, manoranjan, Chitrapath-Sangeet, Sangeet-Sarita, Rangawali, Jaymala, Chhayageet and ofcourse ending the day at 11 with Aapke-Farmaish. On Wednesday's Binaca-Geet-mala. This was over 13-14 years, I have heard thousands of songs from Hindi Movies. Some I have heard only once in my lifetime and I remember.
Any article your write on songs, I will have some excitement happening to write for that.
Now a days singers rarely enact the songs as it used to be once.
BTW: This song was later used in the film "Dil Vil Pyar Vyar" on Namrata Shirodkar.
Rishi
Hi Sowmya!
I was also actually planning to do a post on this song. It's my favorite song for its lyrics, and I also like the tune, though the version I've heard more often is one in Dil-vil, pyaar-vyaar. It has got an amazing imagery, and also multiple possible interpretations. So obviously, mine is ever so slightly different from yours. :)
And with regard to differences in ways men and women perceive love, I've observed that in any sphere of life, differences between the two genders stem from upbringing they are provided, and once all inhibitions of societal scrutiny are removed, they behave much the same way. Also, the most important lesson: like all 'groups', they're pretty heterogeneous. And what you term as submission, also partly has a component of dependence, which is not very volitional. Though personally, I used to think, love should form the entire core of one's life, but from experience and introspection, I concluded, it's best to be at least somewhat narcisstic! :) Yes, so when I love myself, I'm the entire world for myself.
TC.
Welcome again Ketan,
I did not like the version from Dil Vil Pyar Vyar. For me old is respect, new is suspect :) no no, I am not stagnated at all.
Thanks for the comment :)
Not sure if I phrased my response above properly. When I talked of nice imagery and my different interpretations, it was for both the versions of the song 'cuz I was talking of the lyrics only, which are anyway same in the newer version as the older one. However, in the newer one, they've changed the order of the two 'antara's'.
Yes, I just heard the older version and found it to be more 'creative' (different kind of 'harkat'--sorry, not much aware of music terminology :) ), so to say as against placid rendition in the newer one. Though, the newer version has an advantage of stereophonic sound, and clearer recording.
TC.
BTW, I've left a comment on your guest column elsewhere--the one dealing with 'law of attraction':
Sorry, here (click) is the link.
Sowmya,
Ever since I read this blog I have been trying to get the meaning of the first Stanza, the one which you didn't explain.
I am really finding it very difficult to come upon an interpretation that is meant here. In summary the meaning is not a very happy one. It is like just the presence of your thoughts are enough and the very hope of you is enough for me to keep going with life happily. But if I break down and try to get meaning of each part it is difficult. The part which really confuses is 'Chehre ki Dhool Kya Chanda ki Chandni'. This comparison I don't understand at all.
Rishi.
Rishi,
I hope you won't mind my taking the liberty to try to explain those lines. :)
Chehre ki dhool kya (1)
Chanda ki chandni (2)
Utari toh (3)
Reh gayee (4)
Mukh pe apni (5)
The above lines contain a most weird (but equally, impressive) kind of inversion.
The trick is in breaking the lines up in correct way, which I've done for you.
Now you have 2 possible interpretations:
Interpretation 1: You attach 1 with 3, which will give you--'as soon as the dust from my face was lifted, radiance (chandni) of the moon was exposed--by attaching 2 with 4. 5 of course follows 4.
Interpretation 2: Attach 1 with 4, and keep 2 and 3 in succession. Again, 5 follows 4. This will roughly translates as--'the moment the radiance of the moon was lifted off, the dust on my face showed itself up'.
Personally I think, it's the second interpretation that's more fitting. That's because the preceding lines are 'kaanton mein main khadi', which is supposed to mean standing in a barren (desert) land. And that she's still waiting for spring. So, the first stanza is all gloomy (that's the pattern), whereas the next stanza (involving and bindi and bracelet) is at least wishfully an optimistic one. So, according to me, it's the second interpretation of the above two that I've laid down, that seems to fit the overall pattern.
Hope this helped.
TC.
"What is this dust(powder) on my face? Perhaps, it is moonlight that descended down and settled on my face..."
And this is similar to the rest. His finger turning into a bracelet around her wrist, his glare turning into a bindi on her face and moonlight settling as powder on her face... all metaphors. Or is it symbolism?
This thread is only getting intersting :)
Yes Sowmya, I never thought like that! :P
So, 'utari' is a case of 'shlesha' alankaar? That the same word when imparted different meanings changes the meaning of the entire sentence? My interpretation of 'utari' was to lift off, as in 'naqaab utaarana'. And you've taken it to mean 'descend'.
One thing I find in favor of my interpretation is that it seems to be in continuity with the preceding lines about an unrealized longing for my lover.
'I'd been standing in this barren land, dreaming about you all the time.
But the moment your radiance (the hope that you will return) was lost from my face, the futility of it all (dust/powder, standing in barren land--miserable life) was revealed'
OR
'I'd been standing in this barren land, dreaming about you all the time.
The moment I thought about you, your radiance (abstract thoughts--nonmaterial) settled as a dust on my face (facial expressions, blushing, smile, etc--something tangible--material)'
Actually, now looking at it, even your interpretation is seeming equally appealing to me. :) The only problem is I've never encountered 'dhool' used in a positive sense. But then, this is not conventional poetry. ;)
Is there no chance of being able to get the interpretation from the original lyricist?
If you don't mind, may I know your mother tongue? You seem to be South Indian, but your knowledge of Hindi is impressive (excuse the prejudice), except that you've written 'Ladakh' as 'Ladhak' too many times. ;)
TC.
S u perb discussjkn..sply utri word.....descend fits more.. Even if dhool dust of poverty is on my face.the optimism of your love i.e.chandni will last on my face..reh gayi....o
So beautiful......i discovered this song accidentally and i wanted to know more about the song, the lyrics and its meaning ...........and that got me to your Blog........and it is so beautiful..................Thank you so much........
My post in FB: I discovered this song last night.... And in the quiet of the night.... It was so ethereal.... The lyrics... The voice.... The music score.... A primal pain and the balm to soothe.... What an experience...
Music can make you fly to.. Revisit the distant past of memories and the even more distant future of hopes...into the Cosmos.... Traverse Space and Time....
Try looking at the song as if someone in love with God is singing to Him/Her. (I know that is not the movie context). Many lines fit perfectly.
But yes the song is divine, whichever way you look at it.
Thanks for the original post and the comments!
Post a Comment