Sahir Ludhyaanvi

Khuubasuurat Mo.D

chalo ik baar phir se, ajanabii ban jaae.n ham dono
chalo ik baar phir se . .

na mai.n tumase koI ummiid rakhuu.n dilanavaazii kii
na tum merii taraf dekho galat a.ndaaz nazaro.n se
na mere dil kii dha.Dakan la.Dakha.Daaye merii baato.n se
na zaahir ho tumhaarii kashm\-kash kaa raaz nazaro.n se
chalo ik baar phir se . . .

tumhe.n bhii koI ulajhan rokatii hai peshakadamii se
mujhe bhii log kahate hai.n ki ye jalave paraae hai.n
mere hamaraah bhii rusavaaiyaa.n hai.n mere maazi kii \- 2
tumhaare saath bhii guzarii huii raato.n ke saaye hai.n
chalo ik baar phir se .. .

taarruf rog ho jaaye to usako bhuulanaa behatar
taalluk bojh ban jaaye to usako to.Danaa achchhaa
vo afasaanaa jise a.njaam tak laanaa naa ho mumakin \- 2
use ek khuubasuurat mo.D dekar chho.Danaa achchhaa
chalo ik baar phir se . .

come, once again
let us become strangers
you and I

let me not expect
solace for my heart
from you
nor you look towards me
with glances
that are not right (1)

let my heartbeat not
falter in my speech
nor your eyes reveal
the quandary that you keep (2)

something stops you from (3)
coming forward
and i too am told these
splendours aren't for me

my companions are
the failures in my past
and you too have
the shadows of spent nights
with you

an acquaintance turned sick
is best forgotten
a relationship turned burden
is best broken

a story that can't be brought to its end
is best left with a beautiful bend

Notes:

1. Yeah, so this is bad. I know that. Tell me what to use instead. "Ambiguous glances"? The words he uses are oh-so-much-more-expressive. Something like "wrong-way glances" -- ah, heck, no, he doesn't mean that she is cross-eyed or something, but that she is, uh, giving him the, er, to borrow an expression from Clinton, "inappropriate" glances. Something like:

"don't you look towards me (he doesn't say "look at me") accusingly? pleadingly? wrongly? lovingly?" - all of this somehow including hopefully and so on... Geddit?

2. quandary etc.: (literally)

let it not be reflected in your eyes
the secret of your tug-of-war
That the tug-of-war is between her conflicting emotions and so on is obvious, right?

3. something stops you: literally, perhaps more closely it should be: "your tormented thoughts keep you tied up in knots from making a move"

Lyrics:Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Singer:Mahendra Kapoor, Music:Ravi

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Sonny (Sundeep Dougal) Holden Caulfield, New Delhi, INDIA