Breathless Revisited

I had earlier posted the Hindi lyrics of the song Breathless, with a promise to provide English translation for non-Hindi readers. Before I could do so, a friend did me the favour of translating it and sending it to me. I am posting it below, for those of you who would be interested in the song, its music, and Javed Akhtar's lyrics.

Breathless

by Javed Akhtar, music composed and sung by Shankar Mahadevan
English translation by Bhashwati Sengupta

Koi jo mila to mujhe aisa lagta tha
jaise meri saari duniya main geeton ki rut
aur rangon ki barkha hai khushbu ki aandhi hai
mahki hui si ab saari fizaayen hain
bahki hui si ab saari hawaayen hain
khoyi hui si ab saari dishaayen hain
badli hui se ab saari adaayen hain

when I met her
it felt like
my whole world
is awash with the
season of songs and
showers of colour
storms of scents
the spheres turned fragrant
the breezes drunken
the directions went wandering
my gestures/ actions transformed

jaagi ummengein hain, dhadak raha ahi dil
sapnon main toofaan hain, hoton pe nagme hain
aakhon main sapne hain, sapnon main beete hue
se vo saare lamhe hain
jab koi aaya tha, jazron pe chhaya tha
dil main samaya tha, kaise main bataun tumhe

my heart beat with
my roused hopes
my turbulent dreams
my lips move in song
my eyes are dream filled
and my dreams hold
those past moments
when she arrived
to take over my feelings
and nestle in my heart


kaise use paaya tha, pyaarey sey chehre pe bikhri jo zulfein
to aisa lagta tha jaise kohre ke peechhe
ek os main dhula hua phool khila hai jaise
badal main ik chaand chhupa hai
aur jhaank raha hai jaise raat ke parde main
ek savera hai roshan roshan aakhon main
sapnon ka saagar jismain prem sitaron ki chaadar
jaise jhalak rahi hai
lahron lahron baat kare to jaise moti barse
jaise kahin chandi ki payal goonjey
jaise kahin sheeshe main jaam girey
aur chhann se tootey jaise koi chhip ke sitaar bajaye
jaise koi chaandni raat main gaye
jaise koi hole se paas bulaye

how can I describe to you
that beloved face
hidden in her tresses
like a dew washed blossom
behind a pall of fog /mist
like the moon behind the clouds
peering through the curtain of night
like a morn bright and brilliant
her eyes an ocean of dreams
that held a sparkling spread
of stars of love
each wave of her words
a shower of pearls
the echo of silver anklets
wine spilling breaking into a goblet
like hidden hands stroking
musical strings
like a song serenading
a moonlit night
like a soft
whisper that beckons

kaisi meethi baatain thee
vo kaisi mulakaatein thee
vo jab maine jaana tha
jazron se kaise pighalte hain dil
aur aarzoo paati hai kaise manzil
aur kaise utarta hai chaand jameen par
kaise kabhi lagta hai swarg agar hai
to bas hai yahin par

how sweet those words
how strange those encounters
when i learnt
how emotions melt the heart
how quests find the sought
how the moon alights on land
how earth at times may contain
the splendour of heaven

usne bulaya mujhe, aur samjhaya mujhe
hum jo mile hain, hamain aise hi milna tha
gul jo khile hain, unhe aise hi khilna tha
janmo ke bandhan, janmo ke rishtey hain
jab bhi hum janme to hum yun hi milte hain
kaanon main mere jaise, shahed sa ghulne lage
khwaabon ke dar jaise aakhon main khulne lage
khwaabon ki duniya bhi kitni haseen aur
kaisi rangeen thee khwaabon ki duniya
jo kahne ko thee par kahin bhi nahi thee

how she drew me near
to tell me
we were destined to meet
as flowers to bloom
these ties are forever
eternal our bond
each life time
has brought us together
her words like honey
filled my ears
held open in my eyes
the gates of a
many hued world
that existed
but was nowhere

khwaab jo toote mere, aakh jo khuli meri
hosh jo aaya mujhe
maine dekha maine jaana
vo jo kabhi aaya tha, nazron pe chhaya tha
dil main samaya tha, ja bhi chuka hai
aur dil mera ab hai tanha tanha
na to koi armaan hai, na koi tamanna hai
aur na koi sapna hai
ab jo mere din aur ab jo meri ratain hain
unmain sirf aansoon hain
unmain seif dard ki ranj ki batain hain
aur pharyaadein hain
mera ab bhi koi nahi main hoon aur khoye
hue pyaar ki yaadein hain (3)

when my dream lay shattered
when my eyes fell open
i found i saw
the one that had come
to light up my sight
to dwell in my being
is gone from me
bereft sits my soul
abandoned my heart
no hope remains
no longings linger
no one to call mine
drenched in tears
my days and nights
hold laments and pain
and my lone self
and memories
of my lost love


___________________________________________________________




when I met her
it felt like
my whole world
is awash with the
season of songs and
showers of colour
storms of scents
the spheres turned fragrant
the breezes drunken
the directions went wandering
my gestures/ actions transformed
my heart beat with
my roused hopes
my turbulent dreams
my lips move in song
my eyes are dream filled
and my dreams hold
those past moments
when she arrived
to take over my feelings
and nestle in my heart
how can I describe to you
that beloved face
hidden in her tresses
like a dew washed blossom
behind a pall of fog /mist
like the moon behind the clouds
peering through the curtain of night
like a morn bright and brilliant
her eyes an ocean of dreams
that held a sparkling spread
of stars of love
each wave of her words
a shower of pearls
the echo of silver anklets
wine spilling breaking into a goblet
like hidden hands stroking
musical strings
like a song serenading
a moonlit night
like a soft
whisper that beckons
how sweet those words
how strange those encounters
when i learnt
how emotions melt the heart
how quests find the sought
how the moon alights on land
how earth at times may contain
the splendour of heaven
how she drew me near
to tell me that
we were destined to meet
as flowers to bloom
these ties are forever
eternal our bond
each life time
has brought us together
her words like honey
filled my ears
held open in my eyes
the gates of a
many hued world
that existed
but was nowhere
when my dream lay shattered
when my eyes fell open
i found i saw
the one that had come
to light up my sight
to dwell in my being
is gone from me
bereft sits my soul
abandoned my heart
no hope remains
no longings linger
no one to call mine
drenched in tears
my days and nights hold
laments and pain and
my lone self
and memories
of my lost love