Asha Bhonsle

September 11, 2011

I watched two almost identical retrospectives on

Asha Bhonsle

one, Rangoli, that airs at 8am on Sundays, and the other, Flashback on NDTV,

and realized that it was Asha’s 78th birthday on the 8th of September. What a talent! What a voice! What a range of songs! And she always comes across as a good person, too.

So…a salute to a wonderful artiste, with the first song that was played on Rangoli today:

Here are the transliterated lyrics:

Mera kuch saamaan tumhare paas pada hai -2 o o o ! saavan ke kuch bheege bheege din rakhe hain aur mere ik khat main lipti raat padi hai vo raat bhulaa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2 mera kuch saamaan tumhaare paas pada hai - 2

patjhad hai kcuh … hai na ? o ! patjhas main kuch patton ke girne kee aahat kaanon main ek baar pahan ke laut aai thee patajhad kee vo saakh abhi tak kaanp rahi hai vo saakh gira do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek akeli chhataree main jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the - 2 aadhe sookhe aadhe geele, sukha to main le aaye thee geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada ho vo bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do

ek so sola chaand ki ratain ek tumhare kaandhe ka til - 2 geeli mahendi ki khushbu, jhoot mooth ke shikwe kuch jhooth mooth ke wade sab yaad karaa do sab bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek ijaazat de do bas, jab isako dafanaaungee main bhi vaheen so jaungee main bhi vaheen so jaungee

Very rough translation:

Some of my things are lying with you… Some monsoon days are kept there, And a night, wrapped in my letter, is lying there… Forget that night, send me my things..

The feeling of the falling leaves of autumn… I’d worn them once in my ears and returned.. That autumn leaf is trembling yet. Drop that leaf…return my things…

When, under one shared umbrella, We were both half wet… Half-wet,half-dry, what was dry, I had brought along… The wet mind is probably lying next to the bed.. Send it back, return my things…

One hundred and sixteen moonlit nights, the mole on your shoulder… The smell of wet henna, some faux complaints… Some false promises, too…remember them; Send them all…return my things….

Just give me permission; When I bury these, I’ll also lay down there… I’ll also lay down there.

What haunting lyrics by Gulzar!

One of the hundreds of songs that she’s sung so beautifully….