Who needs a heart of gold?

While listening to popular artiste Madan Krishna Shrestha practising for his solo concert in Paleti, my attention was drawn by a particular song,
He Bhagwan Mero Khalti Ko Ghaau.......

It is not that I have heard this song, composed and performed in a light comical mood for the first time. But I don't know why, I found myself exploring the deeper and more serious side of the song. Some lines say,

Read More

वर्साको गीत

Annonymous have commented on "Sometimes...." as;
Not gettin too personal… for some people loving someone might be a blunder.. but there are also some people who think..love of someone is the treasure for their life.. that no one could ever snatch away from them and they live their entire life with the wealth of their love..treasuring it in their heart forever… So it is never a blunder but the most beautiful feeling for them which nothing can give them…correct me if i am wrong…

I agree and respect your perspective annonymous!

Last few postings have been painful. I realized that I was writing about the darker aspects of life unknowingly by posting the translations of sad songs. Who ever have been visiting my blog must have cursed me for making their mood gloomy as well. I have decided that as far as posisble, I will be talking about positive side and brighter things now onwards. As such, there is a lot of pain in people's life. Why should I be adding additional burden by talking about melancholy? In an attempt to compensate what I have done, I am posting a song of rain.

यो मौसमको पहिलो वर्साले
हिजो साँझ एक्लै रुझायो
मुहारभरि तिमीले चुमेझैं लाग्यो
पानीको थोपाले जव बिझायो

बिहानीपख चराहरू चिर्विराए झैं
कानमा मेरो आएर तिमी सुटुक्क भनिदेऊ है
मेरो सम्झनाले हिजो राति
तिम्रो पनि निन्द्रा भगायो

बिर्सिएरै, झुक्किएरै तिमीले पनि त
सम्झे मलाई कल्पे मलाई पाप त लाग्दैन
तिम्रो नाम नलिई धडकिन्छ
मेरो मात्र छाति कहाँ यो

Read More

Sometimes......

Encouraged by positive responses, I am including 2 more translations of classics by Phatteman and Kumar Subba.

A friend of mine, after reading these two translations, asked me,
"Why such 'frustru' songs only?"

Well these are the songs I am translating right now so I guess I do not have choice. I thought for a while to realize that there is a majority of sad songs in Nepal.  And most of the songs which have done good, liked by people and popular are sad ones. Is it because there is sadness in people's life? Is it because majority of the people are betrayed? Or is it because writers and singers are over sensitive and they suffer more than normal people emotionally?

Why there is more melancholy and tears around us than joy and smiles? Why there are more stories of unfulfilled desires than complete relationships in this world? Who does not want to write songs of joy and sing them? If only the world was a better place, if only people could have learnt to understand and respect other person's sentiments, then I would have been translating some merrier emotions and would have felt very happy about it. The writers and singers of these songs might have suffered from their own pain while creating them but believe me, even for me it was painful translating them because I could relate to their anguish and sorrow.

How I wish there were more happiness in the world. How I wish.......... 

Sometimes.......
loving someone could be a blunder

many others will  love you
many heart will bleed for you
to be mine, I mistook a stranger
sometimes.....
loving someone could be a blunder

may your wishes fulfill & your love bloom
though you ignored my love;  shattered my desire
no longer can dream,  my eyes full of gloom
sometimes....
loving someone could be a blunder

यस्तो पनि हुँदो रैछ जिन्दगीमा कैले कैले
कसैलाई माया गर्नु एउटा भूल गरें मैले 

मेरो जस्तो माया दिने तिमीलाइ हजार होलान्
तिम्रा लागि मेरा जस्ता हजार हजार मुटु रोलान्
जसलाई आफ्नो सम्झेको थें उही विरानो भयो अहिले
कसैलाई माया गर्नु एउटा भुल गरें मैले  

मेरो माया कुल्चिजाने तिम्रो माया फलोस फूलोस्
मेरो इच्छा मारिजाने तिम्रो इच्छा सधै पुगोस्
उदास आँखा मेरा पनि सपना देख्थे पहिले पहिले
कसैलाई माया गर्नु एउटा भुल गरें मैले

I've been sowing
the buds of love in my heart,
for my love to return

holding my tears, anticipating the dawn
remembering her the whole night
making a place for her to dwell
I've been holding together
the pieces of my cracked heart

gazing towards the horizon
Like a static mountain
neither did I melt with tears,
fell with downpour, froze with stone
nor blew like dry leaves
preserving the aroma
like an immortal flower
I've kept alive
for my soul to return

मेरी रानी फर्की आउली भन्दा भन्दै मैले 
छाती भरी पीरतिको फूल गुथी राखें 

रातभरि याद आयो यादै साँची राखें
बिहान पनि होला भनी आँशु थामी राखें
मेरो माया बस्न आउली भन्दाभन्दै मैले
चर्किएको मुटु पनि जोडीजोडी राखें

झरी जस्तो झरिनं म आँशु जस्तो पग्लिनं 
पर्वतको छोरो जस्तो क्षितिज हेरी रहें
ढुङ्गा जस्तो जमिनं म पत्कर जस्तो उडिनं
अजम्बरी फूल जस्तो वास्ना साँची राखें
मेरो आत्मा फर्की आउली भन्दा भन्दै मैले 
माटो जस्तो देह पनि पालीपाली राखें

Read More

Who knows if we meet again or not

Well, I have been translating some Nepali songs in English since last few days. Translation is exhausting. Sometimes you get stuck. There is one classic,

"Phool Ko Thunga Bagera Gayo, Ganga Ko Paanima
Kahile Bhet Hola Hai Rajai Yo Jindaganima"

After being stuck for almost two whole days, I made a breakthrough and I am fairly satisfied with what I have done. Below is the translation. Comments are welcome, negative or positive.

Life flows like a bunch of flowers in river
Who knows if we meet again; ever

Budding love felt
the pang of separation
and tears-the hills shed
in sunshine after a downpour

How long can I pretend to smile
concerned- my companions might
How long can I hold my tears
to cry alone later in the night

Without blinking, When I see
The eastern star staring at me
My beloved in faraway city
I guess, must be remembering me

As per the feedback I received from Mr. Sanjib Karmacharya, I am also including the Nepali text of the song too.

फूलको थुङ्गा बहेर गयो गंगाको पानीमा
कहिले भेट होला है दाजै यो जिन्दगानीमा 

झरीको पछि झुल्केको घाममा नीर झर्‌यो पहाडको 
भर्खरै प्रीति गाँसेको बेला पीर पर्‌यो बिछोडको
कहिले भेट होला है दाजै यो जिन्दगानीमा

नहाँसु भने सखीलाई पीर मै हाँसूं कसरी
रोउँला राति भनेर आँसु मै साँचूं कसरी 
कैले भेट होला है दाजै यो जिन्दगानीमा

रातमा मलाई हेर्दछ टोलाई पूर्वको ताराले
त्यो कान्तिपुरमा सपनाको सुरमा सम्झ्यो कि प्याराले
कैले भेट होला है दाजै यो जिन्दगानीमा

Read More

Friends are........

Friends are gifts from God. Leave something for friend. Never leave friend for something. Coz in life, something will leave you but friends will always live with you.

This is a message which woke me up in the morning. Its so very true. Being a friend is very difficult task and finding a friend is even more difficult. Other relations come with certain expectation and the moment you fail to fulfill them, you start seeing cracks and holes. The more you fail, they become wider and bigger. Intentionally or un intentionally, if you fail, the relationhips start falling apart.

Friendship is only one example which is free from expectation. A friend smiles with your achievement, success and happiness. A friend cries with your pain and failure. It is very hard to find a true friend. If you have one, you are very lucky. Learn to treasure your friendship. It is a treasure.

Read More