Dil dhoondhta hai phir wahi (Mausam)

At times, music works like an incredibly potent time-travelling machine. This particularly song, for example, takes me back to the time when we were kids, living in the (at that time) picturesque little Doctor's Colony of Rewa. Not because the Rewa is an idyllic town situated in the Himalayas (it's not); but because Mom had a cassette with this song, which she often played - and in my mind the song has become deeply correlated with my childhood home with its quaint backyard and garden.

It's not as if, at the age of 8 or 10, we were able to comprehend the depth of the lyrics or enjoy the pace of Bhupinder's unhurried vocals. If anything, I probably hated this 'sad' song... But I digress!

The song is an ode to the days when life was leisurely, when minds were uncluttered, when skies were bluer, and when you could lay idle without thinking that's you're getting left behind in a supersonic world.

Image source

Lyrics, and translation: 

Dil dhoondhta hai, phir wahi, fursat ke raat din

Baithe rahein, tasavvur-e-jaana kiye hue

[[Once more, my heart yearns for those leisurely days

When time was spent sitting around, doing nothing but thinking of the face of my beloved.]]

- This verse (once again) was originally written by the peerless Ghalib. Gulzar took it forward from there.

JaaDon ki narm dhoop aur, aangan mein let kar

Aankhon pe kheench kar tere, aanchal ke saaye ko

Aundhe paDe rahein kabhi, karwat liye hue

[[In the soft sunlight of the winters, lying about idly in the courtyard

(Trying hard to keep sleeping in the glaring sunlight)

Covering my eyes by pulling your aanchal (scarf?) over them

At times lying face down, at others curled up on one's side]]

Yaa garmiyon ki raat jo, purwaaiyaan chalein

ThanDee safed chaadaron par, jaagein der tak

Taaron ko dekhte rahein, chhat par pade hue

[[Also, in breezy summer nights 

Staying awake till late in night on the cool white sheets,

Just lying on the roof, gazing at the stars]]

Barfeeli sardiyon mein, kisi bhi pahaaD par

Waadee mein goonjti hui, khaamoshiyaan sune

Aankhon mein bheege bheege se, lamhe liye hue

[[On some distant mountain in the snowy winters

Listening to echoing silences of the valleys

Eyes brimming over with moist moments]] 

- 'Moist' is a really bad word to use here. But you get the context :)

Read forward at your own risk, 'cause the next lines are written by me. (Of course, while trying to stay true to the spirit of the original ones):

Galiyon mein baarishon mein, bach kar chalo jo tum

Hans dein hum, dhaani chunri pe chheente uchhaal kar

Dekha karein, aankhein teri shikwe liye hue

[[You, walking carefully in the bylanes during rains

And me, splashing your green chunri with water

Looking at your eyes filled with mock indignation]]

-- 'Dhaani' is a particular shade of green, quite similar the green of paddy fields.

Phir gungune patjhadon mein, shaakhein chuna karein

Yaaron ke beech baith ke; yaadein buna karein

Chuskiyon mein chaai ki, ghul kar hanste hue

[[Then lazily collecting dried twigs in the warm fall season

Sitting among friends, weaving memories

Sipping tea, laughing without a worry]]

Dil dhoondhta hai, phir wahi, fursat ke raat din.........

Hope you liked the translation, and bore with the lines I put up. Now go ahead, and take some time out to enjoy the world around you. :)