Chhaiyya-Chhaiyya (Dil Se..)

In Banasthali, we had offs on Tuesday (yes, not on Sundays). So instead of Saturday nights we used to celebrate Monday nights. I had joined Banasthali some time in July 1998, when Dil Se.. was just about to be released. So on our first few Monday nights, half the time we ended up dancing to Chhaiya-chhaiya (the other half was taken up by Chhamma-chhamma). So this song still reminds me of those crazy (but well practiced) dance-steps from 13 years back.

All the dance memories aside, the lyrics are not typical for a dance track. Initially, Sukhwinder Singh had offered a Punjabi devotional track 'Thaiya-thaiya' (based on Bulleh Shah's verses) for this situation. Gulzar wrote Chhaiya-chhaiya drawing inspiration from the devotional undertones but essentially interpreting it in his own inimitable way. These devotional undertones are often present in his non-filmy poetry as well, where the beloved is depicted as almost sacred or divine. (Will update the blog with a few such lines soon - updated here).

Once again, I'll give the literal translation (shabdaarth) first, followed by my interpretation of the intended meaning (bhaavaarth), wherever required. Specifically, I've tried to explain the paragraphs which allude to faith etc. in detail. I've tried to do a little research before writing; but if I've interpreted something incorrectly, please do correct me. Because I do not want to hurt any religious sentiments here.

Lyrics, and translation

Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon, paaon ke neeche jannat hogi

Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon

[[Those, who have the shade of love over their head, will have heaven at their feet.

This world is not a pretty place to live in. And living here without love is like walking under the glaring sun, and it could get really unpleasant without (the shade of) love. But if you've loved someone, life becomes so beautiful it's almost as if you're in heaven - without any pain or suffering.]]

Chal chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

Chal chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

chhaiya-chhaiya chhaiya-chhaiya

[[So, walk in this shade (of love).]]

Sar ishk ki chhaon chal chhaiya-chhaiya

Paaon jannat chale chal chhainya

[[Walk in this shade of love, and you'll feel like you're in heaven.]]

(Chal chaiya-chaiya...)

Wo yaar hai jo khushbu ki tarah, jiski zubaan Urdu ki tarah

Meri shaam-raat, meri kaaynaat, wo yaar mera saiyaan-saiyaan

[[My beloved, who's sweet like a fragrance; and whose voice is like a beautiful poetry in Urdu language,

The one who is my day and night, who's the whole world for me - only she can be my lover.

Khushbu ki tarah - like a fragrance: sweet and pure, but cannot be caught or held down.]]

(Chal chaiya-chaiya...)

Gulposh kabhi itraaye kahin, mahke to nazar aa jaaye kahin

Tabeez (Taveez) bana ke pahnoon use, aayat ki tarah mile jaaye kahin

[[She, who's clad in flowers, loves to flaunt (her beauty); her fragrance is so bewitching that you can find/recognize her by her fragrance alone.

She's sacred like an aayat (a verse from Quran). I wish I come across her (by a miracle), then I'll wear her like a amulet.

Aayat is the plural of aayah which means a verse from the Quran but it can also mean signs, revelations, miracles, etc. (source). 

Tabeez is an amulet with Quranic inscription, which protects you from evil.

So the second line could mean that "If I meet her, I'll treat her as a sacred verse from Quran, and always keep her close to me." Also, she's like his good-luck charm.]]

Wo yaar hai jo imaan ki tarah, mera nagma wahi mera kalma wahi

(Mera nagma-nagma, mera kalma-kalma)

[[She's like my faith, she is my song and my Kalma from Quran.

In this line as well as in the previous lines, the devotional, almost reverential allusions are pretty apparent. There are six Kalma's in Quran (Please correct me if I'm wrong), the first one being "Laa ilaaha illal Lahoo Mohammadur Rasool Ullah", considered very sacred by in Islam.]]

Yaar misaal-e-os chale, paaon ke tale firdaus chale

Kabhi daal-daal, kabhi paat-paat, main hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan

[[My beloved walks like dew-drops, it's as if she's walking with the paradise under her feet

I keep looking for her everywhere, I search for her signs in the air.

Misaal-e-os - Like dew-drops. One moment she's there, and the next she has disappeared.

Paaon ke tale firdaus chale - Again referring to 'paon ke neeche jannat' line, perhaps?

Hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan - Could refer to the first line 'misaal-e-os' where she has disappeared like a dew-drop and now I'm looking for her in the air. Or could refer to a previous line 'mahke to nazar aa jaaye kahin' - he's searching for her fragrance in the air. In all, he's hoping that the air will whisper to him about her whereabouts or give him a clue about how to find her.]]

(Sar ishk ki chhaon chal chhaiya-chhaiya...)

Main uske roop ka shaidaayi, wo dhoop-chhaon sa harjaayi

Wo shokh hai rang badalta hai, main rang-roop ka saudaayi

[[I'm an admirer of her beauty, but she's elusive like sun and shade.

She is playful and keeps changing her colors, and I deal in beauty and colors.

Rang badalta hai - Changes colors. Doesn't stay the same. Is fleeting and deceptive.

The other recurring theme in this song is the elusive nature of this beloved. She's been referred to as fragrance, dew drops, sun-and-shade at various points in this song - basically she's not easy to catch or pin down. She's like an enigma, which makes her all the more desirable to this saudaayi (derived from 'sauda' (trade).]]

(Jinke sar ho ishk ki chhaon...)

Totally unrelated: Watch SRK's jump atop the train at 3:30 minutes in the video.

Huzoor is kadar (Masoom)

Indian men are not known for their expressiveness. I'm not talking about writing novels or making movies (and recently, writing blogs) running over with emotions. I'm talking about them expressing their (soft) emotions (love, romance, happiness, sadness) in real life. Have you seen a middle-class, middle-aged Indian man tell his wife how beautiful she is, in public? I'm sure you haven't - because they just don't do that. 

Unless they're drunk.

We've often been to parties where a very disciplined and strict by the day uncle, after a peg or two, would suddenly go all soft, declaring his love for his wife, even singing songs for her. The shocked but amused wife will pretend to be angry and scandalized, though she's enjoying every minute of this attention.

All this has been perfectly captured in this song. Naseeruddin Shah and Saeed Jaffrey are at their suave but impish best, mirroring on screen the playfulness of Bhupinder and Suresh Wadkar's voice. This, in my opinion, is the ultimate grown-up party song :D

Lyrics, and translation

Huzoor is kadar bhi na itra ke chaliye

Khule aam aanchal na lehra ke chaliye

[[My lady, don't be so vain!

Don't walk with such a carefree, breezy attitude.

 In Indian society, women are supposed to cover themselves (in this case, in saree) and walk with care, so they wouldn't be considered promiscuous. So walking 'khule aam aanchal lehra ke' (with her scarf flowing away) would mean that she doesn't care what others are thinking about her. 

My translation might have made it look like it's said in a serious manner, but read it all as a playful banter - because that's how it is meant.]]

Koi manchala gar pakad lega aanchal

Zara sochiye aap kya keejiyega

Laga de agar, badh ke zulfon mein kaliyan

To kya apno zulfein jhatak deejiyega

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[What would you do, if someone starts flirting with you?

If someone puts flowers in your hair, would you simply wrench it off your hair?

(That's why, my lady, don't walk with such an attitude..)]]

Badi dilnasheen hain haseen ki ye ladiyaan

Ye moti magar yoon na bikhraaya keeje

Uda ke na le jaaye jhonka hawa ka

Lachakta badan yoon na lehraya keeje

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[Your smile is really divine, but don't waste these pearls so freely (on everyone who looks your way).

The way you seem to glide about, I'm afraid lest a gush of wind takes you away.

(That's why, my lady, don't walk so vainly...)]]

Bahot khoobsoorat hai har baat lekin

Agar dil bhi hota, to kya baat hoti

Likhi jati phir daastaan-e-mohabbat

Ek afsaane jaisi mulakat hoti

(Huzoor is kadar...)

[[Everything about you is beautiful, if only you also had a heart!

Then we'd have had a fairy-tale encounter, and stories would have been written about us.

(If only you were not so cruel and heartless, you would have noticed my love for you. And we might have even had a fairy-tale romance.]]

(Side note: As a kid I thought Javed Jaffrey was Saeed Jaffrey's son :D)