یہ جو ہلکا ہلکا سرور ہے - lyrics and translation
Learning to read Urdu while translating this qawwali song
This song (Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai) is a nice piece composed by the famous Pakistani qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997). The language is Urdu, which is essentially the Persianized counterpart of Hindi. As such, Urdu has a lot of words of Perso-Arabic origin, and is written in a Perso-Arabic script.
I’ve tried to learn how to read Urdu at several points in the past, but never gained proficiency. This post was largely an exercise in figuring out how the Urdu script and spelling conventions actually work. I found a website with the Urdu lyrics, and re-typed all of them using the Lexilogos Urdu keyboard. In the process, I started to memorize the individual letters and also the overall “shapes” of common words (especially pronouns). I also realized that there are a lot of subtleties. For one, it seems that the Arabic-origin words retain their original spelling, reflecting Arabic sounds that don’t exist in the Hindi language. I’m guessing that this is why, for example, there are three letters for the “s” sound (i.e. स): س ,ث ,ص. At some point, I’ll have to go back and do a systematic study of the script, but trying to learn it “on the fly” for this post was actually quite fruitful.
Urdu is written from right-to-left, which poses a challenge for word-for-word transliteration and translation. My approach here is to provide the Devanagari transliteration right under each Urdu word. This means that all the words in the Devanagari line are in reverse order. I’ve also used the Devanagari line to attach hyperlinks to entries in online dictionaries for words that I had to look up. Below the Devanagari is the natural English translation (left-to-right, of course). I’ve aligned all the text with the right-hand margin. If you’re reading this post anywhere other than the Substack website on a computer, the text will probably not be aligned properly. Sorry!
In terms of the actual translation - while I think that I probably got most of the grammar correct, there were a lot of words and phrases that I wasn’t really sure how to translate - probably mostly references from Islamic/Sufi traditions that I’m unfamiliar with.
You can listen to a short 8-minute version of the song here. This is the version I’m trying to translate (there are also other variations of the song).
The lyrics in Urdu script can be found here.
An existing translation (of a different version of the song) can be found here.
Lexilogos Urdu keyboard can be found here.
Online version of Platts Urdu/Hindi/English dictionary is here (this is sometimes useful over McGregor because you can see the Urdu spelling of the entries).
If you notice any issue in the spelling or translation, feel free to let me know.
Enjoy!
یہ جو ہالکا ہالکا سرور ہے है सुरूर हलका हलका जो यह This soft exhilaration, یہ تےری نظر کا قصور ہے है क़ुसूर का नज़र तेरी यह This is the fault of your eyes, کے شراب پینا سکھا دیا दिया सीखा पीना शराब के That has taught me how to drink. --- تیرے پیار نے تیری چاہ نے ने चाह तेरी ने प्यार तेरे Your love, your desire, تیری بہکی بہکی نگاہ نے ने निगाह बहकी बहकी तेरी Your frantic glance, مجھے ایک شرابی بنا دیا दियाा बना शराबी एक मुझे Have made me a drunkard. --- شراب کیسی خومار کیسا कैसा खुमार कैसी शराब What drink, what drunkenness, یہ سب تمہاری نوازشیں ہیں हैं नवाज़िशें तुम्हारी सब यह This is all your kindness! پلائی ہے کس نظر سے تو نے ने तू से नज़र किस है पिलाई From what eyes have you poured, کہ مجھکو اپنی خبر نہیں ہے है नहीं खबर अपनी मुझको कह Say, that I have forgotten myself! --- سارا جہان مست جہان کا نظام مست मस्त निज़ाम का जहाँ मस्त जहाँ सारा The entire world is intoxicated, the system of the world is intoxicated, قو مست شیشا مست سبّو مست جام مست मस्त जाम मस्त सुब्बु मस्त शीशा मस्त खूं The blood, glass, pitcher, and goblet are intoxicated, دن مست رات مست سحر مست شام مست मस्त शाम मस्त सहर मस्त रात मस्त दिन The day, night, dawn, and evening are all intoxicated! یوں تو ساقی ہر طرح کی تیری میخانے میں ہے है में मैखाने तेरे की तरह हर साक़ि तो यूँ Thus, every type of cup-bearer is in your tavern. --- وہ بھی تھوڑی سی جو ان آنکھوں کے پیمانے میں ہے है में पैमाने के आँखों इन जो सी थोड़ी भी वो That is also a little of what is measured out from your eyes! --- سب سمجھتا ہوں تیری عشوہ گَری ی ساقی साक़ि ए ईश्वागारी तेरी हूँ समझता सब I understand everything - your intoxicating flirtatiousness, کام کرتی ہے نظر نام ہے پیمانے کا का पैमाने है नाम नज़र है करती काम This is the work of the vision of the wine-pouring glass! --- ترا پیار ہے میری زندگی ज़िंदगी मेरी है प्यार तेरा Your love is my life, بس میری زندگی ترا پیار ہے है प्यार तेरा ज़िंदगी मेरी बस Your love alone is my life! --- نہ نماز آتی ہے مجھکو نہ وظو آتا ہے है आता वज़ू ना मुझे है आती नमाज़ ना Neither prayers nor ritual ablution come to me, سجدہ کر لیتا ہوں جب سامنے تو آتا ہے है आता तू सामने जब हूँ लेता कर सजदा I prostrate myself only when you are before me! --- ترا پیار ہے میری زندگی ज़िंदगी मेरी है प्यार तेरा Your love is my life, تیری یاد ہے میری بندگی बंदगी मेरी है याद तेरी Your memory is my devotion, جو تیری خوشی وہ میری خوشی ख़ुशी मेरी वह ख़ुशी तेरी जो That which is your happiness, is my happiness. --- یہ میرے جنون کا ہے معجزه मोजिज़ा है का जनून मेरे यह This is a miracle of my madness - جہاں اپنے سر کو جھوکا دیا दिया झुका को सर अपने जहाँ Wherever I have bowed my head, وہاں میں نے کعبہ بنا دیا दियाा बना काबा मैने वहाँ There I have created the Kaaba! --- میرے بعد کس کو ستاوگے सताओगे को किस बाद मेरे After me, who will you torment? --- میں نے ان کے سامنے اوّل تو خنجر رکھ دیا दिया रख ख़ंजर तो अव्वल सामने उनके मैने I have first kept the dagger in front of them, پھر کلیجہ رکھ دیا دل رکھ دیا سر رکھ دیا اور عرظں کیا किया अर्ज़ और दिया रख सर दिया रख दिल दिया रख कलेजा फिर Then I kept the liver, heart, head in front of them, and made my petition. --- میرے بعد کس کو ستاوگے सताओगे को किस बाद मेरे After me, who will you torment? مجھے کس طرح سے مٹاؤگے मिटाओगे से तरह किस मुझे In what manner will you erase me? کہاں جاکے تیری چلاوگے चलाओगे तीरि जाके कहां Where will you go and shoot your arrow? میری دستی کی بلائیں لو लो बलाएं की दोस्ती मेरी Protect my friendship, مجھے ھاتھہ اٹھاکر دعائیں دو दो दुआएं उठाकर हाथ मुझे Raise your hands and bless me, تمہیں ایک قاتل بنا دیا दिया बना क़ातिल एक तुम्हे [Those which] made you an assassin.