MADHUSHAALAA
Madhushala is one of Shri. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's most famous compositions. Here is a text of some of it (not the whole of it though), which was initially put on the India Discussion Digest by Najid Hussain. The translation was done by him too. The twenty stanzas which follow were chosen for the audio cassette by Manna Dey in which the first one was sung by Harivanshrai himself.
Hindi | English |
madiraalay jaane ko ghar se, chaltaa hae peene waalaa kis path se jaaoon asamanjas, mein hae woh bholaabhaalaa alag alag path batalaate sab, par maen yeh batalaataa hun raah pakad tu eka chalaachal, paa jaa aega madhushaalaa |
(madiraalay = the house of liquor, pub) With the intention of going to the pub, the drink-seeker starts from home He is confused as to which path should he choose to reach there Different people show different paths, but I suggest only one thing Take one path (any one) and just keep going, you will get MADHUSHAALAA. |
sun kalkal chhalchhal, madhughat se girti, praanon mein haalaa sun runjhun runjhun jal vitaran, karti madhusati baalaa bas aa ponhche door nahin kutchh, chaar kadam ab chalna hae behak rahe sun peene waale, mehak rahi le madhushaalaa |
(haalaa = liquor) Sounding like a spring, the liquor's falling and filling the lives There are sounds like those of pretty, intoxicating girls playing at the water We have almost reached, just a few more steps to go The very thought is making the drink-seekers sway and MADHUSHAALAA redolent. |
lal sura si dhaar lapatetee, keh na ise dena jwalaa Yeh nil madira hae mat isko, keh dena ur ka chhaalaa dard nashaa hae is madira ka, vigat smrutiyan saaqi hein peeda mein aanand jise ho, aaey meri MADHUSHAALAA |
(saaqi = the one who serves intoxicating drinks; bar tender) It [madhu] flares like a red sword, but don't call it fire Don't even call it the abscess of the heart Pain is its intoxication and receding memories its bar-tender [provider] That who endures or enjoys pain only must come to my Madhushaalaa |
dharm granth sab jalaa chuki hein, jiske bheetar ki jwalaa mandir, masjid, girje sab kuchh, toade chuka jo matwaalaa pandit, momin, padariyon ke, phandon ko jo kaat chuka kar sakti hae aaj usi ka, swaagat meri MADHUSHAALAA |
(dharm granth = holy book of any religion) That, whose fire from within, has burnt all holy books of his religion That, who has demolished all his personal religious structures- temple, mosque or church That who has freed himself from the clutches of religious priests- Pandit, Imam or Bishop That alone is today welcome in my Madhushaalaa. |
Laalaa in adharon se jisne, haay nahein choomi haalaa harshit kampit kar se jisne, haay na chhuwaa madhu ka pyaalaa haath pakad lajjit saaqi ka, paas nahein jisne kheenchaa vyarth sukhaa daali jeevan ki, usne madhumaya MADHUSHAALAA. |
(lajjit = bashful, reticent) If one has not yet kissed a "drink" with his lips, And has not yet felt the "pail" with delight and trembling hands. If one has not yet held the hands of the bashful "bar-tender" and pulled her towards oneself, Such a person has totally wasted his life's wonderful Madhushaalaa. |
bane pujaari premi saaqi, gangaajal pawan haalaa rahe pherata avirat gati se, madhu ke pyaalon ki maalaa aur liye jaa, aur piye jaa, isi mantra ka jaap kare maen Shiv ki pratimaa ban baethun, mandir ho yeh MADHUSHAALAA. |
(Shiva = the god of destruction, Siva) He [the drink-seeker] imagines the beloved bar-tender as the priest, and the drink as holy water of Ganges, And counts rapidly [a mantra] on the rosary of his pails, His only mantra is "Take more. Drink more." [In his imagination] he becomes the image of Shiva and his temple, Madhushaalaa. |
aek baras mein aek baar hi jalti holi ki jwaalaa aek bar hi lagti baazi, jagti deepon ki maalaa duniya waalo kintu kisi din, aa madiraalaya mein dekho din ko holi raat diwali, roze manati MADHUSHAALAA. |
(holi = festival of bonfire and colors) Once a year [you] celebrate holi by lighting a fire and Only once a year [you] celebrate diwali with fire-crackers and illuminating houses However, someday [you] should come and see in the "bar" Every day holi and every night diwali, celebrates Madhushaalaa. |
adharon par ho koee bhi ras, jiwha par lagti haalaa han jag ho koee haathon mein, lagta rakkha hae pyaalaa har surat saaqi ki surat, mein parivartit ho jaati aankhon ke aage ho kuchh bhi, aankhon mein hae MADHUSHAALAA. |
(ras = juice, fluid, taste) Whatever may come to [my] lips, tastes only "liquor" at the tongue Whatever may come in [my] hands, feels only like the "pail" Every face [before me] turns into the face of the "bar-tender" In front of [my] eyes there may be anything, but in [my] eyes, there's only Madhushaalaa.) |
sumukhi tumhara sundar mukh hi, mujh ko kanchan kaa pyaalaa chhalak rahi hae, jisme, maNik roop madhur maadak haalaa maen hi saaqi banta maen hi, peene waala banta hun jahan kahin mil baethe ham tum, vahin gaee ho MADHUSHAALAA |
(sumukhi = one with a beautiful face, a beautiful lady) Hey [my] charming lady, your beautiful face is like the golden "pail" [to me] which is teeming with the wonderful, sweet, intoxicating wine. I am the bar-tender and I alone is the one who drinks Wherever we two get together, we have Madhushaalaa. |
do din hee madhu mujhe pilaa kar, oob uthi saaqi baalaa bhar kar ab khiska daetee hae, woh merae aage pyaalaa naaz-o-adaa andaazon se ab, haae pilaanaa door huwaa ab to kar detee hae kewal, farz-adaaee MADHUSHAALAA |
(oob uthi = got tired) Within two days of presenting me with the wine, the bar-tender [my love] got tired. Now she just fills the pail and quite curtly places it before me. That enticing and seducing charm in presenting the drink no more exists. Now the only one who still fulfills its obligation is Madhushaalaa. |
chhote se jeevan mein kitnaa, pyaar karoon, pee loon haalaa aane ke hi saath jagat mein, kahlaayaa jaane waalaa swaagat ke hi saath bidaa ki, hoatee dekhee tayyaari band lagee hone khulate hi, maeri jeevan MADHUSHAALAA. |
(pyaar = love, adoration, devotion, admiration) In this brief life, how much can I love, how much can I drink Right on arrival in this world, I became 'destined-to-go' Parting and farewell arrangements I have seen just following welcome Barely upon opening, started to close my life's wonderful madhushaalaa. |
shaant saki ho kab tak saaqi, pee kar kis ur ki jwaalaa aur aur ki raTan lagaataa, jaataa har peene waalaa kitni ichchhaaen, har jaane waalaa chhod yahan jaataa kitne armaanon ki ban kar, qabra khadee hae MADHUSHAALAA. |
(ur = heart) No ones' fire-of-the-heart ever got abated after drinking Every one who drinks, only asks for more and more The departer leaves behind himself so many desires and ambitions All those aspirations get buried under the grave of Madhushaalaa. |
Yam aaegaa saaqi ban kar, saath liye kaali haalaa pee na hoash mein phir aaegaa, sura visudh yah matwaalaa yah antim behoashi, antim saaqi, antim pyaala hae pathik pyaar se peena isko, phir na milaegi MADHUSHAALAA. |
(Yam = angel of death: myth is that he comes on buffalo) Yam will arrive as a wineserver and will bring with him dark wine After drinking it, the cheerful drinker will never regain conscious again This is the last intoxication, last wineserver and the last pail Hey Traveller, drink it with love, for you will never again get Madhushaalaa. |
girti jaati hae din prati-din, praNayani praNon ki haalaa bhagna huwa jaata din prati-din, shubhage mera tan pyaala rooTh raha hae mujhse roopasi, din din yauwan ka saaqi sookh rahi hae din din sundari, meri jeevan MADHUSHAALAA. |
(praN = soul, life, existence) Day by day, the beloved wine of my existence is dropping down Day by day, the pail of my body is disintegrating Day by day, the beautiful wineserver of my youth is getting annoyed with me And day by day, my lovely life's Madhushaalaa is drying up. |
maere adharon par ho antim, vastu na tulsidal pyaalaa maeri jiwha par ho antim, vastu na gangaajal haalaa maere shav ke peechhe chalne waalo, yaad ise rakhnaa Ram naam hae satya na kehnaa, kehnaa sachchee MADHUSHAALAA |
(Tulsi = Basil leaves; regarded holy and used in last-rites) The last thing on my lips shouldn't be the basil but the "pail" The last thing on my tongue shouldn't be the holy water from ganges but the wine Those who join my last procession, must remember one thing They shouldn't say "Ram is the truth", instead say the truth is Madhushaalaa. |
maere shav par vah roae ho, jiske aansoo mein haalaa aah bhare voh ho jo surbhit, madiraa pee kar matwaalaa daen mujhko ve kandha jinke, pag-mag-dag-mag hoate hoan aur jaloon us Thaor jahan par, kabhi rahi ho MADHUSHAALAA |
(roae = cry, weep) Only that must weep on my corpse, whose tears are full of wine Only that must sigh, who is intoxicated after drinking Only those must lay shoulder to me whose legs jerk and quaver And I must be cremated on the site where once stood Madhushaalaa. |
Home Me Poetry India Links Send Me Mail
(C)Copyright Kshitij Jain, 1996
Visitor Number Since June 10th, 1998