Kaisi Hori machaai Kanhai
Acharaj lakhiyo na jaai
(The Holi you played, O Krishna,
is truly wondrous to behold)
Ek samay Shri Krishna Prabhu ko
Hori khelan man bhaai
(A time came, when the Lord Sri Krishna
desired to play Holi )
Ek se Hori mache nahi kabahu
Ya te kari bahutaai
Yehi Prabhu ne theheraai
(Holi cannot be played by One alone,
And so He created many)
Paanch bhoot ki dhaatu mila kar
Ant pichkari banaai
(By combining the five elements
His 'pichkari', He made)
Choudah bhuvan rang bheetar bhar kar
Nana roop dharaai
(Filling it with fourteen colours of the world
Myriad forms, did He create )
Prakat bhaye Krishan Kanhai
Kaisi Hori machaai....
(And thus appeared Krishna Kanhai )
Paanch bishaya ki gulaal bana kar
Beech brahmand udaai
(Gulaal (colour) made of the five vishaya(materials)*
Into the universe, He sprayed )
Jin jin nain gulaal padi woh
Sudh budh sab bisraai
Nahi soojhat apnaai
Kaisi Hori machaai....
(All those eyes which caught the gulaal
Lost all sense
Of their true identity)
Ved anit anjan ki silaka
Jisne nain me paai
(All those who received the kajal
Of the Vedas in their eyes)
Brahmanand jiska tam naasyo
Soojh gayi apnaayi
(The ecstasy of Brahman destroyed their darkness
Their true selves, they found )
Hori kachu bani na banaai
And Krishna could no longer play Holi with them
Kaisi hori machaai Kanhai .....
* paanch bishaya means objects related to the five senses and the negative emotions which arise from them - 'kaam', 'krodh', 'lobh', 'mad', 'moh' ie. desire, anger, greed, arrogance ,attachment.
The original lines have such a lively bounce to them when recited. Of course i dont know enough hindi to enjoy literary works, so your translation was a great help in appreciating the essence of the song. The imagery may seem rather stilted in English, but i read it through a mental vernacular( tamil)filter. i have to agree with you that it is as exquisitely profound as it is simple and earthy. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome,Yosee!The poetry of the greats is really amazing.Translation seems a hopeless effort.Every syllable is so perfectly in place that reading, reciting,singing is a joy.Sri Aurobindo says that any literary work which stands the test of time, descends from a higher consciousness.The human creator is merely a conduit.He himself wrote for hours at a stretch, without showing any sign of mental or physical fatigue.Milton too, after 'Paradise Lost'said he did not know how he wrote it.The poetry of Sur, Tulsi,Mira,Kabir and so many others will never be affected by time.
ReplyDeleteAll good works of any art are only due to divine inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI've also heard people who achieve something impossible say " something" strengthened me, pushed me, to complete it.
Hi! Nice! 'I' started humming the song!
ReplyDeleteIt is perhaps sung based on raga 'Kafi' that is generally used for many Holi related compositions...
Yes, the general essence of the song is that human beings get distracted by the variety of colours that go into the making of the solar system (14 planets or bhuvans created by Krishna, or Black, the real colour)...and only those who can control the mind and avoid attachment with the material or poisonous world that creates 'tamas' or darkness in vision of the interior, can alone reach the inner self, the 'Absolute Truth'...
It is just 'my thought' that, like 'Yogananda', 'Brahmanand' was perhaps the pseudonym of an ancient saint. In the olden days it was an accepted style to include in the poem poet's name also. For example, "Kahat Kabir suno bhai sadho...", or "Mira ke prabhu Giridhar nagar..." etc.
ReplyDeleteHello Joshi Uncle,
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving the meaning of 'choudah bhuvan rang'! I was actually thinking of asking you.This bhajan has been sung by Ashwini Bhide in the Bhaktimala-Krishna series of Music Today.I do not think Brahmanand is the name of the poet in this case, though of course, the poets did put their name in the poems most of the time.
Hi Rwitoja, 'Knowledge is the only wealth that multiplies by division, or sharing'!
ReplyDeleteIt is because 'I' am interested in gemology that 'I' learnt how different gems are related with some particular form of energy and also with some particular member of the solar system, Sun through Saturn (surya putra related with iron, blue colour, and direction west)...and so on...
bai mujey to kuch b smj nahi aye pl koi punjabi main v song likh 2
ReplyDeletegf
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the festival of colors by using latest cool and amazing facebook statuses and quotes on http://www.123status.com/status/holi .
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Happy Holi to all of you....
Happy Holi to all of You
ReplyDelete