Thursday, April 09, 2009

Roti Hak di khaiye ji, paanve boot polishaan kariye..

This post is dedicated to Gurdas Mann. (Wiki here)

When we were growing up in the 1980s, he was THE legend. Today, as i listen to his songs all over again, am struck more and more that:
1. There is never any vulgarity in his videos, or songs.. never any double meaning.

2. The songs have an earthy, Punjabi feeling to them. The values that come up in his songs, are so Punjabi, and yet, popular opinion of Punjabis is not that. The only other people who used to speak like that is my grandparents. Wonder where that Punjabiyat went.. his songs, even the new ones, bring that value system alive again.

3. There is sooo much honesty and integrity in his voice.. and so much control! His Chhalla made me cry the first time I heard it, after 10 years, it still makes me cry every SINGLE time.

Here, then, is the Punjabiyat that comes from his songs(and that i do not hear anywhere else):
(Apologies to people who do not follow the language..i have not been able to translate most)

ਤੂ ਬੇਲਿ ਤੇ ਸਬ ਜਗ ਬੇਲੀ, ਅਨ-ਬੇਲੀ ਵੀ ਬੇਲੀ, ਬਾਜੋਂ ਸਜਨਾ ਦੇ, ਸੂਨੀ ਪਈ ਹਵੇਲੀ..

तू बेलि ते सब जग बेली, अन-बेली वी बेली, बाजों सजना दे, सूनी पई हवेली..
Poor Translation: There will be friends plenty if you are the host. When you are dead, not one of those friends will be around. (Choose your friends carefully)

ਕੀ ਮੁਨਿਯਾਦ ਵੇ ਬਨ੍ਦਿਯਾ ਤੇਰੀ, ਤੁ ਜਦ ਕਦ ਹੋਨਾ ਹੈ ਮਿਟ੍ਟੀਇਸ਼੍ਕ ਨੇ ਹਰ ਦਮ ਤਾਜ਼ਾ ਰੇਹਨਾ ਹੈ, ਭਾਂਵੇ ਦਾਡੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਯੇ ਚਿਟ੍ਟੀ!

की मुनियाद वे बन्दिया तेरी, तु जद कद होना है मिट्टी
इश्क़ ने हर दम ताज़ा रेहना है, भांवे दाडी हो जाये चिट्टी!

(Human beings will die , but love remains eternal, long after the body has aged)

ਰੋਟੀ ਹਕ ਦੀ ਖਾਈਯੇ ਜੀ, ਭਾਂਵੇ ਬੂਟ ਪਾਲਿਸ਼ਾਂ ਕਰਿਯੇ...

रोटी हक दी खाईये जी, भांवे बूट पालिशां करिये...
(Eat bread well earned, though the job be menial..)

ਹੁਸ੍ਨ ਜਵਾਨੀ ਮਾ-ਪੇ, ਓ ਤੀਨ ਰਂਗ ਨਹੀ ਯੋ ਲਬ੍ਨੇ,ਨਹੀ ਓ ਲਬ੍ਨੇ ਲਾਲ ਗੁਵਾਚੇ, ਮਿਟ੍ਟੀ ਨਾ ਪਰੋਲ ਜੋਗਿਯਾ..

हुस्न जवानी मा-पे, ओ तीन रंग नही यो लब्ने,
नही ओ लब्ने लाल गुवाचे, मिट्टी ना परोल जोगिया..

(beauty, youth and parents, once lost, are never found again, no matter how desperately you look.. these are treasures forever lost)

ਮਰੇ ਮੁਕਰੇ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਗਵਾਹ ਨਹੀ, ਤੇ ਸਾਥੀ ਕੋਈ ਨਹੀ ਜਗ ਤੋ ਚਲਯਾਂ ਦਾ,ਸਾਡੇ ਪੀਰਾਂ ਫਕੀਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਗਲ ਦਸ੍ਸੀ, ਹਾਸਾ ਸਾਰਯਾਂ ਦਾ ਤੇ ਰੋਨਾ ਕਲ੍ਯਾਂ ਦਾ..ਥੋਡਾ ਥੋਡਾ ਹਂਸ੍ਨਾ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਚਹਿਦਾ.. ਦੁਖ ਹੋਵੇ ਦਸਨਾ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਚਾਹਿਦਾ..

मरे मुकरे दा कोई गवाह नही, ते साथी कोई नही जग तो चलयां दा,
साडे पीरां फकीरां ने गल दस्सी, हासा सारयां दा ते रोना कल्यां दा..
थोडा थोडा हंस्ना ज़रूर चहिदा.. दुख होवे दसना ज़रूर चाहिदा..

(Laugh and the world laughs with you, Cry and you cry alone.. )
I specially love this song because earlier, the concept of "leaving people alone to be sad" just did not exist. If people insisted on being alone and sad, no one ever let them.. that is just what this song highlights..

ਅਪਨੇ ਪ੍ਯਾਰਯਾਂ ਦਾ, ਦਿਲ ਨਹੀ ਤੋਡੀਦਾ, ਔਖੇ ਵੇਲੇ ਸਜ੍ਨਾਂ ਤੋ, ਮੁਖ ਨਹੀ ਮੋਡੀਦਾ..

अपने प्यारयां दा, दिल नही तोडीदा, औखे वेले सज्नां तो, मुख नही मोडीदा..
(Don't hurt your loved ones, don't abandon them in their troubles)

ਯਾਰੀ ਵਿਚ ਨਫੇ ਨੁਕ੍ਸਾਨ ਨਹੀ ਓ ਵੇਖਿਦੇ, ਮਂਜ਼ਿਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਾਮਨੇ ਤੂਫਾਨ ਨਹੀ ਵੇਖਿਦੇਯਾਰਂ ਦੇ ਗੁਨਾਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਹਿਸਾਬ ਨਹੀ ਓ ਜੋਡੀਦਾ..

यारी विच नफे नुक्सान नही ओ वेखिदे, मंज़िलां दे सामने तूफान नही वेखिदे
यारं दे गुनाहां दा हिसाब नही ओ जोडीदा..

(Friendship is not a business, there is no account of a friend's mistakes)

किसे दियां खुशियां ते पानी नही रोडीदा..(don't ruin someone's happiness)
किसे दी गरीबी दा मज़ाक नही उडायीदा...(never laugh at anyone's poverty)
ख़िडे होये फूलां नु नही, तली ते मरोडीदा..

ਛਡ ਤੇਰਿਯਾਂ ਤੇ ਮੇਰਿਯਾਂ, ਤੇਰੇ ਉਤ੍ਤੇ ਰਬ ਦਿਯਾਂ ਰੇਹਮਤਾਂ ਬਥੇਰਿਯਾਂਅਪਨੀ ਔਕਾਤ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਵਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੋਡੀਦਾ..

छड तेरियां ते मेरियां, तेरे उत्ते रब दियां रेहमतां बथेरियां
अपनी औकात नालों वद नहीं लोडीदा..

(Why bother with what is mine and what is yours.. the same God has given to both of us..
Want not more than you can afford, and you will not be unhappy)
- This thought also i love. When we were growing up, we would often complain about how little we had compared to the other children in class. My grandmother always taught me to compare, not with children who have more than me, but with children who have so much lesser.. her exact words were आँख नीवी रखो
अपने तो थल्ले तको , उत्ते नही॥


ਆਂਖ ਨੀਵੀ ਰਖੋਅਪਨੇ ਤੋ ਥਲ੍ਲੇ ਤਕੋ , ਉਤ੍ਤੇ ਨਹੀ॥
Very different from what we do today..

More on Gurdas Mann coming up.. do come back, not just for Gurdas Mann, but also to know about the lost Punjabiyat.. of what being a Punjabi really meant..

18 comments:

Mampi said...

THANK YOU FOR posting it here.
Will get back to you in a few minutes about the Gurmukhi script part.

rainboy said...

i love this song..have u heard..challa by gurdaa maan

BK Chowla, said...

You are right.I like theexpression PUNABIAT you have used.In earlier days,the music was soothing and the lyrics were so touchy and meaningful.Well,today you have lyrics....kaminey and bhootni ke

Lucifer said...

i love gurdaas maan...n abs hate d punjabi nos they have in bollywood movies...oh n cud i frgt those abs ridiculous punjabi songs by UK based punjabis...its a shame

but no doubt gurdaas maan rocks

ram said...

hi, never heard his songs seriously. you make him sound really interesting. waiting for some more translations.

The Phosgene Kid said...

True about the friends not being around when you are dead, but then you won't care, you'll be dead, right?

Blackcougar said...

I absolutely love the guy .. he made so much sense .. its tough sometimes to get my friends to hear his music .. so I spice it up by keeping my hands on the pause button and translating them at the go :)

My favs:
1.Peed tere jaan di kidan
2.Sajna ve Sajna

EXSENO said...

Sometimes you don't have to understand the words to appreciate the singer and the music. I love to listen to all kinds of music and just like music that I understand the words to, some I like and some I don't. Still I enjoy.

kj said...

i've never heard him! i will make sure i do soon. i've enjoyed reading your wise interpretations. great advice from start to finish. i especially like your grandmother's counsel to compare yourself not to people who have more but to those who have less. that is a great way to look at life!

it's always a pleasure when you visit my blog.
xo

How do we know said...

HI Mampi: Anytime is gud to send it back. Will change the post then.

Hi oo7: I have.. thats the song i said makes me cry..every single time. The post also has a link to a Youtube video of Challa the original.

Hi Mr. Chowla: I laughed out loud at that last line.. kaminey and bhootni ke.. so true!!

Hi Mayz: Couldnt agree more..

Hi Ram: Coming right up. The best songs are still not here..

Hi Phos: Yes, you will not care, but the people you leave behind will care.. i was thinking of this friend we lost when she was just 17. Her mother was devastated.. and all of us, her friends, formed a sort of circle around her - calling her, meeting her for months, until she was able to consider her life again.. For no particular reason, i was thinking of her mother again yesterday..

Hi Blackcougar: :-) My favorite - Roti Hak di khaiye ji.. and Apna punjab hove..

Hi Exseno: Maybe u shld then try the Youtube video link in the post - look for a word called "Chhalla" in the post - it links to the Youtube video of the song. Tell me what you think.. the song is a folk song, but his rendition of it is amazing.

Hi kj: Its always a pleasure for me too :-) to visit ur blog..
Maybe you could also try the Youtube Video for a sample of his music. Look at the response to Exseno above. this is the song that always makes me cry..

mathew said...

talkin of things which are punjabi..the best thing i like is the food..absolutely delicious..now i need to explore the music..will chk out..

delhidreams said...

thanks with all my heart howdy :)

How do we know said...

Hi Mathew: Yes, that and the flamboyance, the aggression.. this side of being a Punjabi is almost forgotten.. :-) never mind the brash cacophony being sold as Punjabi music. it is as Indian as Chindian food is Chinese.. Try Prakash Kaur, Gurdas Mann et al.. try a site called www.apnaorg.com for REAL Punjabi music..

Hi adi: Thanks kyun???

J P Joshi said...

These songs are beautiful; your effort and narration are excellent; and your writeup does bring out the feel of the Punjabiyat. And like someone said bollywood is using Punjabi in songs, but not the actual spirit of Punjab. The latest being, "khasma nu khani mar jaani". I enjoy the lyrics but the meaning of these words bothers me. Punjabiyat is all about the spirit of the people of Punjab - loud, boisterous, aggressive, BUT very very helpful to anyone in need. In my younger days my Bullet and me have been stranded on lonely highways at many places, all over India, and it was always a Punjabi truck driver who stopped to help and provide liquor (which I would decline, I am a teetotaller) and food, at their expense. The others only stopped to take advantage of my helplessness. I am proud of being an Indian from Punjab.

Anonymous said...

Hello !.
You may , probably curious to know how one can make real money .
There is no need to invest much at first. You may start to get income with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you thought of all the time
AimTrust represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with affiliates everywhere: In USA, Canada, Cyprus.
Do you want to become really rich in short time?
That`s your choice That`s what you wish in the long run!

I feel good, I began to take up income with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. If it gets down to select a proper companion utilizes your savings in a right way - that`s it!.
I take now up to 2G every day, and my first investment was 500 dollars only!
It`s easy to get involved , just click this link http://ahybypije.angelcities.com/ezoqusix.html
and go! Let`s take our chance together to become rich

Anonymous said...

Hi !.
You re, I guess , probably curious to know how one can reach 2000 per day of income .
There is no initial capital needed You may begin earning with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you thought of all the time
AimTrust represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with affiliates everywhere: In USA, Canada, Cyprus.
Do you want to become really rich in short time?
That`s your choice That`s what you wish in the long run!

I`m happy and lucky, I began to get income with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. If it gets down to choose a proper companion utilizes your savings in a right way - that`s it!.
I take now up to 2G every day, and what I started with was a funny sum of 500 bucks!
It`s easy to get involved , just click this link http://evulacara.the-best-free-web-hosting.com/nahipy.html
and go! Let`s take this option together to get rid of nastiness of the life

Anonymous said...

Hello !.
You may , perhaps curious to know how one can collect a huge starting capital .
There is no initial capital needed You may commense to get income with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you thought of all the time
AimTrust represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with affiliates everywhere: In USA, Canada, Cyprus.
Do you want to become really rich in short time?
That`s your chance That`s what you really need!

I feel good, I began to take up real money with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. It`s all about how to choose a proper partner who uses your money in a right way - that`s it!.
I take now up to 2G every day, and my first investment was 500 dollars only!
It`s easy to get involved , just click this link http://pesijymuk.maddsites.com/ymaducyt.html
and go! Let`s take our chance together to feel the smell of real money

Anonymous said...

Hello. And Bye.