I was in tears after reading this on FB and could not stop myself from sharing it here:



This is what Soumya Roy ji wrote along with this song:

Let me share with you a story I had heard from Anal Chatterjee's mouth. Btw, Sir Salil had three famous proteges all of whom blossomed into first class music directors in Bangla modern music without copying Salil's style. They were Anal Chatterjee, Prabir Mazumdar and Abhijit Banerjee."Koto gaan ... See Morehaaralam" is an Anal Chatterjee score of unmatched beauty. In his own words, this was a song composed in 1964 at a time Geeta Dutt's personal life was in shambles and the lady had become a wreck and a recluse. With a lot of effort Anal had managed to get Geeta to hear the song. So tremendous was its impact that she heard it just once and was ready to record. She cried through the entire recording, streams of tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks and throat smudging the inked lyric sheet mounted on the metal stand below the recording mike beyond legibility. But Geeta didn't need to see the words any more - it was a song that reflected her life .....

Lyrics of this song are as follows. Requesting help on the translation:

Song : Kato Gaan Haralam Tomar Maajhe

Private Song

Composer : Anal Chatterjee

Lyricist : Prabodh Ghosh

Singer : Geeta Dutt

Kato Gaan Haralam Tomar Maajhe,

Aajke Keno Go Balo Shei Gaan Dola Dey Shokal-Sanjhe?

Tumi Nei Shur Nei Kande Je Akaash.

Phuleder Mone Nei Oolir Bilaash.

Tabu Keno Shey Diner Dokhin Bataash Dhara Diye Jaay Aajo Shakol Kaaje?

Jakhon Jeebane Mor Choiti Jharar Bela Shesh.

Takhan Keno Go Balo Basanta Phule Phule Hashe?

Aei Raat Aei Gaan Swapnamoy.

Keno Aar Daake Michhe Shei Aaleya?

Keno Aaj Bone-Bone Shey Aalo-Chhaya?

Bholaay Mon Aeki Natun Saaje?

Any one please?

Translate In Englsih .."Meaning Of The Song " ..Or The Same ...

Dear Debopriyo

You can either tell us the meaning of the song in a few lines or give the complete line by line translation

Thanks
Parag

Thanks to our friend Punya, here is the line by line translation of this song:

Kato Gaan Haralam Tomar Maajhe,
kitne nagme tum me kho chuki hu main

Aajke Keno Go Balo Shei Gaan Dola Dey Shokal-Sanjhe?
pata nhi aaj wo sare nagme kyu subah shaam yaad aa rhe hain

Tumi Nei Shur Nei Kande Je Akaash.
tum nhi ho isiliye sare sur bhi kho gye hain…. aur isiliye ye aasman bhi ro rha hain

Phuleder Mone Nei Oolir Bilaash.
phulo se khushbo bhi kho gyi hain kahi

Tabu Keno Shey Diner Dokhin Bataash Dhara Diye Jaay Aajo Shakol Kaaje?
phir bhi pata nhi kyu dakshin ki hawa aaj bhi subah subah muje sehlati hain

Jakhon Jeebane Mor Choiti Jharar Bela Shesh.
jab mere jivan ki khushi ki dhara khatam ho gyi hain

Takhan Keno Go Balo Basanta Phule Phule Hashe?
tab pata nahi kyu basant har phul me hasta dikhayi de rha hain

Aei Raat Aei Gaan Swapnamoy.
aaj is raat me ye gana sapne jaisa lagta hain

Keno Aar Daake Michhe Shei Aaleya?
pata nahi wo aaleya muje jhut mut kyu bulati hain

Keno Aaj Bone-Bone Shey Aalo-Chhaya?
pata nahi kyu aaj van (jungle) me dhup chaya ka khel kyu chal rha hain.....

Bholaay Mon Aeki Natun Saaje?
aaj pata nhi mera man ye kis nyi sajja me saja hain

Our friend Sounak Gupta has not only done the translation but also a more detailed analysis of the song. The song was probably recorded in 1962. So it can not be Guru Dutt Ji's sudden death that caused Geeta Ji pain to render the song. Since it is indeed a melancholic song and Sri Anal Chatterjee admits finding tears rolling down the singer's cheeks, it seems like Geeta Ji was thinking of her lonely condition at the time.

Thanks a lot Sounak for your efforts..


Song : Kato Gaan Haralam Tomar Majhe

Recording Year : 1962

Composer : Anal Chatterjee

Lyricist : Prabodh Ghosh

Lyrics (Line 1) : Kato Gaan Haralam Tomar Majhe,

Literal Translation (Line 1) : Lost So Many Songs Amidst You,

Meaning (Line 1) : On the allegorical plane, “Gaan” (which actually means “Song”) refers to love. The person says that he or she (you may consider ‘her’ in this case) has dedicated herself to him (her departed beloved) and given him utmost love (in poetic words, the love has been lost (Haralam) amidst the beloved (Tomar Majhe).

Lyrics (Line 2) : Aajke Keno Go Balo Shei Gaan Dola Daey Sakal Kaaje?

Literal Translation (Line 2) : Why Today That Song Sways In My Mind In Whatever I Do?

Meaning (Line 2) : In such a time, when she can not get back her beloved, she reminisces the past days of share of love between the two. This memory brings down gloominess in her mind.

Lyrics (Line 3) : Tumi Nei Shur Nei Kande Je Akaash,

Literal Translation (Line 3) : You Are Absent Hence Tunes Are Absent And The Skies Lament,

Meaning (Line 3) : She laments that the departure of her beloved has broken the tune of her life and in all her imaginations (compared to “Akaash” or the sky) there is only sorrow at present.

Lyrics (Line 4) : Phuleder Mone Nei Oolir Bilash.

Literal Translation (Line 4) : The Minds Of The flowers Get No Chance To Comfort The Bees.

Meaning (Line 4) : To her the whole world seems to have become full of darkness and she visualizes that the bees, having got the sorrowful news of the end of her beloved, have given up drinking nectar from the heart of flowers.

Lyrics (Line 5) : Tabu Keno Shey Diner Dokhin Batash Dhora Diye Jaay Aajo Shakol Kaaje?

Literal Translation (Line 5) : Yet Why Do The Southern Winds Meet Me In Whatever I Do?

Meaning (Line 5) : To her it seems that the winds are carrying to her the fond memories of the days when she and her beloved were together, at all times. She questions why the winds do so.

Lyrics (Line 6) : Jakhon Jeebane Mor Chaiti Jhorar Bela Shey,

Literal Translation (Line 6) : When The Time Has Come For My Happy Days To End,

Meaning (Line 6) : She knows that this is the time since when the colourful days of her life will be over. (“Chaiti” is the poetic form of the word “Chaitra” which is the last month of the Bengali calendar and she knows that “Chaiti” or end has come to the joyful days of her life too).

Lyrics (Line 7) : Takhon Keno Go Balo Basanta Phule-Phule Hashe?

Literal Translation (Line 7) : At Such A Time Why Does The Spring Smile Through All Its Flowers?

Meaning (Line 7) : “Basanta” is the Bengali word for the colourful spring season. She laments that although this is her “Chaiti Jharar Bela” or end of happy days, “Basanta Phule-Phule Hashe” or colourful memories of the past haunts her mind.

Lyrics (Line 8) : Aie Raat Aie Gaan Swapna-Maya,

Literal Translation (Line 8) : This Night And This Song Is All My Dream,

Meaning (Line 8) : She realizes that the colourful spring that plays hide and seek with her mind (takes her memory to the past happy days) is false like a dream and those colourful days would never return.

Lyrics (Line 9) : Keno Aar Daake Michhe Shei Aaleya?

Literal Translation (Line 9) : Why Does The False Will-O-Wisp Call Me Again?

Meaning (Line 9) : Memories of her past days appear now as false will-o-wisps to her. Hence she laments that she just can not forget those colourful days although she is wishing to.

Lyrics (Line 10) : Keno Aaj Bone-Bone Shey Aalo-Chhaya,

Literal Translation (Line 10) : Why In The Forests Is This Game Of Light And Shadow,

Meaning (Line 10) : She questions why the sun goes on playing the light and shadow game with the trees hence not letting a complete reality (either light or shadow) take shape.

Lyrics (Line 11) : Bhulaay Ae Mon Ae Ki Notun Shaaje?

Literal Translation (Line 11) : Falsely Guide My Mind To This New Attire?”

Meaning (Line 11) : She imagines that just in the same way as above, memories of her past happy days are playing the light and shadow game with her (endlessly haunting her soul) and not letting her mind be confirmed that her beloved is no more (thoughts reflecting her blissful past are confusing her to such an extent that she can not identify the reality).

A school boy has done that!

The poet Punya shows her talent too.

Applause to both.

parag,
thanks for the topic.

punya and sounak,
thanks for the translation.

regards,
mahesh

Parag,

My heartfelt thanks to you for sharing this gem with us. I never cease to wonder about the nuggets about Geetaji you dig out to share with us. It is such a rare and great opportunity to be associated with you and all the folks who make it happening each and every day on Geetaji's website. My humble and sincere thank you to all of you wonderful folks. I feel so privileged as an ardent fan to belong to such a wonderful group of talented people ...

Also my many thanks to Punyaji for a great translation. Punyaji ko punya milegi jo itni shraddha se yeh gaane ka maani samjhaayen...

Cheers,
Swarapriya

Yes HB, it is very creditable that Sounak, a student of tenth standard has helped us with the detailed translation (it is actually more of poetic analysis) of this lovely song. I can not thank him enough for this kind gesture.

God bless Sounak.

Mahesh

It was by chance that I happened to see this post by Soumya Roy ji on FB. I will write a blog post on how I discovered this incident. Hearfelt thanks to Soumya ji, Punya and Sounak for sharing the treasure behind this song.

After reading the meaning of the song, I got a feeling that (strictly IMHO) the Hindi film composers probably did not do much justice to Geeta ji from mid-fifties onwards. In comparison to that relatively lesser number of songs in Bengali are much superior in quality and lyrical beauty.

Regards
Parag

Swarapriya

I am glad to see that you liked this topic. I simply keep searching various communities on the net to find any information on Geeta ji. It is the passion from her voice that keeps me motivated in doing this and will continue to do so forever. My sincerest thanks to Punya and Sounak for providing the details of this lovely song. That way we could understand the incident much better.

Parag