A non-hindi speaking friend of mine had asked me the meaning of “Rehna tu” song from Delhi-6. Since I love translating songs, I couldn’t stop myself from translating it instantly. Prasoon Joshi’s great as ever. Without much frill, posting the translation. I am not much clear about the deeper meaning of the last stanza. Any suggestion people?
Rehna tu, Hai jaisa tu
Stay as you are
Thoda sa dard tu, Thoda Sukun
A little pain, a little relief
Rehna Tu, Hai Jaisa Tu
Stay as you are
Dheema Dheema jhonka, Ya phir junoon
A gentle breeze, a strong gust of wind
Thoda sa resham, Tu hamdam
A little silky, you are my love
Thoda sa khurdura
A little rough
Kabhi tu adh jaaye, Ya ladh jaaye
Sometimes you are stubborn, Sometimes you end up fighting
Ya khushboo se bhara
Sometimes (you are) full of fragrance (sweetness)
Tujhe badalna na chahoon
Don’t want to change you
Rati bhar bhi sanam
Not even a bit
Bina sajawat milawat
Undecorated, Unaltered
Na zyaada na hi kam
Neither more nor less
Tuhje chaahon, jaisa hai tu
I like you, just the way you are
Mujhe teree barish mein beegna hai ghuljana hai
I want to drench myself in rain (of your love).. I seek union with youTujhe chaahon, jaisa hai tu
I like you, just the way you are
Mujhe tere lapat mein jalna rakh ho jana hai
I want to get burnt in your tresses…burn away to ashes
Tu zakham de agar
If you torment me,
Marham bhi aakar tu lagaaye
You soothe me too
Zakham mein bhi mujhko pyaar aaye
Even in pain, I find you adorableDariya oooo dariya
Doobne de mujhe dariya
Doobne de mujhe dariya
Let me sink in your love (river-like)
Rehna Tu, Hai Jaisa Tu
Stay as you areThoda sa dard tu, Thoda Sukun
A little pain, a little relief
Rehna Tu, Hai Jaisa Tu
Dheema Dheema jhonka, Ya phir junoon
A gentle light breeze or a strong gust of windHaath thaam chalna ho
If we hold hands and walk
To dono ke daye haath sang kaise
Then how our right hands will be intertwined
Haath thaam chalna ho
If we hold our hands
To dono ke daye haath sang kaise
Then how our right hands will be intertwined
Ek daaya hoga, ek baaiya hoga
Only the left and right hands can join
Tham le, haath yeh thaam le
Hold my hands…hold my hands dear
Chalna hai sang thaam le
Hold my hands…in the journey (of life)
Big Bang Bong 
Hi Tinkerbell… I googled for the translation of Rehna Tu and that’s how I chanced upon your site. Thanks a bunch! I am not a Hindi Speaker, though I can’t help but notice that Ghenda Phool and Masakali doesn’t really sound Hindi. Is it Punjabi? Correct me if I’m wrong.
🙂
thanks – G
both the songs are in Hindi dear.
@G, Gendha phool song is in some local dialect like bhojpuri. Masakali is simply a name. The song is in hindi though
Hey!
Thanks so much for this translation. Was googling for this and came across your site.
I love the song even more knowing their meaning now!
Gorgeous stuff!
🙂
ahhhh at lastttt….
thank you so much, i was looking for the meaning of the song for almost an hour….now i know why i fell in love with this song:)
i speak hindi too and i think the translation could have been explained better. the song is very poetic and some stuff loses its meaning when translated literally. nonetheless, a job well done. love the song!
@G:
Genda Phool – Marigold (flower)
Masakali – a type of bird
both are in hindi, although masakali is kinda obscure!
I am not a native hindi speaker. Just a try! I do agree that some meaning is lost when translated literally
The lyrics reminds me of Bob Dylan’s All I Really Want To Do
I ain’t lookin’ to compete with you,
Beat or cheat or mistreat you,
Simplify you, classify you,
Deny, defy or crucify you.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
No, and I ain’t lookin’ to fight with you,
Frighten you or uptighten you,
Drag you down or drain you down,
Chain you down or bring you down.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
I ain’t lookin’ to block you up
Shock or knock or lock you up,
Analyze you, categorize you,
Finalize you or advertise you.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
I don’t want to straight-face you,
Race or chase you, track or trace you,
Or disgrace you or displace you,
Or define you or confine you.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
I don’t want to meet your kin,
Make you spin or do you in,
Or select you or dissect you,
Or inspect you or reject you.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
I don’t want to fake you out,
Take or shake or forsake you out,
I ain’t lookin’ for you to feel like me,
See like me or be like me.
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.
nice translation..pls also translate “maula.. maula..” song from delli 6..
thanks
The last stanza goes like this:
Haath thaam chalna ho
To dono ke daye haath sang kaise
Haath thaam chalna ho
To dono ke daye haath sang kaise
Ek daaya hoga, ek baaiya hoga
Tham le, haath yeh thaam le
Chalna hai sang thaam le
We have to walk holding hands
So how can two right hands be together?
We have to walk holding hands
So how can two right hands be together?
One will be the right, one will be the left.
Hold on, hold on to my hand.
We have to walk together, so hold on.
Hope this helps?
superb translation ..
i was seaching for the meaning of this stanza. The song takes a different turn when it reaches this line, so i was getting confused as to whether i have understood the right meaning of this line. And guess i was right.. after reading ur trnaslation.. tks
Hey Dude… Wanted to say the meaning of this song to my honey… Thanks a lot. Just e-mailed her it. I dedicated it as an ode to her… 🙂
Luv
Bals
Thats Great Dude!!
You have given the essence of the song, that was great!
If you have literally translated it wouldn’t sound good I guess!
Masakalli doesn’t really have a meaning of it’s own..that’s the beauty of the word. It’s just a nonsense phrase that was thought up of when the dove was looked it, and they decided to name her Masakalli.
I agree; the translation could have been done much better. MUCH better, because all the poetry is lost. But well-tried.
Thank you so much man. I bookmarked your site and visit it very frequently from now on to see any new translations.. Thanks again. I googled for translation and found no where!
thanku……thanku thanku so much!!!!!!!………………….Tinkerbell & Ash…………
lovely
poor translation, not poetic at all
well , i thought about this song in a different perspective…for me its dedicated to the city “DELHI”….as the song says”REHNA TU HAI JAISE TU”..always remain the same as you are…”THODA SA DARD TU THOODA SUKOON”.. u give pain and also on the other side provide peace to heart…
what do you think of my view..
Until I watched the movie, I thought this song was for a girl. Of course after watching movie, it was clear that Rehna Tu was meant for “Delhi”
Lovely song and lovely lyrics. Thanks a mill.
The lyrics strike me as a modern ghazal or Sufi love song in which the God is addressed as the human Beloved. The agony of separation, uncomplaining submission to the lover’s anger or indifference, the acceptance of pain and longing to merge with the Beloved even at the cost of death (to drown in your river, to burn to ashes) are all there.
A R Rahman is a Sufi and longtime lover of quwalli, of which the ghazal is one of the most beloved forms. I think his music and vocal performance magnificently capture the cry from the heart that is the essence of the ghazal.
I can only speculate but the last verse about the hands recalls figures of speech in Sufi poetry to the effect that “though different and unable to merge as one, let us nonetheless go forward hand in hand”. I would interpret the line about not being able to walk right hand in right hand as repeating that theme in the veiled language of the ghazal.
Hello
thanks for posting up the translation for this song. I’m totally in love with it since it has such a wonderful tune and amazing meaning. Very different. I think the last stanza is saying two people cannot always be “right” (right hands symbolizes this) or the same all the time. Some differences (right vs left) exist and we must compromise with them in order to be happy in our journey together. Or it could be comparing gay vs straight marriages. Two left hands = two females or two males as compared to a right and a left, a male and a female. Hope this helps 🙂
Ami – I have no idea where this homophobia popped in the discussion! Although every lyrics blossom with different interpretation by different people, but this line, without doubt talks about comradely and difference.
Awesome i was also Thinking about that 🙂 it is not homophobia as there is nothing so called homo(sexuality) As we believe in; that a “SIN” in all its forms and senses , is the collapsing with natures … it is reality , as two right hands can’t walk together neither two left hands can do the same .. but opposites with differences (as bigbangbong<nice name<said) , variation and dissimilarity should fight to go hand in hand to build a future …
Along with what is interpreted and truly meant by the song ..i just passed by to write this down 😉
I truly THANK YOU all who have translated the song either literally or from their understanding ~ IT's A Magnificent song ~
and probably someone will write down don't translate it based on sexuality ;P
JOELLE BRINK have given a Great deal About the song's Origins and inspirations , they also seem that the afflatus commencement of Hindi Ghazal songs is of an Arabic origin according to the names of Sofiya and Ghazal !… correct me if i am mistaken …?!!
Hiya there Rajakumari – I am sorry, didn’t get your point at all…
Thanx u guys serched evry whr 4 lyrics.thats 1 of the best songs i’ve ever listn. Can u guys add more translations
awesome..!!! thanks.. exactly what I was looking for .. very meaningful !
I know the meaning oft this song some, becouse I can understand thodasa.. :). In last stanza poet traing to conway that, if we “walk” together of the “path” of life, our thoughts should be intellectual on one-another .
My God I am missing the sweetness of lyrics and unable to completely drench myself music of Rahman……please someone teach me hindi