Sunday, April 5, 2026

Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana - English Translation



Zindagi ek safar hai suhana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana (x3)

Life is one pleasant journey
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow


Chand taaron se chalna hai aage
Asmaanon se badna hai aage (x2)
Pichhe reh jayega yeh zamana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Zindagi ek safar hai suhana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

We have to travel beyond the moon & stars
We have to go beyond the skies
These times will be left behind
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow
Life is one pleasant journey
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow


Haste gate jahan se guzar
Duniya ki tu parvah na kar (x2)
Muskuraate hue din bitana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Haan zindagi ek safar hai suhana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

Pass through this world laughing & singing
Don't care about what others think
Spend all your days smiling
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow
Yes life is one pleasant journey
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow


Maut aani hai ayegi ik din
Jaan jaani hai jayegi ik din (x2)
Aisi baaton se kya ghabrana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Zindagi ek safar hai suhana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana

Death has to come; it will come one day
Life has to go; it will go one day
What's there to be worried about these things
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow
Life is one pleasant journey
Who knows what'll happen here tomorrow


Monday, November 27, 2023

Coding at Night

Debugging in vain
Bleary eyelids slowly shut
Terminal blinks on

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Sabse Peeche Hum Khade - English Translation


Zara nazar utha ke dekho
Baithe hain hum yahi
Bekhabar mujhse kyun ho
Itne bure bhi hum nahi

Just look up and see
I'm sitting right here
Why do you keep ignoring me?
I'm not all that bad


Zamaane ki baato me uljho na
Hai yeh asaan jaan-na
Khud se jo agar tum poocho
Hai hum tumhare ki nahi

Don't get caught up in what the people are saying
That's easy enough to see
If you were to ask yourself
Am I yours or not?

Teri aankhon ka jaadu
puri duniya pe hain
Duniya ki is bheed me
sabse peeche hum khade

Your eyes have cast a spell
on the entire world
In the bustle of this world
I'm standing right at the back


Mehfile aayi aur gayi
Log aaye aur gaye
Tum jo aaj aaye ho
Dil me ho bas gaye

Parties came and went
People came and went
You, who've come today
you've found a place in my heart


Muskura ke baat taalo na
Phir miloge jo kahi
Dekhna yehi kahoge
Itne bure the hum nahi

Don't smile and change the subject
When we meet again somewhere
for sure, you'll say
I wasn't all that bad


Teri aankhon ka jaadu
puri duniya pe hain
Duniya ki is bheed me
sabse peeche hum khade

Your eyes have cast a spell
on the entire world
In the bustle of this world
I'm standing right at the back


Sunday, January 31, 2021

Kanne Pillavani - English Translation


Kanne pillavani kannulunnavani yenni enni vagalu pothunnave chinnari
That you're a young woman, that you have (beautiful) eyes, how many airs you're giving yourself

Chinna navvu navvi vanneli anni ruvvi yenni enni kalalu rappinchave ponnari
With a light laugh, showing off your beauty, how many dreams you've brought to mind

Yem antavu?
What do you say?

Sangeetam nuvvu aite, sahityam nenu auta
If you're the music, I'll be the literature/lyrics

Swaramu neevayi swaramuna padamu nenayi
With you as the (musical) note, and me as the word (sung) in that note

Gaanav geetav kaaga
As the singing becomes a song

Kavini nenayi naalo kavita neevayi
With me as the poet, and you as the poem in me

Kavyam ainadi talapo aluko manaso
What has turned into poetry are perhaps my thoughts, feelings or being itself

Ippudu chuddam
Let's see now

Tanana tanana anna
Whether you say 'tanana tanana'

Tana anna talam okate kada
or 'tana', the beat is still the same

Padamu cherchi paata kurcha leda
Did I not furnish the words to compose the song?

Sabhas
Bravo

Danani dasasa anna needa anda swarame raagam kada
Whether you say 'danani dasasa', in your company, the notes make a melody

Neevu nenani anna maname kaada
Whether you say 'you' and 'I', isn't it the same as us?


Thursday, October 15, 2020

Riders on the Storm Redux


(highlighted portions mine to make the song seem not quite as disjointed)

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan
Riders on the storm

There's a killer on the road
You can call him let's say 'greed'
'hatred' or 'envy'
He goes by many names
If you give this man a ride, sweet sanity will fly
Killer on the road

Man, you gotta keep your calm
Man, you gotta keep your calm
Focus like a hawk
Sit-ups like a jock 😜
The world depends on you, your life will never end
Gotta keep your calm


PS: I've come round to the view that the disjointedness/vagueness of the original actually adds to the beauty of the song but I'll let this stay as an interesting creative writing exercise.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

As I Tweet

I tweet to you as I am
as I check the trends
You may block me for spam
or retweet to your friends

I may post a facetious comment
I'm just being a wag online
Don't be misled
I may get into an argument
But we're likely still aligned
outside that thread

('As I Am' Twitter edition)

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Prompt - connection through music

Music is that wondrous salve
that bobs in a prim jazz hall
shrieks from the rim of a stage
'n' weeps on a dim back porch