lyrics, ‘ya tuli khanjar’

I heard it for the first time a couple of years back at a cousin’s Menzraat. When musicians played the first note, a collective ‘Aah’ rose from half asleep audience. It was obviously a crowd favorite. Into the first stanza, some old folks were already singing along, not always out of rhyme, sometime already lip synching into next stanza.

I did a post about the song, it remains one of the most popular post at this blog. Someone would occasionally ask for the lyrics. Although this was one of the few Kashmiri songs that I  actually understood, at least if in parts, I  found it tough to write down the lyrics to this song. I have seen even old folks struggle with some words while listening to these old folk songs, and occasionally going ‘Aaa’ on  figuring out some twist of phrase.

These ‘Aas’ and ‘Ahhs’ remain private joys and despairs, I believed. My belief was wrong.

Last night,  I came across the lyrics to the song and the name of its composer in a little book called ‘Kashmiri Lyrics’ (first published in 1945) by J.L. Kaul, revised and edited by Neerja Mattoo (2008). [Original edition , free Download here]

The song was written by Abdul Ahad Nazim (1807-65) also known as Waiz Shah Nur-ud-din , considered the finest nat writer of Kashmir (that would explain the religious intonations at the beginning of popularly sung version of the composition).

Lyrics.

yim zar vanahas bardar
karsana su yar boze
ya tui khanjar ta mare
na ta sani shabha roze


mas dyutnam kalavalan
chivaravnas akiy pyalan
chum duri ruzith zalan
karsana dava soze


kya mati goy myon kinay
atish bortham sinay
ashakh kamisana dinay
marun rava roze


bithith khalvath khanas
mushtakh panay panas
ashakh manz varanas
mashokh tanha roze


bulbul bihith ba gul
mushtakh az gul bilkul
nay rozi bulbul ta nay gul
akh lola kathah roze




kya mati karitham sitam
Nizam chu praran yitam
chus tashna darshun ditam
yi dam na pagah roze

Neerja Mattoo’s translation:

At his threshold my wailing I would utter,
O when will my love listen to me? –
I would that he did slay me,
Or else requite my love

The brewer of love gave me a cup of wine,
A single cup made me delirious and drunken,
I could not contain myself for joy;
But now he keeps off and causes me pain –
O when will he give me another draught
of the wine of love?

Love, why are you angry with me?
You have filled my breast with the smart of love.
Is it fair to let me suffer and die?

Alone, in a lonely tower,
the beloved sits, unconcerned for love;
while the lover roams desolate plains,
Will the beloved keep aloof from him?

The bulbul nestles close to the rose,
Doting in it and deep in love;
soon the bulbul and the roses die,
only a memory of love remains.

How cruel you have been to me!
Athirst for love, I am waiting for you
O come and show yourself –
This hour won’t last,
tomorrow brings another day

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