Maaeri by Euphoria (Lost in Translation)

I've forgotten yours and mine,
forgotten of losses and wins,
Ma, what good is a victory
if there are no friends...
if there is no friend...

When she put on Bindi, those eyelashes fluttered, O Mother,
As she readjusted her Chunni, she forged promises for the next day, O Mother
Her hand was in my hands,
Her words were like honey drops,
O Ma, she used laugh on her own, cry on her own,
O Ma, I remember her, remember her.
She chatters Ma, her eyes fight battles Ma,
O Ma, I remember her, remember her.
O Maaeri!

Wrapped in monsoons, she used to come on foot, O Mother,
If she got delayed, she would softly sob, O Mother,
May I cry again, may she sing again,
Like cool breeze spring again,
O Ma she sings ballads, she dances Gidday,
O Ma I remember her, remember her.
She crosses heavens, she asks for blessings,
O Ma I remember her, remember her.

What must I do now? Who must I talk to?
What must I do now? Who must I talk to?
Hey Maaeri...

O
Leave the world, come back,
Break the false vows, come back,
Swear to God, come back once,
If we meet this once, we will never part,
Never part... never part...

O she should come now, can someone bring her now
O Ma I remember her, remember her
She chatters Ma, her eyes fight battles Ma
O Ma I remember her, remember her

She forgot my love, Ma, it took her four months Ma
O Ma I remember her, remember her,
O Ma her memories come, she comes in my memories
I remember her, remember her.

What must I do now? Who must I talk to?
What must I do now? Who must I talk to?
Ay Maaeri!


Note on the translation:

The song opens with a sufi line. It is always hard to capture the sufi sentiments in English, for these talk of mother and father, beloved and friends as both their human manifestations and the universal mother, father or beloved, using subtle wordplay and duende. My translation aims at providing a lyrical transliteration of the song. I have tanslated Hiraan as ballads, which I think is the right equivalent, but Mannatta as Blessings is a mistranslation. Mannataa is "that wish expressed before Gods which exists in your Mann", and the concept of Mann is hard to translate (some call it mind, but that is unsatisfactory description). The video of the song provides tells the background story and also shows some of the expressions which are so Indian that English language fails to picturize them. Maeri or Maaeri is only used at the end of certain stanzas and not eslewhere, as the syllables and stresses in English imply that Maaeri has a "feminine ending" whereas many of the other sentences do not. Mother rhymes with remember, Ma expresses the notion, and so on.

Random fact: In my college days at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, I once organized an event called Lehren, in Rendezvous 2000. Euphoria and KK performed that night, and what a night it was! The Open Air Theatre was packed, the prediction of rain was proved wrong, no major glitches happened, and when KK launched into the opening number "Where Streets have no Name" I was being hugged by all friends and co-organizers for making the show a success. So I have personally met each of the band members, fed them according to their preferences (like Palash wants a dozen bananas and lots of glucose water on stage), had them shout at me and curse me as lunch delivery was delayed, and after the show, I had my Event Head badge autographed from them. I have attended several concerts by Euphoria and others, before and after that, but that night in IIT was special. It showcased their songs, made possible by my sweat, with contributions from all those friends and co-organziners. And so Maaeri is special for me on so many counts... O Maaeri!

Teriyaan, meriyaan pul gaya
Pul gaya haar te jeet
Hey maaye ki karna main jeet nu
Howey na je meet, howey na je meet
Bindiya lagati thi to kaampti thi palkain meri
chunniyan sajaa ke woh deti waadein kal ke maaeri
Mere haathon main tha uska haath
Thi chaashni si har uski baat
Maaeri aap hi hansdi, maaeri aap hi rondi
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
Gallan o kardi, maaeri aakhan naal larhdi
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
He maaeri

Baarishon main lipatke maa aati thi vo chalke maaeri
Deriyaan ho jaye to roti halke halke maaeri
Phir se main roun, phir se vo gaye
Thandi hawaaen ban ke chhaye
Maaeri heeri o gaandi, maaeri gidde o paundi
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
Jannataa o longdi, maaeri mannatta o mangdi
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri

Ab ka karoon, kaa se kahoon e maaeri
Ab ka karoon, kaa se kahoon e maaeri
Ho....
Duniya paraaee chhod ke aajaa
Jhoote saare naate tod ke aajaa
Saun rab di tujhe ik baari aajaa
Ab ke milein to honge na judaa
Na judaa... Na judaa... ho...

Hoonte to aaye, koi te le aaye
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
Gallaan o kardi, maaeri akhiyan nal larhdi
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
Pull gayi mera pyaar maae, bas lage maheene char
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri
Yaad vo aaeri, maaeri yaad vo aaeri
Maaeri yaad vo yaad vo aaeri

Ab ka karoon, ka se kahoon e maaeri
Ab ka karoon, ka se kahoon e maaeri.