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Heera: Lyrics, Meanings, English Translation [Highway]

Heera. A collection of three dohas of Kabeer, about diamond, for the film Highway. The music is given by A R Rahman, and the collection could have been a selection of Irshad Kamil, the lyricist and/or Imtiaz Ali. Anyway, here are the words with all the meanings and English Translation. Hope you enjoy them. Please share them with your friends if you like the effort. Thanks.

Heera soi saraahiye
Sahe ghanan Ki choT
KapaT kurangee maanva
Parkhat nikra khoT

Meanings:


Heera: Diamond
Saraahana: To praise, to find worthy
Ghanan: Hammer
ChoT: Attack, blow
KapaT: fraud, deceptive
kurangee: One with bad color, i.e. malaise in heart
Parkhat: On testing, trying
KhoT: bad, counterfeit, dishonest

Translation:

Only that diamond is praiseworthy
which can bear the blows of a hammer.
Fraud, deceptive men (who try to look better than they are)
are found to be bad when when tested.

The point is that only those few who can bear with testing conditions are truly praiseworthy ones. Others fail when they pass such testing situations.

Heera tahaan na kholiye
Jahaan kunjadon ki haaT
Sahaj gaanthri maari ke
Lage apni baaT

tahaan: There
kunjadon: vegetable sellers
haaT: market
gaanthri: bundle, one that is closed with a knot.
baaT: to wait

Don’t open a diamond
In the vegetable market
Just tie it safely (keep it safe)
and wait for your turn..

The meaning here is that you should show your intelligence only where there are people who can understand it. It is idiocy to show your intelligence among idiots.

Heera para bajaar mein
Raha chhaar laptaaye
keetehi moorakh pachhe mohe
Koi Parakhi Liya Uthaaye

chhaar: Ash
kaatehi: Kitne hi, how so many
moorakh: idiot, unknowledgeable people
paarakhi: one who can recognize real jewels, intelligent person.

Diamond was fallen in the marketplace,
with ash sticking on it.. [so it looked like some random stone.]
how so many idiots passed me,
some expert picked me up..

Meaning here is that while most care about how something looks, the intelligent ones can recognize a real gem even when it doesn't look good.

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15 comments:

  1. Nicely translated(y) ... Also came across the following explanation on a website:-
    1.Admire the diamond that can bear the hits of a hammer. Many deceptive preachers, when critically examined, turn out to be false.
    2.Don't discuss gyan (knowledge) with those who can not understand it.
    3.Those who understand gyan, pause to acquire it.

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  2. This song has a nice soothing vibe about it. And thanks a ton for the translation and insight Its a gem. Kudos to the Highway team.

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  3. Rarely found song like this in this era.....so much thanx to whole highway team.......

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  4. Very profound!!!

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  5. Very nice meaning n translation
    Thankyou so much !!

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  6. Awesome Song !! With soo deep meaning! All the Highway tracks.. are superb!!

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  7. Awesome song..with such a deep meaning! All the Highway tracks are just Superb!!
    Kudos!
    (:

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  8. Very inspiring. ... kabir is great

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  9. amazing music, lyrics, vocal and the meaning is so fitting for the protagonist's situation .

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  10. Such a deep meaning...nicely goes with the movie...liked the song...earlier but now loving it after undertanding the meaning...lovely..

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  11. thanks a lot for using this Doha of Sant Kabir in this movie so beautifully.

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  12. Amazing ... Gives the mind a lot to be at peace .. The music and of course Thanks a lot for this wonderful translation :)

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