Chali Kahani Lyrics Translation | Tamasha

Movie: Tamasha
Music: A R Rahman
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Haricharan, Haripriya
Music Label: T-Series

The song is like a theme song for the movie, as in, the movie's theme is that there is one love story that keeps on going, again and again, in different places, in different times, and yet it is that one same story. This song here connects a few of the stories in the same way.

tirkiT taal se lo chali kahaani
panghaT kaal se lo chali kahaani
ho.. sarpaT dauDti hai faqat zubaani
chhutput aashiqui mein Dhali kahani

see, the story begins with a rhythm of percussion,
see, the story begins from the time of panghat,
it runs uninhibited on just the spoken word.
the story, moulded in love stories now and then.

Note: panghat means just a place where people go to fetch water, on the river bank. But here it probably signifies the time of Lord Krishna where Radha and gopis used to go to panghat to fetch water.

angin saal se hai wahi purani
tere mere ishq ki ye nayi kahani
aati kahaan se hai ye jaati kahaan kya pata..

from the time immemorial, that same old one,
this new story of love yours and mine,
from where it comes and where it goes, who knows..

ye chenaab ka dariya hai
ye ishq se bharya
wo leheron pe balkhati
Mahiwal se milne jaati
wo naam ki Sohni bhi thi
Mahiwal ki honi bhi thi

it’s the river chenaab,
it’s full of love,
she used to go to meet Mahiwal,
dancing on the waves here,
even her name was Sohni (means beautiful)
and she had to be Mahiwaal’s too.

lekin bhay kans ka tha usko to phir
Vasudev ne kaanha ko lekar
jamuna se paar langaaya..
dariya se to Firaun ki behena ne phir Moosa uThaya

but she was afraid of Kans
Vasudev took Krishna,
and went across Yamuna (to save him),
and Firaun’s sister picked up Musa from the river..

Note: Now this sounds like the same story going on, but from Sohni-Mahiwaal we have moved to Devaki’s story who is afraid of Kans for her son Krishna and Krishna is saved by Vasudev, and then in the fourth line the song moves to Moosa who was saved from a river by Firaun’s sister. Interestingly, in all three stories, there are rivers there and they seem to be connected here in a way.

chali kahani, chali kahaani
chali kahani, chali kahaani
chali kahani, chali kahaani
chali kahaani..

tirkiT taal se… kya pataa..

birha ka dukh kaahe ho baanke
dikhe mohe tu hi jiya mein jo jhaankiye
pal pal ginti hoon aaThon hi pahar
kitne baras hue mohe haan kiye
naina nihaaro more bhor se jhare
preet mori piya baaton se na aankiye
main hi mar jaaun ya mare dooriyan
dooriyon ki chaadaron pe yaadein Taankiye

why should there be sorrow of separation, O boy,
I’ll see you only if I see inside my heart..
all eight divisions of day-night, I count every moment,
how many years have passed since I said Yes.
Look at my eyes, they flow since morning,
O my beloved, don’t assess my love from my words
[i.e. my words can’t explain what I feel, though my tears can tell you something.]
I should die or these distances should die,
can you sew memories on the sheets of distances..

Note: I am not too sure on this, but the language seems like this is being said by Meera.

wo uTha virodhi parcham
mughal-e-azam ko tha ye gham
shehzada mohabbat karke
izzat ka karega kachra bhaasam..
Troja ki thi Helen
tha itni raksha mein raavan
antatah bheeshan yuddham krandan
mera to raanjhan mahi ranjhan raanjhan!

and then, a flag rose in rebellion,
Lord Akbar’s sorrow was this,
that the prince, falling in love
would ruin his honor..
It was the Helen of Troy,
and there was Raavan in so much safety,
but in the end there was such big war and crying,
Oh, Ranjha is my beloved, my Mahi is my beloved.