Chale Bhi Aao Yeh Hai Qabr e Fani English Translation

Chale bhi aao, translates to English as Come over (and see). It is a Hindi song in the genera of Ghazal and sung by Chitra Sing. It will be found in the 1978 LP record Ghazals, side 2, track 3. The subject matter is qabr-e-fani, which loosely approximates to the grave of Fani (Fani Badayuni 1879-1920), who was a poet and a well revered figure throughout the Asian Continent.

I remember listening to this record when it first came out, and being totally impressed with the new sounds and lyrics because I had never heard anything like that before. It was even more unique in that it had an extremely talented female Ghazal singer with an exceptional voice that I was listening to for the first time. In the song chale bhi aao, they apply a slight echo, which makes her angelic voice, sound almost haunting from beyond the grave. It is an extremely sad song, and she sings it in a steady slow pace, with such clarity, and expression of kindness and simultaneously sadness, that you could end up with a tear or two. The backing music consisting of the guitar, tabla, and violin mixes extremely well, augmenting the lyrics. Suffice it say that the whole production was a masterpiece. The best way to play this track is to reduce the speed slightly, so you get that wonderful slow rhythm almost like a slow funeral procession that brings the sheer sadness to come through. When I was a young lad, feeling down and depressed, I used to listen to this song over and over until the track wore off. It reminds me of my own hopes, dreams, and youth, turning into dust.

In this song, there is the repetition of dekhte jao at the end of some lines. It approximates to see as you are going, or see before you go, but a deeper meaning would be to understand this before you die... Nishani approximates to an impression, or a mark, and is usually a legacy we leave behind. In these lyrics, it implies that in the end, the only mark we leave behind is a grave. I approximate zubaan to tongue or speech and be-zubaan to without speech. This means, to say without speaking. Or, the silent message of the dead, in this context. Kafan is a cloth that the dead body is wrapped in, and it approximates to shroud. In some cultures, there is also a small cloth that covers the head (sar). Hence, kafan sar ka, is the cloth that covers the head, or the end part of the shroud covering the head.

There is nothing that crystallizes gritty life and reality more than seeing a dead body covered in shroud. In that regard, I always felt that the last line was a very poignant minimalistic message, kafan sar ka, meri, bezubaani, dekhte jao. At first, when I was young, I used to think it meant, look at how quiet I am, I am not saying anything. However it can also mean, see my shroud, which is my silent voice and final message. The reality is that no matter how great we become, we all die in the end. When I bought this record in 1978, Jagjit Sing was alive, he was a larger than life figure and nobody could imagine a world without him in it, yet sadly today, I write this after he has passed away, and sometimes when I am listening to his records I have to remind myself that he is not with us. His nishani (mark), consists of his songs, and more importantly, his voice that still remains larger than life echoing into the future.

There are other very poignant messages such as where he mentions khaak (ashes). The line kisi ki, khaak mein, milti, jawani, dekhte jao approximates to, someone’s youth will be found in the ashes, understand this as you go. It reminds the reader that they too are mortal and one day the best part of their lives, their jawani (youth) will end up in ashes. If you are following the translation whilst listening to the song, then remember that the commas indicate slight pauses to help you to synchronize with the song.

Meaning and Context

Zaado, mortal man

Bayani, a distinguished person, hero

Haal, state

Gharoor, arrogance

Ghuruur (in Urdu), vanity. In Arabic regions ghurur means self-illusion

Husne, beauty

Khaak, sand, dust, ashes

Jawani, youth

Shikwe, complaint

kafan sar ka shroud of head

Khamoshi, silence

Sadaqah, charity, or righteousness

Nishani, mark, or legacy

English Translation

chale bhi aao, wo hai,

come over (and see), this is,

qabr-e-fani, dekhte jao,

the grave of Fani, see before you go,

tum apne, marne wale ki,

you (must) see our dead’s,

nishani, dekhte jao,

legacy, before you go,

abhi kya hai, kisi dil khoob,

(see) what is now left is, someone’s heart immensely,

rulayegi, ye khamoshi,

weeping, (and) this cold silence,

zubaan-e-haal, ki zaado,

(see the) state of his speech, of this mortal,

bayani, dekhte jao,

hero, before you go,

gharoor-e-husne ka, sadaqah,

(the) beauty of arrogance, (and) righteousness,

koi, jata hai duniya se,

(with which) some go from this world,

kisi ki, khaak mein, milti,

(in) whose, ashes, you will find (their),

jawani, dekhte jao,

youth, see as you go,

sune jate, na the, tum se,

you, are not, hearing,

mere, din raat ke shikwe,

my, day and night complaints,

kafan sar ka, meri,

(see the) shroud over my head, (heed) my,

bezubaani, dekhte jao.

silent message, see as you go.