Tumko Dekha Toh Yeh Khayal Aaya English Translation

Tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya, translates to English as, when I saw you, this thought came to me... It is a Hindi song that was wonderfully sung by Jagjit and Chitra Singh, and was in the 1982 film Saath Saath. The lyrics are about a boy who is afraid to fall in love, because he thinks that if she were to ever leave him, then he would not be able to cope with a broken heart. It is a wonderful gentle love song with extremely subtle meaning that can be tricky to get right in English. When I first heard this song, it occurred to me that a word for word translation would come across very timid in English, and all the passion would be lost. For example, if the girl you loved passionately were to leave you, would you sit and think about what you lost and gained? Surely you would be devastated, wondering through eternity in desolation and despair trying to figure out why she left, and why the arrow of time dispensed such a cruel fate upon you.

Khayal is a thought, but it can also be approximated to revelation. Dhoop can be sunlight and heat, or it can mean the misery we experience in daily life. The girl provides shade, but it can mean she makes life bearable. Therefore, in this translation, there are three lines because one version is the word for word approximation, whilst the third line is the more exaggerated expression with passion to get through what he is really saying.

Meaning and Context

Dhoop (Hindi), incense, or sunlight

Tamanna (Hindi), wish, desire

Waqt (Urdu), time, circumstances

Dhoop (urdu), sunshine

Gun-gunaana is one of those strange Urdu words that approximate to humming, such as humming a tune. It is similar to bhin bhinaana or bur buraana.

Khayaal in Urdu approximates to thought, idea or imagination. Other versions of word include khayaali (imagination), aazaad khayaal (large minded). In Hindi, Khayaal is a type of song but can mean thought as well.

English Translation

Tumko dekha, toh yeh khayal aaya,

When I saw you, this thought came to me,

Seeing you, brought a revelation to my soul,

zindagi dhoop, tum ghana saaya.

that life is sunlight, and you provide so much shade.

that life is so miserable, and you make it so wonderfully bearable to live.

Aaj, phir, dil ne ik tamana ki,

Today, again, my heart made a wish,

Today my heart screamed, to live once more again!

aaj, phir, dilko humne samjhaya,

today, again, I explained to my heart,

but once again, I had to make my heart understand,

tum chale jaogi toh sochenge,

that if you left, then I would think,

that if you left, I would be devastated wondering through eternity about,

humne kya khoya, humne kya paya.

what did I lose, and what did I gain.

my biggest loss in life.

Hum jis se gunguna nahi sakte,

I would not be able to hum to you,

I could not bear to live without you even for an instance,

waqt ne aisa geet kyun gaya.

why did time/circumstance sing such a song?

why did the arrow of time dispense such a cruel fate breaking my heart?