Penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, this iconic song from Pyaasa(1957) drips with irony. Doesn’t one just love the appropriately understated music composed and conducted by S. D. Burman, as Mohammad Rafi sings up the scale to a high pitched finale.
The lyrics are probably Sahir’s very best poetry.
Picturized on Guru Dutt, the song was meant to shake-up all the key characters in the movie -- his ex college girlfriend: Mala Sinha, the publisher: Rehman who married Mala Sinha and Guru Dutt’s new acquaintance -- the prostitute:Waheeda Rehman.
ये महलों, ये तख़्तों, ये ताजों की दुनिया; ये इन्साँ के दुश्मन समाजों की दुनिया;
This world of castles, thrones and crowns; this world of societies inimical to humanity;
ये दौलत के भूखे, रिवाजों की दुनिया; यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
This world of wealth-hungry practices; so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?
हर एक जिस्म घायल, हर एक रूह प्यासी, निगाहों में उलझन, दिलों में उदासी
Every single person injured, every single soul thirsty, confusion in (every) vision, depression in (every) heart
यह दुनिया है या आलम-ए-बदहवासी? यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
Is this the world or a universe of (frenzied) turmoil?; so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?
जहाँ एक खिलौना है इन्साँ की हस्ती, यह बसती है मुर्दा-परस्तों की बसती!
Where human existence is (but) a plaything, this locality is a locality of corpse-worship!
यहाँ पर तो जीवन से है मौत सस्ती! यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
Here death is cheaper than life! so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?
जवानी भटकती है बदकार बनकर, जवाँ जिस्म सजते हैं बाजार बनकर,
Youth becomes profligate and loiters about, young bodies are exhibited as (if in) a marketplace,
जहाँ प्यार होता है व्योपार बनकर, यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
Where love has become (no more than) a commercial (commodity), so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?
यह दुनिया जहाँ आदमी कुछ नहीं है, वफ़ा कुछ नहीं, दोस्ती कुछ नहीं है,
This world, where (to be) human means nothing, where loyalty means nothing, where friendship means nothing,
यहाँ प्यार की कद्र ही कुछ नहीं है, यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
Where there is no value for love, so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?
जला दो इसे, फूँक डालो यह दुनिया, मेरे सामने से हटा लो यह दुनिया!
Set it ablaze, blow away this world, get this world out of my sight!
तुम्हारी है, तुमही सँभालो यह दुनिया, यह दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है?
This world is yours (alone), look after it yourself (alone), so what (worth), were one to possess such a world?