Along with millions of fans across the globe, we mourn the loss of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022). With an unmatched career that has spanned more than three generations, she is more than India’s most celebrated and prolific singer. She expresses the collective voice of the South Asian diaspora. In her voice, we find the full spectrum of our emotions – our joys, our sorrows, our prayers, and our love. She leaves behind an unforgettable legacy of musical artistry at its finest peak. Today, in her honor, we share the aptly suited lyrics and English translation from one of her most memorable performances in Kinara (1977).
With eternal admiration and gratitude,
-Mr. ’55
Naam Gum Jayega: Lyrics and English Translation
naam gum jaayegaa My name will disappear chaharaa yeh badal jaayegaa My face will change with time merii aavaaz hii pahchaan hai My voice is my identity gar yaad rahe If you remember it.. vaqt ke sitam kam hasii.n nahii.n The whims of time are no less beautiful aaj hai.n yahaa.n, kal kahii.n nahiin We are here today, tomorrow nowhere vaqt ke pare agar mil gaye kahii.n May we meet beyond the limits of time merii aavaaz hii pahchaan hai My voice is my identity gar yaad rahe If you remember it... jo guzar gayii kal kii baat thii What has happened is in our past umr to nahii.n ek raat thii It was only a night, not a lifetime raat kaa siraa agar phir mile kahii.n May we uncover the night's end again merii aavaaz hii pahchaan hai My voice is my identity gar yaad rahe If you remember it... din Dhale jahaa.n raat paas ho Where the sun sets, the night is close by zindagii kii lau uu.nchii kar chalo Ignite the flame of life and go forth yaad aaye gar kabhii jii udaas ho Memories of the past may bring despair merii aavaaz hii pahchaan hai My voice is my identity gar yaad rahe If you remember it... naam gum jaayegaa My name will fade away
Glossary
gum jaanaa: to disappear; aavaaz: voice; pahchaan: identity; sitam: whim, cruelty; hasii.n: beautiful; pare: beyond; umr: lifetime; siraa: end; lau: flame; udaas: sad, despairing
Mr. & Mrs. 55 - Classic Bollywood Revisited! 
This song is a triumph of primarily Gulzar since it’s the lyrics that really shine through, although the song talks about the awaaz.
True.
When Mr. & Mrs. 55 express their thought “Along with millions of fans across the globe, . . . ;” they don’t exaggerate.
Let me elaborate it.
Lataji was famous in Iran, (before the revolution in 1979) and still is, I reckon. This fact is not known to Indians. Generally speaking, Iranian people, from all walks of life, are not able to understand hindi language, but surely and certainly hum with Lataji’s songs!
In the following clip, Sugandha Mishra begins her show at the 7th Royal Stag Mirchi Music Awards with the lyrics of “naam Gum Jayega. . .?”
I am also translating the above four lines into modern Persian language for those who want to see that Iranian diaspora living in North America and have been educated in India, are not indifferent towards that great nation. We all have to try building the bridges among nations. That was Nehru’s vision.. . .
“نامم از خاطره ها خواهد رفت،
چهره ام با گذشت زمان تغییر خواهد کرد،
صدای من، هـویـّت منست،
اگر به خاطر بیاوری آنرا. . . ”
Lataji will be alive in our hearts for ever.
Y. Khazaineh/Canada.
Try building bridges…Nehru’s vision. It sure was. Thanks.
Thank you, a friend and a doctor colleague of mine who was with me at medical college and stayed at the same college hostel in Germany loved Indian music.
क्या बात है.
धन्यवाद
I echo that. I am from Sri Lanka and we adore her. Hindi songs were part of our pop culture from the very early days of cinema. I remember there was an hour every day for a Hindi program in the afternoons on radio. My mom used to listen to that while we played or did homework. These songs were imprinted in our memory. We will never forget her voice. She was as much ours as she was an Indian.
Linguistically speaking, it is said that when a person understands and imbibes a language through its songs, that individual can really feel the soul of that language.
भाषा की बात करें तो जब (शुद्ध) हिंदी भाषा की बात आती है तो वह वास्तव में कुछ और ही होती है.
Thank you for sharing your childhood memories with Mr. And Mrs. 55’s subscribers.
धन्यवाद
Yahya Khazaineh
Excellent translation.. This song was written by Gulzar for Lata..२०१६ मे प्रकाशित यतींद्र मिश्र की एक बढीया किताब है ..”लता-सुर गाथा” . इस गाने के बारे मे उस किताब मे लताजी ये कहती है “यह गीत मेरे व्यक्तिगत पसन्द का गीत भी है। अब आप देखिए, इस गीत की तरह ही हम लोगों की ज़िन्दगी है, जिसमें आवाज़ ही पूरा वजूद बन जाया करती है। मैं उनकी शुक्रगुज़ार हूँ कि उन्होंने इतना सुन्दर गीत मुझे ध्यान में रखकर लिखा और उसे कहते भी हैं। मैं अगर ख़ुद इस गीत के बारे में कुछ कहना चाहूँ, तो इतना ही कहूँगी कि यह मेरे लिए जितना सही है, उतना ही यह सहगल साहब, मुकेश भैया और किशोर दा के लिए भी सटीक होगा।”
Mishra, Yatindra. Lata Sur Gatha (Hindi Edition) . वाणी प्रकाशन. Kindle Edition.
अजीत जी;
इस पुस्तक का उल्लेख करने के लिए आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद.
याह्या
Thank you very much, Dear Sir.
On Mon, Feb 14, 2022 at 7:26 PM Mr. & Mrs. 55 – Classic Bollywood Revisited! wrote:
> mrandmrs55 posted: ” Along with millions of fans across the globe, we > mourn the loss of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022). With an > unmatched career that has spanned more than three generations, she is more > than India’s most celebrated and prolific singer. She expr” >
बहुत अच्छा लिखा है जी
Thank you for this post about Lataji. Although I am not Indian, I too grew up with her music and learned of her from my Indian-American friends. I am saddened by her death and none of my other friends “get” it.