Bollywood tree song | Mr. & Mrs. 55 – Classic Bollywood Revisited!

Dev Anand croons to Sadhana in a moonlit forest in Hum Dono (1961).

Next we present the enchanting lyrics and English translation to “Abhi Na Jao” from Hum Dono (1961). When I think of a Bollywood tree song, I think of this. This is where the magical tradition of hopping around a hidden forest and coyly shimmying behind the nearest tree to dodge your lover’s advances all began. Delightful Dev Anand and young Sadhana prance about gently in a quiet grove with slick back-and-forth lyrics that keep us grounded. The essence of the song comes down to this: Boy loves girl. Girl shyly expresses a desire to go home. Boy insists girl stays. Girl fears losing face. Boy takes opportunity to corner girl against a tree. You certainly don’t need anyone else to tell you how to think, but consider what it means that modern day Romeo Shah Rukh Khan voted this picturization as the most romantic song of Hindi cinema! “Abhi Na Jao” is eternal and the embodiment of sweetly innocent Bollywood courtship.

I’ve talked before about my feelings for the Hum Dono recolourization. Frankly, it’s cute, but not worth eliminating the original black-and-white stock. By converting the film from academy ratio to widescreen, you lose a great deal of the movie in exchange for some glitzy editing tricks (watch the colorized version here to see what I mean!). The film, its characters, the music, and the plot are so strong, it does not require any remodeling for wider accessibility. This song comes early in the movie, setting a high key tone for the upcoming embroilment.

Dev Anand looks like a lost sheep as Sadhana coyly sneaks away in “Abhi Na Jao” from Hum Dono (1961).

The signature Dev Anand coiffure is at its puffiest in this song, a welcome reflection of his bursting emotions. So take a seat, grab a snuggle pillow, and enjoy the lyrics and our full English translation to the evergreen duet “Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar” from Hum Dono (1961)!

Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar Lyrics and Translation

MALE:
Abhi na jaao chhoD kar ki dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled
Abhi abhi to aayii ho abhi abhi to
You have only just come
Abhi abhi to aayi ho bahaar banke chhaaii ho
You have only just come, you became the Spring as you arrived
Hawaa zaraa mahak to le nazar zara bahak to le
Let the wind spread your fragrance, let your gaze wander
Yeh shaam dhal to le zaraa
Let the night fall a little more
Yeh dil sambhal to le zaraa
Let my heart steady itself
Main thoDi der jii to luu.N nashe ke ghuunT pii to luu.N
Let me live a little longer, let me taste a sip of your intoxication
Nashe ke ghunT pii to luu.N, abhi to kuch kahaa nahii.N
Let me taste a sip of your intoxication, for I have said nothing yet
Abhii to kuch sunaa nahii.N
You have heard nothing yet
Abhii na jaao chod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled

FEMALE:
Sitaare.N jhil milaa uThe
The stars have begun to sparkle
Sitaare.N jhil milaa uThe, chiraag jagmagaa uThe
The stars have begun to sparkle, the lamps have been lit
Bas ab na mujhko Toknaa
Enough, do not scold me now
Bas ab na mujhko Toknaaa, na baDhke raah rokna
Enough, do not scold me now, do not come forward to block my path
Agar mai.N ruk gayii abhii to jaa na paauu.Ngii kabhii
If I stop now, I will never be able to leave
Yehii kahoge tum sadaa ke dil abhii nahii.N bharaa
For you will keep on saying that your heart is not yet filled
Jo khatm ho kisii jagah yeh aisaa silsila nahii.N
This is not the kind of affair that ends easily

MALE:
Abhii nahii.N abhii nahii.N!
Not yet, not yet!

FEMALE:
Nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N!
No, no, no, no!

MALE:
Abhi na jaao chod kar ke dil abhi bhara nahii.N
Do not go and leave me now, for my heart is not yet filled

MALE:
Adhuurii aas
Unfulfilled desire
Adhuurii aas chhoDke, adhuurii pyaas chhoD ke
Leaving me with unfulfilled desire, leaving me with unfulfilled thirst
Jo roz yuu.N hii jaaogii to kis tarhaa nibhaaogii
If you go every day like this, then how will you keep your promise?
Ki zindagii kii raah mei.N jawaa.N dilo.N kii chaah mei.N
For in the path of life, in the desire of two young hearts
Kaii maqaam aaye.Nge jo humko aazmaae.Nge
Many challenges will come to test us
Buraa na maano baat kaa, yeh pyaar hai, gilaa nahii.N
Do not be hurt by my words, for they are words of love, not a complaint

FEMALE:
Haa.N, yehii kahoge tum sadaa ki dil abhii bharaa nahii.N!
Yes, but you will keep on saying that your heart is not yet filled!

MALE:
Haa.N, dil abhi bharaa nahii.N
Yes, my heart is not yet filled!

FEMALE:
Nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N, nahii.N!
No, no, no, no!

Glossary:

bhara: filled; bahaar: Spring; hawaa: wind; mahak: fragrance; nazar: gaze, bahak: wander; shaam: evening; sambhalnaa: to steady oneself; thoDi der: a little while longer; nashe: intoxication; ghuunT: sip; jhilmilnaa: to sparkle; chiraag: lamp; Toknaa: to scold; raah: path; khatm: finish; jagaah: place; silsilaa: affair; adhuurii: unfulfilled; aas: desire; pyaas: thirst; roz: every day; nibhaanaa: to fulfill [a promise], zindagii: life; jawaa.N: young; chaah: desire, love; maqaam: challenge; aazmaanaa: to test, to try; buraa: hurt; gilaa: complaint

Sadhana worries on a late evening out with her lover in Hum Dono (1961).

Yes, like many a great Hindi song, this one comes with a tragic reprise. A tender Asha Bhonsle solo, “Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai” is a song of steadfast devotion in the face of impending wartime separation. Sadhana beautifully demonstrates her love to be more than a worthy match for the original duet’s playful warning of a perilous future. We have included the full lyrics and translation of Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai as well below for your edification!

Jahan Mein Aisa Kaun Hai Lyrics and Translation:

Dukh aur sukh ke raaste bane hai sab ke vaaste
The paths of sadness and happiness are made for everyone
Jo gham se haar jaaoge to kis tarah nibhaaoge?
If you lose to sadness and leave, then how will you keep your promise?
Khushii mile hame.N ki gham jo hoga baat le.Nge hum
Whether we are met with happiness or sorrow, let us accept it
Mujhe tum aazmaao to zara nazar milaao to
Test me and meet my eyes
Ye jism do sahii magar dilo.N mei.N faaslaa nahii.N
We may have two bodies, but there is no distance between our hearts

Jahaan mei.N aisaa kaun hai ki jisko gham milaa nahii.N?
Is there anyone in the world who has not had sadness?

Tumhaare pyaar kii qasam tumharaa gham hai meraa gham
I swear by your love that your sorrow is my sorrow
Na yuu.N bhujhe bhujhe raho jo dil ki baat hai kaho
Do not fade away like this, tell me what is in your heart
Jo mujhse bhi chhupaaoge to phir kisse bataaoge?
If you hide those words from me, then whom will you tell?
Mai.N koi ghair to nahii.N dilaaoo.N kis tarah yakeen?
I am no stranger, how can I make you believe me?

Ki tum se mai.N judaa nahii.N, mujhse tum judaa nahii.N
For you are not separated from me, and I am not separated from you

Glossary:

dukh: sorrow; sukh: happiness; raastaa: path; [kisii ke] vaaste: for the sake of; haarnaa: to lose; tarah: type, manner; khushii: joy, happiness; aazmaanaa: to test, to try; nazar milaanaa: to make eye contact; jism: body, faaslaa: distance; qasam: swear; chhupaanaa: to hide; ghair: stranger; yakeen: belief

Can’t get enough? Check out our other translations from the same film like “Main Zindagi Ka Saath” and “Allah Tero Naam” for more!

-Mrs. 55

Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz engage in a playful treeside encounter in Aap Ki Kasam (1974).

A tree is the ideal wingman. It’s an insider trick Bollywood heroes and heroines learned early on that rarely fails to end in matrimonial bliss. Many of the best songs of Bollywood occur in a forest, taking full advantage of that lovable prop whose stability is matched only by its generosity. In honor of Van Mahotsav, the annual Indian tree-planting festival taking place this week, we too would like to honor the cultural importance of the all-mighty tree in the greatest reflection of our society: film. Why a tree? Newcomers to classic Bollywood may ask with due naivite. The archetypal significance of entering the forest–delving deep into the mysteries of the mind and soul–do have some place in the escapism of romantic fantasy, but the logic of singing and dancing around a tree is actually quite simple.

Sharmila Tagore hugs a tree for emotional stability in Kashmir Ki Kali (1964).

In most romantic-dramas of the Golden Age, emotions are just brimming over with adorable intensity. With a tree as a wingman, you can simultaneously practice your moves with a literal tree hug while catching your breath from a potentially close encounter with the real object of your desire. See, the tree doesn’t judge. The tree doesn’t ask for a return favor next Friday. The tree is neutral ground–a seemingly innocent bystander in the forest of love to which both parties have full claim. Sometimes the woman peeks behind the tree, sometimes the man. As a friendly chaperone, the tree legitimizes everyone’s behavior in that bashful innocence of bygone romance. Yes, censorship laws may prevent you from making real moves on your loved one, but they won’t stop you from snuggling a tree.

Dilip Kumar Vijayantimala dil tadap tadap ke tree

Although Vijayantimala tightly embraces a forgiving tree trunk, it’s clear who she really wants to be hugging in Madhumati (1958).

Bollywood has been perfecting the tree ritual since time immemorial. It’s a cinematic institution, particularly for the benefits of discreet pans to the sunlit treetops or a calming mountainside when a love scene threatens to quickly advance from G to PG. We even emulated basic tree positioning in a photograph on our “About Us” page!

Enjoy our list of classic Bollywood’s best tree songs below. Study them thoroughly and know your part well before embarking on your next trip to the forest. While this list could honestly go on forever, we’ve chosen our top 15 tree songs based on creativity of tree choreography. Which of YOUR favorite tree numbers would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments!