Tanu weds Manu's Rangrez is a song I always wanted to Translate and post but somehow it never happened. Today once again I thought of starting but then Googled if anyone else had done it.
It was great to know that Krsna, who is the composer of the song has done this on his blog Krsnamusic itself. So here I post it, with double thanks to Krsna, for not just giving us such a wonderful song but also for trying his best to make people understand it in case they didn't. What follows is simply a copy-paste from KrsnaMusic.
Hindi
Aye rangrez mere, rangrez mere
ek baat bata rangrez mere
ye koun se paani mein tune
koun sa rang ghola hai,
ye koun se paani mein tune
koun sa rang ghola hai
ke dil ban gaya saudai,
aur mera basanti chola hai,
mera basanti chola hai,
English Translation
Oh dyer of mine, Dear Dyer of mine,
Please reveal your secrets divine,
What concoction have you created dear,
Of your colors and godforsaken water!
My heart’s all blue in love so profound,
My cloak’s soaked in saffron unbound…
Hindi
Ab tumse kya main shikwa karun,
Maine hi kaha tha zid karke, rang de chunri pi ke rang mein
(rang de, rang de chunri pi ke rang mein)
Par mue kapas pe rang na ruke
rang itna gehra tera Ki jaano jigar tak bhi rang de..
Jigar rang de…
English Translation
How am I to complain of my tale?
I like a stubborn asked you to color my veil,
Oh! Your colors penetrated my fabric, insane,
Deep within my heart ‘n soul everything’s dyed of your stain,
Color my heart away, Oh this feelin’…
(Antara)
Hindi
Rangrez tune afeem kya hai kha li,
Jo mujhse tu ye pooche ke koun sa rang?
Rangon ka karobaar hai tera,
ye tu hi to jaane, koun sa rang..
English Translation
Dyer, Are you so intoxicated on Opium!
Why ask me, what shade now to come undone?
Color and stains is your business of things,
You only know, what should you be coloring…
Hindi
Mera balam rang, mera saajan rang,
Mera katik rang, Mera aghan rang, mera phagan rang,
mera saawan rang,
Pal pal rangte rangte, rangte mere atho pahar manbhawan rang
Ek boond ishqiyan daal koi tu, O…,
Ek boond ishqiyan daal koi,
Mera saaton samandar jaye rang,
English Translation
My beloved hue, My soulmate shade,
My spring , my autumn, my rainfall, you color all my seasons with your pallette
A single drop of your love ingredient
Just a single drop of your romantic blend
Colors up my seven seas in a second,
Hindi
Meri hadd bhi rang, sarhad bhi rang,
Behad rang de, anhad bhi rang de,
Mandir masjid maikad rang,
(Rangrez mere, Rangrez mere)
Rangrez mere do ghar kyun rahe,
Ek hi rang mein dono ghar rang de, dono rang de,
English Translation
Color me off limits, Color my boundaries,
Color me extreme, color my unceasing infinities,
My temple, My mosque, My entire world indeed
Oh dyer, why must we be separated by two different spaces,
Paint just one single shade to both worlds with your embraces,
Hindi
Pal pal rangte rangte rangte rangte naihar peehar ka aangan rang
Pal pal rangte rangte rangte rangte mere atho pahar manbhawan rang
Neende rang de, karwat bhi rang,
Khwabon pe pade salwat bhi rang
English Translation
Paint every moment,
The courtyards of my maternal and marital heavens
Drape in one single shade all my 24 sevens
Color my sleep, color my peace,
Color even the creases of my dreams,
Hindi
Ye tu hi hai, hairat rang de,
Aa dil mein sama hasrat rang de,
Fir aaja aur vaslat rang de,
Aa na sake to furqat rang de
Darde hijra liye dil mein darde, hijra liye dil mein darde main zinda rahu,
Zinda rahu, zurrat rang de.
English Translation
Color my amazement of you,
Come paint the desires of my heart too,
Color away our union,
And if you can’t, forget not to paint our separation,
Even with the pain of being apart, i must live on,
Color my dare to carry on,
Hindi
Rangrez mere, Rangrez mere,
Tera kya hai asal rang, ab to ye dikhla de,
Mera piya bhi tu, meri sej bhi tu,
Mera rang bhi tu, rangrez bhi tu,
Meri naiyaa bhi tu, majdhar bhi,
tujhmein dooboo, tujhmein ubarun,
Teri har ek baat sar aankhon pe,
Mera malik tu, mera sahib tu,
Meri jaa meri jaan, tere haatho mein,
Mera qatil tu, mera munsif tu,
Tere bina kuch sujhe na, Tere bina kuch sujhe na,
English Translation
O dyer of mine,
What’s your own real color? reveal your shine,
Oh you’re my lover, my resting ground is you,
My color and my colorful dyer too,
My sail, my center of ocean,
I sink in you, I come afloat under your beacon
Your every word is my supreme given
You are my owner and my dearest freind,
My breathing soul is in your able hands,
Oh my murderer, my justive giver
I’m clueless without you forever,
Hindi
Meri raah bhi tu, mera rehbar tu,
Mera sarvar tu, mera aqbar tu,
Mera mashrik tu, Mera magrib tu,
Zahid bhi mera, murshid bhi tu,
Ab tere bina main jaun kahan,
Ab tere bina main jaun kahan,
Ab tere bina main jaun kahan,
Tere bina tere bina tere bina……
English Translation
My journey, my travel mate in sight,
My riddance, My genesis, My guiding light,
My lord is you, my disciple too,
I found a sage and divine signs in you,
Where could I go without you,
Where could I go without you,
Where could I ever go without you,
Without you...
(Mukhda)
Hindi
Aye rangrez mere, rangrez mere
ek baat bata rangrez mere
ye koun se paani mein tune
koun sa rang ghola hai,
ye koun se paani mein tune
koun sa rang ghola hai
ke dil ban gaya saudai,
aur mera basanti chola hai,
mera basanti chola hai,
English Translation
Oh dyer of mine, Dear dyer of mine,
Please reveal your secrets divine,
What concoction have you created dear,
Of your colors and godforsaken water!
My heart’s all blue in love so profound,
My cloak’s soaked in saffron unbound…
(End)
Meanings of selected words from the song lyrics above
Rangrez- Dyer
Munsif – Justice
Zahid – origin/culture
Murshid – Advisor
Saudai – Islamic color
Hairat – surprise
Zurrat – lonely
Chunri – A veil traditionally worn in indian subcontinent over a salwar kameez. Chunni or chunri or duppatta allows a girl to cover her head and bosom, as the custom is.