ओ मेरे माँझी

o mere maaNjhii

o mere maaNjhii

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ओ मेरे माँझी

Oh my boatman

ओ रे माँझी , ओ रे माँझी

ओ मेरे माँझी

Oh boatman, oh boatman

Oh my boatman

मेरे साजन हैं उस पार ,

मैं मन मार , हूँ इस पार

ओ मेरे माँझी अब की बार ,

ले चल पार , ले चल पार

My beloved is on that shore,

I, with a tormented heart, am on this one.

Oh my boatman, this time,

Take me across, take me across.

मन की किताब से तुम ,

मेरा नाम ही मिटा देना

गुण तो न था कोई भी ,

अवगुण मेरे भुला देना

मुझे आज की विदा का ,

मर के भी रहता इंतज़ार

From the book of the heart, you

just erase my name.

There was no virtue at all,

forget all my faults.

For me, of today's farewell,

the wait remains, even after death.

मत खेल जल जाएगी ,

कहती है आग मेरे मन की

मैं बंदिनी पिया की ,

मैं संगिनी हूँ साजन की

मेरा खींचती है आँचल ,

मनमीत तेरी हर पुकार

"Don't play, it will burn,"

says the fire within my heart.

I am a prisoner of my beloved,

I am the companion of my beloved.

My veil (modesty) is pulled,

O soulmate, by your every call.

About this song

Singer: S.D. Burman
Lyrics: Shailendra (lyricist)
On screen: Nutan, Ashok Kumar, Dharmendra

o mere maaNjhii (Hindi: ओ मेरे माँझी, Urdu: او مَیرے مانْجھی) "Oh, my boatman", also known as o mere maajhii mere sajaan hai us paar "Oh, my boatman, my beloved is on the other side / on the opposite shore", is a song created in 1963 for the Bollywood film "Bandini" ("prisoner", a term that is repeated in the song).

In the film's climactic scene, the protagonist Kalyani (Nutan) is torn between starting a new life with Deven (Dharmendra), a prison doctor who had helped her while she was incarcerated, and her old, ill lover, Bikash (Ashok Kumar), who desperately needs her.

The lyrics of the song concerning the boatman (maaNjhii) become literal because Bikash is about to board a boat, forcing her decision.

During the scene, the song is introduced naturally into the film, sung by a mendicant singer who is performing to entertain customers at a tea house near the dock. As the song is heard in the background, the audience understands that it reflects Kalyani's inner conflict.

The music for the song was composed by S.D. Burman, who is also the singer. And the lyrics were written by Shailendra.