paNchhii banuuN uRtii phiruuN
Touch on each word to display its meaning
paNchhii banuuN uRtii phiruuN
May I become a bird and soar, fluttering
paNchhii banuuN uRtii phiruuN
mast gagan meN
aaj maiN aazaad huuN
duniyaa ke chaman meN
hillorii … [ x16 ]
[ full stanza x2 ]
May I become a bird and soar, fluttering,
in this fascinating sky.
Today, I am free
in the world’s garden.
Swing, swing…! [x16]
[Repeat entire stanza x2]
o , mere jiivan meN chamkaa saveraa
o , miTaa dil se vo Gam kaa andheraa
o , hare khetoN meN gaae koii lɛhraa
o , yahaaN dil par kisii kaa na pɛhraa
Oh, a new dawn has brightened my life,
oh, the darkness of sorrow disappeared from my heart.
Oh, a certain wave sings amid the green fields,
oh, here, there is no one's watch over the heart.
rang-e-bahaaroN ne bharaa mere jiivan meN [ x2 ]
aaj maiN aazaad duniyaa ke chaman meN
Spring colors have filled my life, [x2]
Today, I am free in the world’s garden.
o , dil ye chaahe bahaaroN se kheluuN
o , gorii nadiyaa kii dhaaroN se kheluuN
o , chaaNd , suuraj , sitaaroN se kheluuN
o , apnii baaNhoN meN aakaash le luuN
Oh, if this heart of mine desires, I’ll play with blossoms,
Oh, I’ll play with the shimmering river’s currents,
Oh, I’ll play with the moon, the sun, the stars,
Oh, I’ll cradle the sky in my arms.
baRhtii chaluuN gaatii chaluuN apnii lagan meN [ x2 ]
aaj maiN aazaad duniyaa ke chaman meN
I’ll march on, singing with passion, [x2]
Today, I am free in the world’s garden.
hillorii … [ x16 ]
o , maiN to oRhuuNgii baadal kaa aaNchal
o , maiN to pɛhnuuNgii bijlii kii paayal
o , chhiin luuNgii ghaTaaoN se kaajal
o , meraa jiivan hai nadiyaa kii halchal
Swing, swing…! [x16]
Oh, I’ll wrap myself in a cloak of clouds,
Oh, I’ll wear anklets of lightning,
Oh, I’ll steal kohl from the storm clouds,
Oh, my life is the river’s restless murmur!
dil se mere lahreN uThe ThaNRDii pavan meN [ x2 ]
aaj maiN aazaad duniyaa ke chaman meN
Waves rise from my heart in cool breeze [x2]
Today, I am free in the world’s garden.
About this song
- Singer
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Lyrics
- Hasrat Jaipuri
- Music
- Shankar–Jaikishan
- On screen
- Nargis
paNchhii banuuN uRtii phiruuN (Hindi: पंछी बनूँ उड़ती फिरूँ, Urdu: پنچھی بنوں اڑتی پھروں) "May I become a bird and soar freely " is a classic Bollywood song from the 1956 film "Chori Chori", composed by Shankar–Jaikishan with lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri and sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
The song unfolds during a pivotal scene where Kammo (played by Nargis), a well-to-do heiress fleeing from an arranged marriage, revels in her newfound freedom, embracing the rustic joys of countryside life. As she wanders through sunlit fields, the lyrics—"May I become a bird and soar freely in this fascinating sky"—mirror her emotional awakening and escape from urban constraints. The sequence, vibrant with pastoral imagery, captures her childlike wonder as she dances barefoot, twirling in sync with the melody’s playful rhythm ("hillorii! …).
A testament to golden-era Bollywood’s lyrical and visual poetry, the song blends Lata’s ethereal vocals with Shankar-Jaikishan’s buoyant composition, embodying the film’s themes of liberation and self-discovery.
