phir se aaiyo badraa bidesii

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phir se aaiyo badraa bidesii

Come Again, Foreign Cloud

phir se aaiyo badraa bidesii

tere pankhoN pe motii jaRuuNgii

Come again, foreign cloud,

I’ll embroider pearls onto your wings.

bhar ke jaaiyo hamaarii talaiyaa

maiN talaiyaa kinaare miluuNgii

Fill our little pond, then leave—

I’ll meet you at the pond’s edge.

tujhe mere kaalii kamlii vaale kii sauN [ x2 ]

I swear this by the man in the black cloak [x2]

tere jaane kii rut maiN jaantii huuN

muR ke aane kii rut hai ki nahiiN

I know the season of your leaving;

Is there a season of return, or none?

ho kaalii dargaah se puuchhuuNgii jaa ke

tere man meN bhii priit hai ki nahiiN

kachchii puliyaa se hoke guzaariyo

kachchii puliyaa kinaare miluuNgii

Oh, I’ll go ask at the dark shrine:

Does love dwell in your heart, or not?

Cross the fragile footbridge—

I’ll wait for you at the footbridge’s end.

tuu jo ruk jaae merii aTariyaa

maiN aTariyaa pe jhaalar lagaa duuN

If you pause at my courtyard,

I’ll hang tassels along its eaves.

DaaluuN chaar taaviiz gale meN

apne kaajal se bindiyaa lagaa duuN

chhuu ke jaaiyo hamaarii baGiichaa

maiN piipal ke aaRe miluuNgii

I’ll clasp four charms around the neck,

and trace a bindi with my kohl.

Brush past our little garden—

I’ll meet you beneath the pipal’s shade.

About this song

Singer: Asha Bhosle
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: R.D. Burman
On screen: Sharmila Tagore

phir se aaiyo badra bidesii (Hindi: फिर से अइयो बदरा बिदेसी, Urdu: پِھر سے آؤ بَدْرا بِديسی) — "Come back again, foreign/travelling cloud" — is a song from the 1982 Bollywood film Namkeen, directed by the acclaimed Indian poet and filmmaker Gulzar. The lyrics were penned by Gulzar himself, with music composed by R.D. Burman and vocals by Asha Bhosle.

The song revolves around the imagery of a monsoon cloud (badraa bidesii) returning from a distant land, symbolizing longing, separation, and renewal. It is crafted as a lyrical invocation—a gentle plea for the cloud to return once more. Musically, it has the characteristics of a dhun: a simple, melodious composition inspired by Indian classical traditions, yet delivered with directness and emotional resonance.

One of the song’s most intriguing lines includes a vow sworn “by the one with the black mantle” (kaali kaamlii vaale ki kasam). While the specific reference remains ambiguous, it likely alludes to a saintly figure from a Hindu, Muslim, or syncretic tradition—an element often found in Gulzar’s poetry. The lyrics also mention visiting a black dargah (a shrine, often built over the tomb of a revered saint) to seek answers about the beloved. In the film, the song accompanies scenes featuring one of the central characters, Nimki (played by Sharmila Tagore), as she reflects on her inner longing and sorrow against the picturesque backdrop of Himachal Pradesh’s mountainous landscape.

Adding to its cultural richness, the song incorporates stylistic features that evoke a rural, folkloric atmosphere:

The direct (nominative) form is used instead of the vocative, as seen in badraa bidesii rather than badre bidesii. Nonstandard imperative forms with the suffix -iyo, characteristic of several North Indian dialects, appear in lines like aaiyo (come). The contracted word sauN used instead of the standard saugandh for "oath" Diminutive/affective words are used very frequently: puliyaa = "little bridge or walkway", talaiyaa = "little pond", bindiyaa = "little bindii or dot", aTariyaa = "little balcony or attic" Typically masculine words like baGiichaa = "little garden" are treated as feminine: hamaarii baGiichaa = "our little garden"