Lag Ja Gale – Shreya Ghoshal
“Lag Jaa Gale” (Hindi: लग जा गले; lit. Embrace me) is a Hindi song with music by Madan Mohan Kohli and lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, written for the 1964 Bollywood film Woh Kaun Thi?. On the screen the song was performed by popular Bollywood star Sadhana, though actually sung by playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Lyrics
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लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीं रात हो न हो शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो हमको मिली हैं आज ये घड़ियाँ नसीब से जी भर के देख लीजिये हमको करीब से फिर आपके नसीब में ये बात हो न हो पास आइये कि हम नहीं आएंगे बार-बार बाहें गले में डाल के हम रो लें ज़ार-ज़ार आँखों से फिर ये प्यार की बरसात हो न हो शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो |
لگ جا گلے کہ پھر یہ حسیں رات ہو نہ ہو شاید پھر اس جنم میں ملاقات ہو نہ ہو ہم کو ملی ہیں آج یہ گھڑیاں نصیب سے جی بھر کے دیکھ لیجیئے ہم کو قریب سے پھر آپ کے نصیب میں یہ بات ہو نہ ہو پاس آئیے کہ ہم نہیں آئیں گے بار بار باہیں گلے میں ڈال کے ہم رو لیں زار زار آنکھوں سے پھر یہ پیار کی برسات ہو نہ ہو شاید پھر اس جنم میں ملاقات ہو نہ ہو |
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Lag jaa gale ke phir yeh haseen raath ho na ho Shaayad phir is janam mey mulaaqat ho na ho Hum ko mile hai aaj yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se Jee bhar ke dekh leejiye hum ko kareeb se Phir aap ke naseeb mey yeh baat ho na ho Paas aayie ke hum nahin aayenge baar baar Baahein gale mein daal ke hum ro le zaar zaar Aankon se phir yeh pyaar ki barsaath ho na ho Lag jaa gale ke phir yeh haseen raath ho na ho |
Embrace me, for this beautiful evening may not come again Perhaps we may never meet again in this life Fate has given us these few moments You can look at me from up close, as much as you wish Your fate may never have this opportunity again Come closer, I will not return again and again Let me wrap my arms around your neck and cry for a long time My eyes may never shed such a shower of love again Embrace me, for this beautiful evening may not come again |
In the song, the singer expresses that this evening may the last time she will see her beloved. Below, the song is transcribed in Devanagari (Hindi), Nastaʿlīq (Urdu) and English
The Hindi expression “ho na ho” implies that it may or may not happen in future. “Gale lagna” refers to embracing such that the necks touch, it can apply to two persons of the same sex as well.
The song expresses profound sadness on the impending partition, which is perhaps final. The Hindi expression “ho na ho” implies that it may or may not happen in future. In Hinduism, death is the parting for this life. The parting, although expresses separation of two lovers in the movie, can also mean death in the Indian context. Some individuals remember having sung this song for the dying grandmother. Others member a close relative, with impending death due to cancer, dancing her last dance with this song. It is sometimes sung at Indian funerals.
It is also considered to be an iconic song composed by Madan Mohan.
In popular culture
It is said that for the movie Woh Kaun Thi, the song was originally rejected by the movie director. He decided to include it when he heard it the second time.
When the former star Sadhana passed way in 2015, she was often recalled by referring to her as the actress of this song.
Renditions
In 1966, two movies used the song: in the Tamil movie Yaar Nee?, it is rendered as “Ponmeni Thazhuvamal”, and in the Telugu movie Aame Evaru? it is rendered as “Andala ee reyi”.
The singer Shreya Ghoshal performed the song in concert several times in the 2010s.
Its rendition by the Sanam Band has been so popular that some teenagers think they originally sang it. It has also been sung by several singers in Pakistan.
A rendition of the song sung by Jonita Gandhi featured in 2018 film Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3.
