Ganga Behti ho kyun - Bhupen Hazarika

Bisterno parorey, afankhya janore, hahakar sunio nisabdth nirovey,

Bhural hui tumhi, bhural hui bura ki aur……….



(Bisterno parorey: Vistar hai apar dono taraf

afankhya janore: Asankh praja dono par

hahakar sunio: hahakar sunkar bhi nirovey: shant

Bhural hui: “Ganga” in Assamese tumhi: tum

bura ki aur: behti ho kyun)



(Its in Assamese. Bengali version is a bit different. The pronunciations are in typical Assamese. E.g. ”sunio” is spelled as “humio”)



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, oh ganga behti ho kyun?……………..

Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Naitikta nasht hui, manavta bhrasht hui,

nirlajj bhav se behti ho kyun?……..



Itihas ki pukar, kare hunkar,



(HunkAr hunkar (Hum+kAr), s.m. The word or sound hun; a grunt saying `yes,' uttering a menacing sound; grunting, grunt (of a boar); roaring; bellowing; -- a shout; grunting)



oh ganga ki dhar, nirbal jan ko,

sabalsangrami, samagrogrami, banati nahi ho kyun?…………….



(Oh flow of Ganges, why don't you make the weak people stronger, make the villagers unite to fight for their rights)



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, oh ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Anparjan, aksharheen, anginjan, khadyoviheen

netravhiheen, dikshmon ho kyun?…….

(innumerable people are illiterate, letterless, without food, blind,

Why are you showing these blind people the path of devotion..?)



Itihas ki pukar, kare hunkar, oh ganga ki dhar, nirbal jan ko, sabalsangrami, samagrogrami, banati nahi ho kyun?…………….



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



vayakti rahey, vayakshti nirvighn, sakalsamaj, vayakshtitva rahit,

nishpran samaj, upbhoktina kyun?………..



(people stay without sufficient income, the entire society is economically challenged

society is lifeless, why are you unaware / unfeeling of this?)



Itihas ki pukar, kare hunkar, oh ganga ki dhar, nirbal jan ko,

sabalsangrami, samagrogrami, banati nahi ho kyun?…………….



Vistar hai apar, praza dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Tejasvini, kyun na rahin,

(why did you not stay full of glory)

tum nishchay, chintan nahin,

(you are decided, no worries)

prano mey prerna deti na kyun?……………

(why don't you give inspiration to life)



Tum madhyavami, kurushetra grami, gangey janani, navbharat mey, bhismarupi sutsamrajey, janati nahi ho kyun?………….



(you are flowing through the middle, seen the villages of Kurushetra (where Mahabharat took place), mother of Bhishm (great uncle of Pandavs & Kauravs), in this new India why don't you give birth to sons like Bhishm again?)



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Vistar hai apar, praja dono par, kare hahakar ni sabdth sada,

Oh ganga tum, ganga tum, ganga tum, oh ganga tum, ganga tum, ganga behti ho kyun?……………..



Ganga behti ho kyun?……………………………….



Lyrics: Gulzar

Singer(s): Bhupen Hazarika & the rest (Kavita Krishnamurthy, Hariharan, et al - only for ending notes)