INTRODUCTION
It is no big secret that I love Bartika Eam Rai, so I decided to look into one of her more popular songs, and one that I absolutely love, titled Najeek. नजिक (najik) in Nepali means “close”. The song describes the uncertainty of developing feelings for someone, because as easy as they form, they go away just as easily.
As usual, I’ve tried translating the text literally (after all, it is an educative interpretation and not an aritistic one), so I have attached an analysis of the lyrics as well. Square brackets [] indicate where English would use a different word, if applicable, while round brackets () indicate where English would use additional words to form a coherent sentence. You can also listen to the story of the song in a small exercise by clicking here (YouTube).
LISTEN
youtube | spotify
VOCABULARY
सागर (sāgar) = Sea
बेकम्फुसे (bekamphuse) = Foolish [Dialectal form of बकम्फुसे (bakamphuse)]
गफ (gaph) = Talk [usually understood more as gossip]
डर (ḍar) = Fear
भावना (bhāwanā) = Feeling
शिथिल (śithil) = Exhausted
रुखो (rukho) = Indifferent; Apathetic
साल (sāl) = Year
नजुधाऊ (najudhāū) = Don’t connect, conjugated from the verb जुधाउनु (judhāunu), which means “to make contact”
आत्मा (ātmā) = Soul
थाम्ने (thāmne) = Support (adj.), conjugated from the verb थाम्नु (thāmnu), which means “to support”
कसम (kasam) = Promise
छाया (chāya) = Shadow
जिम्मा (jimmā) = Responsibility
छाडिहिड्ँने (chāḍihiḍm̐ne) = Leave (adj.), conjugated from the verb छाडिहिड्ँनु (chāḍihiḍm̐nu), which means “to leave”
बाचा (bācā) = Oath; Word
सुरुसुरुमा (surusuru-mā) = In (the) beginning [litetrally, in (the) start start]
रित (rit) = Custom
अल्झाउने (aljhāune) = Entangle, conjugated from the verb अल्झाउनु (aljhāunu), which means “to entangle; to make sth. trip”
कास (kās) = Perhaps
राजै (rājai) = Dear [form of adressing someone]
मौसम (mausam) = Weather
बेग्लै (beglai) = Different [emphasized form of बेग्लो (beglo)]
TEXT
रात धेरै पर्यो, धेरै धेरै (rāt(a) dherai paryo, dherai dherai)
मायाका कुरा नगरन, ऐ (māyā-kā kurā nagarana, ai)
भोलिबारे केही थाहा नभइ, (bholi-bāre kehī thāhā nabhai)
जीवनभरिका दिनहरू मेरै नाम नगरन, ऐ (jīwan-bhari-kā din(a)-harū merai nām nagarana, ai)
सागरमा होस् कि आकाशमा जहीँकहीँ मैसँग डुल्ने (sāgar(a)-mā hos ki ākāś(a)-mā jahīm̐-kahīm̐ mai-sam̐ga ḍulne)
मेरा आँखा नै सबैभन्दा राम्रा भए जस्तो (merā ām̐khā nai sabai-bhandā rāmrā bhae jasto)
बेकम्फुसे गफ नगर न, ऐ (bekamphuse gaph nagara na, ai)
नजिक नआऊ, डर लाग्दैछ (najik naāū, ḍar(a) lāgdaicha)
आफ्नै भावनाहरूसँग (āphnai bhāwanā-harū-sam̐ga)
शिथिल छ मुटु, रुखो बनाएको छु (śithil cha muṭu, rukho banāeko chu)
धेरै धेरै साल लगाइ (dherai dherai sāl lagāi)
नजुधाऊ आँखाहरू (najudhāū ām̐khā-harū)
भावना बन्न कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन (bhāwanā banna katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
किन सोध्छौ किन यति डर ? (kina sodhchau kina yati ḍara)
थाहा छैन र, भावना हराउन पनि (thāhā chaina ra, bhāwanā harāuna pani)
कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन ? (katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
तिम्रो आत्मा थाम्ने कसम कसरी दिऊँ म जब (timro ātmā thāmne kasam kasarī diūm̐ ma jaba)
आफ्नै आत्मालाई चिनेको छुइन ? (āphnai ātmā-lāī cineko chuina)
आफ्नै छायासँग भागी दौडदैछु म, भन (āphnai chāyā-sam̐ga bhāgī dauḍadaichu ma, bhana)
तिम्रो छायाको जिम्मा कसरी लिनु म ? (timro chāyā-ko jimmā kasarī linu ma)
संसार छाडिहिड्ँने बाचा नदेउन (saṃsār chāḍihiḍm̐ne bācā nadeuna)
सुरुसुरुमा त यस्तै त हो नि (surusuru-mā ta yastai ta ho ni)
जीन्दगानीको रितहरूले (jīndagānī-ko rit(a)-harū-le)
यसै उसै हामीलाई अल्झाउने नै हो (yasai usai hāmī-lāī aljhāune nai ho)
कास हाम्रो भेट केही (kās hāmro bheṭa kehī)
सालअगाडि हुन्थ्यो (sāl-agāḍi hunthyo)
या कास हाम्रो भेट केही (yā kās hāmro bheṭ kehī)
सालपछाडि हुन्थ्यो (sāl(a)-pachāḍi hunthyo)
समय सही हुन्थ्यो (samaya sahī hunthyo)
राजै, मौसम बेग्लै हुन्थ्यो (rājai, mausam beglai hunthyo)
तर आज हैन, नजिक नआऊ न (tara āja haina, najika naāū na)
नजिक नआऊ, डर लाग्दैछ (najik naāū, ḍar(a) lāgdaicha)
आफ्नै भावनाहरूसँग (āphnai bhāwanā-harū-sam̐ga)
शिथिल छ मुटु, रुखो बनाएको छु (śithil cha muṭu, rukho banāeko chu)
धेरै धेरै साल लगाइ (dherai dherai sāl lagāi)
नजुधाऊ आँखाहरू (najudhāū ām̐khā-harū)
भावना बन्न कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन (bhāwanā banna katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
किन सोध्छौ किन यति डर ? (kina sodhchau kina yati ḍara)
थाहा छैन र, भावना हराउन पनि (thāhā chaina ra, bhāwanā harāuna pani)
कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन ? (katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
TRANSLATION
रात धेरै पर्यो, धेरै धेरै (rāt(a) dherai paryo, dherai dherai)
मायाका कुरा नगरन, ऐ (māyā-kā kurā nagarana, ai)
= Night fell a lot, a lot a lot,
Don’t do talks of love, ay
भोलिबारे केही थाहा नभइ, (bholi-bāre kehī thāhā nabhai)
जीवनभरिका दिनहरू मेरै नाम नगरन, ऐ (jīwan-bhari-kādin(a)-harū merai nām nagarana, ai)
= Without knowing anything about tomorrow,
(Don’t) do [keep] all of (the) life’s days (in) my name, ay
सागरमा होस् कि आकाशमा जहीँकहीँ मैसँग डुल्ने (sāgar(a)-mā hos ki ākāś(a)-mā jahīm̐-kahīm̐ mai-sam̐ga ḍulne)
मेरा आँखा नै सबैभन्दा राम्रा भए जस्तो (merā ām̐khā nai sabai-bhandā rāmrā bhae jasto)
= In (the) sea(s) or (the) skies (these that) travel with me everywhere*
As if my eyes were the best
बेकम्फुसे गफ नगर न, ऐ (bekamphuse gaph nagara na, ai)
= Don’t do nonsensical talk, ay
नजिक नआऊ, डर लाग्दैछ (najik naāū, ḍar(a) lāgdaicha)
आफ्नै भावनाहरूसँग (āphnai bhāwanā-harū-sam̐ga)
= Don’t come close®, (I’m) feeling fear
With [of] my own feelings
शिथिल छ मुटु, रुखो बनाएको छु (śithil cha muṭu, rukho banāeko chu)
धेरै धेरै साल लगाइ (dherai dherai sāl lagāi)
= Exhausted is (my) heart, (I) have made (it) indifferent
Taking many, many years (for it to be done)
नजुधाऊ आँखाहरू (najudhāū ām̐khā-harū)
भावना बन्न कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन (bhāwanā banna katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
= Don’t connect eyes
(It does) not take much time for feelings to develop
किन सोध्छौ किन यति डर ? (kina sodhchau kina yati ḍara)
थाहा छैन र, भावना हराउन पनि (thāhā chaina ra, bhāwanā harāuna pani)
= Why (do you) ask (me) why (are you) this fear?
Don’t (you) know, for feeling(s) to disappear also
कत्ति नि समय लाग्दैन ? (katti ni samaya lāgdaina)
= (Does) not take much time?
तिम्रो आत्मा थाम्ने कसम कसरी दिऊँ म जब (timro ātmā thāmne kasam kasarī diūm̐ ma jaba)
आफ्नै आत्मालाई चिनेको छुइन ? (āphnai ātmā-lāī cineko chuina)
= How (may) I give (the) promise of supporting your soul when
(I) have not recognized (my) own soul?
आफ्नै छायासँग भागी दौडदैछु म, भन (āphnai chāyā-sam̐ga bhāgī dauḍadaichu ma, bhana)
तिम्रो छायाको जिम्मा कसरी लिनु म ? (timro chāyā-ko jimmā kasarī linu ma)
= I am running away with [from] (my) own shadow, tell (me)
How (may) I take responsibility of your shadow?
संसार छाडिहिड्ँने बाचा नदेउन (saṃsār chāḍihiḍm̐ne bācā nadeuna)
सुरुसुरुमा त यस्तै त हो नि (surusuru-mā ta yastai ta ho ni)
= (Do) not give oath (of) leaving (the) world
(It) is like this in (the) beginning
जीन्दगानीको रितहरूले (jīndagānī-ko rit(a)-harū-le)
यसै उसै हामीलाई अल्झाउने नै हो (yasai usai hāmī-lāī aljhāune nai ho)
= Life’s customs
Just like that entangles us (so easily)
कास हाम्रो भेट केही (kās hāmro bheṭa kehī)
सालअगाडि हुन्थ्यो (sāl-agāḍi hunthyo)
= Perhaps our meeting some
Years ago would have happened**
या कास हाम्रो भेट केही (yā kās hāmro bheṭ kehī)
सालपछाडि हुन्थ्यो (sāl(a)-pachāḍi hunthyo)
= Or perhaps our meeting some
Years later would have happened
समय सही हुन्थ्यो (samaya sahī hunthyo)
राजै, मौसम बेग्लै हुन्थ्यो (rājai, mausam beglai hunthyo)
= (The) time would have been right
Dear, (the) weather would have been different
तर आज हैन, नजिक नआऊ न (tara āja haina, najika naāū na)
= But not today, don’t come closer
[chorus]
NOTES
* “(these that)” is a filler, due to the way Nepali is structured, the subject is left open to interpretation (could mean either the subject, or from the second line, her eyes)
** The structure causes the inversion of the verb, so it should ideally be “Perhaps our meeting would have happened years ago” and so on
ANALYSIS
It is important to note the subject of the song, who is ready to accept that fact that they are in love with the singer, and the singer’s emotions which conflict between accepting that love. Initially, the singer expresses gentle reminding that although she knows the love the subject has for her is genuine, they should remember that it may not last forever. Thus, it is quite foolish to name every day after her, or say that her eyes are “the prettiest” of them all.
The chorus explains the reasons for the singer’s hesitation: she is afraid of her own feelings, because as easily as feelings develop, they also go away just as easily. So, in order to prevent the likely outcome of a heartbreak, the singer has hardened her heart, so she remains stoic to other outcomes. Thus, the singer requests them to not come any more “close”.
She further elaborates on her unwillingness to return their love, by stating she does not really understand what she wants for now. She reminds the other party that in the beginning, it is just like this, that life is after all unfair. She also states that if they had met some time later, or before, that things would have perhaps been different enough and they could have shared feelings without hesitation. However, right now is just not the right time.
EXERCISES
1. In the line तिम्रो आत्मा थाम्ने कसम कसरी दिऊँ म जब (timro ātmā thāmne kasam kasarī diūm̐ ma jaba), how is the verb conjugated and what is the significance?
2. What is the function of reduplication of धेरै (dherai) to form धेरै धेरै (dherai dherai)?
3. What is the purpose of ऐ (ai)?
4. Find the antonym for: नजिक (najik)
5. How do the particles in the line सुरुसुरुमा त यस्तै त हो नि (surusuru-mā ta yastai ta ho ni) modify the particle-less expression सुरुसुरुमा यस्तै हो (surusuru-mā yastai ho)?
6. What is the compound verb छाडिहिड्ँने (chāḍihiḍm̐ne) composed of? How does the intended meaning change compared to the base meanings? What would the meaning be if हिड्ँने (hiḍm̐ne) was replaced by दिने (dine)?
ANSWERS (illustrative purposes only)
1. Optative mood, indicates a wish or a hope, which indicates a certain willingness on the singer, but is immediately followed by a contrast
2. Indicates an abstract concept of abundance, or a larger-than-large amount
3. Imperative word used to reason with or reprimand someone. Here, it is used to gently reason in an objective fashion to the subject (who is likely not grounded in reality yet)
4. टाढो (ṭāḍho)
5. त (ta) emphasizes the word before it, much like how stressing certain words change the meaning in English. नि (ni) adresses the subject to subtly emphatize with their statement by softening the statement.
6. छाड्नु (chāḍnu) + हिड्ँनु (hiḍm̐nu). छाड्नु (chāḍnu) means “to leave sth.” while हिड्ँनु (hiḍm̐nu) means “to walk”, but together, they mean “to leave sth. and go away”. If दिने (dine) was used instead, it would imply a stronger action of leaving, perhaps even leave the world (i.e. die). हिड्ँनु (hiḍm̐nu) negates this by implying an action of leaving, but you are still existing somewhere, walking aimlessly.