यह दोस्ती - Yeh Dosti (This Friendship)

I don't have much to say about Bollywood movies, other than that my eardrums are always ringing and my hamstrings are in knots after emerging from the theatre. Too long and too loud, I think. You don't have to take my word for it, either. India's cinematic endeavours have a reputation for being...er, ridiculous.

Fortunately, though, the songs are great fun, and also a much better tool for learning Hindi than rote memorization. Check out this clip from Sholay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck77d3joH6I. The song was immensely popular at the time, and it's still impossible to listen to it without smiling.

(And hey, if you're a particularly observant American movie-goer, you might recognize the actor Amitabh Bachchan as the celebrity that gaved Jamal Malik an autograph in 'Slumdog Millionaire'.)

Here I've translated the lyrics as best I can:

यह दोस्ती हम नहीं तोडेंगे
yeh dosti hum nahin todenge
(We will not break this friendship)
तोडेंगे दम मगर तेरा साथ न छोडेंगे
todenge dam magar tera saath na chhodenge
(I may break my strength, but I will not leave your side)

ऐ मेरी जीत तेरी जीत, तेरी हार मेरी हार
ae meri jeet teri jeet, teri haar meri haar
(Hey, my victory is your victory, your loss is my loss)
सुन ऐ मेरे यार
sun ae mere yaar
(Hey, listen my man!)

तेरा ग़म मेरा ग़म, मेरी जान तेरी जान
tera gham mera gham, meri jaan teri jaan
(Your sorrow is my pain, my life is your life)
ऐसा अपना प्यार
aisa apna pyaar
(That's how our love is)

जान पे भी खेलेंगे, तेरे लिए ले लेंगे
jaan pe bhi khelenge, tere liye le lenge
(I'll even risk my life, for you I will)
जान पे भी खेलेंगे, तेरे लिए ले लेंगे
jaan pe bhi khelenge, tere liye le lenge
(I'll even risk my life, for you I will)

सब से दुश्मनी
sab se dushmani
(Become enemies with everyone)

यह दोस्ती हम नहीं तोडेंगे
yeh dosti hum nahin todenge
(We will not break this friendship)
तोडेंगे दम मगर तेरा साथ न छोडेंगे
todenge dam magar tera saath na chhodenge
(I may break my strength, but I will not leave your side)

लोगों को आते हैं दो नज़र हम मगर
logon ko aate hain do nazar hum magar
(People see two of us, but)
देखो दो नहीं
dekho do nahin!
(look, we are not two!)

अरे हो जुदा या खफा ऐ खुदा है दुआ
arre ho judaa ya khafa ae khuda hai dua
(Arre, that we be separated or angry, oh God I pray)
ऐसा हो नहीं
aisa ho nahin
(that this will not happen)

खाना पीना साथ है
khana peena saath hai
(We will eat and drink together)
मरना जीना साथ है
marna jeena saath hai
(We will die together)

साडी ज़िन्दगी
sari zindagi
(for the rest of our lives)

यह दोस्ती हम नहीं तोडेंगे
yeh dosti hum nahin todenge
(We will not break this friendship)
तोडेंगे दम मगर तेरा साथ न छोडेंगे
todenge dam magar tera saath na chhodenge
(I may break my strength, but I will not leave your side)

तोडेंगे दम मगर तेरा साथ न छोडेंगे
todenge dam magar tera saath na chhodenge
(I may break my strength, but I will not leave your side)