Challa ki Labhda phire: Complete Lyrics Translation

Challa literally means a ring, but here the singer calls himself a challa, something like 'the mad one' and sings in third person. The translation may be in first person or third for the ease of writing/understanding, but both ways it talks about the same person i.e. the singer. For detailed meaning of challa, see THIS POST.

Challa ki labhda phire
Challa ki labhda phire
Yaaron main ghar keda
Lokan toh puchda phire

What do I look for?
What do I look for like mad?
Where is my house,
I keep asking people..

Challa hansda phire
Challa ronda phire
Challa gali gali rulda phire
Challe tu sab da
Challe tera koi nai
Challa gali gali rulda phire
Challa ki labda phire

He roams laughing,
He roams around crying,
He keeps wandering in streets..
O mad one, you belong to all..
O mad one, no one is yours..
He keeps wandering in streets..
What does he want..

Rang satrangi de
Bulbulan di boli
Dhup de pairi chale
Chhawaan di lai doli
Hun kaale kaale badalan vich chand labda
Goongiyan hawaan diyaan awajaa sun da
Yaaro aase paase wasda hai yaar mera
Dikhda ni ohdi khusbuaan sungdaan
Challa ki labh da phire..

The twittering of nightingales
of seven colors..
my feet burn in the sun,
even though I carry the shadow..

Now he sees moon in the black clouds
and listens to the voices of mute winds..
O friends, my lover lives somewhere close by,
I can't see her, but I smell her fragrance..
O mad one what you look for..

Na visaal hoya kadi
Na judai hoyi
ishq de qaidi ti
na rihai hoyi

A union never happened,
and nor was there ever a separation..
for the prisoner of love,
there never came freedom..

lokon supne vich milne da vaada usda
saari saari raat na aankh lagdi
mere saa vi thode thode katti honde
meri nabaz vi thodi katti vajdi..
challa ki labhda phire..
logaan to puchhda phire..

she promised me to meet in the dream,
and I couldn't sleep entire nights..
my breath also has become a little hard,
and my pulse has also slowed a bit..
what does the mad one keep looking for..
he keeps asking people..

Check All Lyrics-Translations and Meanings from Jab Tak Hai Jaan HERE.


Love Gulzar? Here is a candid interview of his that you might like to read. [Text in Hindi]

Birth of a Song: Gulzar in conversation with Bhawana Somaaya at BLF 2013

66 comments:

Aman Wadhwa said...

Nice work, thanks! :)

Aditi said...

Thank u so vry much! Really wanted the meaning! Great translation.. Can now understand the song! Thanks again! :)

Harsh said...

Like the frenzy on you-tube, I am sure this post is gonna get record no. hits :)
However, I am a little bit saddened by this "pessimistic" attitude of some towards the song.. just because its in Punjabi... Hope it fades away soon

Anonymous said...

Awesome... Gulzaar sa'ab is sthg else... so is rahman sa'ab...

Unknown said...

Very nice! I liked

Prashanth said...

Great job dude!! Thanks for all your translations. I would never get the meanings of these urdu-punjabi-tamil bollywood lyrics remixes coming these days, otherwise...
Keep it up. All the best!

Harshit Gupta said...

@Aman: Thanks. and You're welcome.

@Aditi: You're welcome too. :)

@Harsh: Thanks a lot. As for pessimistic attitude, my guess is Rabbi's voice with Shahrukh. I also think it'd be better if there was no lip sync. Still it doesn't take anything out of the song.

@Anonymous: definitely cannot argue that, ever. :)

@Юлия Котляр: спасибо. Thanks. :) :)

@Prashanth: you're most welcome. you're one of my true reasons to make this website. not THAT personally, but you get the point. so many friends who need help with all those words n lyrics. and it feels really good when we get such comments.

Rushikesh Pawar said...

Wow! Awesome lyrics and awesome translation! Thanks!

Unknown said...

AWESOME

Anonymous said...

Best translatiion...have seen so far!!

mishi said...

Agreed

Shekhar said...

Thank you so much for this. Continue the beautiful work.

Unknown said...

nice translation of the song

Pooja said...

Thanx 4 translation.. Easy way 2 know about the real meaning of the song... Anyone can get inspiration by any song only after knowing its meaning... I m inspired and enjoying the song !!!!

Punjabi2000 said...

The word is Jhalla and Challa

Chandranath said...

thank you so much ... I liked the tune, and now the song makes much more sense ... Gulzar saab is awesome

Anonymous said...

thanks a lot , now can get along with d song .... Thnx again

Anonymous said...

"jhalla" is proper word means mad

Anonymous said...

Its jhalla in punjabi means mad not challa . My uncle told me that challa was song of a rich person , challa left house after fight with his dad , but his father loves him alot , so after that incident his father wrote challa song ,. There are many songs on challa in punjabi you can search , few are from 80's .

Anonymous said...

I LOVE DIS SONG..........

Abhijeet said...

Thanks...

Anonymous said...

hmmm v nice....gud work...

Anonymous said...

fadoo.....lyriks with fadoo music.....

Anonymous said...

Awesome job. Thank you..

chhaya said...

great work, thanks...

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Listening to Song without understanding the meaning is like having food without salt. Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

superb movie...beautiful songs

seenu said...

thanks alot for translating in english and made me to feel the lyrics

Unknown said...

The Translation Makes Me Feel So Connected With The Song!:)
THANK YOU!!!!!
N Yeah If Possible Can You Please Translate Angrezi Beat And Dope Shope By Honey Singh!
TY!:)

Unknown said...

awesome song...so is your work too...@translator.

ImKP said...

Challa ko ab sab samjh aa gaya ji..!! :)
Nice Movie and song..!! :)

Unknown said...

Challa n all other songs are superb except the movie... Thanks for the music team who composed n also who sung it... Hats offf....

TaRuN said...

mujhe dekhnae se tumar pyari ki hasi anna
tumari bachi ki terah badmashiya
teri ankon ki pyar se dekhna
teri mastiyan aur pyara gana nahin bhoolunga
Jab Tak Hai Jaan...
Jab Tak Hai Jaan...

Tera haath se haath chhodna
tera dil ka baath nahi maan kar
tera buudhi ka baath soonkar dosthie bolkar chhodna
Nafrat karunga main
Jab tak hai jaan, jab tak hai jaan



Anonymous said...

It takes you closer to the song and lets you enjoy it .... Thank you ...

Anonymous said...

nice work. thanks

Navjeet Singh said...

My friends its Jhalla not Challa. Jhalla means diwana in Punjabi.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate your work buddy :)

omar farooque said...

great meaning of the song.....Thank you so much

Anonymous said...

i love singing ...this song got my fancy ...i know hindi well and can understand plain punjabi little bit but to sing this absolute pure punjabi song i felt need to know meaning of lyrics to get into the skin of song...thanks for translation ...i am singing this song with life and meaning...

Anonymous said...

Prabhu Ram aur Bhagwaan Sri Krishan Maa PUNJAABI ko Bahut unnati de taki YASH JI KI AATMA KO BHI SHANTI MILE.

Anonymous said...

Crap translation by some idiot. The author has no idea of language and culture differences. It is more of a direct word by word comparison. Please remember that people looking for translation are from an English background and should be provided with the correct interpretation. If you have never lived and spent time in an English country, do clarify that to the readers. The soul of the song will almost always be list by a translation like that. Besides there are many flaws in the work anyway starting from the first line.

Challa ki labda phiray.
What do I look for ???????? Really.... English is nother ad powerful in terms of it's entropy and power when it comes to information content, but it can definitely express this...


Lokan tu phuchda phiray.
I keep asking people....... sad to see how this beautiful idea got lost..

You are speaking English in Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi. Don't ruin both languages. Speak English ad English and the native language as it should br spoken.

To all my friends reading this translation, please do remember that is just a poor attempt by some innocent guy... The song is really deep and has a very different meaning.

Anonymous said...

Great job! Always proud of you!!! :)

Danabolly

Anonymous said...

OMG. . This translation is totally wrong. This guy is stupid I think translated it from Google or some translation software.

Anonymous said...

great translation...

Anonymous said...

Hi Guys...

Those that suggest it is CRAP... please can you give us the proper version....

just by saying it is crap and then supporting ANY of it with what you would consider the proper version is SAD - would you not agree.

Please lets the REAL STUFF - The REAL DEEP MEANING...

Thanks -

Rakesh V said...

Awesome...I longed for the meaning...thanks a lot !! :)

MAVERICK said...

such a self explanatory song, hopeless translation . sounds good listen up. simple

SHIVAM said...

I was dying to know the meaning,thanks for ur great translation...keep translating

Bird's eye view said...

Nice translation...There may be minor faults in translation but over all i got the meaning ...that idiot who put comment on 1st December should keep his mouth shut. This is not a literary discussion..Even with this translation i can better understand the song..

Anonymous said...

Nice attempt by who ever tried it...

I have never heard of any1 being harsh towards punjabi songs... infact i love punjabi songs and am a tamil...

Anonymous said...

Great attempt.... The losers who say that its crap, I challenge them to make it more simple and explaining than this....

bhakti said...

awesome meaning ! i am so impressed .

Being Subh said...

thanks for dis post... since i heard this song i have been wondering about its meanings.. now i have found it...!!!

ram coolz said...

Great job Ya,
Now I can feel the song..

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the translation!

Anonymous said...

Challa ki labda phiray
yaro uda ghar kera
lokan toon puchda phiray
challa hasda phiray
challa ronda phiray
challa gali gali rulda phiray
challay tun sab da
challay tera koi na
challa gali gali rulda phiray
challa ki labda phiray

o demented soul
what do you look for,
where is your beloved,
you keep asking everyone like a fool
out of your senses
sometimes you cry
sometimes you laugh
you keep on wasting yourself around
O demented soul, what do you look for
(despair)

rang satrangi de
bulbulan di boli
thup de pairi chale
chawan di lai doli
hun kale kale badlan chon chunn labda
goongian hawawan diyan wajan sunda
yaro asay pasay wasda ay yaar mera
disda nai, udi khushbooan sunghda
challa ki labda phiray
challa ki labda phiray

all the colours of life (as metaphor)
all the cuckoo's cooing
and the circle of days and nights
(nothing attracts you)
you look for something that is never there, like trying to get a sight of moon when there are dark clouds ...
trying to listen through the air about your beloved (a foolish and childish desire)...
trying to convince yourself that she is around, when you can't see her, you try to get her fragrance sniffing through the air (yet another helpless try) ...
O demented soul, what do you look for..
(it is a vague try)

Na visaal hoya kadi
na judai hoi
ishq de qaidian di
na rehai hoi

Never did you met her
nor did you leave her thought
prisoners of love always have
life imprisonment (for love never die)

loko sapnay ch milne da vaada usda
sari sari raat na akh lagdi
mere saa vi thode thode khutt ande
meri nabz vi thodi khutt vajdi
challa ki labda phiray
lokan tu puchda phiray ..

you keep on telling everyone that she has promised you to see you in your dream(your utmost desire) ... then you can't sleep the whole night with excitement ...(with this excitement)
your breath trembles, your heartbeat totter ... (you have made a fun out of yourself, stop it, though you can not stop... because you are a demented soul)

(R.Khan - Pakistan)

Anonymous said...

I so much needed this. Thanks !!

johannes said...

Where can I find this songs lyrics in Punjabi (Gurmukhi) script?

Anonymous said...

Thank you R. Khan, your translation was really beautiful.
Reading it brought tears to my eyes, the words of the song touch your soul once the meaning is clear.
Priya

Anonymous said...

What gr8 about this . These lyrics are copy of punjabi folk challa sung by so many punjabi singers better then this . Undoubtedly rehman work is gr8

johannes said...

In the film's "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" song "Challa ki labh da phire" there is a choir of women singing two lines.
These lines are between the man's lines



Challa ki labh da phire
.
.
.
Naa visaal hoya kadi na judai hoi
Ishq de qaidi ki naa rihaai hoi

I tried to write down what I heard in these
.
.
.
lines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVjkxRLSVOg
3:00 - 3:17
I only want to get the words or phrases sung by this choir of women.


ja gari dada
garesa minali
nesadi na gada
di nada ne gadda
da nari dada
gaba da nissa
ni dam da naba da
na naba na re

Can anybody tell me if I heard these lines correctly and what are the meanings of these words?

Unknown said...

great job buddy , love this song and ur translation . keep it up admin ji

Anonymous said...

Completely agreed with @Aditi ...... Thanks....
REGARDS!!
Junaid.....

sudhir joshi said...

aaj jana ki jhalla kya h..sudhir

harrierjeeva said...

thanks for R.khan and the website for explaining the song meaining.It is so wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the inconvenience
but Challa means Vag not mad :)

Anyways nice song :D

I really love this song :)

Credit goes to SRK And Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif <3 :)

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