Rasme Ulfat Ko Nibhaye -- Lata Mangeshkar / Madan Mohan

Since I could not find the original film video for this beautiful movie ghazal composed by Madan Mohan and sung by Lata Mangeshkar, I thought of creating a video by combining the captivating music with available dance videos. Fortunately, I came across some wonderful dance clips of Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse as well as Lisa Miles and Tim Balfour. Although the words of this song express sadness while some of the dance scenes exhibit a lighter mood, I felt that the beauty of the graceful and fluid movements of the dancers that the eyes perceive complements the beauty of the words and the sounds that the ears capture.
(Update July 11, 2017 A video of the full movie Dil Ki Rahen is now available on KZbin: • Video
A video of this song from the movie is posted here: • Rasm e ulfat ko Nibhae... )
Rasme Ulfat Ko Nibhaye
Voice: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Naqsh Lyallpuri
Film: Dil Ki Rahen (1973)
Visual excerpts from these videos:
Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell: "Begin the Beguine" -- Broadway Melody (1940)
Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse: "Dancing in the Dark" -- Bandwagon (1941)
Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth: "I'm Old Fashioned" -- You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
Lisa Miles and Tim Balfour - A Variation on Fred and Ginger for the third act of Opera Australia's production of Die Fledermaus at the Sydney Opera House.
Lyrics and interpretation:
Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaayen to nibhaayen kaise
Har taraf aag hai daaman ko bachaayen kaise
Dil ki raahon mein uthate hain jo duniyawale
Koi kehde ke woh deewar giraayen kaise
Dard mein doobe hue naghmein hazaron hain magar
Saaz-e-dil toot gaya ho to sunaayen kaise
Bojh hota jo ghamon ka to utha bhi lete
Zindagi bojh bani ho to uthaayen kaise
Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaayen to nibhaayen kaise
Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaayen
Interpretation (this is not a literal translation; I have taken some liberty for the sake of rhyming):
Oh, these demands and rituals of love, how do I manage?
How do I keep safe from the fires that everywhere rage?
People erect walls in the path of the lover's heart
Could someone tell me how to take them apart?
My heart is filled with thousands of songs soaked in distress
But with my broken heart strings, how do I express?
With the burden of sorrows, I am able to cope
When living itself is a burden, is there hope?