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Teaching India

Through the Music of "Lagaan"

Indian Climate


In India the weather can be hot and dry most the year. Agriculturally based regions depend on the monsoon season to bring much needed rain for crops. The monsoons occur in most places between June and early October and can bring up to 80% of a region's annual rainfall. The village in "Lagaan" was located in central India. Use the map to find out when the monsoon should arrive.

 

In Lagaan the rains had not yet come and this was causing a great hardship for the villagers. In modern day India there is a concern that climate change may threaten the monsoon and jeopardize the well-being of people who depend on this life-giving rainy season.

Watch the video "Ghanan Ghanan" and read the words below then answers the questions.

1. Identify elements of the monsoon.

2. How do the villagers feel about the coming rain?

3. What deep hopes and fears do they express in their song?

4. How would a drought affect the people of this village now and in the future?

Ghanan Ghanan

ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra
the clouds have accumulated

ghan ghanghor kaare chhaaye badra
very thick black clouds have shadowed the sky

dhamak dhamak gunje badara ke danke
the thump of the drums of clouds is echoing

chamak chamak dekho bijuriya chamke
see, the lightening is flashing

man dhadkaayen badarwa
the clouds are causing heart to beat worriedly

man dhadkaayen badarwa
man man dhadkaayen badarwa
kaale megha, kaale megha paani to barsaao
O black clouds! please shower the water

bijuri ki talwar nahin, boondhoon ke baan chalaao
please don't draw the sword of lightening, rather shoot the arrows of
raindrops

megha chhaaye, barkha laaye
the clouds have accumulated and have brought rains

ghir ghir aaye, ghir ke aaye
these have accumulated

kahe ye man machal machal
the heart is saying this, so very persistingly

na yun chal sambhal sambhal
don't walk like this, so very carefully

gaye din badal, tu ghar se nikal
the days have got altered, you come out of your house

barasane waala hain amrat jal
the nectar like water is going to rain

duvidhaa ke din beet gaye
the says of dilemma have gone past

bhaiya malhaar sunaao
o brother! play the music of rainy season for me to listen

ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra

ras agar barsega, kaun phir tarsega
when the juice will rain, who desires will then remain unfulfilled

koyaliya gaayegi baithegi munderon par
nightingale will sing, and will sit on the boundary wall

jo panchhi gaayenge, naye din aayengey
when birds will chirp, novel days will arrive

ujaale muskuraa dengey andheron par
brightnesses will smile on the darknesses

prem ki barkha mein bheege bheege tan man
body and mind so very drenched in the rain of love

dharti pe dekhenge paani ka darpan
will see a mirror formed by accumulated water on the earth

jaeeyo tum jahan jahan, dekhiyo wahan wahan
wherever you might go, you please look there

yahi ik sama, ki dharti yahan
only this one is some scenery, the earth, here,

hai pahne saat rangon ki chunariya
is attired in a scarf of seven colors

ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra

pedon par jhule dhalo aur oonchi peng badhaao
mount the swings on the trees and swing high on it

kaale megha kaale megha paani to barsaao..

aayi hai rut matwaali, bichhaane haryaali
the intoxicating season has arrived to spread greanery all over

ye apne sang mein laayi hain saawan ko
it has brought rainy season along with it

ye bijuri ki paayal, ye baadal ka aanchal
this anklet jewelery of lightening, this scarf of clouds

sajaane laayi hai dharati ki dulhan ko
it has brought these to adorn the bride of earth

daali daali pehanegi phoolon ke kangan
every branch of the tree will wear the bracelets of flowers

sukh ab barsega aangan aangan
the happiness shall now shower on every terrace

khilegi ab kali kali, hansegi ab gali gali
every bud shall now bloom, every lane shall now laugh

hawa jo chali, to rut lagi bhali
when the wind has blown, then weather is feeling comforting

jala de jo tan man wo dhoop dhali
the sunlight that was scorching body and mind has now set down

kaale megha, kaale megha paani to barsaao
ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra

Translated and Posted to Y! Group by Rawat on Apr 5, 2001

This site was created by Era Pope at the NEH Summer Institute "Literatures, Religions, and Arts of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2011.

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