On this happy occasion of India's 78th Independence day, sharing a loose translation of a great Marathi poem by Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. This poem and its musical avatar have both been quite famous in the Marathi world. However, the difficulty in accessing its rich and poetic Marathi often puts the song out of reach, even for the Marathi speakers, much less the non-Marathi ones. Therefore, I am venturing to put out a a loose English translation of the verses of this poem included in the recorded musical version.
The original Marathi poem by Swa Savarkar
जयोस्तुते श्रीमहन्मंगले, शिवास्पदे शुभदे ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ।।
राष्ट्राचे चैतन्य मूर्त तू नीती-संपदांची ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, श्रीमती, राज्ञी तू त्यांची ।।
परवशतेच्या, नभात तूची आकाशी होसी ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, चांदणी चमचम लखलखसी ।।
वंदे, त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ।
गालावरच्या कुसुमी किंवा कुसुमांच्या गाली ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, तूच जी विलसतसे लाली ।।
तू सूर्याचे तेज, उदधीचे गांभीर्यहि तूची ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, अन्यथा ग्रहण नष्ट तेची ।।
वंदे, त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ।
मोक्ष-मुक्ति ही तुझीच रूपे तुलाच वेदांती ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, योगिजन परब्रम्ह वदती ।।
जे जे उत्तम उदात्त उन्नत महन्मधुर ते ते ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवती, सर्व तव सहचारी होते ।।
वंदे, त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ।
हे अधम-रक्तरंजिते,
सुजन पूजिते,
श्रीस्वतंत्रते ।
तुजसाठि मरण ते जनन ।
तुजवीण जनन ते मरण ।।
तुज सकल चराचर शरण ।
वंदे, त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ।
**************
Oh Auspicious One,
Oh Auspicious One,
the Pure One,
the Bestower of Piety,
O Goddess Liberty!
O Goddess Liberty!
I worship thee, O Victorious One!
Very soul of a nation's vitality,
You are the Queen of all those
with the wealth of virtue and integrity
In the dark nights of despair and slavery
you are the guiding star
In the firmament, shining brightly
In the firmament, shining brightly
O Goddess Liberty!
I worship thee, O Victorious One!
On a cheek as delicate as a flower,
Or on a flower as soft as a cheek,
You are the blush radiating there
Or on a flower as soft as a cheek,
You are the blush radiating there
You are the brilliance of the Sun,
And the profundity of the Ocean.
They are but eclipsed without thee
And the profundity of the Ocean.
They are but eclipsed without thee
O Goddess Liberty!
I worship thee, O Victorious One!
Moksha or Mukti is your appellation,
And its you, whom the Yogis and the Vedantins
know as the One - Parabrahman!
And its you, whom the Yogis and the Vedantins
know as the One - Parabrahman!
All that excels and rises,
All that's upstanding and noble,
All that's ever so sweeet, becomes your companion
All that's upstanding and noble,
All that's ever so sweeet, becomes your companion
O Goddess Liberty!
I worship thee, O Victorious One!
You are bathed in the blood of the villains
And worshipped by the people of virtue
And worshipped by the people of virtue
Death for thee is the very life
and life without thee, but death
and life without thee, but death
The whole universe surrenders to thee,
O Goddess Liberty!
I worship thee, O Victorious One!
************
By Swatantryaveer Vinayak D Savarkar
(English Translation - Sushrut Vaidya)
************
By Swatantryaveer Vinayak D Savarkar
(English Translation - Sushrut Vaidya)
The song was composed by late Madhukar Golwalkar and sung by Lata, Meena, Usha and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
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