Lyrics

Title: Kheṛiyaan – کھیڑیاں – Kheras
Language: Punjabi

ادھّی ادھّی رات پہر دے تڑکے
addhi addhi raat pahr de taṛke
Late into the night, as dawn touches the sky

مرلی کون وجاوے
murli kaun wajaawe
Who is playing the flute?

ایہہ مرلی اوئے میرے رانجھن والی
eh murli oye mere raanjhan waali
It reminds me of the sound of my Ranjha’s flute

نی ایہہ درد کلیجے نوں آوے
ni eh dard kaleje noon aawe
And fills my heart with pain

کہہ نی سسّو ایس مرلی والے
kah ni sassu ais murli waale
Oh mother-in-law, tell this flute-player

نی ایہہ مرلی فیر وجاوے
ni eh murli fer wajaawe
To play his flute once more

ہائے وے میں نئیوں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
haaye ve main naiyon jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
Oh I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

دل وچ رانجھے دا خیال
dil wich raanjhe da khayaal
When no one but Ranjha is the beloved of my heart

میں نئیں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naeen jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

رانجھا تاں میرا رجّ کے سوہنا
raanjha taan mera rajj ke sohna
My Ranjha is the epitome of beauty

رانجھا تاں میرا رجّ کے سوہنا
raanjha taan mera rajj ke sohna
My Ranjha is the epitome of beauty

کوہجی ہیر سیال
kuhji heer siyaal
And I, Heer, am ugly and unworthy

میں نئیں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naeen jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

میں نئیوں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naiyon jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

ہیر موئی وچ ہجر رانجھے دے
heer moyi wich hijr raanjhe de
Heer died from the grief of Ranjha’s separation

ہویا قائم عشق دا ڈیرا
hoya qaim ‘ishak da ḍera
Her grave became a testimony to love

ہسدا چہرہ ہیر اتارے وچ قبر دے
hasda chehrah heer utaare wich qabar de
There was a smile on her face as she was lowered into the grave

اتّے مٹی دا ڈھیرا وچ ہنیرا
utte miṭṭi da ḍhera wich hanera
There was utter darkness beneath that mound of dust

آن فرشتے پچھن لگے
aan farishte pucchan lagge
The angels arrived to question her about her deeds

اگّوں کہندی
aggon kahndi
And she said

کتّے رانجھن ڈٹھرا میرا
kitte raanjhan ḍiṭhra mera
Have you seen my Ranjha anywhere?

ہو میں پاواں سہرہ
ho main paawaan sehrah
I will wear the bridal wreath on my head

ہائے وے میں نئیوں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
haaye ve main naiyon jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
Oh I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

دل وچ رانجھے دا خیال
dil wich raanjhe da khayaal
When no one but Ranjha is the beloved of my heart

نئیں میں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
naeen main jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

میں نئیوں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naiyon jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

رانجھا تاں میرا شوہ نی جہاں دا
raanjha taan mera shau ni jahaan da
My Ranjha is king of all the world

رانجھا میرا شوہ نی جہاں دا
raanjha mera shau ni jahaan da
My Ranjha is king of all the world

ہیر کمینی کنگال
heer kameeni kangaal
And I, Heer, am worthless and destitute

میں نئیں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naeen jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

دل وچ رانجھے دا خیال
dil wich raanjhe da khayaal
When no one but Ranjha is the beloved of my heart

میں نئیں جانا کھیڑیاں دے نال
main naeen jaana kheṛiyaan de naal
I don’t want to get married and go with the Kheras

Song Info

Kheriyaan – Niazi Brothers

The mythical character of Heer is one of the subcontinent’s greatest muses, and has inspired some of the region’s most iconic and celebrated songs, poems and stories. Yet even across this vast corpus of art, stretching across centuries, Khairiyan de Naal stands as amongst the finest examples of its kind. Babar and Javed Niazi, global icons of South Asian folk and classical singing, have preserved the evocative performing style created by their father, Tufail Niazi. Tufail Niazi, himself a towering legend in subcontinental singing, honed his style while singing this at the innumerable melas or fairs which dot the countryside. Sung with a gusto that retains the sense of tragedy inherent to the song, the lyrics are from the perspective of Heer. She sings these as she is being married off to a groom from the Kher tribe, and she laments that she does not want to be sent off with them. She sings the virtues of her true love, Ranjha, and in the style of all Sufi poetry, both the declarations of her love and the descriptions of the Beloved are allegories for divine love itself. The Coke Studio version of the song captures the wistfully defeated melancholia of Heer’s refrain, with the tabla anchoring the musical arrangement, as the flute makes our pain for Heer take flight. The songs ends with the flute racing across a gasping percussion and a piano driven hope, evoking the spirit of Heer soaring above the confines of society for dreams never lived nor passions actualized.

Song Credits

Kheriyaan – Niazi Brothers

House Band

Aahad Nayani
Babar Ali Khanna
Imran Akhoond
Jaffer Ali Zaidi
Khalid Khan
Sikandar Mufti

Sajid Ali (Flute)