lyrics of uyire (song from film Bombay)

Recently I was watching Bombay, a top class movie (directed by Mani Ratnam) based on the communal riots in Mumbai after the shameful Babri Masjid demolition, a dark scar in our nation’s history.

The year 1995 when this movie was released was a nice era when though I was in engineering college, we school friends were in touch on a regular basis. This song was one of our favorites, and we listened to it countless times. This song makes me takes me back in time!

The context behind the song is that the man is waiting for the woman, not knowing whether she will accept his love and turn up or not.

As my Tamil knowledge is neglibile, I never knew the wordings of this melodious song till now, when I read the subtitles of the movie. So here are the lyrics translated to English, of the Tamil song Uyire…

Dearest one, come and become one with me
My beloved, make me one with you

Memories, become a part of me
Oh fair Moon, become one with the sky
If there is love, let it bloom before my eyes
If fate intervenes, make me one with the dust

Dearest one, come and become one with me
My beloved, make me one with you

There’s life in my body as I await the breath of my life
If my little flower dosen’t come I’ll turn to ashes on this mountain side
I don’t care if I lose my life
That’s not the reason for this song
To have a bright future with my love
That’s what I long

Is it the beginning or the end?
Ive left it in your hands
Dearest one, today I’ve become one with you
I’ve overstepped my limits for the love of you
Memories, you’ve become a part of me
Dreams, you’ve become a part of my reality

Just one look & I lost myself
How could I stay away from you?
When one eye lights up with love
Won’t the other one brighten up too?

Like a river flows through the rocks
I came to see my beloved’s face

Like the gently waiting breeze
I came to hear my beloved’s voice
Even my tears taste sweet today

In the Sufi tradition of Islam which really appeals to my heart, God is referred to as ‘beloved’. From this perspective, any of the romantic film songs can sound like a devotional song! 🙂

Also see: Kahlil Gibran on Love