Figurative Analysis of a song titled “Chaudhvin Ka Chand”

Figurative Analysis of a song titled “Chaudhvin Ka Chand”

Movie: Chaudhvin Ka Chand

Music: Ravi

Release Year:1960

Playback Singer - Mohammed Rafi

Lyricist - Shakeel Badayuni

I’m trying my best to analyse figurative words used in this famous song which won Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyricist in late sixties.

This beautiful song comprises total four stanzas. 

Let’s try to translate and analyze it on the basis of  I.R.Richars’s view on figurative language.

Are you the full moon of the fourteenth night or the bright sun of the day? 

Whatever you are, I swear by the Lord that you are incomparable.

In the first stanza, the protagonist tries to compare his beloved with the full moon of the fourteenth night and bright sun using metaphor.

Your tresses are like dark clouds sloping down your shoulders.

Your beautiful eyes are like wine-filled goblets.

You are the wine that abounds with the intoxication of love.

In the second stanza, the protagonist compares her tresses with dark clouds and her beautiful eyes with wine-filled goblets using like (simile). In the last line of this stanza he uses metaphor again.

Is your face like a smiling lotus in the brook,

or like an ode tuned to the music of life?
My beloved, you are a poet’s dream.

In the third stanza he uses smiling lotus for her face (simile).  He also tells her as tune to the music of life and in last line he imagines her as a dream character for every poet.

The current of your lightning smile runs through your beautiful lips.

Even galaxies lay prostrate with reverence in your path.

Only your youthful splendour shines in this world of love and beauty.

In the final stanza, the lyricist uses word lightning smiles as metaphor as well personification. Galaxies lay prostrate with reverence in your path shows personification with hyperbole effect. Of course galaxies aren’t live entity.  He says you are the only youthful splendour, who shines in this world of love and beauty.

Whatever you are, I swear by the Lord that you are incomparable.

Thanks for viewing..  :)