March 3, 2007
Mathura Nagarpati
Ever heard of or watched the movie Raincoat? If you follow the link then you can get an overview of what it is all about. Unlike most people who watched the film, I did enjoy it. A lot. No dancing out of the blue or anything, and i really liked the way romance is portrayed in it. The simple truth that lovers almost always tend to act in such a way to make themselves look good in the eyes of their beloved has been played upon in the film, and in a very nice way indeed.
Anyway my biggest love in the film is one of the songs 
. It’s called Mathura Nagarpati, and it talks about Krishna leaving Mathura, where he is King, to go back to his childhood place, Gokul, in order to meet his beloved, Radha. The meaning of the song however is to be interpreted in the context of the film, whereby Ajay Devgan (the actor) leaves the place where he is currently living to go to the place where his childhood sweetheart (Aishwarya Rai) is living. Shubha Mudgal’s voice is just wow in the song. I managed to find the translation of the song, and here it is:
MATHURA NAGARPATI
Subaha subaha ka khyaal aaj
Early in the morning the thought arose
Wapas gokul chal mathura raaj
to go back to Gokul, in the king of Mathura’s mind
Mathura nagarpati kaahe tum gokul jaaon?
Oh lord of Mathura why are you going to Gokul?
Manohar vesh chhod nand raaj
Leaving this beautiful attire oh son of Nanda
Sar se utaarke sundar taaj
Removing the beautiful crown from your head
Raj dand chhod bhumi par vaaj
Giving up ruling this world
Phir kaahe baansuri bajaao?
Why are you playing the flute again?
Mathura nagarpati kaahe tum gokul jaao
Oh lord of Mathura why are you going to Gokul?
Kaun sa anokha geet gaye pee kakool
What unique song did the cuckoo sing
Raj paat jaise aaj bhai dhool?
That made you leave the throne like so much dirt?
Kaun sa anokha geet gaaye pee kakool
What unique song did the cuckoo sing
Birhan laage phir hridaya akool
That the pangs of separation are stirred anew?
Raj kaaj man na lagaao
The heart is no longer in kingly matters
Mathura nagarpati kkahe tum Gokul jaao?
Oh lord of Mathura why are you going to Gokul?
Poor naari saari vyakul nayan
Men and women watched with anxious eyes
Kusum sajaa lage kantak shayan
The flowers strewn on the bed felt like thorns
Poor naari saari vyakul nayan
Men and women watched with anxious eyes
Raat bhar madhav jaagat bechain
As Maadhav stayed awake the whole restless night
Kaahe aadhi raat saarathi bulaayo?
Why did he call the charioteer in the middle of the night?
Dheere dheere pahunchat jamuna ke teer
Slowly he reached the shores of the Jamuna
Sunsaan panghat mridul sameer
Lonely banks, soft breeze
Dheere dheere pahunchat jamuna ke teer
Slowly he reached the shores of the Jamuna
Khan khan madhav birha madeer
Madhav felt the bittersweet pangs
Use kaahe bhool na paao
Why can’t you forget her?
Mathura nagarpati?.
Tumhari piriya ab puri gharvaali
Your love is now a complete housewife
Doodh navan ghivoo din bhar khaali Getting new milk and busy the whole day
Biraha ke aansoon kab ke, ho kab ke ponch daali
The tears of separation have long since been wiped away
Phir kaahe dard jagaao? Then why awaken the pain again?
Mathura nagarpati kaahe tum Gokul jaao?
USha said,
May 9, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I agree…this is my all time favorite song…thanks for the translation…my translation was very similar i got a friend to do it for me….I love this song!
bansuri said,
May 9, 2007 at 11:48 pm
You are welcome! =)
Ghouse Mohiuddin said,
June 6, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I have been obsessed by this haunting song since the day i got hold of the film’s dvd in 2004. i listen to it the first thing after i wake up and the last thing i do before i go to sleep.
moushmi said,
March 31, 2008 at 3:22 pm
completely taken by the lyris truly it is a haunting song that has made me cry end number of times.the pain is so blatant..that it gets into u and stays there untill u try to get out of the trance.
Kanika said,
April 18, 2008 at 4:19 am
What a beautiful haunting song and what pain! Was searching for some text which would do the song some justice and landed here
Keep up the good work
bansuri said,
April 18, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Hello!
I’m happy you found what you were looking for! =) but really, no need to thank me coz i did not do the translation, I found it a long time back on some site. I’m just sorry I don’t remember where!
Cheerios!
ilika chakravarty said,
September 11, 2008 at 8:23 am
this song touches a special chord in your conscience. what a rich lyric! no one could have sung it better than shubha.
bansuri said,
September 11, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I agree. No one could have sung it better!
=)
tanvi.samant said,
September 26, 2008 at 4:19 pm
hello. i was so stumped by the movie raincoat. it was the most subtly expressed romance and passion. i can relate to that film. and yes the song mathura nagar pati is the most beautifully written and sung song. it is so close to my heart. thanks a million for translating it so nicely.
bansuri said,
September 28, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Hi Tanvi
I’m glad you liked the translation, but as I said before I wasn’t the one who translated it, I found it somewhere on the net, but I do not remember where.
Cheers
=)
Gautam said,
November 25, 2008 at 12:44 am
Hi,
Came across your blogsite whilst searching for the lyrics of Mathura Nagrapati.
I had already found the lyrics in the firts Google hit but decided to later check a few more hits and came to your blog.
This is just to share the fact that the song had a simmilar haunting effect on myself
and I have heard it now umpteen times ever since one late night I by chance saw
Raincoat on TV. I also liked the movie immensely. I was toying wit the idea of writing a blogpost on the movie as well as the song and its emotional content and
I see that you have also been moved enough to write about it.
My take on Raincoat is slightly different than yours and I do not agree that lovers need to show that they are well off to each other. In the film I would rather say that
lovers know that it will pain the partner to know that they are unhappy that is why
the false projection of all the lies on both sides. But more than this what the film shows is that love is eternal because even then each tries to help the other with their last reserves even as their own existence is threatened. Ajay Devgan
with his borrowed money which was his key to solving his unemployed status
and Rai with her gold bangles which was probably her last assets in the last stages of financial dissolution of an alcoholic, dishonest husband and a family situation sinking into a financial quicksand and homelessness. The sacrifice on both sides are amazing.
You are welcome to visit my blog. I am a Mahayana Buddhist of the Zen Sect
but my family are Hindu. I will soon write about Mathura Nagarpati and I have a
different take on that too. The emotional shades in the song I believe are very deep and layered starting from the earthly to the spiritual.
Liked your website. Would look more later.
Warm wishes
Gautam Sengupta.
bansuri said,
December 14, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Hi Gautam!
I am very sorry for approving your comment so very late, but I am having major laptop crisis these days
Thank you for sharing your views on Mathura Nagarpati. In my close circle of friends and families, I always get funny looks when I mention Raincoat is one of my favourite movies. Now I am feeling less and less like a weirdo because hey, I am not alone
I am happy you enjoyed the site. I’ll be going through yours too.
Cheers
Bansuri.
AP said,
June 26, 2009 at 11:03 pm
One of the most moving songs that I have ever heard.
Ayesha Khan said,
September 28, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Thanks for the lyrics… stumbled upon ur blog while i was searching for the lyrics of this amazing.. I think this is by far one of Shubha Mudgal’s best works….Love the lyrics of the last para especually ” Tumri Piriya ab Puri Gharwali…..”… beautiful, simple yet profound…. I also love Piya Tora Kaisa ABhiman from the same movie… Raincoat is such beautiful movie, the sacrifice of Ajay and Aishwarya reminds me of “The gift of Maggi”.. a stiry I heard as a child.
Regards
Ayesha
Hriday said,
December 9, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Nice song, great translation. I agree with all the ppl above who have expressed their admiration for this great song, movie and singer.
Any idea who wrote these lyrics?
sachin said,
January 22, 2010 at 3:01 am
basuri and gautam,
i had the same feeling due to song. but my favourite is piya tora…by hariharan. although the one sung by shubha mudgal is equally good.. but I like that of hariharan.
I feel close to heart…and guess what for last 5 days the same song is running on my machine.
Sharad said,
June 4, 2010 at 3:35 am
Can anybody tell me the in which raag this song has been composed?
Odilia said,
May 30, 2011 at 5:14 am
Beautiful song. Thank you for the translation and comments. I am going to search for the film as well now.
Shakti said,
December 17, 2011 at 5:40 pm
i am having tears…was not able to understand this song when i heard it first..
have spent so many nights listening to this song..as i hv been in love n m a fond believer of gopalji..
no words for the composition singer n lyricist…
Thanks a lot for making it easy for me..i cud understand it n feel it deeper in my heart…great post!