Ke Ghar Kab Aaoge song from Border 1997 Hindi Lyrics with English Translation

Ke Ghar Kab Aaoge is one of the most famous war songs in Hindi. Below is the English translation along with Hindi lyrics of this beautiful song from the 1997 war film Border.

The first half was okay, presenting the background of each, building up sympathy.  The second half, the fight sequences were very badly shot and add to it the super jingoistic and clichéd dialogues. Although I didn’t like the movie, this song (Ke Ghar Kab Aaige/ के  घर  कब  आओगे ) was very touching. (It is long!).

The movie won Filmfare awards (don’t ask me why!) :

The movie won numerous awards including Best Film at the Filmfare awards. Director JP Dutta won Best Director at the same award function while his father OP Dutta won Best Dialogues. [..] J P Dutta’s brother was an Indian Air Force pilot who died in a MiG crash in 1987, the film is dedicated to him. [..] However, in real life, the Defenders at Longewala lost only 5 soldiers in the battle. [Report My Signal Blog]

Lyrics With English Meaning

Ke Ghar Ab Aaoge – Sandese Aate Hain – Border (1997) (सन्देश  आते हैं  .. के  घर  कब  आओगे )

[Chrous]
.
. Sandese aate hain |Messages arrive;
. Humein tadpaate hain |they trouble us.
. To chitthi aati hai |Then letters come;
. To poochh jaati hai |they ask,
. Ke ghar kab aaoge |When will you come home?
. Likho kab aaoge |Write and tell us when you’ll come home,
. Ki tum bin ye ghar soona soona hai |For without you, this house is empty, empty.
.
[Chorus]

Kisi dilwaali ne kisi matwaali ne |Some lover, some seductive lady,
Humein khat likkha hai |has written us a letter,
Ki humse poochha hai |and it has asked us.
Kisi ki saason ne kisi ki dhadkan ne |Someone’s breath, someone’s heartbeat,
Kisi ki choodi ne kisi ke kangan ne |someone’s bangle, someone’s bracelet,
Kisi ke kajre ne kisi ke gajre ne |the flowers in someone’s hair,
Mahekti subahon ne machalti shaamon ne |the scented dawns, the riotous evenings,
Akeli raaton ne adhoori baaton ne |the lonely nights, the incomplete words,
Tarasti baahon ne |the yearning embraces,
Aur pooccha hai tarsi nighahon ne |and the longing glances have asked,
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come home?
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come home?
Likho kab aaoge |Write us about when you’ll come home,
Ki tum bin ye dil soona soona hai |because without you, these hearts are empty, empty.

Sandese aate hain |Messages arrive;
Humein tadpaate hain |they trouble us.
To chitthi aati hai |Then letters come;
To poochh jaati hai |they ask,
Ke ghar kab aaoge |When will you come home?
Likho kab aaoge |Write and tell us when you’ll come home,
Ki tum bin ye ghar soona soona hai |for without you, this house is empty, empty.

Mohabbat walon ne hamare yaaron ne |Our lovers, our friends,
Humein ye likkha hai ke humse poochha hai |they’ve written us this, they’ve asked us;
Hamare gaaon ne aam ki chaaon ne |our towns, the shadows of the mango trees,
Puraane peepal ne baraste baadal ne |the old Peepal tree, the rain showering down,
Khet khaliayaanon ne hare maidaanon ne |the fields of wheat, the verdant town squares,
Basanti belon ne jhoomti belon ne |the ocher climbers, the twisting vines,
Lachakte jhulon ne behekte phoolon ne |the rocking swings, the swaying flowers,
Chatakti kaliyon ne |the bursting blossoms,
Aur poochha hain gaaon ki galiyon ne |and the lanes of the towns all ask us,
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come back?
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come back?
Likho kab aaoge |Write, tell us when you’ll come,
Ki tum bin gaaon soona soona hai |for without you the towns are empty, empty.

[Chrous]
.
. Sandese aate hain |Messages arrive;
. Humein tadpaate hain |they trouble us.
. To chitthi aati hai |Then letters come;
. To poochh jaati hai |they ask,
. Ke ghar kab aaoge |When will you come home?
. Likho kab aaoge |Write and tell us when you’ll come home,
. Ki tum bin ye ghar soona soona hai |For without you, this house is empty, empty.
.
[Chorus]

Kabhi ek mamta ki |Sometimes with affection,
Pyaar ki ganga ki |with love, via the Ganges [sacred river],
Vo chitthi aati hai |the letter comes.
Saath vo laati hai |With it, it brings
Mere din bachpan ke |the days of my childhood;
Khel vo aangan ke |courtyard games,
Vo saaya aanchal ka |the shadow of my mother’s veil,
Vo teeka kaajal ka |her dark eye liner,
Vo lori raaton mein vo narmi haathon mein |her evening lullabyes, in those soft hands,
Vo chaahat aankhon mein vo chinta baaton mein |love in her eyes, worry in her voice;
Bigadna oopar se mohabbat andar se |outwardly with anger, inwardly with love,
Kare vo devi maa |does the (mother) goddess act.
Yahin har khat mein poochhe meri maa |In every letter my mother asks,
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come home?
Ke ghar kab aaoge |when will you come home?
Likho kab aaoge |Write of when you will come,
Ki tum bin aangan soona soona hai |for without you, the courtyard is empty, empty.

[Chrous]
.
. Sandese aate hain |Messages arrive;
. Humein tadpaate hain |they trouble us.
. To chitthi aati hai |Then letters come;
. To poochh jaati hai |they ask,
. Ke ghar kab aaoge |When will you come home?
. Likho kab aaoge |Write and tell us when you’ll come home,
. Ki tum bin ye ghar soona soona hai |For without you, this house is empty, empty.
.
[Chorus]

Ay guzarne waali hava bata |Oh, passing wind, tell me,
Mera itna kaam karegi kya |will do you me this little favor?
Mere gaanv ja mere doston mo salaam de |Speed to my village; give greeting to my friends.
Meri gaanv mein hai jo vo gali |In my town there’s a certain lane,
Jahaan rehti hai meri dilruba |in which resides my beloved.
Usay mere pyaar ka jaam de |Give her word of my love.
Vahin thodi door hai ghar mera |A little distance from there is my home;
Mera ghar mein hai meri boodhi maa |in my home is my aged mother.
Mere maa ke pairon ko chhooke |Touch my mother’s feet,
Usay uske beta ka naam de |and speak her son’s name.
Ay guzarne waali hava zara |Oh, passing wind,
Mere doston meri dilruba |to my friends, to my beloved,
Meri maa ko mera paiyam de |to my mother, give this message.
Unhe jaake ye paigam de |Go to them and give them this message:
Main vaapas aaoonga (2) |I will return;
Phir apne gaaon mein |once more, to my town,
Usiki chaaon mein |in the shadows
Ki maa ke aanchal se |of my mother’s veil,
Gaanv ke peepal se |of the town’s peepal tree,
Kisike kaajal se |of someone’s kohl.
Kiya jo vaada tha vo nibhaoonga |The promise I made, I will honor;
Main ek din aaoonga |one day I shall come home.