Allah Rakha Rahman (Tamil: அல்லா ரக்கா ரஹ்மான்; known professionally as A.R… Read Full Bio ↴Allah Rakha Rahman (Tamil: அல்லா ரக்கா ரஹ்மான்; known professionally as A.R. Rahman; Tamil: ஏ. ஆர். ரகுமான், born 6 January 1966 in Chennai, India as A. S. Dileep Kumar) is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician, singer and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and traditional orchestral arrangements. He has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, four National Film Awards, fourteen Filmfare Awards, eleven South Filmfare Awards in addition to numerous other awards and nominations. Time has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators and fans have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal (Tamil: இசைப் புயல்; English: Music Storm). In 2009, Time placed Rahman in its list of World's Most Influential People. He is known as THE face of Indian music industry.

Having set up his own in-house studio called Panchathan Record Inn at Chennai, arguably one of Asia’s most sophisticated and high-tech studios, Rahman's film scoring career began in the early 1990s with the Tamil film Roja. Working in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, Rahman has a claimed sale of more than 300 million records of his film scores and soundtracks as of 2009 for over 100 film scores worldwide, making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists. In a notable career spanning two decades, Rahman has garnered particular acclaim for redefining contemporary Indian film music and thus contributing to the success of several films. Rahman is currently one of the highest paid composers of the motion picture industry. He has also become a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising money for beneficial causes and supporting charities.

Kehna Hi Kya
A.R. Rahman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gumsum gumsum gup chup, gumsum gup chup - 2
Halchal halchal ho gayi teri, honth hai tere chup
Khalbal khalbal ho gayi teri, baithi hai tu gupchup
Pyaare pyaare chehre lekar dediya ishaara
Dekha teri aankhon mein hai sapna koi pyaara
Humse gori naa tu sharma, kehde humse zara - 2
Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile

Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile
Armaan naye aise dil mein khile,
Jinko kabhi main naa jaanoon
Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile,
Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon
Ab kya kare, kya naam le,
Kaise unhe main pukaaroon
Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile
Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile

Armaan naye aise dil mein khile,
Jinko kabhi main naa jaanoon
Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile,
Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon
Ab kya kare, kya naam le,
Kaise unhe main pukaaroon
Pehli hi nazar mein kuch hum,
Kuch tum ho jaate hai yun gum

Nainon se barse rim jhim,
Rim jhim humpe pyaar ka saavan
Sharm thodi thodi humko aaye to nazarein jhuk jaayen
Sitam thoda thoda humpe shok hawa bhi kar jaaye

Aisi chali, aanchal ude, dil mein ek toofaan uthe
Hum to lut gaye khade hi khade

Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile
Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile

Armaan naye aise dil mein khile,
Jinko kabhi main naa jaanoon
Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile,
Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon
Ab kya kare, kya naam le,
Kaise unhe main pukaaroon
Gumsum gumsum gup chup, gumsum gup chup - 2
Halchal halchal ho gayi teri, honth hai tere chup

Khalbal khalbal ho gayi teri, baithi hai tu gupchup
Pyaare pyaare chehre lekar dediya ishaara
Dekha teri aankhon mein hai sapna koi pyaara
Humse gori naa tu sharma, kehde humse zara - 2
In honthon ne maanga sargam,
Sargam tu aur tera hi pyaar hai
Aankhen dhoonde hai jisko har dam,

Har dam tu aur tera hi pyaar hai
Mehfil mein bhi tanha hai dil aise, dil aise
Tujhko kho naa de, darrta hai yeh aise, yeh aise
Aaj mili aisi khushi, jhoom uthi duniya yeh meri
Tumko paaya to paayi zindagi
Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile
Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile
Armaan naye aise dil mein khile,
Jinko kabhi main naa jaanoon
Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile,
Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon
Ab kya kare, kya naam le,
Kaise unhe main pukaaroon
Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile

Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile
Kehna hi kya

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of A.R. Rahman's song Kehna Hi Kya revolve around the themes of love, longing, and the fear of rejection. The song is essentially an expression of the feeling of falling in love when two strangers meet, and not knowing how to express it to the other person. The opening lines of the song, "Gumsum gumsum gup chup, gumsum gup chup" sets the mood for a quiet, subtle romance.

The next stanza describes the physical changes that occur when the person falls in love - the lips become quiet, the heart beats faster, and the person becomes shy and introverted. The lyrics then go on to describe the fear of rejection and the dilemma that arises when one feels unsure how the other person feels. The lines "Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile, Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon Ab kya kare, kya naam le, Kaise unhe main pukaaroon" express the confusion and desperation experienced by someone trying to navigate the early stages of a romance.

The song's chorus repeats the title phrase, "Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile" to emphasise the enigmatic nature of falling in love with a stranger. Throughout the song, the gentle melody and Rahman's soulful voice convey the sense of yearning and tenderness that characterises the experience of a quiet, unspoken romance.

Line by Line Meaning

Gumsum gumsum gup chup, gumsum gup chup - 2
Silent whispers, silent whispers - 2

Halchal halchal ho gayi teri, honth hai tere chup
You feel restless, your lips are sealed

Khalbal khalbal ho gayi teri, baithi hai tu gupchup
You're in a turmoil, you sit quietly

Pyaare pyaare chehre lekar dediya ishaara
With your lovely face, you gave a signal

Dekha teri aankhon mein hai sapna koi pyaara
I saw a beautiful dream in your eyes

Humse gori naa tu sharma, kehde humse zara - 2
Don't be shy with me, fair lady, tell me - 2

Kehna hi kya yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile
What can these eyes say, when they meet a stranger

Chalne lage mohabbat ke jaise yeh silsile
This journey has started just like a love story

Armaan naye aise dil mein khile, Jinko kabhi main naa jaanoon
New desires bloomed in my heart, ones that I never knew before

Voh humse, hum unse kabhi naa mile, Kaise mile dil naa jaanoon
We and they never meet, I don't know how our hearts will meet

Ab kya kare, kya naam le, Kaise unhe main pukaaroon
What should I do, what name to call, how can I call them

Pehli hi nazar mein kuch hum, Kuch tum ho jaate hai yun gum
In the very first glance, we and you become lost in each other

Nainon se barse rim jhim, Rim jhim humpe pyaar ka saavan
Eyes are raining, raining love on us like monsoon

Sharm thodi thodi humko aaye to nazarein jhuk jaayen
If we feel a little shy, our eyes start to look down

Sitam thoda thoda humpe shok hawa bhi kar jaaye
Even a little trouble can make us restless, the wind can mock us

Aisi chali, aanchal ude, dil mein ek toofaan uthe
She walks like this, her scarf flutters, a storm rises in my heart

Hum to lut gaye khade hi khade
We got lost standing still

In honthon ne maanga sargam, Sargam tu aur tera hi pyaar hai
These lips asked for the melody, the melody is you and your love

Aankhen dhoonde hai jisko har dam, Har dam tu aur tera hi pyaar hai
Eyes search for you all the time, you and your love every moment

Mehfil mein bhi tanha hai dil aise, dil aise
Even in the gathering, the heart is lonely like this, like this

Tujhko kho naa de, darrta hai yeh aise, yeh aise
Doesn't want to lose you, it fears like this, like this

Aaj mili aisi khushi, jhoom uthi duniya yeh meri Tumko paaya to paayi zindagi
Today I found such happiness, my world is dancing, I found life when I found you