budhey Bharat mein aayee phir se nayi jawani thi,
gumee huee azadi ki keemat sabney pehchani thi,
door phirangi ko karney ki sab ney man mein thani thi.
Chamak uthi san sattavan mein, yeh talwar purani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Kanpur key Nana ki muhn boli bahen chhaveeli thi,
Lakshmibai naam, pita ki woh santaan akeli thi,
Nana key sangh padhti thi woh Nana key sangh kheli thi
barchhi, dhal, kripan, katari, uski yehi saheli thi.
Veer Shivaji ki gaathaayen uski yaad zabani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Lakshmi thi ya Durga thi woh swayan veerta ki avatar,
dekh Marathey pulkit hotey uski talwaron key vaar,
nakli yudh-vyuh ki rachna aur khelna khub shikar,
sainya gherna, durg todna yeh they uskey preeya khilwad.
Maharashtra-kul-devi uski bhi aaradhya Bhavani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Huee veerta ki vaibhav key saath sagai Jhansi mein,
byah hua ban aayee Rani Lakshmi bai Jhansi mein,
rajmahal mein baji badhai khushiyan chhaee Jhansi mein,
sughat Bundelon ki viroodaavalee-si woh aayee Jhansi mein.
Chitra ney Arjun ko paya, Shiv sey mili Bhavani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Udit hua saubhagya, mudit mahalon mein ujiyali chhayee,
kintu kaalgati chupkey-chupkey kali ghata gher laayee,
teer chalaaney vaaley kar mein usey choodiyan kab bhaayee,
Rani vidhva huee hai, vidhi ko bhi nahin dayaa aayee.
Nisantan marey Rajaji, Rani shok-samani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Bujha deep Jhansi ka tab Dalhousie man mein harshaaya,
Raajya hadap karney ka yeh usney achhaa avsar paaya,
fauran fauj bhej durg par apna jhandaa phehraya,
lawaris ka waris bankar British Raj Jhansi aaya.
Ashrupurna Rani ney dekha Jhansi huee birani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Anunay vinay nahin sunti hai, vikat shaasakonki maaya,
vyapari ban daya chhahta tha jab wah Bharat aaya,
Dalhousie ney pair pasaarey, ab to palat gayee kaaya
Rajaon Nawwabon ko bhi usney pairon thukraaya.
Rani daasi bani, bani yeh daasi ab Maharani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Chheenee rajdhani Dilli ki, Lucknow chheena baaton-baat,
Qaid Peshwa tha Bithur mein, hua Nagpur ka bhi ghaat,
Udaipur, Tanjore, Satara, Karnatak ki kaun bisaat?
jabki Sindh, Punjab Brahm par abhi hua that vajra-nipaat.
Bengaaley, Madras aadi ki bhi to vahi kahani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Rani royee rinvason mein, Begum gum se thi bezaar,
unkey gehney kapdey biktey they Calcutta key bazzar,
sarey aam nilaam chhaptey they angrezon key akhbar,
"Nagpur key zewar le lo, Lucknow key lo naulakh haar".
Yon pardey ki izzat pardesi key hath bikani thi
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Kutiya mein bhi visham vedna, mahalon mein aahat apmaan,
veer sainikon key man mein tha apney purkhon ka abhmaan,
Nana Ghunghupant Peshwa joota raha tha sab saamaan,
bahen chhaveeli ney Ran-Chandi ka kar diya prakat aahvaan.
Hua yagna prarambh unhey to soyee jyoti jagani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Mahalon ney di aag, jhonpdi ney jwala sulgayee thi,
yeh swatantrata ki chingari antratam sey aayee thi,
Jhansi cheti, Dilli cheti, Lucknow laptey chhayi thi,
Merat, Kanpur, Patna ney bhari dhoom machayi thi,
Jabalpur, Kolhapur, mein bhi kuchh hulchul uksani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Is Swatantrata Mahayagna mein kayee veervar aaye kaam,
Nana Ghunghupant, Tantya, chatur Azeemullah sarnam,
Ahmedshah Moulvi, Thakur Kunwar Singh, Sainik Abhiram,
Bharat key itihaas gagan mein amar rahengey jinkey naam.
Lekin aaj jurm kehlati unki jo Qurbani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Inki gaatha chhod, chaley hum Jhansi key maidanon mein,
Jahan khadi hai Lakshmibai mard bani mardanon mein,
Lieutenant Walker aa pohoncha, aagey bada jawanon mein,
Rani ney talwaar kheench li, hua dhandh asmanon mein.
Zakhmi hokar Walker bhaga, usey ajab hairani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Rani badhi Kalpi aayee, kar sau meel nirantar paar,
ghoda thak kar gira bhoomi par, gaya swarg tatkaal sidhaar,
Yamuna tat par angrezon ney phir khayee Rani sey haar,
vijayee Rani aagey chal di, kiya Gwalior par adhikar.
Angrezon key mitra Scindia ney chhodi rajdhani thee,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Vijay mili, par Angrezon ki phir sena ghir aayee thi,
Abkey General Smith sammukh tha, usney munhki khayee thi,
Kaana aur Mandra sakhiyan Rani key sangh aayee thi,
Yudh kshetra mein un dono ney bhari maar machayi thi.
par peechey Hughrose aa gaya, Hai! gheeri ab Rani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
To bhi Rani maar kaat kar chalti bani sainya key paar,
kintu saamney naala aaya, tha woh sankat visham apaar,
ghoda adaa, naya ghoda tha, itney mein aa gaye avaar,
Rani ek, shatru bahuterey, honey lagey vaar-par-var.
Ghayal hokar giri Sinhni, isey veer gati paani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Rani gayee sidhaar chita ab uski divya sawaari thi,
mila tej se tej, tej ki woh sachchi adhikaari thi,
abhi umr kul teis ki thi, manuj nahin avtaari thi,
humko jeevit karney aayee ban Swatantrata-naree thi,
dikha gayee path, sikha gayee humko jo seekh sikhani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
Jao Rani yaad Rakhengey yeh krutagna Bharatwasi,
yeh tera balidaan jagavega Swatantrata avinasi,
hovey chup itihaas, lagey sachchai ko chahey phansi,
ho madmaati vijay, mitaa dey golon sey chahey Jhansi.
Tera Smarak tu hi hogi, tu khud amit nishaani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.
English Translation
The Queen of Jhansi)
1
The throne got shook, and the tension erupted among the Raajvanshs, the royal heirs of the throne,
In aged India, a new wave of youth was spreading,
All the inhabitants of India had realized the worth of their lost freedom,
All of them had decided to get rid of the British rule,
The old swords started glittering again like new ones in the form of the freedom movement in 1857.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
2
She was as dear to the Nana (Nana Ghunghupant ) of Kanpur as her real sister,
Her name was Laxmibai and she was the only daughter of her parents,
She had been with Nana from her early childhood, since she was a school student.
Spear, knife, sword, axe (all different types of weapons used in her time) were her companions all the time.
She had learned by heart the valorous stories of shivaji (a renowned king of Maharashtra).
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
3
No one could guess whether she was Laxmi or Durga devi ( Durga Goddess , also called Bhavani ) or reincarnation of Devi durga,
Her expertise in using a sword made the people of Marathward (Pulkit) wonder,
They learned the war strategy of how to attack the prey,
To ambush her prey and to break the vanity were among her favorite supports,
Maharashtra-kul-Devi (The goddess of the Maharashtra ) was as dear to her as Bhavani (Durga Devi )
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
4
With valor in a grand festival, she got married in Jhansi,
After her marriage, Laxmibai came to Jhansi as a queen with shower of joy,
A grand celebration took place in the royal palace of Jhansi. That was a good luck for Bandelos that she came to Jhansi,
That was as Chitra met with Arjun or Shiv had got his beloved Bhavani (Durga).
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
5
She came as a good luck to the royal palace of Jhansi and for a log time the palace remained decorated with lighting candles in celebration.
But as days passed the dark clouds of misfortune covered the royal palace.
She stopped wearing bangles for that was the time for a battle.
The queen got widowed and her fate was very unkind to her.
The royal king had no children when he died and the queen was grief stricken.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
6
So the candle of the royal castle blew off and Dalhousie (a British governor) became very happy in his heart about the situation (that the royal palace had no king or someone strong to defend the throne).
He thought that the time was right to usurp the kingdom.
He sent his soldiers to Citadel and raised the British flag on the royal palace.
The British rule came to Jhansi as the guardian of an orphan.
The Rani saw everything with tears in her eyes that how Jhansi got deserted.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
7
Strong (and Cruel) kings do not care about the cajoling.
They (The British Rulers) came to India in the disguise of poor merchants.
The British governor (Dalhousi) then extended his influence in India and so the fate of India turned over.
He insulted even the feudal and heads of state of India.
The queen took the gesture of a maidservant; the maid was the real queen.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
8
First of all Indian rulers lost the capital of India, Delhi and subsequently they lost the control of Lucknow.
Peshwa was imprisoned in Bithur and then the Nagpur tragedy occurred.
After the fall of Nagpur, it was not a big task for the intruders to take the control of Udaipur, Tanjore satara and Karnatak.
They already had the control of Sindh, Punjab and Assam.
The tale of fall of Bengal, Madras and many other states was also the same.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
9
Rani(the queen) wept in her quarter for all that disaster. She was rather lost and was sick of the situation.
Her ornaments and royal clothes were being sold in the markets of Calcutta.
The advertisements for the sale of the royal stuff were being published in the daily newspapers of the British Government.
“Buy the ornaments of Nagpur, Buy the Naulakha locket of Lucknow” had been the highlights of such advertisements.
In this manner the honor of the royal ladies had to be sold to foreigners.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
10
The cottages of poor were full of grief and the royal houses were also full of insult (the royal ladies were maltreated and insulted by the British intruders whereas the poor folk were also in the clutches of the atrocities by the British rulers).
Brave soldiers of India had in their mind the prestige of their ancestors.
The name of Ghunghupant and Nana, the titles of the great warriors and their weapons, they have lost all such treasure as well.
The beloved sisters of Nana (queen of Jhansi- Rani) invited Nana to visit Ran-Chandi.
The ritual of the holy war of freedom started because they had to awake the divine spirit of the people of India, which had been sleeping so far.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
11
The fire of revolt started from royal palace, which became hot like burning sun when reached to the houses of the poor or common folk.
This spark of freedom started from the inner soul of the people.
It captured Jhansi first then spread in Delhi and also engulfed Lucknow.
The freedom struggle was also in full swing in Merat, Kanpur and Patna.
The people of Jabalpur, Kolhapur were also being inspired from others.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
12
In that great freedom struggle, many brave brothers lost their lives.
Among them were Nana GhunGhupant, Tantya, great Azeemullah,
And many others like Ahmedshah Moulvi, Thakur Kunwar singh, Sainik Abhiram.
Their names will always be shining in the heavens of the ancient history of India,
but they were considered rebels at that time and their great sacrifice was considered a crime against the state of British India.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
13
Well, leave the tale of the bravery of those great men and let us go to the battlefields of Jhansi,
Where Laxmibai is standing boldly like a man among the other brave men.
Lieutenant Walker reached there and proceeded further in the people’s army of the brave men,
Rani drew her sword, the beating of the drums started in the heavens,
Walker ran away from the battlefield as Rani defectively wounded him. He was astonished on the agility of Rani.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
14
Rani preceded further and reached Kalpi after taking a hard journey of hundreds of miles.
The horse got exhausted and fell to the ground and the rider (Walker) also fell down immediately .
In the field of Yamuna again Rani was defeating the British.
The victorious Rani proceeded further and took the control of Gawalior.
The British thus left the Vsindia (capital of Gawalior) and their rule ended in Gawalior.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
15
Although the freedom fighters had won, the British army was again getting organized. This time, general smith was in command but he was also being defeated by the brave freedom fighters – he had to be defeated.
Kaana and Mandra (the associates of Rani) were also accompanying her in the war zone. In the battlefield they both were fighting furiously.
But a British commander, Hughrose came from the backside to help his soldiers – Alas! The British soldiers surrounded the Rani from all sides.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
16
Though Rani was deeply wounded, still she was fighting and had managed to get through the British army,
But she got stuck because a sewerage canal was there on the other end and she was in deep trouble,
Her horse got stuck there - the horse was untrained, in the mean time, the British soldiers, riding on their horses reached there.
Rani was all alone while enemies were numerous who were attacking her with their sword from all sides,
Rani, who was fighting like a lioness, succumbed to the wounds and fell down. She had to achieve a glorious death in war ( Martyrdom ).
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
17
Rani was martyred in the battlefield.Her departed soul was then riding a divine vehicle, moving towards heavens
the Light of her divine soul met with the divine light in the heavens, she was the real heir of divinity,
She was only thirty years of age. She was not a human; rather she was divine spirit (a holy being),
Who did come, in the gesture of a female freedom fighter, to give us a respectable life of light and freedom ,
She showed us the path of freedom, and taught us the lesson of courage, she taught us what we might have learned.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
18
The people of India will remember this debt of yours (O! Rani Laxmaibai), may you be blessed, dear Rani,
Your this life sacrifice will awake an indestructible soul of freedom in the people,
History may be made silent or if truth is hanged or killed, or if the drinkers become victorious or if they destroy jhansi with cannonballs,
You, by yourself be the memorial of Rani (queen of Jhansi) because you had been an eternal token of courage.
From the mouths of the Bandelas and the Harbolas (Religious singers of Bandelkhand), we heard the tale of the courage of the Queen of Jhansi relating how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
