Vande Mataram: The Song

Vande Mataram

Sujalaam, suphalaam, malayaja shiitalaam,
Shasya-shyamalaam, maataram
Shubhra-jyotsnaa-pulakita-yaminiim,
Phulla-kusumita drumadala-shobhiniim,
Suhasiniim sumadhura-bhashiniim,
Sukhadaam varadaam, maataram

Saptakoti-kantha-kalakala-ninaada-karaale 
Dwisaptakoti bhujairdhrtua-kharakaravaale 
Ke bale maa tumi abale! (Abalaa kena maa eta bale!) [1]
Bahubala-dhariniim namaami tariniim 
Ripdala-variniim maataram.

Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma 
Tumi hridi tumi marma 
Twam hi praanah shariire 

Bahute tumi maa shakti 
Hridaye tumi maa bhakti 
Tomaari pratimaa gadi 
Mandire mandire

Twam hi durgaa dashapraharana-dhaarinII 
Kamalaa kamala-dala-vihaarinii 
Vaanii vidyaadaayinii 
Namaamii twaam 

Namaami kamalaam amalaam atulaam 
Sujalaam suphalaam maataram
Bande Mataram.
Shyamalaam saralaam susmitaam bhuushitaam 
Dharaniim bharaniim maataram

***

Here is the translation of the above stanzas by Aurobindo Ghose in Karmayogin, 20 November, 1909:

I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests,
the Mother!

Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
The Mother, giver of boons, giver of blissI

Terrible with the clamorous shouts of seventy million throats,
and the sharpness of swords raised in twice seventy million hands,
who sayeth to thee, Mother, that thou are weak? 
Holder of multitudinous strength,
I bow to her who saves,
to her who drives from her the armies of her foremen,
the Mother!

Thou art knowledge, thou art conduct,
thou art heart, thou art soul,
for thou art the life in our body.

In the arm, thou art might, O Mother,
in the heart, O Mother, thou art love and faith,
it is thy image we raise in every temple.

For thou art Durga holding her ten weapons of war,
Kamala at play in the lotuses
And speech, the goddess, giver of all lore,
to thee I bow!
I bow to thee, goddess of wealth
pure and peerless,
richly-watered, richly-fruited,
the Mother!

I bow to thee, Mother,
dark-hued, candid,
sweetly smiling, jewelled and adorned,
the holder of wealth, the lady of plenty,
the Mother!
-----

Notes: 

1. This is the revised version in the fifth edition of Anandamath. Aurobindo followed the Bangadarshan text [the literary journal edited by Bankim in which Anandamath was first serialised]. 

2. Text taken from Sabyasachi Bhattacharya's Vande Mataram: The Biography of aSong. The stanzas written prior to Anandamath are given in bold. and this is what was approved by the CWC. There is some confusion in various writings on the numbering of stanzas and what the CWC had approved in 1937. This can be verified by reference to all government of India websites, where only the text of the first stanza is given, for example, please see the pages on India Image linked from the PMO which provides an India factfile.

3.. There have been demands by some that the song should be translated in Urdu so that many Muslims can find out for themselves whether they find it objectionable or not. Following effort at a transcreation (not a literal translation) by Arif Mohammad Khan has done the rounds:

Tasleemat, maan tasleemat
tu bhari hai meethe pani se
phal phoolon ki shadabi se
dakkin ki thandi hawaon se
faslon ki suhani fizaaon se
tasleemat, maan tasleemat
teri raaten roshan chand se
teri raunaq sabze faam se
teri pyar bhari muskan hai
teri meethi bahut zuban hai
teri banhon mein meri rahat hai
tere qadmon mein meri jannat hai
tasleemat, maan tasleemat