“Raat Akeli Thi,” from the film “Merry Christmas,” isn’t your typical Bollywood love song. Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra sing a smoky jazz ballad that dances on the edge of memory and desire. Varun Grover’s lyrics, even in translation, are as rich as velvet and ambiguous as moonlight.
Imagine two strangers meeting in a lonely city, their past lives swirling around them like wisps of forgotten dreams. The male narrator starts the conversation, his voice laced with the yearning of a soul seeking solace. He speaks of a woman he’s met “a hundred times,” their connection is woven into the fabric of their lives, like “dust and caravan” inseparable in the desert wind.
Antara Mitra counters with her perspective, her voice tinged with a playful skepticism. She remembers fragments of this shared past, glimpses of stolen glances, and whispered secrets. The song becomes a dialogue, a shared exploration of a love story written in stardust and whispered promises.
MERRY CHRISTMAS MOVIE | RAAT AKELI THI SONG LYRICS ENGLISH MEANING
Raat Akeli Thi Toh Baat Nikal Gayi
I said the words because it was a lonely night.
Tanha Shehar Mein Woh Tanha Si Mil Gayi
In a lonely city, I discovered her alone.
Maine Usse Poochha Hum, Pehle Bhi Mile Hain Kahin Kya
I inquired whether we’d ever met before.
Phir?
And then?
Uski Nazar Jhuki Chaal Badal Gayi,
She looked down, and the manner she walked changed.
Zara Sa Qareeb Aayi Aur Sambhal Gayi
She got a bit closer to me but remained wary.
Haule Se Jo Boli Meri Jaan Behal Gayi Haan
She talked slowly, which delighted me.
Kya Boli?
What did she say?
Haan Hum Mile Hain Sau Sau Dafa
Yes, we have met over a hundred times.
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
I am the dust; you are the caravan.
Ik Doosre Mein Hum Yun La Pata,
We are immersed in one other in such a manner…
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
that I am the dust and you are the caravan.
Raat Akeli Thi Toh Kissa Hi Badal Gaye
The fact that it was a lonely night transformed the whole tale.
Bhare Se Shehar Mein Woh Bheed Sa Mil Gaya
If I ran across him in a busy city.
Maine Use Kaha Hum Pehle Bhi Mile Hain Kahin Kya
I asked him whether we had met previously.
Phir?
And then?
Akhiyan Milake Thoda Thoda Sa Woh Muskaya
He glanced into my eyes and grinned.
Mujhko Bhi Zara Zara Sa Toh Kuch Yaad Aya
I also began to remember something about him in parts and pieces.
Bola Maine Raaz Ye Kab Se Hi Tha Chupaya, Haan!
He stated I had kept this a secret for quite some time.
Kya Raaz?
What’s the secret?
Haan Hum Mile Hain Sau-Sau Dafa
Yes, we’ve met over 100 times.
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
I am the dust; you are the caravan.
Ik Doosre Mein Hum Yun La Pata,
We are immersed in one other in such a manner…
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
that I am the dust and you are the caravan.
Ke Dekhun Main Jahan Tere Hi Nishaan
I see traces of you everywhere.
Haan Tere Hi Nishaan Jaana Phir Kahan
There are signs of you everywhere; where should I go?
Ki Teri Chup Mein Bhi Laakhon Lafz Hain
Your silence contains hundreds of words.
Ki Mere Haath Mein Teri Nafz Hai
Your life is in my hands.
Haan Hum Mile Hain Sau Sau Dafa
Yes, we have met over a hundred times.
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
I am the dust; you are the caravan.
Ik Doosre Mein Hum Yun La Pata,
We are immersed in one other in such a manner…
Main Dhool Hoon Tu Kaaravaan
that I am the dust and you are the caravan.
RAAT AKELI THI FULL SONG
Pritam’s composition plays the perfect foil to Grover’s lyrical enigma. The music is a slow burn, each note echoing the hesitant steps of two souls rediscovering each other. The piano tinkles like lost laughter, and the drums beat with the pulse of a rekindled passion.
RAAT AKELI THI MUSIC VIDEO
The English translation alongside the song acts as a Rosetta Stone, unlocking the hidden depths of Grover’s verses. It illuminates the cultural references and poetic nuances that might otherwise remain mysterious. But even with the translation, the magic of “Raat Akeli Thi” lies in the original Hindi. The words shimmer with unspoken emotions, and the melody wraps around you like a lover’s embrace.
| Title | Raat Akeli Thi |
| Movie | Merry Christmas |
| Singer(s) | Antara Mitra, Arijit Singh |
| Lyrics Writer(s) | Varun Grover |
| Music Composer(s) | Pritam |
| Actor(s) | Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi |