Indian musician Krish Ashok is pleasing ears worldwide with a Sanskrit version of Eric Clapton's classic Layla, dubbed लीला, or "Leela".

However, while the track is an agreeable homage to the original, its linguistic reach is limited.

According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, while Sanskrit is a recognised language in India, just 14,135 people declared it as their native language in the 2001 census.

Clapton was inspired to write the original song after reading a translation of The Story of Layla and Majnun by the celebrated Iranian Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.

This traditional tale tells of a man driven to madness by his love for Layla, said to reflect Clapton's own desire for Pattie Boyd, then the wife of George Harrison.

Clapton wrote:

What'll you do when you get lonely?

And nobody's waiting by your side?

You've been running and hiding much too long.

You know it's just your foolish pride.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.

Layla, I'm begging, darling please.

Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.



For the Sanskrit scholars among you, Ashok's interpretation reads:

त्वयि एकाकिन्यां किं करिष्यसि (What will you do for your loneliness)

यदा सहचरः कोऽपि नास्ति (When for companionship there is no one)

चिरम् धावन्ती गुप्ता असि त्वम् (Time has passed, you have been hiding)

जानास्येव तत् गर्व इति (You must know that it is your pride)

लीले, साष्टाङ्गं प्रणमामि (Leela, I fall at your feet)

लीले, प्रिये, त्वम् याचेऽहम् (Leela, my love, I implore thee)

लीले, चित्तव्याकुलम् शमय (Leela, pacify my troubled mind)

Clapton later married Boyd, and the pair thereby avoided the fate of Layla and Majnun, who both died mourning their unrequited love. ®