There are more than half a million villages in India, and the hospitable face of that great country is to be found in her villages. This ballad is an attempt to capture the atmosphere and spirit of an Indian village. The English words are given in full elsewhere in the narrative. The song was sung on the road (in Hindi) by Jane Boston, Celia Congdon and Chris Nicholls. But, as a special feaure for the 40th anniversary of Comex, Gaon Ki Jyoti is presented here by Comex in India with Depak Samson (Recording), Vachaspati Sharma (Arrangement), Gulfam Ahmed (Sarod), Kailash Sharma (Flute), Pallavi Laxman (Lead Singer), Poonam, Payal Sharma and Sharmishtha Singh (Vocals), and Vinod Kumar Babli (Synthesizer). Co-ordination: Tabla Master Kamal Kant Sharma. Introduced by Marjory Lyon.

Chorus:

Mere gaon ke die oyare pyare

Jaise nandan se jharte suman dhartipar

Jhilmil gagan ke sitare

Is gaon ka prakash kar andhere ka nash

Har-a rahi ko rah dikhata

Ko-i is desh a ko ho ya pradesh a ka

De to sab ko hi ghat paonchata

Yeh to deta h-a aram sare (repeat)

Kard man ka hare jag ko jagmag kare

Asa milta ha ba hen pasare

Is ke andar sanjoya hride gaon ka

Kukh ke sukh ke sapne sajae

Man ki ha kalpara, dur ki joyna,

Sabko apne hride se lagae

Kahin dipak se man ko ujare (repeat)

Mombatti bane, lamp torch bane

Kahin nanha kiya ban pukare

Yeh to darzi ha ya pansari hai ya,

Bechta phal ya chat banata.

Khimcha ha kahin, tandur kahin

Bechta gurh ya pan lagata

Kahin bathe hon mil peneh sare (repeat)

Yeh to sabko barabar ujagar kare

Aer sabki hi bigari sanvare

Mere purvaj yahan, unke purvaj rahe,

Sabke gorav ke yeh git gati.

Bhula bachpan jahin, phula jivan yahin,

Unke vaibhar ke gaya sunati,

Pran jab tak dhara par banare (repeat)

Gaon ki jyoti, awax jo desh kit

Jagmagati rahe panch sare.

The words to Gaon Ki Jyoti (Village Lights) in English can be found in Chapter 5.