PRELUSION: ANTHOLOGY OF TRANSLATED POEMS of SHAKUNTALA SHARMA
LET THE BIRDS CHIRP
ANTHOLOGY OF TRANSLATED POEMS OF SHAKUNTALA SHARMA
ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY RAJNI CHHABRA
PRELUSION:
After soulful thanks to All-pervasive God for His choicest blessings for successful completion of my Anthology of Poems,' Let the Birds Chirp' trans-verted from Hindi and Rajasthani into English as target language, I would like to extend my hearty thanks to voracious readers world-wide, for continually devouring my all literary works
Bi-lingual poetess and critic Ms. Shakuntala Sharma has marked a niche in literary corridors of Hindi and Rajasthani, for more than three decades. Both of us were colleagues in Maharani Sr. Sec. School in Bikaner (Raj.) in early years of this century. We co-shared stage in many Poetry Events too. Her poems always created a deep impression on my mind. Undoubtedly, translating her poems is a matter of immense pleasure for me.
Compiling this collection has been an amusing as well as challenging experience for me. I have anthologized poems from her two Hindi Poetry Books 'Prasfutan' and 'Anubhutiyaan' and also choicest poems from her Rajasthani Poetry Book,' Kaanchi Koonpal'
In these poems, you will find woman aspiring for self-identification, diving deep into each and every moment of life to accumulate wisdom. Some of her poems reveal deep concern over degeneration of moral values, chaos in political arena, exploitation and male dominance in society. She is equally thoughtful for maintaining ecological balance and cares for environment. She raises her voice against oppression of woman and condemns female femicide.
Love is interpreted in multifarious ways in her poems.
Love is
Dawn
Light on
Horizon
Gleam
Brightness
Morning
Ecstatic
Never sets
Never hides
In the galaxy of stars
Murmuring
Hailing from Rajasthan, she has a masterly touch in her poems when she pens about cultural traditions, customs and fairs of Rajasthan. These poems have a picturesque effect.
Peep outside gatehouse
Carrying *Teej -Sawari
Moving with ornamentation
Their turbans are pink
Decorated pitcher for that great oblation
Is being carried on head by sister-in-law
In moments of trance
Her glory is pink
Her poems are tinged with lofty goals of life and encompass virtues of love, compassion, trust, hope, self-confidence, courage, devotion and divinity. Poetess has tone of a seer and her deep philosophy, along with philanthropic bend of mind, expressed through these poems is highly commendable. I appreciate note of optimism in her poems.
Translation is a medium to know about mind set up, sentiments and views of writer composing in other languages and involves liability on the shoulders of translator to retain original fervour. It widens literary corridors, especially when it is translated into English; it opens wide avenues to get it further translated into regional languages as well as other international languages. It helps us to transcend linguistic borders and create bonds of affinity, thereby making the world stronger for the true goal of peace, equality and bliss.
PRASFUTAN
( SPROUTING)
CONTENTS
1. Tender Feeling
2. Nimboli
3. Golden Sparrow
4. Girl
5. Love
6. You
7. Basket
8. Always Smiling
9. Apathetic
10. Lyric
11. Still....So Much is Pending
12, Pink City
13. Three Manifestations
14. Lively
15. Poem
1.TENDER FEELING
******************
Today
Really
Vacuum
Has vanished
In my heart
Someone is hopping
And dancing
Is exploring
My heart!
2. NIMBOLI
**********
In courtyard of
Our dear father
We, all sisters are
Neem trees
Viewing Neem trees
My grandmother
Scolded father
How is it that
You are sowing
Neem and neem
Fetch one rose
Our courtyard will
Appear charming
Courtyard
Will bloom
Will shed fragrance
And, we
Where we were sowed
Flourished and extended widely
Inwardly
Kept on expanding
But that rose plant
Every winter
Every summer
Father kept on moving it
Lest it suffers due to high temperature
Lest it gets frost-bitten
Focussing all attention on
The beautiful rose
Taking utter care of him
Thorns pricked hands of father
At times, a thorn
Caused wound by and by
Due to negligence
Father became sick
Thorn turned into wound
And caused skin- infection
So many wounds
So many skin-infections were
Healed by leaves of Neem
Bitter leaves of Neem
We leaves of Neem
We seeds of Neem
Our trees provide cool breeze
And plentiful shade
Entire pain
And anguish
Goes away
Healed
By trees of Neem
We are trees of Neem
We are trees of Neem.
Nimboli: berry of Mergosa tree
Neem : Mergosa.
3. GOLDEN SPARROW
*******************
She is asleep
Whether knowingly
Or unknowingly
She is asleep
At abode of father
Learning lessons of obedience
She is asleep
At abode of husband
Personification of adornment
She is asleep
Patting infants, lulling to sleep, awaking
Persuading them
She is asleep
Accomplishing all worldly liabilities
Bringing light to home
She is asleep
She is a wonder
She awakes everyone
"And"
She is asleep
We are putting efforts
Since last four centuries
To awake her
But, she is asleep
Tied to stakes of
Religion, ideals, rule, policies
Modesty and love
She is asleep
She lits earthen lamp
In evening
In morning
She offers water to the Sun
Waters Tulsi
Observes fast of Karwa-Chouth
Opening entrance of courtyard
She is asleep
When will she awaken
O,That!.....
" She is asleep".
GIRL
*****
Girl
Tender shoot
Cuckooing nightingale
Echoing sweetly
Sandalwood forest!
" Redness"
Of rising sun
Chirping of sparrow
Hopping-singing
Like shining bindia
Brightly
Scattering beauty
In cultured generations
Seems to be composing
Seems to be creating
Always adding
Bricks on upon another
For building
The castle of dreams
Maturity of her endeavours
Is flourishing
In the form of new creation!
Might seek support at times
And will create her identity
Stairs---clutches
But.....mum
Never ushers anything
Just..... listens
Persistently keeps on listening
Her existence is created
Amidst four pillars
Her four pillars
father.....brother
Husband....son!
LOVE
*******
Love is
Dawn
Light on
Horizon
Gleam
Brightness
Morning
Ecstatic
Never sets
Never hides
In the galaxy of stars
Murmuring
Tinkling
Echoing
In the lip folds
Throbbing
It is chord
Ringing like
Celestial music
Surrounds you silently
It is introspection
It is scherzo
It is sensation
Like waves in river
It is aim
It is question
It is answer
To silent question,
It is kindred
It is cool
It is resentment
It is jeremiad
It is web
It is tide
It is attraction
It is dedication
Of our life
But!!
It is not corporeal
It is beyond physical embodiment
It is lord of this universe
And free in the other realm
It can not be confined
Behind bars of this body
It is dedicated to Divine
It is gist of self-identity,
It is prayer for seeking God.
It is meditation for emancipation.
It is weary of burden.
It is sozzled with caprice.
It is tradition
It is a policy.....
Eternal.....
It is unending love.
Love exists in faith
Life-long in aspiration
In unquenched thirst
In heart-beats of forlorn.
It is gist
It is bloom
It is rectification
It dwells in every song
In every affinity.
It is infinite perennial lyric.
YOU
******
A nameless
Relation exists
Between heart to heart
It is aromatic with fragrance of reveries
Mingled in
Jingling of laughter
Takes sometimes to
Heights of heavans
And....
Takes sometimes to
Depths of Netherworld
Overcomes blankness
And...
Hangs it to void
I think
I should give a name
To this relation now
And free myself
From all shackles.
7. BASKET
*********
An innocent girl
I am doll of my grandmother
My grandmother is the best in whole universe
Around broad hem of her saree
I often noticed
A basket
Grandmother would place it up
Cleaning, wiping and placing it up
On a loft
Empty
Observed it every morning and evening
I grew up a bit
On a fateful day
Grandmother handed over that basket
To my mother
And my mother
Watched it with a longing
Always putting something in it
Toys...handcrafted by her
Recipes... prepared by her
Garland of beads of wisdom
And plenty of narratives of experience
Whatever she learnt, filled the basket with it
Neither let it remain empty
Nor did she use it
While departing from threshold of father
And moving to threshold of husband
My mother handed over the basket to me
I fetched with me the basket of grandmother
Filled that basket
But did not place on loft like my mother
''I''
I utilized countless bounties
In the basket enriched with
Narratives of experience
Enchanting art
I kept on adding to it
My life was full of bounties
Being a diligent lady
I distributed the contents of basket
Among needy people
Kept on distributing
And distributing
Caravan moved on
And kept moving
This basket of three generations
Got emptied
And filled again
Got emptied
And refilled
It imposed a question on me
I pondered
Why did grandmother keep it empty?
She possessed everything
Mother filled it and handed over to me
Why she did not avail anything out of it?
In response to this question
I explained to my daughter today
It was in slumber since long
But has awaked today
This is the secret of this basket!
ALWAYS SMILING
*****************
Why did you
Slid
Melodious tunes
In my ears
In such a way that
These landed on
Screen of my heart
Had you observed
Vacant space in my heart?
Or just to win the cards
Had jumped into it
Enlarging again and again
In solitary moments
Vaguely uttered words
I am feeling it
Infusing these melodies
In me
Kept ringing
Kept ringing
Mingling nectar in my ears
Kept dripping honey
In my deserted life.
9. APATHETIC
************
Scattered
All-around is
Extremism
But there is no
Public protest
No surgency
No contemplation
Regarding chaos
This one
That one
Everyone is self-centered
They are never moved by
Any news of
Death of humanity
Why? Why so?
Our thought process is
Turning dumb and neutral
In every situation
Impotent is
Manliness
Coward and timid
I getting surrounded by
Smoky and vague paths
Ten Commandants of Bible
Preaching of Quran
Quarderains of Tulsidas
Religious preaching
Holy books
Morality and noble thoughts
Should illumine always
Diffusing light of wisdom
In all directions
In every heart
A sparkle should arise
Let there be surgency
Let there be churning of thoughts
Exclamation of conscience
Discrimination between right and wrong
Something should prevail
In your heart.
10. LYRIC
*******
I have always protected my wings
Have taken flights too
Lest someone should prick my wings
I have managed to fly very cautiously
These wings only are
Companions of my determination
My own....self-resolution
Don't look at my wings
In this manner
Desires that I had cherished
Since long
Alas! Pricked me even sharper than
Broken pieces of glass
Your anguish
That touched my heart
What to say , what to say about it
Just tolerating and tolerating.
11. STILL..... SO MUCH IS PENDING
*******************************
So much is pending
Still
So much.....is pending.
Just recently has landed
Glow of dawn in this life
Everything ..has acquired
Reddish hue of dawn.....
And horizon is extending
Surrounding me are doors of possibilities
Waiting for my flight is
Wide open sky
"So much is pending"
No.....still so much is pending
I have stretched my wings
I take a flight
On reaching my destination
I survey,,, around me
I won't leave.. any efforts
Because.......!
So much is pending till.
Gazeboes of history
Apertures, domes, funerary monuments, corridors
Pigeons cooing....and
Sparrows hopping in courtyard
Who own feathers
I have to approach them too
Those petty birds.....innocent
What do they want?
What are they saying?
My this calling from heavens
And... efforts in hand
Invoke me .....
" Fly"
To all the winged creatures
Sitting on gazeboes...apertures
Domes....funerary monuments .. courtyard
Keen on taking flight
Let me explain expanse of sky
In their flight from
Earth to sky
Stretching wings
Knowing direction of wind
Tell them deftness of
Flying and
Retaining connection with earth.!
12. PINK CITY
************
Tall buildings
Pink City
Lush green abundantly
Blend of unique colours
My Pink City
Children coming out of shcool
Their cheeks are pink
A pair of eyes
Peeping through spectacles
Their lips are pink
Look at fingers of
Grandma and maternal grandma
Pink precious stones are
Shining
Tender plants in flower-beds
Are rich with pink flowers
Peep outside gatehouse
Carrying *Teej -Sawari
Moving with ornamentation
Their turbans are pink
Decorated pitcher for that great oblation
Is being carried on head by sister-in-law
In moments of trance
Her glory is pink
Her carrot-like well developed arms
And her lips are pink
Dame ornamented with pearls and henna
Her palms are pink
Greenery prevails in every abode
Decorated buildings are pink
Goddess Lakshmi arrives from
North
South
East
West
And settles in city
On Lotus
Its colour is pink!
*Teej -Sawari: During Teej Festival in Rajasthan, Idol of Teej Mata is carried in procession
13. THREE MANIFESTATIONS
**************************
I agree
That
In your heart
Dwells a river of
Affection and affinity
Like
Transparent cool water
But when confronted
By my principles
Why you transform into
Solid ice?
You heart always used to sway
Your heart always used to upspring
Under impact of tide of perfection
Puddled and churned
Jumpy cool drops
Used to touch me
In those refreshing moments
You used to freshen up me
In those very moments
I longed to see
Attitude of life
I wished ...to get these showers continually
I kept on eradicating
Heat and fatigue
With droplets getting from distance
I wish
Your stance of ice melts
With heat of my principles
But continually flowing river
Never
Turns into vapour
Never evaporates!
14. LIVELY
*********
In dense thicket of scrapings
Your.....your faith
Has nurtured blossoms of
Devotion
Savoured, in that fragrance
Dived neck deep
Both of us
Caught
Fishes of aspirations
Colourful...deep saffron...yellow
Longing... to grab fish
A competition started
Between both of us
Joy too prevailed
To show each other
Colourful fishes
One after another
We had filled
Countless fishes
In our life
But
When did we realize
Lifeblood
Of fish
Devoid of water
Colourful fishes
Accumulated fishes
Colourless fishes
Foul smell?
Emitted by those dead fishes
We
Baffled
Started blaming each other
Then
We ..both of us
Discovered
A concentrated fish
And, now we enjoy
Viewing her dancing
In sufficient water
In transparent vase
Jumping, dancing
Swaying-rustling
Far and far
We observe
Diving fish
And chuckle
In that transparent vase
How lively is our fish!
15. POEM
*******
Crossing ....transcending
Plenty of endeavours
And artificiality
Crossing bumpy roads
Ornamenting vacuous crowns of words
And brain storming
In this modern hectic life
Fetches smoothness in roughness
Poem illustrates in
My heart
In your heart
Your happiness
My agony
Affinity of all
Peeps into heart
Crossing through window
Gathers all
Encircles all
And..
In crowded * choupal
In midst of road
Standing aloof
Waving her hand
Dancing in a trance
Stretching her hands towards sky
Sipping nectar of satiety
All of us are reflected in her
Why are you dragging her towards tracks
Wherefrom, we never treaded
Wherever we move
She has to remain there only
Standing
Poem ...is
A young popsy
A pink frock
A dimple on cheek of my neighbour
A camel-cart of *Cheetar
Poem is playmate of
All of us
A lively colourful pattern
Of life.
Whatever dwells in
Inner cores of heart
Weights it on scale of brain
Then she pleads something from there
And brings out what she had nurtured
All the process is pleasant
Nothing is dull
All this is
Pleasure
Immense pleasure.
* Choupal: place for public gathering in village
*Cheetar: a name
ANUBHUTIYAAN
(SENSATIONS)
******************
1. Woman
2. Question
3. Relations
4. Why
5. Internally
6. Our Viewpoint
7. Separation
8. Unexpected
9. Your letter, My Letter
10. Own Destinations
11. Identity
12. Our Track
13. Woman-Bitter Truth
14. Farmer
1. WOMAN
**********
Woman
Stretches hands
Along with it
Mouth too
Woman
Spews out all her problems
On every stage
Woman says
These problems are heavy...very heavy
Man
Ignores these
Woman steps on
Narrow, widespread
Tracks
Hides
In green fields
And plucks a flower
' Psychic force'
And ties it hard
In her bale
And ...then
In front of woman
Spreads and spreads
An equation
In expanded form
Woman views
All-around
Observes
Ponders
Ensconce
Fruit in bale
' Psychic force'
Increases
Problem decreases
If 'Psychic force'
Decreases
Problem increases
Woman
Looks at
Fruit in bale
In the background of bale
Since echoes
Her self-respect
Prestige
Power and
Love
Are prevalent
And
Very patiently
She has relished
Fruit from the bale.
2. QUESTION
***********
May be
You treated my love
As drama
But amidst rocks
In deep well
Till this day
Deep water of
Your love
Is stagnant!
Pigeons of wishes
Flutter
Fly
Over there still.
Till this day
Swan
Is eager to land into
That still water...!
If you keep on raising
Coping wall
"Then"
Won't the well get
Deeper
Water will never dry up
But
Fathoming it
Is a far-away issue
This dwelling
In midst of water
Why is it musty?
3. RELATIONS
************
Relations
Don't carry
Don't carry
Don't bear burden of
Their relatives
By and by
Relations become cumbersome
They don't greet
Even on Holi-diwali
They keep their heart
Devoid of emotions
Then bonds of affinity
Lose their luster
They ignore
Turn away
In hours of
Comfort or discomfort
Remain silent
Then relations
Shed tears
Boat moves fast
Holding sail of relations
But, when someone very close
Causes hole in it
Relations sink.
4. WHY?
******
It has been scribbled on
Slate of mind
And
Read also
Teacher had told
" Birds don't dwell on burnt tree"
But...today
Why heart of every human-being is burning?
Fire of disorder is kindling
Why...why?
Why mind is nourishing on illusions
Why....why?
When will chirpers of our truth
Will chirp
When will they arrive
Near verdant trees
I wish
These birds, these twitters
Dwell daily
In green groves
And in orchids.
5. INTERNALLY
6. OUR VIEWPOINT
*****************
What sort of persons are we?
What sort of persons are all of us?
We fail to peep into
Inner cores of heart of
Our little daughter
Indulged in self -playing
Hopping, jumping
She is growing
And we keep on observing her curves
And she....
She has folded her fist tightly
Holding light in her fist
We fail to observe
Heights of her mind
We view her only as a girl
How uneducated, how unsuccessful she is!
From light coming through
Creaks of closed doors
She silently
Slides out
And measures the whole sky
She unmasks our
Narrow thinking.
7. SEPARATION
*************
Till horizon
Reached our vision
Awake.....half- awake
Our eyes
Wish to fly
To any extent
We had mutual trust
On support of each other
We took a very high flight
And faced reproach too
Our wings collapsed
And we too
Fluttered
That chain ended
Aromatic dreams
Turned into
Sores of anguish
Exuded
Have you still concealed
That ruby of heart
I catch glimpse of
Its luster
At times.
8. UNEXPECTED
***************
We had thought
We will move hand in hand
In fields of mustard
Did you too?
Why??
I, too, made a lot of promises
Moving on wings of wind
We will converse
I will show you
Pretty blossoms
You will make me follow
Butterfly
On rainbow path
Treading, holding hands
Daily
We used to run
Moving with wind
Reached village of our dreams
I said
"How beautiful is this world?"
You said
" How handsome I am"?
I said
"Yoy are beautiful, because of this beautiful world."
You said
" Firstly, I am beautiful
Mention my name first.
And then anybody else is beautiful."
My love!
I had to show you entire world
You were
"Mine"
Since epochs
To verify my ushering
" Is this world beautiful?"
When did you move away for verification?
I am indulged in life-long thinking
Who left the axis
Me...or he?
9, YOUR LETTER, MY LETTER
***************************
My love
Evergreen
Recall
That letter
Love-smeared
Our talks
Full of sweetness
In every word
Sensations
Mingled in
Throughout
Thrill
Still fresh
In my life
You sent love-letter
Via inland
I wished it
In envelope
Why you sent
Inland letter
I was always afraid of
Younger brothers
Lest they should open it
They might muddle with it
And read the content
Letter
That
I was not able to
Hide anywhere
Since that time only
Started this intimacy
Our own talks
Our own letters
Why should brothers
Involve in this
Why should even sister
Interfere in this
Since that time
Nothing else pleases me
Except that love-letter.
Now, I observe
My son and daughter
They don't write letters
Grandson and grand daughter too
Don't write
That sort of letter.
They don't disclose their heart
Everything is superficial
They don't realize own feelings too
They don't share their heart
Listen to me
O, my dear beloved!
Once again
Turn into that
Historical letter
You become king
And
I become a queen.
10. OWN DESTINATIONS
*********************
Why this truth prevails?
In the corridors of heart
We wandered
In those days
We were far from world
And we
Spewed out whole truth
God knows, when
This world
Stationed
In midst of heart
With crown of 'ego'
Those two words of love
Vanished
Neither you
Nor me
Could understand it
We had nurtured self-respect
But
When
We spoiled our ego
Like a spoiled child
His demands were not
Easy to cope with
His demands were not
Misty
Why did we proceed
In different directions
To accede to wishes of
Ego born out of self-respect?
11. IDENTITY
***********
Whenever
You greeted
Truth
Even after eating
Bitter gourds
You created
Your identity
Which was neither acceptable
To your very own
Nor to the society
Surrounding you
You were peeled untimely
With sickles of your own people
Drop by drop
Peel by peel
From your own shattered identity
You re- created yourself
More important than
Process of sculpting your identity
Is the process of removing
"Flood of sickles"
You don't have to accept defeat
Keep standing
Self-confidence in your eyes
And with firm feet
Will sway away
Will have to sway way
How long can persist
" Wicked obstacles"
12. OUR TRACK
*************
The anguish
That you have lived
The poison
That I have drunk
Come!
Let us sit together
To digest it
Look
Monsoon clouds have
Just risen
With peacock and peahen
Let us dance and sing
Flutter our wings!
Glance over there
In the twilight of time
"A star" has risen
Let us search our path
In its light
Keep on moving
Farther and farther
To the abode of dawn
Fields of the Sun
Hark
A tune of melody
Might be coming
From that direction
Come
Let us step to
That direction only
Track
Track
Come, let us give
Expanse to this life!
You are precious
And
I am precious, too.
13, WOMAN-BITTER TRUTH
*************************
In childhood
A restriction is
Imposed on girl
Is instructed
Not to play
And her every hope
She should twist and
Throw away
This lesson is
Taught to her
On her every up rise
On every step
She is made to feel guilty
Since epochs
Either she is crushed
Or enthroned as Deity
Bearing stages of age
In the forest of helplessness
In the ocean of compulsions
She is pushed
And over there
Everyone focusses on
Her clipped wings
And make is sure that
Her wings don't re-grow
That she does not ever
Take a flight to free sky
On wings of rain moths
And touches " Sky", full of possibilities
She can visualize
Heights of domes
Why is she instructed
In this battle of death
She should confine whole Universe
Under a cover?
Whereas (And...!)
In her
A woman keeps on
Growing, flourishing
Becoming bright torch
Of pride
Shows path to everybody.
14. FARMER
*********
Clad in white dress and dusty shawl
Glass like eyes
Copper-like face...glowing
Looks up the sky
Towards cloud
He does not care
About scorching sun
He is in lap of earth
Uncomfortable due to excessive heat
Still beautifies earth
Sows seeds, make these sprout
His eyes turn watery
On seeing hail-storm
Fears lest hid crop gets destroyed
He always keeps vigilance on fields
His foot-steps leave mark on sand
These too seem affectionately connected to field
His fields have sweetness of drops of perspiration
He deserves full remuneration
His thought is pre-dominated by it.
KAANCHI KOONPAL
( TENDER BUD)
1. Old Tree
2. Bemoaning
3. Meeting with Friends
4. Our Love
5. Mother-tongue
6. Agony
7. She Wriggles
8. Why are You Disoriented?
9. Queen and Water
10. Deception
11. Discussions on Election
1. OLD TREE
***********
In orchids -gardens
Near fence of fields
You will come across
An old tree
Stretched wide
Branches as if
Stretched arms
Playfully flying
Sparrows chirped
Day and night
Settled there at night
To sleep
A sparrow fluttering
Approached that mature tree
The tree laughed and said
Crazy bird, tell me
What do you want to say
Grandfather, O, grandfather!
Listen to me today
Our dwelling place
Is being continually
Snatched by human-being
Wherever, we go to play
Wherever, we settle
He reaches there
This venomous human-being
How can we make them understand
Wherever, he sees flourishing trees
Reaches there and cuts them
Uproots whole garden
Builds his huge castles
Tell me
O, Grandfather!
How can we mange to survive
O, Grandfather!
God has bestowed everyone with food
Why human-beings are snatching it from others
Why do they torture you
I am an old tree
All of you are my children
Come, sit on my branches
A vehicle reached noisily
In blink of an eyes
Cut the tree
Now, misfortune landed on birds
The old tree wept
His sayings were ignored
Flying birds too cried
Womb of nature was destroyed
Following felling of trees
Cool wind got annoyed
Scorching winds started blowing
Intolerable high temperature followed
Clouds, too, disappeared
People were dying of thirst
People were starving
And lamented in the inner cores of heart
Why did they cut those trees
Could not understand
Be alert, be cautious now
This is urge of nature
The tree kept on imploring
Birds flew far away
Where have vanished sayings of heart
O, human-being, pay heed to
What the old tree had said
What the old tree had said.
2. BEMOANING
3. MEETING WITH FRIENDS
*************************
Viewed him
From top to bottom
How have you changed
I asked him
Listen, my friend
Come to me
Its not only me that changed
This is universal truth of nature
Since centuries...always
Everyone changes
But
This is journey of life
But change should be
Purposeful
So many people meet us
So many depart from us
Only a limited number of people
Stay with us
Whom you can not transform
If you can not transform
Don't stick to one place only
Don't stick to one place only
4. OUR LOVE
************
What to narrate
What not to narrate
Our love
When moving with
Hand in hand
Our love limitless
I asserted you are
My pure love
You asserted
You are my pure love
We used to ride in
Palanquin of love
When did we ever get annoyed
We never got annoyed
Even, if got annoyed
Never revealed it
The day we got annoyed
Same day, some relatives arrived
Both of us entertained them affectionately
Neither you
Nor me were at ease
Our love is limitless
You are occupied with work in day
I am occupied with domestic chores
I can not live without you
You can not live without me
Why to flatter and
Why to get annoyed
Neither you know how to sing
Nor do I know how to sing
To flatter each other
But, we are well versed with fact that
My dusky evenings are with you
My beautiful dawns are with you you
When both of us are seated relaxing on chairs
Then, even in sunlight, we feel moonlight
If plenty of work is to be attended
We do it continuously
Then, leaving aside work
Drink ginger-tea
I don't recall
When did you persuade me
When did I persuade you.
When did you get annoyed with me
When did I get annoyed with you
The moment we held hands of each other
All the knots got untied
What sort of love is this!
What sort of love is this!
5. MOTHER-TONGUE
6. AGONY
********
Since so many years
I kept sweeping
My courtyard
And entrance
With broom
And decorated it
With *mandana
In center of courtyard was
A *jaamun tree
Flourished in monsoon
Gave sweet fruit
Children were pleased
Screamed with joy and clapped hands
And collected sweet blackberries
This solitary tree was dear to all
It flourished till so many years
But
But
Our coming generation
Fond of meetings and entertainment
Did not ask for permission of anybody
Felled the tree
Oh!
How to describe
This step of our own people
Birds did not get time
To remove their nests
Many nests fell to ground
Along with eggs in it
Dwelling place of birds
Was ruined
They chirped a lot
They screeched a lot
Kept on flying here and there
In search of a branch to sit
For sake of making own home
Demolished homes of so many
In every brick laid in wall
Agony of birds was audible
Unushered tears
And cry of heart
And on foundation of
These cries
A house will be constructed
Then, explain to me, friends
How peace will prevail in such a house
Friends, just contemplate, muse
Churn your thoughts
How will happiness survive on
Foundation of buried sobs
And shedded tears
Birds could not speak
But ushered unushered
For sake of building a house
Don't demolish ten houses
Even if in case dire need
You have to cut a tree
Grow ten trees in lieu of one
Nurture it
And help it flourish
Help it flourish
If you have to cut one tree
Grow ten trees in lieu of it
Grow ten trees in lieu of it.
*jaamun tree : blackberry tree
* mandana : auspicious patterns of folk art made at entrance
8. WHY ARE YOU DISORIENTED?
******************************
Why you feel
Disoriented?
Why you remain disoriented?
If you are shattered
You will be rejoined
Your lucky days will follow soon
When cloud bursts, rain follows
Rain follows only when cloud bursts
Why you remain discomposed ?
When soil of field is broken
Seeds sprout up beautifully
And greenery prevails in fields
It is possible only when earth bursts
Don't get scared if you are shattered
Why you feel disoriented
If you are broken-hearted
You will unite with Almighty
Then, you will be complete again
Sages have imparted this enlightenment
You will be re-composed after shattering
You identify yourself and follow routine
O, dear friend! Move ahead
If you remain disoriented
You will remain a loser
You have to live life perfectly
Disorientation won't help
Why you remain disoriented?
9. QUEEN AND WATER
*******************
Woman is like water
In whatever vessel poured
Adjusts herself accordingly
Assumes shape of that
Woman is like water
Plate, bowl, jug, boiler
In whichever poured
Adapts accordingly
She is favourite mistletoe of
Grandfather and great-grandfather
She understands them perfectly
She brings fortune for her life-mate
She feeds infants
As sister of brothers
Enhances her glory and dignity
She is immovable property of her father
She is absorbed in the heart of her mother
She is very fond of ornaments
And wears a lot if affordable
And adjusts with * tiki only
If ornaments are not affordable
She weighs words before speaking
And remains mum if that is more feasible
When confronted with sorrow
Becomes a rock
Reveals her happiness
Conceals her sorrows
If she gets right chance
She assumes role of brother
In spite of being a daughter
She never steps back
In offering her shoulder to bier
Woman is like water
She earns and helps in
Educating her sisters
Woman is like a tunnel
Never insult her
If she retaliates
She will spoil your life
Offering her respect
Glorifying her is like
Offering reverence to God
Woman is like water
In whatever vessel poured
Assumes shape of that.
DISCUSSIONS ON ELECTION
****************************
Yes, Sir
Yes, Sir
The day of their approaching is
Getting nearer and nearer
When you will be busily occupied in your work
Then, he will approach you
With all show of simplicity and modesty
With folded-hands, he will sit in your house
Glances all around
And behaves with such intimacy
As if a sibling has arrived
How are you?
How are your children?
How is your work going on?
How is your mother?
How are knees of your mother?
Is job of your wife continuing or over?
Oh! Will express his concern too
But , he will visit you daily
At least once a day
Just care about plight
Of politics
How will situations be managed like this
Poor are suffering a lot
You are rational
And well-versed with situation
You maintain your judiciousness
Don't be betrayed by anyone
Don't be misled
See, I daily take a round of your ward
I take care of you
With folded-hands
He keeps on cautioning
Be a bit careful
Put stamp on my election.symbol
Fearlessly
Press the button
I will manage everything
I will take care of you
Saying so, he moves on to
Neighbouring ward
Days of their approaching to us
Are coming nearer
Days of election
Days of making promises
Have come
Discussions on election are in.
Comments
Post a Comment