कोसेली

मनमा बलिरहेको सम्झनाको मधुरो दियो

मंसिर ६, २०७७विप्लव प्रतीक

म थिएँ र यौटा साइकल थियो ।

सिलुएटमा मैले डोर्‍याइरहेको साइकल र मेरो आकृति
यतिखेर मेरो सम्झनाको क्यानभासमा कोरिएको छ ।

म सानो छँदा मसँग साइकल थिएन,

तर, बजारमा भाडाको साइकल थियो,

र, जुक्ति लगाएर पैसा बटुल्ने अक्किल पनि मसँग थियो,

अहिले सम्झिँदा ओठमा मायालाग्दो मुस्कान झुल्किन्छ,

मानौँ कलिलो घाम शीतको थोपामा झुल्किएको छ ।

जब पहिलोपल्ट साइकलको ह्यान्डल समातेँ

मलाई लाग्यो आकाश मेरो पाइतालामुनि छ ।

र, कैँची मार्दै आखिर साइकल सिक्न थालेँ मैले,

साइकलको जन्जिरमा परेर धेरैपल्ट ताछियो गोलीगाँठो,

कतिपल्ट आलो घाउमै घाउ लाग्यो, मैले यादै गरिनँ,

जसरी दुःखमाथि दुःख थपिँदा

कति दुःख थपियो याद रहँदैन ।

हेर्दाहेर्दै म काठीमा बसेर

साइकल चलाउन सक्ने भएँ,

एक हातले चलाउन सक्ने भएँ

दुवै हात छाडेर चलाउन सक्ने भएँ,

यस्तो लाग्थ्यो साइकलबाहेक

संसारमा अर्को कुनै खुसी छैन, कुनै सुख छैन ।

साइकलमा चिठीको पोका लिएर हुलाकी दाइ आउँथे,

बाका साथीहरु आँगनमा आएर

बाका साथीहरु आँगनमा आएर

साइकलको घण्टी बजाउँदै बालाई बोलाउँथे,

शनिबारको दिन पल्लाघरे चम्फी दिदी

साइकलको डन्डीमा बसेर कृष्ण दाइसँग घुम्न जान्थिन्,

सहरमा साइकलको घण्टीको समूह गान सुनिन्थ्यो,

सिनेमा हेर्न जाँदा हिरोहिरोइनहरु

साइकलमा चढेर घुम्न जान्थे, गीत गाउँथे,

पसलमा घण्टीजडित साइकलको गुडाउने पाङ्ग्रा हुन्थ्यो

मेरो मन लोभको रसायनले भरिन्थ्यो,

बासँग किनिदिन पैसा हुँदैनथ्यो ।

धेरै दिनपछिको कुरा हो,

बाले मलाई यौटा साँचो दिनुभयो, त्यो साइकलको साँचो थियो ।

कहाँ पुगिनँ म त्यो साइकल लिएर,

स्कुल गएँ, वनभोज गएँ,

कहिले एक्लै गएँ, कहिले डबल लोड

र, कहिले तेब्बर लोडसम्म गएँ,

सिनेमा हेर्न गएँ, सङ्गिनीलाई भेट्न गएँ,

मावल गएँ, साथीभाइको घरघर पुगेँ,

बाको काममा गएँ, आमाको काममा गएँ,

सानी बहिनीलाई घुमाउन गएँ,

कहाँ पुगिनँ म त्यो साइकल लिएर

कहिले मन्दिर र कहिले मसान गएँ ।

यो त्यो समयको कुरा थियो–

जाडोमा पन्जा लगाएर म साइकलसँग हुन्थेँ

गर्मीमा गन्जी लगाएर म साइकलसँग हुन्थेँ

वर्षामा बर्सादी लगाएर म साइकलसँग हुन्थेँ ।

साइकल म थियो, म साइकल थिएँ

भनेको ठाउँ मलाई पुर्‍याउने मेरो साइकल थियो,

जहाँ गए पनि मलाई फर्काएर

घरसम्म ल्याउने पनि मेरै साइकल थियो,

बा मलाई साइकलको साथी लगाएर ढुक्क हुनुहुन्थ्यो ।

एक दिनको कुरा हो,

मेरो जिन्दगीबाट साइकल हरायो,

बगेर गयो त्यो बाढी आएको खोलामा

जसरी लोभलाग्दा फूलहरु बगेर जान्छन्,

यसरी गयो त्यो कहिल्यै नफर्किने गरी

जसरी ऋण लागेको छिमेकी बस्ती छाडेर जान्छ ।

जिन्दगीको यस मोडमा

आरोहअवरोहको राजमार्गमा

साइकल हराएको यौटा मान्छे

हिँडिरहेछु जब समयको यो अक्करजस्तो डाँडोमा

अक्सर साइकलको याद आउँछ,

त्यसको तस्बिर मेरा आँखामा आइरहन्छ

र, सम्झनाको क्यानभासमा प्रस्ट देखिन्छ—

सिलुएटमा मैले डोर्‍याइरहेको

मेरो साइकल र मेरो आकृति ।

Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973), Chilean poet and politician urged us to notice the inconsequential. Odes to Common Things includes Spanish and English odes to quotidian items like salt, a chair, a table, socks, and soap.

1.Lest you imagine Neruda a pithy writer of simple jest, his poem “I’m Explaining a Few Things,” is a visceral description of a people bombed and destroyed: “One morning the bonfires leapt out of the earth…”

Among these words and memories of a war-battered Spain, Neruda’s love of simple elegance makes more sense.

Ode to Clothes

 
Every morning you wait,
clothes, over a chair,
to fill yourself with
my vanity, my love,
my hope, my body.
Barely
risen from sleep,
I relinquish the water,
enter your sleeves,
my legs look for
the hollows of your legs,
and so embraced
by your indefatigable faithfulness
I rise, to tread the grass,
enter poetry,
consider through the windows,
the things,
the men, the women,
the deeds and the fights
go on forming me,
go on making me face things
working my hands,
opening my eyes,
using my mouth,
and so,
clothes,
I too go forming you,
extending your elbows,
snapping your threads,
and so your life expands
in the image of my life.
In the wind
you billow and snap
as if you were my soul,
at bad times
you cling
to my bones,
vacant, for the night,
darkness, sleep
populate with their phantoms
your wings and mine.
I wonder
if one day
a bullet
from the enemy
will leave you stained with my blood
and then
you will die with me
or one day
not quite
so dramatic
but simple,
you will fall ill,
clothes,
with me,
grow old
with me, with my body
and joined
we will enter
the earth.
Because of this
each day
I greet you
with reverence and then
you embrace me and I forget you,
because we are one
and we will go on
facing the wind, in the night,
the streets or the fight,
a single body,
one day, one day, some day, still.
 
 

Ode to a Pair of Sock

My feet were
two woolen
fish
in those outrageous socks,
two gangly,
navy-blue sharks
impaled
on a golden thread.
two giant blackbirds,
two cannons:
thus
were my feet
honored
by
those
heavenly
socks.
They were beautiful
I found my feet
unloveable
for the very first time,
like two crusy old
firemen, firemen
unworthy
of that embroidered
fire,
those incandescent
socks.

ODE TO A BAR OF SOAP

What is it that you bring
to my nose
so early
every day,
bar of soap,
before I climb into my morning
bath
and go into the streets
among men weighted down
with goods?

 

Amrita precedes Fehmida Riaz, Parveen Shakir and other leading South Asian female poets by setting standards of candour and purity of feeling. In her autobiography, she mentions how she would collect the cigarette butts discarded by Sahir. Amrita would re-light them and smoke the leftover tobacco to sense Sahir’s touch. She wrote his name hundreds of times on a sheet of paper while addressing a press conference; after his death, Amrita yearned that the smoke-filled air would travel to the other world and meet Sahir! Confronted with this passion, Sahir appears to be a somewhat (emotionally) impotent despite being a great poet in his own right. Years later, Amrita wrote:

There was a grief I smoked
in silence, like a cigarette
only a few poems fell
out of the ash I flicked from it
(Translated by Jennifer Barber and
Irfan Malik)

Poems of Amrita Pritam

The Virgin

When I moved into your bed
I was not alone--- there were
two of us
A married woman and a virgin
To sleep with you
I had to offer the virgin in
me
I did so
This slaughter is permissible
in law
Not the indignity of it
And I bore the onslaught of
the insult
The next morning
I looked at my blood stained
hands
I washed my hands
But the moment I stood
before the mirror
I found her standing there
The one whom I thought I
had slaughtered last night
Oh God!
Was it too dark in your bed
I had to kill one and I killed
the other ?

Translated by Kartar Singh Duggal


The First Creation

I was a formless I

The I by its perception transformed itself into the waters,
And you by your perception erupted into a flame of fire
And the flare of the fire floated over the waters,
But that’s the tale of prehistoric times.

That was the thirst of the earthly I,
I slaked my thirst from the river that was you,
That was the vivid dream of an earthly I,
That discovered you among the tangled woods,
It was the fragrance of our bodies, yours and mine,
And that is the truth about creation.

The creation of the universe came much later.

Translated by Pritish Nandi

The First Book

I was there – And perhaps you as well,
Standing perhaps a breath away,
Perhaps perched in the darkness of a vision,
Perhaps moving on a turning point of consciousness,
But that was a tale of prehistoric times.

That was our existence, yours and mine,
Which became the first language of the world.
Words were coined to identify me,
Words were coined to identify you,
And they wrote in that first language, their first book.

That was our tryst, yours and mine,
We slept on a bed of stones,
And our eyes, lips and finger tips,
Became the words of your body and mine.
They then made translations of this first book.

The Rig Veda was compiled much later.

Translated by Pritish Nandi


The First Religion

When I draped myself with your being
Our bodies were turned within in meditation.
Then our limbs entwined like flowers in a garland
As an offering at the altar of the soul.

You and I, incense offered at a sacrificial fire
Our names slipped our of our lips
To become a sacred hymn.
That was a sacred ceremony for you and me.

Religious rituals came much later.

Translated by Pritish Nandi


The First Painting

There was I – And perhaps you as well.

I, a shade amongst other wandering shades,
And perhaps you another pale shadow
Bits of shadows midst the pervading darkness
But that’s a tale of prehistoric times.

Darkness of nights and of groves there was,
They were these garments, we wore, you and I
A shaft of sunlight came in
And flashed through our bodies, yours and mine,
And spread itself on the stones it carved.
At the time it was only rounded limbs tipped with light.
Thus was the first painting of the universe made,
The leaves gave it their greens
Clouds their billowing whites, the skies their greys,
Flowers their reds, yellows, and crimsons.

The art of painting came much later.

Translated by Pritish Nandi

 

The First Melody

There was I and probably you as well
And an infinite silent stillness.
Brittle like a dry, parched leaf,
Gritty like sands on a seashore
But that’s a tale of prehistoric times.

At a road crossing I called out to you
And you answered my call,
And in the winds’ throat there was a quiver
And particles of earth were animated
And the waters of brooks hummed in a melody
Branches of trees grew a trifle tense,
There was stirring in the leaves,
A little bud twinkled an eye,
And a bird fluffed out its feathers
That was the first song that the ears heard.

The septet of the lute came much later.

Translated by Pritish Nandi
 

 

 

 

Sachhi Muchhi Baarish??

Haa mere dost wahi baarish,
wahi baarish jo aasmaan se aati hai,boondo mein gaati hai
Pahado se fisalti hai,nadiyo mein chalti hai
nahero mein machalti hai,kuen pokhar se milti hai
Khaprailon par girti hai,galiyon mein firti hai
mod par sambhalti hai,fir aage nikalti hai......wahi baarish

Ye baarish aksar gili hoti hai,isey paani bhi kehte hai
urdu mein aab marathi mein paani tamil mein tanni kannad mein neer aur bangla mein Jol kehte hai....
Sanskrit mein jissey waari neer jeevanpaey amrut udd ambu bhi kehte hai......
Greek mein jissey aqua pura angrezi mein isse water french mein auoo aur chemistry mein H2O kehte hai......

yeh paani aankh se dhalta hai toh aaso kehlata hai
lekin chehre pe chad jaye toh rubab ban jaata hai
ha sharam se koi paani paani ho jaata hai
aur kabhi kabhi ye paani sarkaari fileo mein apne kuey samet chori ho jaata hai........

paani to paani hai paani jindagani hai......
isley jab ruh ke naadi suki ho mann ka hiran pyasa ho dimaag mein lagee ho aag
aur pyaar kee gagar khaali ho...... tab mein hamesha
ye baarish naam ka geela paani lene ke rai deta hoon......

meri maaniye toh yeh baarish kharidye.....
sasti sundar tikao baarish sirf paanch hazar rupiah mein...
issey kam mein koi de toh chor kee saja ho meri aapke jutee seer par meri.....
meri baarish kharidye....sasti sundar tikao bearish

- Nana Patekar in the film 'Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaye, Directed by Amolm Palekar

 

tuu paas bhi ho to dil beqaraar apnaa hai
ke ham ko teraa nahin intazaar apnaa hai
mile koi bhi teraa zikr cher dete hain
ke jaise saaraa jahaan raazdaar apnaa hai
wo duur ho to bajaa tark-e-dosti kaa khayaal
wo saamane ho to kab ikhtiyaar apanaa hai
zamaane bhar ke dukhon ko lagaa liyaa dil se
is aasare pe ke ik gamgusaar apanaa hai
‘Faraz’ raahat-e-jaan bhi vahi hai kyaa kije
wo jis ke haath se sinaafigaar apanaa hai

 

 

Nazm: Khwaab Martay Naheen
(Dreams Do Not Die)

Khwaab maratay nahii.n
Khwaab dil hai.n, na aa.Nkhe.n, na saa.Nse.n ke jo
rezaa, rezaa huwe to bikhar jaaye.nge
jism kii maut se ye bhii mar jaaye.nge

Khwaab maratay nahii.n
Khwaab to raushanii hai.n, navaa hai.n, havaa hai.n
jo kaalay pahaa.Do.n se rukatay nahii.n
zulm kii dozaKho.n se bhii phukatay nahii.n
raushanii aur navaa aur havaa ke aalam
maqtalo.n me.n pahu.Nch kar bhii jhukatay nahii.n

Khwaab to harf hai.n
Khwaab to nuur hai.n
Khwaab suqraat hai.n
Khwaab mansuur hai.n

Dreams do not die.
Dreams are not heart, nor eyes or breath
Which shattered, will scatter (or)
Die with the death of the body.

Dreams do not die.
But dreams are light, voice, wind,
Which cannot be stopped by mountains black,
Which do not perish in the hells of cruelty,
Ensigns of light and voice and wind,
Bow not, even in abattoirs.

But dreams are letters,
But dreams are illumination,
Dreams are Socrates,
Dreams - Divine Victory!'

·       Jaan Mangi Usne to Ye Samajh Kar De Di FARAZ!

Kahin Inkaar k Sadmay Mai Wo Apni Jaan Na De Day!

• Main us ka hoon ,ye raaz tu wo jan gaya hai “Faraz”!!!
  Wo kis ka hai ye sawal mujhe sonay nahin deta!

 

• Apne siwa bataao! kuch mila hai tumhein? Faraz ?
  Hazaar baar lein hain tum ne mere dil ki talashiyaan

 

• Jaane Kis Baat Pe Us Ne Mujhe Chor Diye Hai Faraz!!!
  Main To Mukhlis Tha Kisi Maan KI Duaon KI Tarah
  ——————————————————-
  Us Shaks Ko To Bichadeny Ka Saleka Nahi FARAZ!!
  Jatay Hoe Khud KO Mere Pass Chor Gaya
  ——————————————————-
  Ab Use Rooz Na Soco To Badan Toot’ta Hai FARAZ!!!!
  Umer Guzri Hai Uss Ki Yaad Ka Nasha Karte Karte!!
  ——————————————————-
  Be-Jaan To Main Ab Bhe Nahi FARAZ…..!!!!!
  Magar Jise Jan Kehte The Wo Chor Gaya
  ——————————————————-
  Zabt e Ghum Koi Aasan Kam Nahe Faraz!
  Aag Hote Hai Wo Aanso, Jo Piye Jate Hain.
  ——————————————————-
  Kyun Ulajhta Rehta Hai tu Logo Se Faraz!!
  Yeh Zarori To Nahi Woh Chehra Sabhe Ko Pyara Lage

 

• Zara Tum Sham Dhalney Do
  Ke Suraj Ko To Janey Do
  Parindon Ko To Urney Do
  Zara Tum Sham Dhalney Do
  Abhi Tu Asman Ka Rang
  Nikhray Ga
  Abhi Khushbo B Bikhray Gi
  Abhi Mosam v Badly Ga
  Abhi Tu Chand Nikley Ga
  Abhi Manzar Badalney Mein Zra C Der Baqi Hai
  Abi Dil K Sambhalney Mein Zara C Der Baqi Hai
  CHALEY JANA!
  Abhi 2, 4 Pal
  2, 4 Sadiyan Saath Rehney Do
  Mujhy Kuch
  Aaj Kehney Do
  Bas Apney Pas Rehney Do,
  Mujhy Itna To Kehney Do,
  “MUJHE TUM SE MOHABBAT HAI”

 

• wo aaye mere zindagi mein
  kahani ban kar.,
  is dil mein rahey
  pyar ki nishani ban kar,
  aksar jinhey hum jagha
  dete hai is dil mein
  wo aankho se nikal jatey hai
  paani ban kar..

Is Se Pehley Ke Bewafaa Ho Jaayen

(Translated by Ayesha Kaljuvee)

is se pahale ke bevafaa ho jaaye.n
before that day we become disloyal
kyo.n na ai dost ham judaa ho jaaye.n
why not, my friend, go our separate ways

tuu bhii hiire se ban gayaa patthar
you also turned from a jewel to stone
ham bhii kal kyaa se kyaa ho jaaye.n
i too will change to another tomorrow

tuu kay yakta tha bayshumar hoo.ah
you who were lone became ubiquitous
ham bhii toote.n to jabaja ho jaaye.n
when i break, everywhere I too will scatter

ham bhii majabuuriyo.n kaa uzr kare.n
i should also contest my obligations
aur kahii.n aur mubtalaa ho jaaye.n
and involve myself somewhere else

ham agar manzale.n naa ban paaye.n
if i can't become the destination
manzalo.n tak ka raasta ho jaaye.n
let me be the path to that haven

dair say soch mei.n hai.n parwanay
like moths, my thoughts flutter around you
rakh ho jaaye.n, ya hawa ho jaaye.n
should i die in that fire, or fly like the wind

ishq bhii khel hai nasiibo.n kaa
love is the playground of the fortunate
Khaak ho jaaye.n kimiyaa ho jaaye.n
to become ash, to be like cinders

ab ke gar tuu mile to ham tujh se
if i meet you again, to you
aise lipaTe.n terii qabaa ho jaaye.n
i will cling as if you were my Mecca

bandagii ham ne chho.D dii hai 'Faraz'
i have left behind religion, Faraz
kyaa kare.n log jab Khudaa ho jaaye.n

now that even humans seem divine

 

 

 

 

• Badan Me.n Aag Sii chehera gulaab lagta hai

badan me.n aag sii cheharaa gulaab jaisaaa hai
fire in her body, face like a rose
ke zahar-e-Gam kaa nashaa bhii sharaab jaisaa hai
the pathos of this love is intoxicating

kahaa.N vo qurb ke ab to ye haal hai jaise
such is the closeness that now
tere firaaq kaa aalam bhii Khvaab jaisaa hai
even the prospect of her leaving is like a dream

magar kabhii ko_ii dekhe ko_ii pa.Dhe to sahii
but somebody should see, should also read
dil aa_iinaa hai to cheharaa kitaab jaisaa hai
the heart is a mirror, a face is like a book

vo saamane hai magar tishnagii nahii.n jaatii
she stands in front of me but i still thirst for her
ye kyaa sitam hai ke dariyaa saraab jaisaa hai
what is this anguish that the ocean seems a mirage

'Faraz' sang-e-malaamat se zaKhm zaKhm sahii
Faraz, let there be wound upon wound
hame.n aziiz hai Khaanaa_Kharaab jaisaa hai
i love her even if there is only torment here

 

 

Ab Ke Ham Bichha.de toh…

• AhmedFaraz
  Translated by Ayesha Kaljuvee & Sonia Mansoor

ab ke ham bichha.de to shaayad kabhii khvaabo.n me.n mile.n
jis tarah suukhe hue phuul kitaabo.n me.n mile.n
If now these feelings we cover, perhaps in dreams shall we meet
As dried flowers are chanced upon pressed softly in books

dhuu.ndh uja.de hue logo.n me.n vafaa ke motii
ye khazaane tujhe mumkin hai kharaabo.n me.n mile.n
Pearls of loyalty amongst those lost in desolate fogs
In dark misfortune, these treasures you may encounter

tuu fkudaa hai na meraa ishq farishto.n jaisaa
dono.n insaa.n hai.n to kyo.n itane hijaabo.n me.n mile.n
God you are not, nor is my love sanctioned by the angels
Both mortals, why meet then behind such innumerable veils?

gam-e-duniyaa bhii gam-e-yaar me.n shaamil kar lo
nashaa ba.dataa hai sharabe.n jo sharaabo.n me.n mile.n
Add the pathos of love to the great tragedies of the world
Even though its intoxication makes it worthy of worship

aaj ham daar pe khe.nche gaye jin baato.n par
kyaa ajab kal vo zamaane ko nisaabo.n me.n mile.n
Those conversations that today tore us apart at your door
How remarkable if the cosmos echoed them in other fates too

ab na vo mai.n huu.n na tu hai na vo maazii hai `Faraaz',
jaise do shakhs tamannaa ke saraabo.n me.m mile.n
Now it is neither I, nor you, nor is it the past 'Faraaz'
As if two people came together only in the mirage of desire

RANJISH HI SAHI…….

Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaanay kay liyay aa
Let it be anguish, come still to torment my heart
aa phir say mujhay chhorr kay jaanay kay liyay aa
Come, even if to leave me again

pehlay say maraasim na sahi phir bhi kabhi to
If not for our past association
rasm-o-rahay duniya hi nibhaanay kay liyay aa
Come to fulfill the rituals of the world

kis kis ko bataayengay judaai kaa sabab ham
Who else must I explain the reason of separation
tu mujh se khafaa hai to zamaanay kay liyay aa
Come, despite your displeasure, to continue the ceremony

kuchh to meri pindaar-e-mohabbat ka bharam rakh
Respect a little the depth of my love for you
tu bhi to kabhi mujh ko manaanay kay liyay aa
Come someday to placate me as well

ek umr say hun lazzat-e-giryaa se bhi mehruum
Too long have I been deprived of the pathos of longing
aye raahat-e-jaan mujh ko rulaanay kay liyay aa
Come my love, if only to make me weep again

FUNNY SHAYARI OF FARAZ

·       In barishon se kaho k mere angan me yun na brsa krein Faraz,

Meri China ki chaplein keechar me phisalti hain…….!!

·       Mai ne kaha k pyar mai kuch bhi kar sakta hon “Faraz”

Us ne muskra k kaha ” humara is dafa bijli ka bill tm dena.

·       (Faraz apne betey ko LARAYI SE ROKTE HUAYE ARZ KARTE HAI…)

GUZARO ZINDAGI AMAN SE NA KARO JANG.

betay ne kaha: DOESNT MATTERs DAD ITS FUN TO BE “YOUNG”

• Meray EXAM Hain Aglay Hi Mahinay Say Shuru
  Parhnay Bethoon To Mujhey Niind Bohot Aati Hai
  Sirf Kuch Din Kay Liye Mujh Say Koi Pyar Karey
  Ishq Mein Mainay Suna Neend Hee Ur Jatee Hai

PROBABLY THE LAST SHAYARI OF AHMAD FARAZ

Gham-e- Hyat Ka Jhagra Mita Raha Hai Koi
Chale Aao K Dunya Se Ja Raha Hai Koi
Koi Azal Se Keh Do K Ruk Jaye Do Ghari
Sunna Hai Aanay Ka Wada Nibah Raha Hai Koi
Woh Is Naaz Se Bethe Hain Lash K Paas
Jaise Ruthe Hue Ko Mana Raha Hai Koi
Palat Ker Na Aa Jaye Phir Sans Nabzon Main
Itne Haseen Hathon Se Maiyat Saja Raha Hai Koi…

 

 

 

 

A Truth Bound Sentiment (satyabaddha abhimaan)

Sunil Gangopadhyay

This hand has touched Neera's face,
could I use this hand to commit a sin,
ever again?
In the late evening glow
swathing the hanging balcony,
a 'daring' light had fallen on her face,
and like a telegram,
had instantly revealed Neera's grace!
A hint of a smile had merged
on her brows and eyes,
or was it the shine of mica-fines?
At such times,
I so long to call that lady, just a 'babe'.
I raise my right hand
and with my muscles flexed,
I whisper to myself --
'Be worthy of her,
Be worthy and rise'
I touch Neera's chin --
This hand has touched Neera's face,
could I use this hand to commit a sin,
ever again?

These lips have told Neera,
'I love you', once,
could a deceit play on these lips
ever again?
Coming down the steps
I remember, all of a sudden,
that the most important words
were yet to be said!
A breeze from the alien shores
would one day, soon,
carry this lady away
as nimble and graceful as a swan!
And the stairs would all give way
to the surge of a sudden quake!
I stop,
and look deep into Neera's eyes ...
I realize,
love is such an ardent pledge,
a deep emotional bondage,
and a sentiment bound in truth.
My eyes begin to burn ...
standing on the steps,
these lips had told Neera,
'I love you', once,
could a deceit play on these lips,
ever again?

-translated by Sheila Sengupta

 

 

THE UNDEFEATED PERSON 

I stand alone in the field 
Locking house windows, all of you are shrieking.

 
I like the act of viewing people's spectacles 
and I feel that people 
are but a horde watching a spectacle.

 
I'm proud-I stand alone in the field.

 
I cry-I experience the suffering 
of wounds, assaults and thoughts 
but I'm proud-

I stand alone in the field.

 
I'm eager to meet 
young men who brave storms 
young women who brave attacks.

 
I'm eager to hold out a costly tray 
decked with tears strung as finely as pearls.

 
I stand alone in the field 
The moon is alone, the sun is alone, the earth is alone 

 

I stand alone, in the field.

 

(Originally written in nepali by viplob pratik

Translated by Manjushree Thapa)