Thursday, February 14, 2008

Immortality

रात ग़ालिब आए ख्वाब मॅ
मैने कहा "अरे चचा तुम यहाँ कैसे?"

बोले बिटिया Immortality isn't at all
what its cut out to be
बड़ी निकम्मी चीज़ है यह
न जाने कहाँ कहाँ नहीं जीना पड़ता
तुम जैसे उभरते शायरों के ख्वाबों मॅ
फटी पुरानी किताबों मॅ
सरकारी खातों और हिसाबों मॅ
टूरिस्ट गाइड के ज्वाबों मॅ

I said “You must be joking
आप भी मज़ाक कर रहे हैं ना"

बोले मज़ाक कहाँ तौबा
कभी जी के देखना ज़रा
मोहब्बत कि घिसी पिटी बातों मॅ
आशिक़ों कि झूंटी सौगातों मॅ
हिज्र और विसाल दोनो की रातों मॅ
टूटते दिलों और ज़ज्बातों मॅ
उफ्फ

मेरी सलाह मानो तो अच्छे से जीना
और वक़्त पर मर भी जाना
कुछ नही रखा मरने के बाद जीने मॅ
जब दिल ही नही धड़कता हो सीने मॅ
Believe me my dear
sometimes i feel like an old tart
walking endlessly on new streets.
Perish immortality
I could kill for a good night's sleep.

13 comments:

Norquest Brands Private Limited said...

Manjul

That is just awesome!

Rajiv

Shankari said...

WOW!

and some

Ityaadi said...

I have been following your poems at Caferati from time to time and happened to read this poem in two languages in your blog. I liked it immensely. The first of such poems I happened to read were from Gopika Nath. Your poem convinced me that this style may become popular soon. Do post your gems at http://nazrana-network.ryze.com/ so that the members can enjoy them.
More power to your pen.

Ity

Manjul Bajaj said...

Thanks people,

for actually dropping by and leaving a comment here - it will inspire me to type out my other pieces and post them.

:)

Manjul

ravi said...

Immortality was conferred on Mirza Ghalib--not by the Last Mughal--but by time! Mirza Sahib died early but his works lived on for centuries.

Art leaves its imprint ,and endures ,
reviving the master from the dead.

This little piece of Hindi poetry and Urdu vocab is novel in its style-- simple yet so meaningful in thought.

I know little Hindi or Urdu , but appreciate the power of expression of both. I must say you have a flair for languages too!
Ravi Sharma

ppppp said...

Madam,

It's so nice to know you and read ur worthy articles. Could you possibly give me your email ID so that i would be able to send you something very perciuos for we all patriotic Hindus. That file is in a attached PDF format.

With regards,

Salil Gewali
My email: sgewali2000@yahoo.co.in

Straight Bend said...

Nice :-)

- Roopam

Abha Iyengar said...

Manjul,
This so rocks.I was grinning from ear to ear after reading it.
Thanks!

Amar said...

Good one...I think the experiment works wonderfully well.

scribe said...

Remember hearing you read it at a meet and had forgotten how effective it is and how much I liked it. On the whole Devaki/Yashoda English/Hindi/Urdu bit - while you are wonderfully eloquent and it resonates with me - there aren't yet many who can pull off the easy weaving quite so fluidly. Perhaps it grows, even as we speak, as so many live bi/ tri lingual lives.

dipali said...

I can quite see Mirza Ghalib reading this with an ironic grin!
What an awesome poem this is.

Manish Bhatt said...

:) Umda stuff.

Julia Dutta said...

I missed this one, can't say how - but really it is out of the world! The last lines are haunting and disturbing.