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Sunday 8 July 2012

बोन्साई..bonsai...


बोन्साई सा हूँ मैं,
समय मेरा दक्ष माली.
बढ़ने नहीं देता, जीने नहीं देता,
मरने भी नहीं देता.

टहनियाँ-शाखाएँ-पत्तियाँ,
यहाँ तक कि जड़ें भी
छांटता है, काटता है.

पीना चाहता हूँ
नदियाँ तालाब,
वो देता है मुझे
फ़क़त कुछ बूँद.

छूना चाहता हूँ
आकाश और पाताल,
वो क़ैद किये है मुझे
महज़ कुछ अंगुल में.

जिजीविषा मेरी
कसमसाती है,
उसकी घमंडी विजय
मुस्कुराती है.

ख़ूबसूरत हूँ बेशक़
और शायद कीमती भी..
..लेकिन ये असली मैं नहीं हूँ!

Translation:

I’m like a bonsai,
and the Time
my expert master.
It doesn’t let me grow,
breathe free or even die.

It keeps pruning
my leaves-branches-foliage,
and even trims
my roots too.   

My thirst
needs rivers and lakes
to be quenched,
it cruelly allows me
just a few drops.

I want to sway
in the skies
and rejoice in soil,
it has arrested me
within a meagre few inches.

My will-to-live
wriggles helplessly,
It smiles triumphantly
in its arrogant glory.

Yes, I AM elegant
and presentable,
perhaps carry
an expensive price-tag too..
..but this is NOT the real me!




60 comments:

  1. This i love the best of all,this analogy is superb & so very appropriate in every aspect.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a whole lot Indu for your liking, and appreciation!
      (aside: 'best of all'?...I haven't stopped writing yet, ma'am:))hahaha...God bless you!

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  2. excellent excellent...
    wonderful ....
    both the version..........

    regards
    anu

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    Replies
    1. Thank you..thank you, Anu, from both the versions:):)

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  3. brilliant stuff! appropriate comparison as well.

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  4. This is so good....maybe we all are a bit like this....

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  5. but bonsai's live far longer and a healthier life sir .. as far as my knowledge says ..

    Bikram's

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    Replies
    1. Dear sir, a caged parrot also survives longer than free ones..but what about the cage?

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  6. brilliant and amazing translation its really difficult to translate from Hindi to English keeping both the meaning and poetic rhythm enact :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Saikat for your generosity:)

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  7. ah how b'fully expressed ! i can feel the bonsai's pain ..

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  8. Starved of soil and water, my roots hacked off and still I survive and am beautiful. Lovely Amit.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you K.Mathur for your appreciation:)
      ..welcome here plz make it more often!

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  9. Just how many people can write beautiful poetry in two languages? Brilliant, I say. :)

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  10. You have beautifully managed to capture the pain the symbolic bonsai is smarting under. Nicely captured are also the potent hands of the Time. Both Hindi and English versions are excellent. The Hindi version has an edge though.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Umashankar, for your liking and appreciating it:)
      welcome here plz make it more often:)

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  11. वाह...........!

    बेहतरीन अभिव्यक्ति, ज़बरदस्त अमित जी!

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  12. loved both the versions. very intense.

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  13. loved it deeply......
    ख़ूबसूरत हूँ बेशक़
    और शायद कीमती भी..
    ..लेकिन ये असली मैं नहीं हूँ!

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  14. for me this is one of your best poem......

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  15. who s real me amit ,none of us ...

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  16. Very nice verses....I love the analogy of the bonsai to human nature...

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  17. Wonderful thoughts..Lovely poem..:-)

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  18. damn, i didn't read this one! you are one of the finest poets we have in this blogsphere!! the allegory is OUTSTANDING!!

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  19. I'm humbled again!
    Thank you Deb, for your love and generosity:)I'm indebted!

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  20. i am speechless Amit sir. It is very touching.
    You have expressed the pain. Thank you

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Mak for realizing the pain..I'm awarded!

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  21. bahut-bahut dhanyawaad, Geet:)

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  22. बोनसाई की त्रासदी को आपने सुन्दर अभिव्यक्ति दी है

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  23. I salute your though process, sir. Really loved this poem . How true ! An nice of you to give a translation for people weak in Hindi like me. I can first read the hindi one, then clarify my understanding from the translation and then again go back and enjoy the beautiful Hindi verses.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot TF:) glad you liked:) and the translation helped:)

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  24. जिजीविषा मेरी
    कसमसाती हैं
    उसकी घमंडी विजय
    मुस्कुराती है—
    आज की मानवता भी बोनसाई बन रही है
    दूसरों की झूठी महत्कांक्षाओं के तले.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Urmila:) for appreciating it:)

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  25. .लेकिन ये असली मैं नहीं हूँ!

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