Philosophy

If I should labor through daylight and dark,
Consecrate, valorous, serious, true,
Then on the world I may blazon my mark;
And what if I don’t, and what if I do?

Dorothy Parker

Fair Weather

This level reach of blue is not my sea;
Here are sweet waters, pretty in the sun,
Whose quiet ripples meet obediently
A marked and measured line, one after one.
This is no sea of mine. that humbly laves
Untroubled sands, spread glittering and warm.
I have a need of wilder, crueler waves;
They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm.

So let a love beat over me again,
Loosing its million desperate breakers wide;
Sudden and terrible to rise and wane;
Roaring the heavens apart; a reckless tide
That casts upon the heart, as it recedes,
Splinters and spars and dripping, salty weeds.

Dorothy Parker

The Flaw in Paganism

Drink and dance and laugh and lie,
  Love, the reeling midnight through,
For tomorrow we shall die!
  (But, alas, we never do.)

- Dorothy Parker

Mujhse pehli si muhabbat meri mehboob na maang

Mujhse pehli si muhabbat meri mehboob na maang

Maine samjha tha ki tu hai to darakhshaan hai hayaat
tera gham hai to gham-e-dahar ka jhagda kya hai
teri surat se hai aalam mein baharon ko sabaat
teri aakhon ke siva duniya mein rakha kya hai
tu jo mil jaaye to taqdir niguun ho jaaye
yun na tha maine faqat chaha tha yun ho jaaye
aur bhi dukh hai duniya mein muhabbat ke sivaa
raahatein aur bhi hai vasl ki raahat ke sivaa

Mujhse pehli si muhabbat meri mehboob na maang

Anginat sadiyonn ke taariik bahimaanaa talism
resham-o-atalas-o-kam khwaab mein bunvaaye hue
jaa-ba-jaa bikte hue kuuchaa-o-baazaar mein jism
khaak mein lithade hue khuun mein nahalaaye hue
jism nikle hue amraaz ke tannuron se
piip behti hui galate hue naasuuron se
laut jaati hai udhar ko bhi nazar kya kiije
ab bhi dil-kash hai tera husn magar kya kiije
aur bhi dukh hai duniya mein muhabbat ke sivaa
raahatein aur bhi hai vasl ki raahat ke sivaa

Mujhse pehli si muhabbat meri mehboob na maang

- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[darakhshaan = shining; hayaat = life]
[gham-e-dahar = sorrows of the world; aalam = world]
[sabaat = permanence]
[niguun = bow]
[vasl = meeting]
[taariik = dark; bahiimaanaa = dreadful; talism = magic]
[resham = silk; atalas = satin; kam_Khvaab = brocade]
[jaa-ba-jaa = hither-thither]
[litha.De = covered/soaked in]
[amaraaz = diseases; tannuuro.n = ovens]
[piip = puss; naasuur = a wound that won't heal]
[dilkash = heartwarming]

Hum deewanon ki kya hasti

Hum deewanon ki kya hasti
Hain aaj yahan kal wahan chale,
Masti ka aalam saath chala
Hum dhool udaate jahaan chale ||

Aaye bankar ullhaas abhi,
Aansoon bankar beh chale abhi,
Sab kehte hi reh gaye, arey!
Tum kaise aaye, kahaan chale ||

Kis or chale? Mat yeh pooncho,
Chalna hai bas isliye chale,
Jag se uska kuch liye chale,
Jag ko apna kuch diye chale ||

Do baat kahii, do baat sunii,
Kuch hanse aur phir kuch roye,
Chhak kar sukh dukh ke ghoonton ko,
Hum ek bhav se piye chale ||

Hum bhikmangon ki duniya mein,
Swacchand lutaakar pyaar chale,
Hum ek nishaani ur pe,
Le asaphalta ka bhaar chale ||

Hum maan rahit, apmaan rahit,
Ji bharkar khulkar khel chuke,
Hum hanste hanste aaj yahan,
Praanon ki baazi haar chale ||

Ab apna aur paraaya kya,
Abaad rahe rukne waale,
Hum swayam bandhe the, aur swayam
Hum apne bandhan tod chale ||

Do not know who the poet is. Enlighten, if you do.

Madhushala

Anytime I read this poem, I can find atleast one stanza that I can relate with at that moment. Here’s another one of my favorites.

Prapya nahin hai to, ho jaati
lupt nahin phir kyun haala,
Prapya nahin hai to, ho jaata
lupta nahin phir kyun pyaala;
Door na itni, himmat haaroon,
Paas na itni, paa jaaoon;
Vyarth mujhe daudaati maru mein,
Mrigjal bankar madhushala |

Main toofanon mein

Gopal Das ‘Neeraj’ ji ki kavita
Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

Hain phoon rokte, kaante mujhe chalaate,
Maroosthal, pahaad chalne ki chaah badhaate,
Sach kehta hoon mushkimein na jab hoti hai,
Mere pag tab chalne mein bhi sharmaate,
Mere sang chalne lage hawaayein jisse,
Tum path ke kan-kan ko toofan karo |

Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

Angaar adhar pe dhar main muskaaya hoon,
Main marghat se zindagi bula laaya hoon,
Hoon aankh-michouni khel chula kismat se,
Sau baar mrityu ke gale choom aaya hoon,
Hai nahin mujhe sweekar dayaa apni bhi,
Tum mat mujh par koi ehsaan karo |

Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

Sram ke jal se hi raah sadaa sinchti hai,
Gati ki mashaal aandhi mein hi hansti hai,
Shoolon se hi shringaar pathik ka hota,
Manzil ki maang lahu se ho sajti hai,
Pag mein gati aati hai chhaale chhilne se,
Tum pag pag par jalti chattaan dharo |

Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

Phoolon se mag aasaan nahin hota hai,
Rukne se pag gatiwaan nahin hota hai,
Avrodh nahin to sambhav nahin pragati bhi,
Hai naash jahan nirmaan wahin hota hai,
Main basaa sakoon nav swarg dharaa par jisse,
Tum meri har basti veeran karo |

Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

Main panthi toofanon mein raah banaata,
Meri duniya se keval itna naata -
Veh mujhe rokti hai avrodh bicchakar,
Main thokar use lagaakar badhta jaata,
Main thukraa sakoon tumhe bhi hanskar jisse,
Tum mera man-maanas paashaaN karo |

Main toofanon mein chalne ka aadi hoon
Tum mat meri manzil aasaan karo !

The flecked river …

“The flecked river
Which kept flowing and never the same way twice, flowing
Through many places, as if it stood still in one.”

“that, in the shadowless atmosphere,
The knowledge of things lay around but unperceived.”

“The vigor of glory, a glittering in the veins,
As things emerged and moved and were dissolved,

Either in distance, change or nothingness,
The visible tranformations of summer night,

An argentine abstraction approaching form
And suddenly denying itself away.”

- Wallace Stevens

ps: There is a reason I am posting this poem under Science.

Madhushala

I am putting up some of my favorite panktiyaan from Madhushala

mad, madira, madhu, haala sun-sun
kar hi jab hoon matwala,
kya gati hogi jab adhron ke
neeche aayegi pyala,
saaki, mere paas na aana
main pagal ho jaoonga;
pyasa hi main mast, mubarak
ho tumko hi madhushala !

Aag ki bheek

Ramdhari Sinh ‘Dinkar’ ji ki kavita

Dhhundhhli huii dishaayein, chhaane lagaa kuhaasaa,
kuchlii huii shikhaa se aane lagaa dhuaa saa |
Koi mujhe bataa de, kya aaj ho rahaa hai,
munh ko chhipaa timir mein kyun tej ro rahaa hai?

Daataa, pukaar meri, sandeept ko jilaa de,
bujhti hui shikhaa se sanjeevni pilaa de |
Pyaare swadesh ke hit angaar maangta hoon |
Chadhti jawaaniyon ka shringaar maangtaa hoon |

Bechain hain hawaayein, sab or bekalii hai,
koi nahiin bataata, kishtii kidhar chalii hai?
Manjhdaar hai, bhanwar hai yaa paas hai kinaara?
Yeh naash aa raha hai ya saubhaagya kaa sitaara?

Aakash par anal se likh de adrishth mera,
bhagwan, is tarii ko bharmaa na de andheraa |
Tam bedhnii kiran kaa sandhaan maangta hoon |
Dhruv ki kathin ghadi mein, pehchaan maangtaa hoon |

Aage pahaad ko paa dhaara rukii hui hai,
balpunj kesari kii griivaa jhhukii hui hai,
agnisphuling raj ka, bujh dhher ho rahaa hai,
hai ro rahii javaanii, andhher ho rahaa hai |

Nirvaakk hai himaalay, ganga darii huii hai,
nistabdhhtaa nishaa ki din mein bharii huii hai |
Panchaasyanaad bheeshan, vikaraal maangtaa hoon |
Jadtaa vinaash ko phir bhoochaal maangta hoon |

Mann ki bandhhi umange asahaay jal rahi hai,
armaan aarzoo ki laashein nikal rahi hai |
Bheegii khulii palkon mein raatein guzaarte hai,
soti vasundharaa jab tujhko pukaarte hain,

Inke liye kahiin se nirbhheek tez laa de,
pighle hue anal kaa inko amrit pilaa de |
Unmaad, bekalii ka uthhaan maangta hoon |
Visphot maangta hoon, toofaan maangtaa hoon |

Aansoon bhare drugon mein chingaariyaan sajaa de,
mere shamshaan mein aa shringii zaraa bajaa de |
Phir ek teer seenon ke aar paar kar de,
himsheet praan mein phir angaar swachh bhar de |

Aamarsh ko jagaane vaali shikhha nahin de,
anubhootiyaan hriday mein daataa, analmayii de |
Vish ka sadaa lahoon mein sanchaar maangtaa hoon |
Bechain zindagii kaa main pyaar maangtaa hoon |

Thehri huii tarii ko thhokar lagaa chalaa de,
jo raah ho hamaari uspar diyaa jalaa de |
Gati mein prabhanjanon ka aaveg phir sabal de,
is jaanch ki ghhadii mein nishthha kadii, achal de |

Hum de chuke lahuu hain, tu devtaa vibhaa de,
apne anul vishikh se aakaash jagmagaa de |
Pyaare swadesh ke hit vardaan maangtaa hoon |
Teri dayaa vipad mein bhagwaan maangtaa hoon |