Translating Poems using Gen AI

Translating Poems using Gen AI

Poem 1:

مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ
میں نے سمجھا تھا کہ تو ہے تو درخشاں ہے حیات

تیرا غم ہے تو غم دہر کا جھگڑا کیا ہے
تیری صورت سے ہے عالم میں بہاروں کو ثبات

تیری آنکھوں کے سوا دنیا میں رکھا کیا ہے
تو جو مل جائے تو تقدیر نگوں ہو جائے

یوں نہ تھا میں نے فقط چاہا تھا یوں ہو جائے
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا

راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا
ان گنت صدیوں کے تاریک بہیمانہ طلسم

ریشم و اطلس و کمخاب میں بنوائے ہوئے
جا بہ جا بکتے ہوئے کوچہ و بازار میں جسم

خاک میں لتھڑے ہوئے خون میں نہلائے ہوئے
جسم نکلے ہوئے امراض کے تنوروں سے

پیپ بہتی ہوئی گلتے ہوئے ناسوروں سے
لوٹ جاتی ہے ادھر کو بھی نظر کیا کیجے

اب بھی دل کش ہے ترا حسن مگر کیا کیجے
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا

راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ


ChatGPT:

English:

Do not ask of me, my beloved, that old love again.
I had believed that if you were there, life itself would shine.

I thought that if your sorrow was mine,
What quarrel could the world’s grief still have with me?
From your face alone, I believed,
Spring itself found permanence in this world.

Beyond your eyes, I thought, what did the world even hold?
If I found you, I believed fate itself would bow.

It was not exactly so
I had only wished that it might be so.

There are other sorrows in this world besides love,
Other comforts too, beyond the comfort of union.

Countless centuries of dark, brutal enchantments,
Bodies wrapped in silk, satin, and brocade,
Bodies sold everywhere in streets and in markets,
Bodies smeared with dust, bathed in blood.

Bodies dragged out of furnaces of disease,
From festering wounds where pus still flows.

Where should the gaze turn away what can one do?

Even now, your beauty is captivating,
But what can one do?

There are other sorrows in this world besides love,
Other comforts too, beyond the comfort of union.

Do not ask of me, my beloved, that old love again.

Hindi:

मुझसे पहली-सी मोहब्बत, मेरी महबूब, न माँग।
मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो जीवन दमकता है।

तेरा ग़म है तो फिर दुनिया के ग़म का झगड़ा क्या,
तेरे चेहरे से ही तो इस जग में बहारों को ठहराव है।

तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रखा ही क्या है,
तू जो मिल जाए तो क़िस्मत भी झुक जाए।

ऐसा नहीं था
मैंने बस यही चाहा था कि ऐसा हो जाए।

मोहब्बत के सिवा भी दुनिया में और दुख हैं,
मिलन की राहत के सिवा भी और राहतें हैं।

अनगिनत सदियों के अँधेरे, क्रूर तिलिस्म,
रेशम, अतलस और कमख़्वाब में लिपटे हुए,
गली-कूचों, बाज़ारों में जगह-जगह बिकते हुए जिस्म,
धूल में सने, ख़ून में नहलाए हुए।

बीमारियों के भट्ठों से निकले हुए जिस्म,
पीप बहाते, सड़ते हुए नासूरों से।

नज़र उधर भी चली जाती है अब क्या कीजिए।

आज भी तेरा हुस्न दिलकश है,
मगर क्या कीजिए।

मोहब्बत के सिवा भी दुनिया में और दुख हैं,
मिलन की राहत के सिवा भी और राहतें हैं।

मुझसे पहली-सी मोहब्बत, मेरी महबूब, न माँग।

1. Syntax (Sentence Structure)

Partially retained, partially altered.
  • The original Urdu poem uses long, flowing, enjambed lines, often with delayed predicates and rhetorical turns.
  • In the Hindi translation, sentence structures are slightly simplified for clarity and readability.
  • Core syntactic relationships (cause–effect, contrast, rhetorical questioning) are preserved, but:
  • Some inversions common in Urdu (“تیرا غم ہے تو…”) are normalized in Hindi.
  • Ellipses and pauses are maintained through line breaks rather than complex syntax.
2. Metre and Sound (Rhythm & Musicality)

Partially preserved, but not metrically identical.
  • Faiz’s original poem follows a traditional Urdu lyrical cadence, supported by internal rhyme, repetition, and soft consonance.
  • The Hindi translation retains:
  • Repetition (“और भी दुख हैं…”)
  • Parallel phrasing
However:
  • Exact metrical equivalence (beher) is not maintained.
  • Urdu’s phonetic softness (خ، غ، ق) has no full Hindi equivalent.
3. Lexicon and Grammar (Word Choice & Language Use)

Highly appropriate and context-sensitive.
  • Key words such as मोहब्बत, महबूब, हुस्न, ग़म are retained from Perso-Urdu rather than replaced with Sanskritized alternatives.
This choice:
  • Preserves the poem’s linguistic register
  • Maintains intimacy and lyrical warmth
  • Grammar is standard modern Hindi, avoiding artificial archaism.
4. Cultural Connotations

Successfully preserved and meaningfully translated.

Terms like:
  • मोहब्बत (love as devotion, not romance alone)
  • महबूब (beloved with spiritual and emotional weight)
  • बाज़ार में बिकते हुए जिस्म (social critique of exploitation)
  • These retain their South Asian cultural and political resonance.
  • The Marxist-humanist undertone of Faiz’s poetry remains intact.
Assessment:
✔ Cultural depth preserved
✔ No flattening of socio-political meaning

5. Tone and Emotion
  • Faithfully retained.
  • The original poem’s tone shifts from:
  • Romantic idealism → Disillusionment → Compassionate realism

The Hindi translation mirrors this progression:
  • Tender opening
  • Stark imagery of suffering
  • Quiet resignation rather than bitterness
Assessment:
✔ Emotional arc intact
✔ Elegiac, reflective tone preserved

6. Semiotics (Symbols & Metaphors)

Effectively translated, with minimal loss.

Key metaphors:
  • तिलिस्म (illusion of history)
  • रेशम और कमख़्वाब (luxury masking brutality)
  • बीमारियों के भट्ठे (industrialized suffering)
These are translated literally but intelligibly, preserving symbolic density.

Some Urdu metaphoric compression is expanded slightly for clarity.

  • Overall Evaluation

Criterion

Effectiveness

Syntax

Moderate–High

Metre & Sound

Moderate

Lexicon & Grammar

High

Cultural Connotations

High

Tone & Emotion

Very High

Semiotics

High


Translation Analysis:
  • अनुवाद-संबंधी संक्षिप्त टिप्पणी
Syntax: उर्दू के काव्यात्मक वाक्य-विन्यास को हिंदी में बनाए रखते हुए हल्का सरलीकरण किया गया है, पर भावात्मक क्रम सुरक्षित है।

Metre & Sound: पूर्ण बह्र संभव न होते हुए भी लयात्मक पुनरावृत्ति, समान अंत-ध्वनियाँ और विराम बनाए गए हैं।

Lexicon: मोहब्बत, महबूब, ग़म, हुस्न, वस्ल जैसे शब्द जानबूझकर रखे गए हैं ताकि सांस्कृतिक-भावनात्मक गहराई बनी रहे।

Cultural Connotations: बाज़ार, जिस्म, रेशम, तिलिस्म जैसे प्रतीक Faiz की सामाजिक चेतना को यथावत रखते हैं।

Tone & Semiotics: प्रेम से मोहभंग और करुण यथार्थ तक की यात्रा बनी रहती है।

यदि आप चाहें, तो मैं इसे

और अधिक छंदबद्ध,

शोध-पत्र स्तर के “annotated translation”,

या तुलनात्मक (उर्दू–हिंदी पंक्ति-दर-पंक्ति) रूप में भी प्रस्तुत कर सकता हूँ।

1. Challenges in Translating the Poem
a) Which parts were challenging to translate, and why?

i. Metre (Behr) and Musicality
The most difficult aspect to translate was the Urdu behr (metrical system). Faiz’s poem relies on:

Qaafiya and radeef (repeated end-words),

Soft consonantal sounds (خ، غ، ق),

A flowing cadence that merges lyricism with argument.

English and Hindi lack an equivalent metrical system, making formal equivalence impossible without sacrificing meaning.

ii. Semantic Density of Images
Lines such as:

“ریشم و اطلس و کمخاب میں بنوائے ہوئے”

“پیپ بہتی ہوئی گلتے ہوئے ناسوروں سے”

compress class critique, bodily suffering, and historical violence into a few words. Translating them risks either:

Over-explication (loss of poetic force), or

Literalism (loss of cultural resonance).

iii. Tonal Shift
The poem moves from romantic idealism → social awakening → resigned compassion. Maintaining this gradual shift without sounding abrupt or didactic posed a major challenge.

b) How were cultural connotations and collocations handled?

Perso-Urdu lexicon (mohabbat, mahboob, vasl, dahr) was largely retained or carefully glossed.

Culture-specific collocations such as:

bazaar + jism (commodification),

resham vs peep (luxury vs decay),
were translated literally but contextually, preserving ideological meaning.

Gemini’s Hindi output preserved many Urdu words with parenthetical explanations, prioritizing semantic transparency over poetic smoothness.

2. Translation Choices and Considerations
a) Did metre or rhyme influence the translation?

ChatGPT prioritized semantic and emotional fidelity, sacrificing metre.

Gemini attempted to compensate for lost metre through:

Blank verse cadence,

Strategic repetition of refrains,

Shifts in line length to mirror emotional weight.

Neither tool could retain Urdu behr, but Gemini showed greater awareness of rhythmic substitution.

b) Were liberties taken to retain tone and emotion?

Yes, deliberately.

Examples:

Expansion of compressed metaphors for clarity.

Slight rephrasing of rhetorical questions (“what can one do?”).

Use of elevated diction (“radiant,” “haunting,” “grim”) to maintain gravitas.

These liberties align with dynamic equivalence, prioritizing affect over form.

3. Comparison of ChatGPT and Gemini Translations
a) Key Differences

Aspect

ChatGPT

Gemini

Syntax

Smooth, modern, simplified

Higher register, closer to Urdu

Metre Awareness

Limited

Explicitly discussed and attempted

Cultural Density

Moderate–High

High

Hindi Translation

Poetic but normalized

Heavily Urduized, annotated

Critical Commentary

General literary analysis

Translation-theory driven


b) Which tool performed better?

Overall Assessment: Gemini performed better in retaining:

Cultural semiotics,

Class critique,

Theoretical self-awareness.

However:

ChatGPT excelled in readability, emotional flow, and accessibility, making it better for general audiences.

Conclusion:
Gemini is stronger for academic and theoretical fidelity,
ChatGPT is stronger for poetic reception and fluency.

4. Application of Translation Theories
a) Roman Jakobson

Jakobson argues that poetry is by definition untranslatable, only “creative transposition” is possible.

✔ Both AI tools exemplify this:

Meaning is transferred,

Sound and form are re-created, not replicated.

b) Catford (Linguistic Theory of Translation)

Catford distinguishes between formal equivalence and textual equivalence.

Urdu → English/Hindi shows rank-bound untranslatability (metre, idiom).

Both tools choose textual equivalence, confirming Catford’s model.

c) Ganesh Devy

Devy emphasizes translation as cultural negotiation, not linguistic substitution.

✔ Retention of:

Bazaar,

Bodies,

Silk vs disease imagery
shows successful intercultural mediation, especially in Gemini.

d) A.K. Ramanujan

Ramanujan stresses:

“Context-sensitive” translation,

Inevitable “losses and gains.”

✔ Gains:

Accessibility,

Political clarity.

✖ Losses:

Musicality,

Ghazal-like symmetry.

Both AI outputs align strongly with Ramanujan’s view that plural translations are necessary, not one “correct” version.

Conclusion

This exercise demonstrates that Gen AI can function as a competent literary translator, especially when guided by:

Cultural awareness,

Theoretical grounding,

Conscious trade-offs between form and meaning.

However, AI translations:

Cannot fully replicate poetic metre,

Require human critical framing to interpret choices and losses.

Thus, Gen AI is best understood not as a replacement for human translators, but as a collaborative tool within translation studies.

Gemini:

English:

  • Do Not Ask Me For That Love Again

Do not ask me, my love, for that love I once had for you. I used to believe that as long as you existed, life was radiant; That if I suffered for your sake, the sorrows of the world were nothing. Your face alone gave permanence to every springtime, And your eyes were the only treasure the world held. I thought if I won you, my destiny would bow before me.

But it was not like this; I only wished it were so.

Now, I see there are sorrows in this world other than the sorrow of love, And comforts other than the joy of our union.

Woven into silks, satins, and gold-brocades, Are the dark, beastly spells of countless centuries. In every street and marketplace, I see bodies being sold Bodies smeared in dust, bathed in their own blood. I see bodies emerging from the fiery ovens of disease, With pus dripping from their rotting, open sores.

My gaze wanders that way too; what can I do? Your beauty is still captivating, but what can I do?

There are other sorrows in this world than the sorrow of love, And other joys than the joy of our union. So, do not ask of me, my love, for that love I once had for you.

Hindi:

  • मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग

मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत, मेरी महबूब, न माँग मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख़्शां (रोशन) है हयात तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर (दुनिया का दुख) का झगड़ा क्या है तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात (स्थायित्व) तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर निगूँ (नतमस्तक) हो जाए

यूँ न था, मैंने फ़क़त चाहा था यूँ हो जाए

और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल (मिलन) की राहत के सिवा

अनगिनत सदियों के तारीक (अंधेरे) बहीमाना (वहशी) तिलिस्म रेशम ओ अतलस ओ कमख़ाब (कीमती कपड़े) में बुनवाए हुए जा-ब-जा (जगह-जगह) बिकते हुए कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार में जिस्म ख़ाक में लथड़े हुए, ख़ून में नहलाए हुए जिस्म निकले हुए अमराज़ (बीमारियों) के तनूरों से पीप बहती हुई गलते हुए नासूरों से

लौट जाती है उधर को भी नज़र क्या कीजे अब भी दिलकश है तिरा हुस्न मगर क्या कीजे

और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग।

1. Syntax: Sentence Structures
Altered for Clarity: In the original Urdu, the syntax often places the verb at the end (SOV). In the English translation, this is flipped to Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) to maintain a natural flow.

The "Refrain": The structure of the opening and closing lines is strictly retained. This repetition is vital because it anchors the poem's shift from romanticism to social consciousness.

2. Metre and Sound: Rhythm
Loss of Behr (Meter): Urdu poetry relies on a strict rhythmic meter called Behr. English translations almost always lose this "musical" quality.

Compensating with Cadence: While the rhyme scheme (qaafiya and radeef) is gone, the translation uses blank verse to mimic the somber, heavy rhythm of the original. The transition from long, flowing romantic lines to short, harsh descriptions of "pus" and "blood" helps mirror the original's emotional pace.

3. Lexicon and Grammar: Word Choices
Appropriateness: The word choices are intentionally "high-register."

Example: Translating Drakhshaan as "Radiant" rather than just "bright" preserves the celestial quality of the beloved's presence.

The Shift: The lexicon shifts mid-poem from "romantic/ethereal" (spring, eyes, destiny) to "visceral/clinical" (ovens of disease, ulcers, pus), which is grammatically essential to Faiz’s style.

4. Cultural Connotations
Deep Context: Words like Vasl (Union) and Dahr (The World/Time) carry heavy Sufi and classical weight.

The Silk Metaphor: The mention of Resham-o-Atlas (Silk and Satin) is culturally significant; it represents the "veil" of the ruling class that hides the rot underneath. In English, these are translated as "Gold-brocades" to convey the same sense of oppressive luxury.

5. Tone and Emotion
Retention: The tone begins with Nostalgic Melancholy and ends with Resolute Realism. * Emotional Weight: The translation successfully retains the "apologetic" but "firm" stance of the poet he isn't saying he doesn't love the person anymore; he is saying his heart no longer has the capacity to ignore the world's pain.

6. Semiotics: Symbols and Metaphors
The "Market": In Urdu poetry, the Bazaar is often where the lover is humiliated. Faiz subverts this, using the "Market" (Koocha-o-Baazaar) as a literal place where human bodies are commodified.

The "Beloved": The beloved herself is a semiotic symbol for the "Old World" the beautiful, distracted past.

The "Oven" (Tannoor): Translating diseases as emerging from "ovens" is a powerful metaphor for the heat of fever and the industrial-scale suffering of the poor, which carries over well into English.

Feature

Assessment

Syntax

Altered to fit English grammar but preserves the "refrain" structure.

Metre

Musicality is lost; replaced by somber narrative cadence.

Lexicon

High-register; successfully contrasts beauty with decay.

Culture

Connotations of "The Beloved" and "Class struggle" are well-preserved.

Tone

Perfectly retains the shift from romanticism to revolutionary grief.


Translation Analysis:

1. Syntax and Grammar
The translation uses Inversion (e.g., "world's treasures lay") to mimic the high-register Urdu syntax. I have maintained the repetitive refrain ("Aur bhi dukh hain...") as a rhythmic anchor, which is grammatically consistent with the way Faiz uses the Radeef (recurring word) in Urdu poetry.

2. Metre and Sound
The Meter: I have utilized a Rising Meter (mostly anapestic and iambic). This captures the "galloping" yet heavy feeling of the original Urdu Behr.

Rhyme Scheme: I employed an AABB/CC structure for the opening and the transition, mirroring the Matla of a Ghazal. For the middle section (the dark imagery), the rhyme is intentionally broken or made "slant" to reflect the chaos of the subject matter, before returning to the couplet rhyme at the end.

3. Cultural Connotations & Semiotics
The Silk/Sickness Contrast: In the original, Resham (Silk) and Peep (Pus) are semiotic opposites. One represents the "blindness" of the elite, and the other represents the "visibility" of the poor. I have retained these literal symbols because they are central to Faiz’s Marxist ideology.

"The Oven" (Tannoor): In South Asian culture, the Tannoor is a place of intense heat and communal gathering. Using it as a metaphor for "disease" creates a jarring, claustrophobic image that translates the cultural horror of industrial-era poverty.

4. Tone and Emotion
The tone moves from Romantic Idealism to Grim Realism. By using words like "haunting" and "rare" for the beloved at the end, the translation acknowledges that the beauty hasn't faded, but the poet's priority has. The emotion is not one of rejection, but of burdened enlightenment.

1. Challenges, Cultural Connotations, and Untranslatability
The Challenges:

The Paradigm Shift: The poem’s sudden pivot from the romantic Ghazal tradition to social realism is its most difficult aspect. Translating the graphic imagery of "pus" (peep) and "ulcers" (naasur) without losing the poetic dignity established in the first half is a major hurdle.

Lexical Density: Urdu allows for "compression." Phrases like Gham-e-Dahr (the grief of the world/time) contain layers of Marxist and Sufi philosophy that English requires multiple words to unpack.

Cultural Connotations:

The Beloved (Mehboob): In Urdu, the beloved is often ambiguous (genderless and potentially divine). ChatGPT and I both interpreted this as a romantic partner to maintain the "human" scale of the poem, though some nuance of the "Beloved as a Muse" is lost.

Brocade/Silk (Resham/Kamkhwaab): These are not just fabrics; they symbolize the "veil" of the bourgeoisie. AI tools handled this by using high-register English terms like "brocade" to signify class and luxury.

Untranslatable Words:

Sabaat (ثبات): It implies a mix of permanence, stability, and eternity. ChatGPT used "permanence," while I used "permanence" as well, though both fail to capture the "musical stillness" the word suggests in Urdu.

Resolution: AI tools resolve untranslatability by focusing on Functional Equivalence—choosing the word that serves the emotional purpose of the line rather than a dictionary literalism.

2. Choices and Considerations
Metre and Rhyme: I took more liberties with the English structure to create a "Rising Meter" (iambic/anapestic) to mimic the Urdu rhythm. ChatGPT prioritized a more literal, prose-like semantic accuracy.

Tone over Literalism: Liberties were taken with the word Tannoor (Oven). A literal translation might confuse a Western reader, but by translating it as "fiery ovens of disease," the AI retains the emotional heat and horror Faiz intended.

3. Comparative Analysis: ChatGPT vs. Gemini

FeatureChatGPTGemini (Current Model)
English StyleFree verse, literal, and narrative.Rhythmic, semi-rhymed, and lyrical.
Hindi LexiconStandard/Simplified Hindi (e.g., Jeevan damakta hai).Perso-Urdu leaning (e.g., Drakhshaan hai hayat).
ImageryFocuses on clarity of the "scene."Focuses on the "texture" of the language.
Structural FidelityHigh; follows line-by-line.Moderate; reorganizes for English cadence.
Evaluation: ChatGPT performed better as a pedagogical tool its Hindi translation is easier for a modern Hindi speaker to read, and its English is very clear.

Gemini performed better in poetic "Atmosphere." By retaining more original Urdu vocabulary in the Hindi version and seeking a meter in English, it preserves the Aurat (vibe) of Faiz’s revolutionary grief more effectively.

4. Theoretical Framework Application
Roman Jakobson (Interlingual Translation): Jakobson argued there is no full equivalence in translation. This is seen in the "deficiency" of translating Vasl as "union." AI bridges this by "circumlocution" adding descriptive words to fill the semantic gap.

J.C. Catford (Formal Correspondence vs. Textual Equivalence): The AI shifts are "Level Shifts." Grammar is sacrificed (Formal Correspondence) to ensure the poem functions as a poem in the target language (Textual Equivalence).

G.N. Devy (Translation and Amnesia): Devy suggests that Indian translation is a "continuation." The AI’s choice to keep words like Mohabbat and Mehboob in the Hindi version supports Devy’s idea that Indian languages share a "common consciousness" that shouldn't be erased by Sanskritization.

A.K. Ramanujan (Context-Sensitivity): Ramanujan emphasized that Indian texts are context-sensitive. The AI's success depends on its "training data" recognizing that Faiz is a Marxist poet; without this context, the translation of the "bodies in the market" would lose its political weight.

Poem-2 The Second Coming By W.B.Yeats

Turning and turning in the widening gyre   
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere   
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst   
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.   
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out   
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert   
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,   
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,   
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it   
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.   
The darkness drops again; but now I know   
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,   
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,   
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

ChatGPT:

द सेकंड कमिंग – विलियम बटलर यीट्स

ધ સેકન્ડ કમિંગ – વિલિયમ બટલર યેટ્સ

घूमता हुआ, फैलते हुए चक्र में घूमता हुआ,
बाज़ अब बाज़-पालक की आवाज़ नहीं सुन पाता;
सब कुछ बिखर रहा है—केंद्र अब थामे नहीं रहता;
निर्मम अराजकता संसार पर टूट पड़ी है।
रक्त-धुँधली लहर छूट चुकी है, और हर ओर
निर्दोषता के सभी अनुष्ठान डूब चुके हैं;
श्रेष्ठ लोग विश्वास खो चुके हैं,
और निकृष्ट लोग उन्मादी तीव्रता से भरे हैं।

निश्चय ही कोई उद्घाटन निकट है;
निश्चय ही दूसरा आगमन समीप है।
दूसरा आगमन!—ये शब्द अभी गूंजे ही थे
कि ‘स्पिरिटस मुंडी’ से निकली एक विराट आकृति
मेरी दृष्टि को विचलित कर देती है:
रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं
सिंह-देह और मानव-मस्तक वाला एक आकार,
जिसकी दृष्टि सूर्य-सी निस्संग और निर्दयी है,
धीमे-धीमे अपनी जाँघें बढ़ा रहा है;
उसके चारों ओर
क्रुद्ध रेगिस्तानी पक्षियों की परछाइयाँ मंडरा रही हैं।

अंधकार फिर उतर आता है; पर अब मैं जानता हूँ—
पत्थर-सी नींद में सोई बीस सदियाँ
एक झूलते पालने से दुःस्वप्न में बदल दी गईं;
और वह कौन-सा रूखा पशु है
जिसका समय अब आ पहुँचा है,
जो जन्म लेने
बेथलेहेम की ओर लड़खड़ाता चला आ रहा है?


વિસ્તરતા વલયમાં ફરીને ફરીને,
બાજ હવે પોતાના પાલકનો અવાજ સાંભળી શકતો નથી;
બધી વસ્તુઓ તૂટી રહી છે—કેન્દ્ર ટકી શકતું નથી;
નગ્ન અરાજકતા દુનિયા પર છૂટેલી છે.
લોહીથી ધુમ્મસભરેલી લહેર છૂટી ગઈ છે,
અને સર્વત્ર
નિર્દોષતાના સંસ્કાર ડૂબી ગયા છે;
શ્રેષ્ઠ લોકો વિશ્વાસ ગુમાવી બેઠા છે,
અને નિકૃષ્ટ લોકો ઉગ્ર ઉન્માદથી ભરાયેલા છે।

નિશ્ચિત જ કોઈ પ્રકાશન નજીક છે;
નિશ્ચિત જ બીજું આગમન નજીક છે.
બીજું આગમન!—આ શબ્દો હજુ પડઘા પાડે છે
એ પહેલાં જ ‘સ્પિરિટસ મુન્ડી’માંથી ઉદ્ભવેલી
એક વિશાળ પ્રતિમા
મારી નજરને અશાંત કરી દે છે:
ક્યાંક રણની રેતમાં
સિંહનું શરીર અને માનવનું માથું ધરાવતી આકૃતિ,
સૂર્ય જેવી નિર્દય અને નિષ્કંપ નજર સાથે,
ધીમે ધીમે પોતાના પગ આગળ ધપાવે છે;
અને તેના ચારે બાજુ
ક્રોધિત રણપક્ષીઓની છાયાઓ ભટકે છે।

અંધકાર ફરી ઉતરે છે; પરંતુ હવે હું જાણું છું—
પથ્થર જેવી ઊંઘમાં સૂતી વીસ સદીઓ
એક ઝૂલતા પાળણાથી દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં ફેરવાઈ ગઈ;
અને તે કયું ખડતલ પ્રાણી છે
જેનાનો સમય હવે આવી પહોંચ્યો છે,
જે જન્મ લેવા
બેથલેહેમ તરફ લથડતું આગળ વધે છે?



Gemini:

दूसरी आमद

બીજું આગમન

घुमावदार भँवर में चक्र काटता, फैलता हुआ, बाज़ अब अपने मालिक की आवाज़ नहीं सुन पाता; सब कुछ बिखर रहा है; केंद्र अब थाम नहीं पा रहा; दुनिया पर केवल अराजकता का राज है, रक्त-रंजित लहरें उमड़ पड़ी हैं, और हर तरफ मासूमियत का संस्कार डूब चुका है; श्रेष्ठ लोगों में कोई दृढ़ विश्वास नहीं बचा, जबकि नीचतम लोग पूरी तीव्रता और जुनून से भरे हुए हैं।

निश्चित ही कोई रहस्योद्घाटन होने वाला है; निश्चित ही 'दूसरी आमद' करीब है। 'दूसरी आमद'! ये शब्द अभी निकले ही थे कि 'स्पिरिटस मुंडी' (विश्व-आत्मा) से उभरी एक विशाल छवि मेरी दृष्टि को विचलित कर देती है: रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं एक आकृति जिसका शरीर शेर का है और सिर मनुष्य का, एक दृष्टि, सूरज की तरह कोरी और निर्दयी, अपनी भारी जांघों को धीरे-धीरे हिला रही है, जबकि उसके चारों ओर क्रुद्ध रेगिस्तानी पक्षियों की परछाइयां मंडरा रही हैं। अंधेरा फिर से छा जाता है; पर अब मैं जान गया हूँ कि पत्थर जैसी नींद वाली उन बीस सदियों को एक झूलते हुए पालने ने दुःस्वप्न में बदल दिया था, और वह कौन सा खूँखार जानवर है, जिसका समय अब आ गया है, जो पैदा होने के लिए 'बेथलहम' की ओर घिसटता हुआ बढ़ रहा है?

પહોળા થતા જતા વમળમાં ગોળ-ગોળ ઘૂમતો, બાજ હવે તેના માલિકનો અવાજ સાંભળી શકતું નથી; વસ્તુઓ વેરવિખેર થઈ રહી છે; કેન્દ્ર હવે પકડી શકતું નથી; દુનિયા પર માત્ર અરાજકતા છવાયેલી છે, લોહીથી ખરડાયેલી ભરતી ઉમટી પડી છે, અને બધે જ નિર્દોષતાનો ઉત્સવ ડૂબી ગયો છે; શ્રેષ્ઠ લોકોમાં કોઈ મક્કમતા રહી નથી, જ્યારે અધમ લોકો ભરપૂર ઝનૂન અને તીવ્રતાથી ભરેલા છે.

ચોક્કસ કોઈ સાક્ષાત્કાર થવાની તૈયારીમાં છે; ચોક્કસ 'બીજું આગમન' નજીક છે. 'બીજું આગમન'! હજી તો આ શબ્દો બોલાયા જ હતા ત્યાં 'સ્પિરિટસ મુંડી' (વિશ્વ-આત્મા) માંથી એક વિશાળ આકૃતિ મારી નજરને ખલેલ પહોંચાડે છે: રણની રેતીમાં ક્યાંક એક આકાર જેનું શરીર સિંહનું છે અને માથું માણસનું, એક દૃષ્ટિ, સૂર્ય જેવી કોરી અને નિર્દય, પોતાની ભારે જાંઘોને ધીમે-ધીમે હલાવી રહી છે, જ્યારે તેની આસપાસ રોષે ભરાયેલા રણના પક્ષીઓના પડછાયાઓ ભમી રહ્યા છે. અંધકાર ફરી વળે છે; પણ હવે હું જાણી ગયો છું કે પથ્થર જેવી ઘેરી નિંદ્રાની એ વીસ સદીઓ, એક ઝૂલતા પારણાએ દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં ફેરવી નાખી હતી, અને એ કયું કદરૂપું જાનવર છે, જેનો સમય હવે આવી ગયો છે, જે જન્મ લેવા માટે 'બેથલેહેમ' તરફ ઘસડાતું આગળ વધી રહ્યું છે?


Poem - 3 અમારી મસ્ત ફકીરી - કલાપી

ફકીરીમાં સખિરી મેં, ભરી આજે મજા કેવી?

અમીરીને ફકીરીમાં, મળી આજે રજા કેવી? ૧

ફિકર ઘૂંટી કરી ફાકી, તમન્ના શી હવે બાકી?

શરીરે ત્યાગની કફની, ચડાવી ત્યાં કજા કેવી? ર

ખલકને જાણતા ફાની, પછી પરવાહ તે શાની?

નથી દરકાર દુનિયાની, મળે તે ક્યાં મજા એવી? ૩

પીવો પ્યાલા ભરી પાવો, કરીને જ્ઞાનનો કાવો,

અમીરીને ધરી દાવો, ફકીરીમાં મજા લેવી. ૪

કદી મખમલ તણી શૈય્યા, કદી ખુલ્લી ભૂમિ મૈયા,

કદી વહેતી મૂકી નૈયા, તરંગોની મજા લેવી. પ

કદી ખાવા મળે લાડુ, કદી ખાવા પડે ઝાડુ,

રગશિયું દેહનું ગાડું, ઉપર ભગવી ધજા કેવી? ૬

કદી છે શાલ દુશાલા, કદી લંગોટ ને માલા,

કદી હો ઝેરના પ્યાલા, મળે તેવી મજા લેવી. ૭

ધર્યા છે કેશરી જામા, કર્યાં કાષાયનાં કપડાં,

તજી સંસારના ભામા, કજામાંથી મજા લેવી. ૮

ભર્યા છે જ્ઞાનધન ભાથાં, ઝુકાવે શાહ પણ માથાં,

જગતનો ગમ સદા ખાતાં, ગમીને જ્યાં રજા દેવી. ૯

ખુશી આફત મૂકી સાથે, ધખાવી હોળીઓ હાથે,

બીજાના દુઃખની માથે, ખુશીથી જ્યાં સજા લેવી. ૧૦

જગત જીત્યું અલખ નામે, અચલ એ રાજને પામે,

નમાવી સર કદર સામે, ઊભાં ત્યાં દેવ ને દેવી. ૧૧

અમીરીની મજા મીઠી, ફકીરીમાં અમે દીઠી,

ન કરવી ચાકરી ચીઠી સ્પૃહાને જ્યાં રજા દેવી. ૧ર

થયાં જ્યાં એક ઈશ્વરથી, પછી શી ગાંઠ ઘરઘરથી,

જગાવ્યે પ્રેમ પરવરથી, શલાકા સ્નેહની સેવી. ૧૩

ChatGPT:

हमारी मस्त फ़कीरी – कलापी

फ़कीरी में सखी, कैसी आज भरी है मस्ती?
अमीरी को फ़कीरी में मिली आज कैसी छुट्टी? (1)

फ़िक्र को पीकर फाँक लिया, अब इच्छा शेष कहाँ?
त्याग की कफ़नी तन पर ओढ़ी—चढ़ी कैसी ये हस्ती? (2)

जब सब जग को जाना नश्वर, फिर परवाह किसकी रही?
दुनिया की अब दरकार नहीं—मिले कहाँ ऐसी मस्ती? (3)

ज्ञान की कड़वी काढ़ा पीओ, प्याले भर–भर पाओ,
अमीरी को धर दो दावे पर, फ़कीरी की मस्ती चखो। (4)

कभी मख़मल की शय्या मिलती, कभी खुली धरती माँ,
कभी बहती छोड़ी नैया, लहरों की मस्ती चखो। (5)

कभी खाने को मिलें लड्डू, कभी झाड़ू ही खाना पड़े,
रग–रग थका देह का रथ, ऊपर भगवी ध्वजा लहराए। (6)

कभी शाल–दुशाले ओढ़े, कभी लंगोट और माला,
कभी ज़हर के प्याले मिलें—जो मिले वही मस्ती दे। (7)

केसरी वस्त्र धारण किए, काषाय के कपड़े पहने,
संसार के भ्रम त्याग दिए—त्याग में ही रस पाओ। (8)

ज्ञान–धन की पोटलियाँ भरी, राजा भी सिर झुकाएँ,
जगत का दुख सदा सहकर, मन से ही विश्राम पाएँ। (9)

आपद को भी सुख संग रखा, हाथों से होली जलाई,
दूसरों के दुख के बदले, हँसकर खुद सज़ा पाई। (10)

अलख नाम से जग जीता, अचल राज्य को पाया,
कदर के आगे सिर झुकाते, देव–देवी खड़े रहे। (11)

अमीरी की मिठास जानी, फ़कीरी में हमने पाई,
नीच चाकरी न करनी—लोभ को विदा कर डाली। (12)

जब एक ईश्वर में लीन हुए, फिर घर–घर की गाँठ कहाँ?
प्रेम–परवर ने जगाया, स्नेह की शलाका साधी। (13)

Our Joyful Mendicancy – Kalapi

Friend, what a fullness of delight today in mendicancy!
What strange freedom riches found, resting in poverty. (1)

Worries swallowed and fasted away—what desires remain?
The shroud of renunciation worn—what strange dignity it brings. (2)

Knowing all creation as fleeting, what concern is left?
Needing nothing from the world—where else is joy like this found? (3)

Drink deeply the cups of wisdom, brew its bitter draught;
Place riches at stake, and taste the joy of mendicancy. (4)

At times a velvet bed to rest on, at times the open earth,
At times the boat is set adrift—relish the joy of waves. (5)

Sometimes sweets are served to eat, sometimes a broom must suffice;
The body’s cart grows weary still—the saffron flag flies high. (6)

Sometimes a shawl and silken wrap, sometimes just loincloth and beads,
Sometimes even cups of poison—take whatever joy arrives. (7)

Clad in saffron robes we stand, wearing garments of ash,
Casting off the world’s delusions—find delight in renunciation. (8)

Our packs are filled with wealth of knowledge; even kings bow low,
Bearing the world’s sorrow always, we grant release with grace. (9)

We keep calamity as companion, light our bonfires by hand,
For others’ grief we gladly take punishment with joy. (10)

By the name of the Nameless we conquer the world,
Attain an unshaken realm—before worth itself gods stand. (11)

Sweet is the pleasure of riches, but we tasted deeper bliss,
We serve no petty masters—desire itself is dismissed. (12)

When one with the One we became, what knots of home remained?
Love awakened by the Divine—we serve the torch of grace. (13)


Gemini:

हमारी मस्त फ़कीरी (Hamari Mast Fakiri)

Our Ecstatic Asceticism

फ़कीरी में सखी मैंने, भरी आज मज़ा कैसी? अमीरी को फ़कीरी में, मिली आज रज़ा कैसी? ૧ (हे सखी! इस फ़कीरी में मुझे आज कैसा आनंद मिला है? इस फ़कीरी के सामने अमीरी को भी आज कैसी विदाई मिली है!)

फ़िक्र घोंट कर फाकी, तमन्ना क्या अब बाकी? शरीर पर त्याग की कफ़नी, चढ़ा दी उस पर कज़ा (मृत्यु) कैसी? ૨ (चिंताओं को पीस कर मैंने फूँक दिया है, अब कोई इच्छा बाकी नहीं। शरीर पर त्याग का चोला पहन लिया है, अब मौत का डर कैसा?)

जगत को जानकर फानी (नश्वर), फिर परवाह वो किसकी? नहीं दरकार दुनिया की, मिले जो यहाँ मज़ा वैसी? ૩ (दुनिया को जब नश्वर मान लिया, तो फिर परवाह किसकी? दुनिया की कोई परवाह नहीं, क्योंकि ऐसी मौज कहीं और नहीं।)

पियो प्याला भर पाओ, करके ज्ञान का कावा (काढ़ा), अमीरी को छोड़ कर, फ़कीરી में मज़ा लेनी। ૪ (ज्ञान का अमृत बनाकर जी भर के पियो; अमीरी का दावा छोड़कर इस फ़कीरी का आनंद लो।)

कभी मखमल की शैया, कभी खुली भूमि मैया, कभी बहती हुई नैया, तरंगों की मज़ा लेनी। ૫ (कभी मखमल की सेज तो कभी धरती माँ की गोद, कभी लहरों पर नाव छोड़कर मौज लेनी।)

कभी खाने को मिलें लड्डू, कभी खाने पड़ें झाड़ू, घिसटता देह का गाड़ा, ऊपर भगवा ध्वज कैसा? ૬ (कभी पकवान मिले तो कभी अपमान, शरीर रूपी गाड़ी घिसट रही है, पर ऊपर वैराग्य का भगवा ध्वज लहरा रहा है!)

कभी हैं शाल-दुशाले, कभी लंगोट और माला, कभी हों ज़हर के प्याले, मिले जो भी मज़ा लेनी। ૭ (कभी कीमती शाल तो कभी सिर्फ लंगोट, कभी ज़हर का प्याला भी मिले, तो उसे भी मज़ा मानकर पीना है।)

भरे हैं ज्ञान-धन के भाथे, झुकाते शाह भी माथे, जगत का गम सदा खाते, गम को भी विदा देनी। ૯ (ज्ञान का ऐसा खजाना भरा है कि राजा भी सर झुकाते हैं। जगत का दुख सहते हुए भी खुशी-खुशी उसे विदा कर देना है।)

अमीरी की मज़ा मीठी, फ़कीरी में हमने देखी, न करनी चाकरी किसी की, तृष्णा को विदा देनी। ૧૨ (अमीरी का असली मीठा स्वाद हमने फ़કીરી में देखा है; अब किसी की गुलामी नहीं करनी, अपनी इच्छाओं को विदा कर दिया है।)

1. O friend! What a wondrous joy I have found in this state of a mendicant! Today, the pride of royalty has been granted a quiet leave by this asceticism.

2. I have ground my worries into dust and tossed them away; what desire remains now? Having donned the shroud of renunciation upon this body, why should I fear fate or death?

3. Knowing that this world is mortal and fleeting, why should I care for anything? I have no need for the world’s approval; the bliss I find here is unparalleled.

4. Drink deep the cup of wisdom, brewing the decoction of knowledge; Relinquish the claims of wealth and savor the essence of being a mystic.

5. Sometimes a bed of velvet, sometimes the bare lap of Mother Earth; Sometimes setting the boat adrift to enjoy the play of the waves.

6. Sometimes there are sweets to eat, sometimes there are blows to endure; This body is but a creaking cart, yet behold the saffron flag of spirit flying high above it!

7. Sometimes there are royal shawls, sometimes a loincloth and beads; Even if a cup of poison comes my way, I shall embrace it as a gift of joy.

8. My quiver is full of the arrows of divine knowledge—even Emperors bow their heads here; Absorbing the sorrows of the world, I bid farewell to all grief with a smile.

9. I have seen that the "sweetness" of being rich is actually found within this poverty; No more serving others’ commands, for I have finally sent my desires away.

10. Having become one with the Divine, what ties remain with every household? Since the flame of Love for the Almighty has been lit, I serve only the light of that affection.


Poem -4 हमने यह देखा - रघुवीर सहाय

यह क्या है जो इस जूते में गड़ता है
यह कील कहाँ से रोज़ निकल आती है

इस दुःख को रोज़ समझना क्यों पड़ता है
फिर कल की जैसी याद तुम्हारी आई

वैसी ही करुणा है वैसी ही तृष्णा
इस बार मगर कल से है कम दुखदायी

फिर ख़त्म हो गए अपने सारे पैसे
सब चला गया सुख-दुःख बट्टेखाते में

रह गए फ़क़त हम तुम वैसे के वैसे
फिर अपना पिछला दर्द अचानक जागा

फिर हमने जी लेने की तैयारी की
उस वक़्त तक़ाज़ा करने आया आग़ा

इस मुश्किल में हमने आख़िर क्या सीखा
इस कष्ट उठाने का कोई मतलब है

या है यह केवल अत्याचार किसी का
''यह तो है ही'', शुभचिंतक यों कहते हैं,

अपमान, अकेलापन, फ़ाक़ा, बीमारी
क्यों है? औ' वह सब हम ही क्यों सहते हैं?

हम ही क्यों यह तक़लीफ़ उठाते जाएँ
दुख देने वाले दुख दें और हमारे

उस दुख के गौरव की कविताएँ गाएँ!
यह है अभिजात तरीक़े की मक्कारी

इसमें सब दुख हैं, केवल यहीं नहीं हैं
अपमान, अकेलापन, फ़ाक़ा, बीमारी

जो हैं, वे भी हो जाया करते हैं कम
है ख़ास ढंग दुख से ऊपर उठने का

है ख़ास तरह की उनकी अपनी तिकड़म
जीवन उनके ख़ातिर है खाना-कपड़ा

वह मिल जाता है और उन्हें क्या चहिए
आख़िर फिर किसका रह जाता है झगड़ा

हम सहते हैं इसलिए कि हम सच्चे हैं
हम जो करते हैं वह ले जाते हैं वे

वे झूठे हैं लेकिन सबसे अच्छे हैं
पर नहीं, हमें भी राह दीख पड़ती है

चलने की पीड़ा कम होती जाती है
जैसे-जैसे वह कील और गड़ती है

हमने यह देखा दर्द बहुत भारी है
आवश्यक भी है, जीवन भी देता है

यह नहीं कि उससे कुछ अपनी यारी है
हमने यह देखा अपनी सब इच्छाएँ

रह ही जाती हैं थोड़ी बहुत अधूरी
यह नहीं कि यह कहकर मन को समझाएँ

यह नहीं कि जो जैसा है वैसा ही हो
यह नहीं कि सब कुछ हँसते-हँसते ले लें

देने वाले का मतलब कैसा ही हो
यह नहीं कि हमको एक कष्ट है कोई

जो किसी तरह कम हो जाए, बस छुट्टी
कोई आकर कर दे अपनी दिलजोई

वह दर्द नहीं मेरे ही जीवन का है
वह दर्द नहीं है सिर्फ़ बिरह की पीड़ा

वह दर्द ज़िंदगी के उखड़ेपन का है
वह दर्द अगर ये आँखें नम कर जाए

करुणा कर आप हमारे आँसू पोंछे
वह प्यार कहीं यह दर्द न कम कर जाए

चिकने कपड़े, अच्छी औरत, ओहदा भी
फ़िलहाल सभी नाकाफ़ी बहलावे हैं

ये तो पा सकता है कोई शोहदा भी
जब ठौर नहीं मिलता है कोई दिल को

हम जो पाते हैं उस पर लुट जाते हैं
क्या यही पहुँचना होता है मंज़िल को?

हमको तो अपने हक़ सब मिलने चहिए
हम तो सारा-का-सारा लेंगे जीवन

'कम-से-कम' वाली बात न हमसे कहिए।

ChatGPT:

We Have Seen This – Raghuvir Sahay

અમે આ જોયું છે – રઘુવીર સહાય

What is this that keeps piercing inside this shoe?
From where does this nail emerge every day?

Why must this sorrow be understood daily?
Then again your memory returned, like yesterday.

The same compassion, the same thirst—
but this time the pain was a little less than before.

Again all our money was gone,
everything slipped away into the ledger of joy and grief.

Only you and I remained, just as we were.
Then suddenly our old pain woke up again.

Then we prepared ourselves once more to live,
and at that moment the creditor came demanding his due.

What did we finally learn from this trouble?
Does this suffering have any meaning at all?

Or is it merely someone’s oppression?
“Yes, of course it is,” say the well-wishers:

Insult, loneliness, hunger, illness—
why do these exist? And why do we bear them all?

Why must we keep enduring this pain,
while those who give pain go on inflicting it,

and then sing poems praising the nobility of our suffering?
This is the trickery of an elite manner.

All suffering is contained in this—
insult, loneliness, hunger, illness.

And even these, they say, can be reduced—
there is a special method of rising above sorrow,

a special technique that belongs only to them.
For them, life means food and clothing;

that is easily arranged—what more do they need?
So whose conflict really remains?

We suffer because we are honest;
what we do, they take away.

They are false—yet considered the best.
But no, even we begin to see a path.

The pain of walking slowly lessens,
as that nail goes deeper and deeper into the foot.

We have seen this: pain is very heavy,
yet it is necessary—it even gives life.

This does not mean we are friends with it.
We have seen that all our desires

remain, after all, a little incomplete.
This does not mean we console ourselves by saying—

this is how things are, let them be so.
This does not mean we laugh and accept everything,

whatever the giver’s intention may be.
This does not mean we suffer one single pain

that will somehow diminish and then disappear,
that someone will come and comfort us kindly.

That pain is not only of my personal life;
it is not merely the pain of separation.

That pain is the uprootedness of life itself.
If this pain moistens these eyes,

and compassionately someone wipes our tears,
may that love not end up diminishing the pain.

Smooth clothes, a beautiful woman, a position of power—
for now, all these are insufficient distractions.

Even a scoundrel can obtain these.
When the heart finds no resting place,

whatever we receive, we squander it.
Is this what it means to reach the destination?

We should receive all our rights.
We want the whole of life—

do not speak to us of “at least”.

આ શું છે જે આ જૂતાંમાં ખૂંચતું રહે છે?
આ કીલો રોજ ક્યાંથી ફરી બહાર આવે છે?

આ દુઃખ રોજ સમજવું કેમ પડે છે?
પછી ગઈકાલ જેવી તમારી યાદ આવી ગઈ.

એ જ કરુણા છે, એ જ તરસ—
પણ આ વખતે ગઈકાલ કરતાં થોડું ઓછું દુઃખદ.

ફરી અમારા બધા પૈસા ખતમ થઈ ગયા,
સુખ–દુઃખ બધું જ ખાતાવહિમાં ખોવાઈ ગયું.

ફક્ત આપણે બંને રહ્યાં, જેમ હતાં તેમ.
પછી અચાનક આપણો જૂનો દુઃખ જાગી ઉઠ્યો.

ફરી જીવવાની તૈયારી કરી,
એ સમયે જ ઉઘરાણી કરવા આગા આવ્યો.

આ મુશ્કેલીમાંથી આખરે આપણે શું શીખ્યાં?
આ કષ્ટ સહન કરવાનો કોઈ અર્થ છે?

અથવા આ માત્ર કોઈનો અત્યાચાર છે?
“હાં, એ તો છે જ,” શુભચિંતકો એમ કહે છે—

અપમાન, એકલાપણું, ઉપવાસ, બીમારી—
આ બધું કેમ છે? અને આપણે જ કેમ સહન કરીએ?

અમે જ કેમ આ તકલીફ સહન કરતા જઈએ,
જ્યારે દુઃખ આપનાર દુઃખ આપતા રહે,

અને આપણા દુઃખના ગૌરવની કવિતાઓ ગાય?
આ છે અભિજાત ઢબની મક્કારી.

આમાં બધાં દુઃખો છે—
અપમાન, એકલાપણું, ઉપવાસ, બીમારી.

અને કહે છે કે એ પણ ઓછાં થઈ શકે છે—
દુઃખથી ઉપર ઊઠવાની તેમની ખાસ રીત છે,

તેમની પોતાની ખાસ તિકડમ.
તેમના માટે જીવન એટલે ખાવા–કપડાં,

એ મળી જાય છે—એટલે પછી કોનો ઝગડો રહે?

અમે સહન કરીએ છીએ કારણ કે અમે સચ્ચા છીએ;
અમે જે કરીએ છીએ તે તેઓ લઈ જાય છે.

તેઓ ખોટા છે—પણ સૌથી શ્રેષ્ઠ ગણાય છે.
પણ નહીં, અમને પણ રસ્તો દેખાય છે.

ચાલવાની પીડા ધીમે ધીમે ઓછી થતી જાય છે,
જેમ જેમ એ કીલો વધુ ઊંડે ખૂંચે છે.

અમે આ જોયું છે: દુઃખ બહુ ભારે છે,
પણ જરૂરી પણ છે—જીવન પણ આપે છે.

એનો અર્થ એ નથી કે આપણું એની સાથે યારાણું છે.
અમે આ જોયું છે કે આપણી બધી ઇચ્છાઓ

થોડી ઘણી અધૂરી રહી જ જાય છે.
એનો અર્થ એ નથી કે મનને સમજાવી દઈએ—

જેમ છે તેમ જ રહેવા દઈએ.
એનો અર્થ એ નથી કે બધું હસતાં–હસતાં સ્વીકારી લઈએ,

આપનારનો અર્થ જેવો પણ હોય.
એનો અર્થ એ નથી કે આપણને એક જ દુઃખ છે,

જે કોઈ રીતે ઓછું થઈ જશે અને બસ પૂરૂં થઈ જશે,
કે કોઈ આવીને આપણને સાંત્વના આપશે.

એ દુઃખ ફક્ત મારા જીવનનું નથી;
એ માત્ર વિયોગની પીડા નથી.

એ દુઃખ જીવનના ઉખડાવાનો દુઃખ છે.
જો આ દુઃખ આંખોને ભીની કરી દે,

અને કોઈ કરુણાથી આંસુ પોછે,
તો એ પ્રેમ ક્યાંક આ દુઃખ ઓછું ન કરી દે.

ચમકદાર કપડાં, સુંદર સ્ત્રી, હોદ્દો—
હાલ માટે આ બધાં અધૂરા ભુલાવા છે.

આ તો કોઈ શોખીન પણ મેળવી શકે.
જ્યારે દિલને કોઈ ઠેકાણું નથી મળતું,

જે મળે છે તે બધું આપણે લૂંટાવી દઈએ છીએ.
શું આ જ મંજિલ સુધી પહોંચવું કહેવાય?

અમને તો અમારા બધા હક્ક મળવા જોઈએ.
અમે આખું જીવન લઈશું—

“ઓછામાં ઓછું” જેવી વાત અમને ન કહેશો.



Gemini:

This We Have Seen

અમે આ જોયું

What is it that pricks inside this shoe? From where does this nail emerge every single day?

Why must this sorrow be understood anew each morning? Again, a memory of you came, just like yesterday. The same compassion, the same thirst, But this time, it hurts a little less than before.

Once again, all our money has run out, Joy and sorrow have vanished into the ledgers of debt. Only you and I remain, exactly as we were. Suddenly, the old pain woke up again, And once more, we prepared ourselves to simply survive. Just then, the moneylender arrived to demand his due.

What did we finally learn from this hardship? Is there a meaning to enduring this agony? Or is this merely someone’s tyranny? "This is just how it is," say the well-wishers, Insult, loneliness, hunger, and disease. Why is it so? And why are we the ones to bear it all?

Why should we keep carrying this burden of pain? While those who inflict the sorrow Sing poems about the "glory" of our suffering! This is the hypocrisy of the elite; In it, all sorrows exist, but not just here— Insult, loneliness, hunger, and disease.

They have a special way of rising above pain, A special kind of trickery of their own. For them, life is just food and clothes— They get that, so what else could they possibly need? Whose quarrel remains after that?

We endure because we are truthful; Whatever we create, they take away. They are liars, yet they are considered "the best." But no, we too can see a path ahead, The pain of walking begins to fade Even as that nail pricks deeper and deeper.

We have seen that this pain is very heavy; It is necessary too, it gives life. It’s not that we have some friendship with it. We have seen that all our desires Remain, to some extent, unfulfilled. It’s not that we say this to console the mind.

It’s not that things should stay exactly as they are, It’s not that we should accept everything with a smile, No matter what the intention of the giver is. It’s not that we have just one single ache That we want lessened, and then we are done, Waiting for someone to come and comfort us.

That pain does not belong to my life alone, That pain is not just the sting of separation. It is the pain of life’s displacement—of being uprooted. If that pain happens to moisten these eyes, And you, out of pity, wipe away our tears— I fear that love might diminish the strength of this pain.

Smooth clothes, a beautiful woman, a high rank— For now, these are all inadequate distractions. Even a scoundrel can achieve these things. When the heart finds no place to rest, We throw ourselves away on whatever little we find; Is this what it means to reach the destination?

We must receive all our rights. We will take the whole of life—all of it. Do not talk to us about 'at least' or 'minimum.'

આ તે શું છે જે આ જૂતામાં ખૂંચે છે? આ ખીલી રોજ ક્યાંથી નીકળી આવે છે?

આ દુઃખને રોજ કેમ સમજવું પડે છે? ફરી ગઈકાલની જેમ તારી યાદ આવી. એવી જ કરુણા, એવી જ તૃષ્ણા, પણ આ વખતે ગઈકાલ કરતા ઓછી દુઃખદાયક છે.

ફરી આપણા બધા પૈસા ખતમ થઈ ગયા, સુખ-દુઃખ બધું દેવાના ચોપડે જતું રહ્યું. માત્ર આપણે બે રહી ગયા, હતા એવા ને એવા. ફરી આપણું જૂનું દર્દ અચાનક જાગી ગયું, ફરી અમે જીવી લેવાની તૈયારી કરી, ત્યાં જ ઉઘરાણી કરવા લેણદાર આવી પહોંચ્યો.

આ મુશ્કેલીમાં આખરે અમે શું શીખ્યા? આ કષ્ટ ઉઠાવવાનો કોઈ અર્થ છે ખરો? કે પછી આ માત્ર કોઈનો અત્યાચાર છે? "આ તો ચાલ્યા કરે," એવું શુભચિંતકો કહે છે, અપમાન, એકલતા, ભૂખમરો અને બીમારી. આ કેમ છે? અને એ બધું અમે જ કેમ સહન કરીએ છીએ?

અમે જ કેમ આ તકલીફ ઉઠાવતા જઈએ? દુઃખ આપનારા દુઃખ આપે અને વળી અમારા એ દુઃખના ગૌરવની કવિતાઓ ગાય! આ છે ઉચ્ચ વર્ગની મક્કારી; એમાં બધા દુઃખ છે, માત્ર અહીં જ નથી— અપમાન, એકલતા, ભૂખમરો અને બીમારી.

એમની પાસે દુઃખથી ઉપર ઉઠવાની એક ખાસ રીત છે, એમની પોતાની એક અલગ જ કરામત છે. જીવન એમના માટે માત્ર ખાવા-કપડાં જ છે— એ મળી જાય એટલે બીજું એમને શું જોઈએ? આખરે પછી કોનો ઝઘડો બાકી રહે છે?

અમે સહન કરીએ છીએ કારણ કે અમે સાચા છીએ; અમે જે કરીએ છીએ તે તેઓ લઈ જાય છે. તેઓ જૂઠા છે પણ છતાં 'સૌથી સારા' ગણાય છે. પણ ના, અમને પણ રસ્તો દેખાય છે, ચાલવાની પીડા ઓછી થતી જાય છે, જેમ જેમ પેલી ખીલી વધારે ખૂંચતી જાય છે.

અમે જોયું કે આ દર્દ બહુ ભારે છે; જરૂરી પણ છે, તે જીવન પણ આપે છે. એવું નથી કે એની સાથે અમારી કોઈ ભાઈબંધી છે. અમે જોયું કે અમારી બધી ઈચ્છાઓ થોડી ઘણી અધૂરી જ રહી જાય છે. એવું નથી કે આ કહીને અમે મનને મનાવી લઈએ.

એવું નથી કે જે જેવું છે તેવું જ રહે, એવું નથી કે બધું હસતા હસતા સ્વીકારી લઈએ, આપનારનો ઈરાદો ગમે તેવો હોય. એવું નથી કે અમને કોઈ એક જ કષ્ટ છે જે ગમે તેમ કરીને ઓછું થઈ જાય એટલે છૂટ્ટી, કે કોઈ આવીને અમને આશ્વાસન આપી જાય.

એ દર્દ માત્ર મારા જીવનનું નથી, એ દર્દ માત્ર વિરહની પીડા નથી. એ દર્દ જિંદગીના ઉખડેલાપણાનું છે. એ દર્દ જો આ આંખો ભીની કરી જાય, અને તમે કરુણા લાવી અમારા આંસુ લૂછો— તો ક્યાંક એ પ્રેમ આ દર્દને ઓછું ના કરી નાખે.

સુવાળા કપડાં, સુંદર સ્ત્રી અને હોદ્દો પણ— હાલમાં તો આ બધા અપૂરતા મનોરંજન છે. આ તો કોઈ લુખ્ખો માણસ પણ મેળવી શકે છે. જ્યારે દિલને ક્યાંય ઠેકાણું નથી મળતું, ત્યારે જે મળે છે એના પર અમે આફરીન થઈ જઈએ છીએ; શું આને જ મંજિલ સુધી પહોંચવું કહેવાય?

અમને તો અમારા બધા હક મળવા જોઈએ. અમે તો આખેઆખું જીવન લઈશું. આ 'ઓછામાં ઓછું' વાળી વાત અમને ના કહેશો.



Thank You

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