Dr. Bachchan - Translated version

Respected brother
Sadar Charan Sparsh

I rarely succeed when I try very hard, since yesterday itself I was engrossed with the thought that I shall try and assemble something unique and fabulous on Dr. Bachchan on his sixth death anniversary, for you and the rest of the folks. Destiny did not like my regularity and kept a control denying any possibility to contribute. Through out the day I was on the horns of dilemma what shall I write and what to keep aside. Lastly the fall of night only came to my rescue – I choose some poetic verses in the flow of prose from need Ka Nirmaan Phir It would not be easy for me to define why I chose the particular lines alone by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan - the great intellectuals may be able to go deep into the subject and assign some reasons I wish to keep my own self away from the drudgery of doing so! All I can say is that as much I thought I understood or I believed I knew, I find myself much less capable of giving an expression, not to the same extent.

For those who wish to gain further insight into the life of Dr. Harivamshrai Bacchan I can only advuise that there can not be a better alternative than to read his autobiography in four parts - Kya Bhoolun Kya Yaad Karun, Need Ka Nirmaan Phir, Basere se door and Dashdwar se sopaan tak

Here I have tried to translate some of these for Reeham, Rose, Reshmi,. Rasha and those who have not formally been trained in Hindi language!

मैं स्वयं करता रहा हूं
जिस तरह प्रतिरोध अपना
मानवों में कौन मेरा
उस तरह से कर सकेगा ?
(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 38)

In these above lines the poet challenges everyone that who amongst the humans could have opposed him as much as he had opposed himself!

बुलबुल जा रही है आज !
प्राण सौरभ से भिदा है,
कंटकों से तन छिदा है,
याद भोगे सुख दुखों की आ रही है आज !
बुलबुल जा रही है आज !

Nightingale, is to depart too soon!
Life so full of the floral tributes
Thorns too pierce body’s astute
The sad and best times lurk upon
Nightingale, is to depart too soon!

प्यार मेरा फूल को भी,
प्यार मेरा शूल को भी,
फूल से मैं खुश, नही मैं शूल से नाराज !
बुलबुल जा रही है आज !

My love to the flowers
So also to the thorns
I am happy for the flower, ain’t angry with the thorns,
Nightingale, is to depart too soon!


आ रहा तूफान हर-हर
अब न जाने यह उडाकर
फेंक देगा किस जगह पर !
तुम रहो खिलते महकते कलि-प्रसून-समाज !
बुलबुल जा रही है आज !

The tornado arrives with a raging nagging sounds
Who knows where will it take us
To an Undefined path that is not yet destined
You continue to bloom The buds-flowers of the world
Nightingale, is to depart too soon!

(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 99)

अनासक्त था मै सुख-दुख से
अधरों को कटु-मधु समान था
नयनों को तम-ज्योति एक सी,
कानों को सम रुदन-गान था;
सहस एक सितारा बोला,
यह न रहेगा बहुत दिनों तक ।
(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 168)

I was unaware of any happy- sad states
lips found alike the sour sweet taste
Eyes blinked alike in dark light phase
To ears crying and songs were almost same
Suddenly a star announces on base
It won’t last for many more days !


सिर पर बाल घने, घुंघराले, काले, कडे, बडे, बिखरे से,
मस्ती, आज़ादी, बे-खबरी, बेफिक्री के हैं संदेशे,
माथा उठा हुआ ऊपर को, भौहों में कुछ टेढापन है,
दुनिया को है एक चुनौती, कभी नही झुकने का प्रण है;
आंखों में छाया-प्रकाश की आंख-मिचौनी छिडी परस्पर,
बेचैनी में, बेसबरी में लुके-छिपे हैं सपने सुंदर ।
(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 202)

The head full of dense, curly, black, long hair
Hard, big, spread and almost unkempt!
Of fun, freedom, unbothered and my carefree state
They seem to reflect in some of the ways
The head held high and the eyelash little terse,
Posing a challenge to the rest of the world
a promise not to bend and not to budge
Eyes flicker play with light and dark
A game of hide and seek to be judge
The unfazed mood in that excited spate
Hides holds hovers the dreams of fate!

स्वप्न ह्रदय मथकर मिलते हैं,
मूल्य बडा उनका तिसपर भी
एक सत्य के ऊपर होती
सौ-सौ सपनों की कुर्बानी ;

सोच न कर सूखे नंदन का
देता जा बगिया में पानी ।
(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 226)

Dreams are harvested from the sufferings of the heart
Yet are expensive and no ordinary simple dessert
Just one truth to exists actually devours
Dreams must lose and stand to suffer

Don’t get deterred by the garden in desert
Go on watering the dried up earth!

हुआ करती जब कविता पूर्ण,
हुआ करता कवि का निर्माण;
अमर हो जाता कवि का कंठ
गूंजकर मिट जाता है गान !
(नीड का निर्माण फिर पेज 230)

Whence a poem is about to complete
The poet emerges and evolves on fleet
His words turn immortal, fine and sweet
Tis time the songs have lost their beat!

Abhaya Sharma, January 19 2009 00:41 Hours IST

Post script: I am not at all a good translator I hope I have done somewhat justice with the context in which Dr, Bachchan must have written these verses! I also admit that original poetry can never be easy for a translation even by the same person, It is very unnatural for a person to be able to think and imagine in two languages poetically! So please excuse me, and yes I have left two of the poetry that was submitted for Hindi readers, my apologies for that, brother has made me to be apologetic every time I make a mistake! We all must feel apologetic if we are not able to live upto our own or the expectations of the world!