Flower’s Desire

Thank you Rahul.
First part seems seems to be in Sanskrit second hindi. Is it?

Funny, that I shared in my i-log, just today, two Bangladeshi poems on a similar theme.

Here I rewrite them:

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July 10, 2006
TWO POEMS: from BANGLADESH
I.

Mask


Shower me with petals,
heap bouquets around me,
I won`t complain. Unable to move,
I won`t ask you to stop
nor, if butterflies or swarms of flies
settle on my nose, can I brush them away.

Indifferent to the scent of jasmine and benjamin,
to rose-water and loud lament,
I lie supine with sightless eyes
while the man who will wash me
scratches his ample behind.
The youthfulness of the lissome maiden,
her firm breasts untouched by grief,
no longer inspires me to chant
nonsense rhymes in praise of life.

You can cover me head to foot with flowers,
my finger won`t rise in admonishment.
I will shortly board a truck
for a visit to Banani.[1]
A light breeze will touch my lifeless bones.

I am the broken nest of a weaver-bird,
dreamless and terribly lonely on the long verandah.
If you wish to deck me up like a bridegroom
go ahead, I won`t say no
Do as you please, only don`t
alter my face too much with collyrium
or any enbalming cosmetic. Just see that I am
just as I am; don`t let another face
emerge through the lineaments of mine.
Look! The old mask
under whose pressure
I passed my whole life,
a wearisome handmaiden of anxiety,
has peeled off at last.
For God`s sake don`t
fix on me another oppressive mask.

[Banani - An affluent suburb of Dhaka. It has a well known cemetery.]

From: Selected Poems of Shamsur Rahman.
Translated and Edited by Kaiser Haq.

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II.

Allah please don`t judge me


Kazi Nazrul Islam
Translation: Abu Rushd
Courtesy: Mohammad Nurul Huda (ed.) Poetry of Kazi Nazrul Islam in English Translation
[Dhaka: Nazrul Institute, June 2000], p. 593

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Allah please don`t judge me on the doomsday.
Your justice I don`t seek, this sinner craves for your mercy.
I have knowingly throughout my life erred wherever I was
I therefore daren`t hope I will survive your scrutiny.
If you will judge why should you be known as the Merciful
Your name is a guarantee of redemption - why give me this knowledge.
I am a beggar and so when I beg my lord
Don`t send me back with an empty hand.

Good attempt ,Rahul.

Can you also narrate Subhadra Kumari Chauhan`s ``Khoob ladi mardani woh tau Jhansi wali Rani thi``.

Rahul,

What a beautiful and patriotic poem. Brought back memories of my Hindi teacher who explained the poem so beautifully that it still continues to ring in my ears. Great work, keep it up!

Beautiful!

The use of the term ``patriots`` in place of ``braves`` could be questioned.

And here is the original Hindi.


पुष्प की अभिलाषा
माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी
चाह नहीं मैं सुरबाला के – गहनों में गूँथा जाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, प्रेमी माला में – बिंध प्यारी को ललचाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, सम्राटों के – शव पर हे हरि, डाला जाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, देवों के सिर पर – चढ़ूँ, भाग्य पर इठलाऊँ।
मुझे तोड़ देना वनमाली – उस पथ पर देना तुम फेंक,
मातृभूमि पर शीश चढ़ाने – जिस पथ जावें वीर अनेक

Not bad, rahulmal....

reg echoboom`s question ``Is the first part Sanskrit?``, why have you used that strange notation (M for N for example)?

Re: # 6 That`s what i`ve been wondering about. By the look of it, the M should have the same effect in pronounciation as the commonly used N or .n ( for noon-ghunna in Urdu). Rahul chooses M in the first four verses while `.n` in the last verses of both the stanzas. Is there any particular reason for this juxtaposition?

Splendid poetry nonetheless, and a laudable attempt at translation.

Re: # 5, bjk:
There seems to be a mistake in the presentation of the Hindi original. I remember only the last two lines by heart.

I think Chaturvedi wrote ``lenaa`` not ``denaa.``

Please verify from a printed text, not computer files which are generally replete with mistranslations and errors.

Some tid-bits on the poet (from “Shayeri.net” and other sources).

Makhanlal Chaturvedi was born on April 4, 1889 in Babai village in Hishangabad district (Madhya Pardsh). He started his career as a teacher in 1906 but resigned in 1910. He took a leading part in the Non-cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement. Makhanlal Chaturvedi was one of the most distinguished writers in Hindi literature. He was a sensitive poet, story writer, essayist and playwright. He also edited the Hindi weekly “Karmaveer”. Makhanlal’s political activities greatly influenced his writings. A forceful and persuasive writer, he aroused great patriotic fervor among the masses by his writings. He was President of All India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan held at Hardwar in 1943. Makhanlal Chaturvedi made notable contributions to the enrichment of various branches of Hindi literature. Some of his great works are “Him Kirtini”, “Him Tarangini”, “Yug Charan”, and “Sahitya Devta’. In 1954 Makhanlal won the Sahitya Akademy Award for his work ‘Him Tarangini’ – becoming the first recipient of the Award in Hindi literature. He was conferred the honorary degree of D.Litt. by Saugar University in 1959. Makhanlal Chaturvedi passed away on January 30, 1968.

To commemorate his birth centenary, the Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal was set up through an Act of the Madhya Pradesh state in 1990. The University was formally inaugurated by the then Vice-President of India Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma on 16th January 1991.

#8 Inquie

O man, Inquie! Just when I thought I had the whole gang fooled, too!

Darn! And here I was just ready about to escape – and out of nowhere comes this “gotcha”! Man, O man!

It is “lenaa” not “denaa”!

Taking – not giving! Like the great Dolly Parton of devastatingly drastic proportions immortalized:

...it`s all taking, and no giving!

Oh well, there IS a difference, between taking and giving.

But where the heck is your sense of charity, I ask you!

Don’t tell me you are the type who will never give, when he can take!

You got me! I am trapped and can not escape! Caught in your clutches like a rodent!

Therefore, have it your own way. Here is the original Hindi again – typed with two of my own fingers!

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पुष्प की अभिलाषा
माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी

चाह नहीं मैं सुरबाला के – गहनों में गूँथा जाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, प्रेमी माला में – बिंध प्यारी को ललचाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, सम्राटों के – शव पर हे हरि, डाला जाऊँ,
चाह नहीं, देवों के सिर पर – चढ़ूँ, भाग्य पर इठलाऊँ।
मुझे तोड़ लेना वनमाली – उस पथ पर देना तुम फेंक,
मातृभूमि पर शीश चढ़ाने – जिस पथ जावें वीर अनेक

Re: # 10 Oh drop it beejay sahib, bet you used only one there...

eh phool yeh phool mere phool ko daina
kehna yeh phool tumhare phool ne diya hay.

#10,bjk:
``But where the heck is your sense of charity, I ask you! ``

There are few people who can take critical scrutiny as you did! Congartualations!! I hated to see your wonderful quote with the flaw, so I dared!!!

Particularly, as I do remember the last two lines by heart!!!!

Chehvi Class ki Hindi PustakMala se cut/paste kar di aur Chowk walo ne Publish bhee kar di.
Kiya Zamamna aa gya hai.

Chowk Ed: Where are your so called high standards now? You are publishing a Sixth Grade Hindi Poem that every kid in AISSE board reads......

No offence to the poet, it was my favorite till 8th class, then it was Robert Frost..

Urstruly:

eh phool yeh phool mere phool ko daina
kehna yeh phool tumhare phool ne diya hay.

Haa Haa! Good commentary on the adolescent poetry here. But then you must remember that poetry is not their forte.

my attempt:

Aye phool tuum khushee sey kaheeN phool na naheeN
tuum ko galay lagaa kay voh gar phoolaiN lUGaiN.

Re: # 15

wah wah wah

But I must advice you not to underestimate the power of adolescent poetry. You have no idea what have I accomplished with sort of following in my zaman-e-jahiliat;

nahiN nahiN, nahiN kar
yeh waqt nahiN nahiN ka nahiN