How will you ever know?
Why was I there roaming in your lane ,
with so many unknown faces.
My anxious eyes were just thirsty for a glimpse,
of the unruly breeze,
playing with your tresses.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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Rivers have a strange habit,
they flood the banks whenever they want.
But though they sweep us away with them,
they never really belong to us.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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Crossing a bridge is never easy,
More so if you know deep within,
That you may never come back,
To visit whom you leave behind.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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#Madhushala 230311

Let idols remain unadorned in temples, their bells need not chime ,
the masjids locked,the muezzin at home, prayers are not in time.
Treasures of famous kings be looted and their fortress razed
Our tavern remains the only place where happy men are placed.

Bajee na mandir me ghariyali, chadhi na pratima par maalaa,
baitha apne bhawan muezzin dekar masjid mein taalaa,
loote khazaane narpatiyon ke giri gadho ki deewaren,
rahe mubarak peenewaale, khuli rahen yeh madhushala.
Madhushala verse 20



Old lineages get demolished,none remains to grieve those faces,
palaces where ballerinas danced are reduced to vacant spaces
the fortune of kings lie in slumber and their empires end up sinking
this wine house but still remains awake with the merry men drinking

badhe badhe pariwaar mitein yoon, ek naa ho ronewaalaa,
ho jaayen sunsaan mahal ve , jahan thirakti surbala,
rajya ulat jaayen, bhupon ki bhagya sulakshmi so jaaye,
jame rahenge peenewaale, jagaa karegi madhushala.
Madhushala verse 21
--
Arunangshu Paul
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Fwd: Madhushala 22/3/2011

The cup is like a cocquet , flirting before you hold it.
the wine , it just teases your lips, asking you to sip it
excuses galore, the lover cites, before she comes to arms
these are charades , o traveller, enhancing the charms.

haathon mein aa ne se pehle naaj dikhaayegaa pyalaa,
adharon par aane se pehle adaa dikhaayegi haalaa
bahutere inkaar karegi saqi aane se pehle,
pathik , na ghabraa jaana ,pehle maan karegi madhushala

Madhushala verse 13

Darling ,you be the sparkling wine, I the thirsty chalice
fill me in and take a sip ,then be tipsy with the spice
I just hold you bubbling within , and you take me slow
together we explore this tavern , making our love just grow.

Priyatam tu meri haalaa hai, main teraa pyasaa pyalaa
apne ko mujhme bharkar tu bantaa hai peenewaalaa
main tujhko chhak chhalkaa kartaa, mast mujhe pee tu hota
ek dusre ki hum donon aaj paraspar madhushala

madhushala verse 3

Arunangshu Paul
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Recently I again read "Madhushala" by Harivansh Rai Bachchan after
many days. I was floored by the sheer romance of the verses and an
idea germinated in my mind . For those who may not be aware let me
introduce Madhushala. This is a path breaking creation in Hindi
literature and has captivated the hearts of everybody who have read it
or heard a version of the poems rendered by Manna Dey in his
mellifluous voice or Amitabh Bachhan, son of the poet , in his
baritone. First published in 1935 , it became a rage amongst modern
Hindi literary circle. It still continues to be one of the most
popular Hindi composition and its verses are often quoted for their
ephemeral quality.

The nearest meaning of Madhushala in english is "The Tavern" and it
literally means Nectar (madhu) abode (shala). The poet has described
human life cycle through the eyes of a drunken person and his relation
with the tavern which is the microcosmic world itself. I will not go
further into the explanations as many eminent persons have already
explained a lot on this . This poetry is in the educational courses of
many universities as a major resource of Hindi Literature.So it will
be a travesty for me to attempt any explanation of the poetry. But I
have to humbly say that the verses are multi dimensional and is not
only an ode to Bacchanalia or a debauched mind. Beneath the apparent
celebration of decadence lies a wonderful dissection of the social
norms, values and the relevance of the contemporary society . The
spiritual tone of the verses are understated and lies intricately
embedded in the irreverent treatment of organised religion . All in
all , you will love it again and again. Those who can read and
understand Hindi have definitely read and enjoyed them. I want to
share them with people who have not read it in Hindi. Also it has been
my experience that all Hindi speaking people do not necessarily know
proper Hindi or read Hindi poetry.

What I intend to do is to convey the message of the poet as I feel it
myself. Translation of the poetry in literal terms will spoil the
beauty of the verses as no foreign language has the exact literal
meaning of the words used in them. But poetry conveys some universal
meaning. It is a matter of perception. I want to explore that. So in
my spare time I will delve into these verses and try to understand
them in my own way. They will be primarily updated on my blog
iamarunangshu.blogspot.com . These may not be in a chronological ,
literary or any order whatsoever as regimentation doesn't suit my
personality. Whatever I like and understand will be trans-generated.
Some of them will also be updated on facebook. I will try to be as
regular as I can be . But naturally they will tend to be be sporadic
as the essence of the poetry is vast and the scale is overwhelming. I
have consciously avoided to search for previous translation (s) as I
do not want to be influenced by any other translator .

Before anybody points out that this is just a form of copying, I beg
with folded hands that Yes, I am proud to copy the ideas and share
them with everybody. In our lives, we cannot always become a candle. I
would rather be the mirror which reflects light than remain a part of
the darkness. I also hope this endeavour will keep me creatively
occupied and fill in the vaccum once the Cricket World Cup ends.
Friends are requested to give their views and suggestions on my
postings on the blog (iamarunangshu.blogspot.com) or facebook and
keep me encouraged.

As a first step, with much trepidation, I submit:

Verse 6 : Madhushala

madiralay mein jaane ko ghar se chaltaa hai peenewaala
"kis path se jaaoon?" asmanjas mein hai wo bhola bhaala
alag alag path batalaate sab par main ye batlaata hoon
"raah pakad tu ek chalaa-chal, paa jaayega madhushaala"

The thirsty soul steps out of home to reach the cherished tavern.
Then faces the dillemma - "which way to go?" - wonders the poor chap.
Everyone helps him with separate ways to reach, but let me put it right -
" Chose a way and walk up straight, friend , you will find it in your sight"

--
Arunangshu Paul
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Holi hai : This year Holiwas great with friends.

Hair Dye?

Yesterday something silly has given me great insight to life. It all started with some colleagues not believing that I have never used hair dye and the blackness of my hair was natural. Frivolous it may seem but it left me wondering. We the people (includes me) get so much accustomed to fakes,lies,distortions and negative experiences that they cannot look to genuine things without suspicion or scepticism.
Like my colleague(s) not beleving in my natural black hair at this age, people also do not believe in honest Judges,IAS or police officers. But they exist. For every million wrongs there will be one right . We may not believe but facts have always been stranger than fiction.
This also has another angle too. Why is it that people do not easily accept things which do not conform to their standards. If anything stands out , then is it necessary to suspect it, then defame it or bring it down to the level of collective mediocrity. 
These are all thoughts which occured to me and I wanted to share. I am myself guilty of such  assumptions,prejudices and bias in the past. But this introspection triggered by a silly comment has been very much illuminating to my way of looking at things. I believe henceforth I will be bold enough to think a bit differently away from the crowd and do so continuously even after my hair turns grey or goes bald.
--
Arunangshu Paul
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I have lost my heart to you

The way you walk, then stop and glance teasingly,
turns this earth into a valley of flowers to me.

From the moment that I have lost my heart to you
this world has become a better place to live for me.

As I close my eyes and fold my hands in prayer
what else can I ask from God except you ,only you.

It's been so many days since we have last met,
come now , don't keep me waiting anymore.

16/03/11
--
Arunangshu Paul
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Evening

The evening is magical, dusk setting in a languid motion like beauty
being unveiled.
This is the time for those unspoken words to be uttered in whispers.
Our heartbeats have merged in one, tell me which one is yours.
Bear the burning desire no more alone, I will share it with you.
Just watch the tears roll down my face as you hold my hand.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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The Jungle of Life

Its easy for the hunter to run after his prey.
As long as he hunts, he is safe.
But he invites trouble when he gets his prey.
It's then that he finds himself surrounded ,
by other claimants, all hunters themselves.
And then he has to run for his life.
For the hunter also becomes the hunted now.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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Tree of hope

Sunlight bathes my small tree everyday.
I have named it the Tree of hope
and water it religiously in the mornings.
Today as I approached ,it seemed to smile at me .
Only then I noticed the new green leaves on it's branches
and felt an ecstasy.

All that I have wished, seemed to be fulfilled,
that one moment seemed so precious to me.
To feel my efforts take shape in those tiny leaves
was so very thrilling to me.

I watched it fondly , as the morning sun cast its soft rays
to create a magical moment with the light mist around.
The whole world seemed so lovely and worth living after all.

One day when I won' t be there, the tree will still stand strong
and its bigger branches will surely shelter a small little bird
I hope the tree feels the same while the bird chirps its sweet tunes
reciprocating the love which I showered on it like a son .

--
Arunangshu Paul
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All matters published on this blog unless acknowledged are original
and created by me.

Black magic

The next time you put the dark kajal on your eyes,
remember it's my heart that burnt.
To create the black magic you wear.

Spare a thought for all those poor souls,
enslaved by the charm.

They are innocent, you're to blame.
Why did you flutter your eyelids at them.

--
Arunangshu Paul
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