Bachpan ka Raja

My father was sick some time back. While talking to him, I felt that age has slowly began to crawl on him. Its a very strange and uneasy feeling when a son realizes this for the first time and these words flew by themselves. Here is the poem dedicated to all the fathers. (English version below)


जिस  बरगद  की  छाँव  में  बचपन , खुद  का  बढ़ते  देखा  मैंने ,
उस  बरगद  के  ऊपर  अब  एक , उम्र  को  चढ़ते  देखा  मैंने ,


पके  पकाए  आम  हैं  खाए , अब  तक  जिसकी  मेहनत  के ,
कल  उससे  सूखे  मुरझाये , पत्ते  झड़ते  देखा  मैंने ,

में  जिनसे  रोशन  हूँ  जिनमें , में  सपनों  सा  रहता  हूँ ,
चाँद  सी  उन  आँखों  के  नीचे , धब्बे  पढ़ते   देखा  मैंने ,

जो  शाखों  पर  थाम  मुझे , आकाश  दिलाया  करता  था ,
उसको  लाठी  हाथ  में  थामे , धरती  से  लड़ते  देखा  मैंने ,

सच  अब  लगती  हैं  उसकी  वो , बचपन  वाली  सारी  बातें ,
कल  मेरी  झूठी  बातों  पर , हामी  भरते  देखा  मैंने ,

रात  रात  भर  जाग  के  मेरी , पहरेदारी  करने  वाली ,
बोझिल  थकती  आँखों  में  अब , नींद  को  लगते  देखा  मैंने ,

ताज  नहीं  कोई  राज  नहीं  पर  फिर  भी  राजा  लगता  था ,
बचपन  के  उस  राजा  को  कल , बाप  में  ढलते  देखा  मैंने....

जिस  बरगद  की  छाँव  में  बचपन , खुद  का  बढ़ते  देखा  मैंने ,
उस  बरगद  के  ऊपर  अब  एक , उम्र  को  चढ़ते  देखा  मैंने ,



Jis bargad ki chhanv men bachpan, khud kaa badhte dekhaa maine,
Us bargad ke upar ab ek, umra ko chadhte dekhaa maine,

Pake pakaye aam hain khaaye, ab tak jiskii mehnat ke,
kal usse sookhe murjhaaye, patte jhadte dekha maine,

Mein jinse roshan huun jinmen, mein sapnon saa rehtaa huun,
Chaand sii un aankhon ke neeche, dhabbe padhte dekhaa maine,

Jo shaakhon par thaam mujhe, aakaash dilaya karta tha,
Usko laathi haath men thaame, dharti se ladte dekhaa maine,

Raat raat bhar jaag ke merii, pehredaari karne walii,
Bojhil thakti aankhon men ab, neend ko lagte dekhaa maine,

Sach ab lagti hain uski wo, bachpan wali saari baatein,
Kal meri jhuuthi baaton par, haami bharte dekha maine,

Taaj nahii koii raaj nahii par fir bhi raja lagtaa tha,
Bachpan ke us raja ko kal, baap men dhalte dekha maine....

Jis bargad ki chhanv men bachpan, khud ka badhte dekha maine,
Us bargad ke upar ab ek, umra ko chadhte dekha maine,

Ghalib - Iqbal - Faraz - Me

This post is a daring one since I am trying to give a reply to some of the greatest poets of all times. Its a series of couplets beautifully written by one and excellently responded by another poet from a completely different generation.

The chain was first started by Ghalib in 19th century with the following couplet:

Ghalib sharab peene de masjid men baithkar,
Yaa wo jagah bataa jahan khuda nahi.

(Let me have a drink sitting in the mosque else tell me the place where God is not)

This was responded to by Iqbal in the first half of 20th Century as follows:

Masjid khuda ka ghar hai, peene ki jagah nahi,
Kaafir ke dil men ja, wahan khuda nahi.

(Mosque is the abode of God, not a place to drink. Go to the heart of a non-believer because there God is not)

And it came down to later half of the 20th Century when Faraz replied with the following beautiful lines:

Kaafir ke dil se aaya hoon ye dekhkar Faraz,
Khuda maujood hai wahan par use pata nahi.

(Faraz is coming from the heart of non-believer, God lives there, he knows not)

And in 21st Century, here is my response:

Are Ghalib, Are Iqbal, O Faraz sun zara,
Hoga kahiin aisa koii jisko pata nahiin,
Kaafir ke dil men bhi hai, masjid men bhi hai wo,
Laa do mujhe sharaab wo, jismen khudaa nahi.

(Listen O Ghalib Iqbaal and Faraz, there is no one who knows not, he does live in the heart of the non believer and the Mosque, You bring me that wine in which he is not)

Let me know :)