One more TAG

When you think of everything ever posted on ur blog, which is the first post that comes to your mind.. ONLY the first post.

You can answer in the comments, and will be really nice if u can also add the url of the post.

Here is my answer. I love the simplicity and the power of the parallel in this.

Tumhara Naam

Bulle Shah!

मेरे एक दोस्त ने आज मुझे बुल्ले शाह का कलाम भेजा.. पढ कर हैरानी भी हुई, और बहुत खुशी भी. उसे Thank You का मेल भेजा तो उस ने लिखा, "दर असल ये तुम्हे याद दिलाने के लिये था कि कभी तुम्हारी ओर से बहुत उम्दा कवितायें ढूंढ कर सब को भेजी जाती थीं. बहुत महीने हुए, वो कवितायें कहां हैं?

मैने जवाब दिया, "अब मेरे blog पर मिलती हैं!! "
;-)

आईना ने अमृता प्रीतम की बहुत ही प्यारी कवितायें इक्ठी की हैं. य़हां.

और मेरी ओर से, ये बुल्ले शाह, जो आज मिला:

One of my friends sent me this really nice Bulle Shah poem. Wasboth surprised and happy to get it. When I sent him a note to say "Thank you!" he replied, "That was actually to remind you of your lovely poetry forwards. Where are they? " I replied, "On my blog now! "

Aaina has compiled a lovely set of Amrita Pritam poetry. You can read it in Hindi here.

And on my post, the poem sent by my friend.

" ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਨਾਤਯਾ ਧੋਤਯਾ,
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਡਡੁਆ ਮਛਿਯਾੰ
ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਨਦੀ ਮਸਾਨ ਵਿਚ,
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਚਮ ਚਿਣਿਕਿਯਾੰ,
ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਜੰਗਲ ਵੇਲੇ
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਗਾੰ ਤੇ ਬਛਿਯਾੰ,
ਬੁਲਲੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਰਬ ਔਨੁ ਲਬਦਾ
ਜੇ ਨੀਯਤਾੰ ਜਿਨਾ ਦੀਆੰ ਸਚਿਯਾੰ.... "

In the translation, "was in" is to mean " If God could be attained/reached by"

If god was in physical purification by water,
He would live among the fish and the toads
If god was in the cemetries,
He would be among the leather mongers
If God was in the forest,
He would be attained by the cows and calves.
Bulle Shah says the only way to attain God
Is for those with clean intentions..

For people outside India: This is aimed at the various practices adopted by sects for self purification and attainment of God. Some sects believe in self purification by keeping the body clean and sticking to rituals. Some other sects believe that self flagellation and torture is the only way to get closer to God. Some others believe in meditation deep in the forests. Bulle Shah believes that the only way to get God is to keep a pure heart that wishes no evil.

More Javed Akhtar..

The last ghazal could not be translated at all.. it was too good for that.. am making some effort with some of the shers in this one..

हम तो बच्पन में भी अकेले थे,
सिर्फ दिल की गली में खेले थे.

एक तरफ मोर्चे थे पलकों के,
एक तरफ आंसूओं के रेले थे..

थीं सजीं हसरतैं दुकानों पर
ज़िन्दगी के अजीब मेले थे..

आज ज़हन-ओ-दिल भूखे मरते हैं,
उन दिनो हम ने फाक़े झेले थे..

खुद्कुशी क्या गमों का हल बनती,
मौत के अपने सौ झमेले थे..

ham to bachapan me.n bhii akele the
sirf dil kii galii me.n khele the

ek taraf morche the palako.n ke
ek taraf aa.Nsuuo.n ke rele the

thii.n sajii hasarate.n duukaano.n par
zindagii ke ajiib mele the

aaj zehan-o-dil bhuuko.n marate hai.n
un dino.n faake bhii ham ne jhele the

Khud-kashii kyaa Gamo.n kaa hal banatii
maut ke apane bhii sau jhamele the
**********************
I was alone even in my childhood
and the alleys of the heart, the only playgrounds I've known..

Brightly lit desires on the shops,
In the strange fair called Life...

The other ones are too nice for me to mutilate them in translation..

Worst Film of the Year Award

... goes, beyond doubt, to Nishabd: The Film

Saw it yesterday and just HAD to blog about it. Though I've seen over 20 films since the last film post - Kabul Express, this one REALLY takes the cake.

What's wrong with it?

One, someone should have spent at least some time on the characters before putting them on paper/film. They all seem to have come from 1 line briefs! It is supposed to be a credible story, but nothing about it ends up being credible.. because everything is so... wispy! (for want of a better word)

Two, the movie needs editing, and lots of it.

But the worst assault of the film is its cinematography. The cinematographer should be criminally prosecuted for that assault on our visual senses. Can you imagine a location like a beautiful, verdant tea estate among the mountains, and a grey/blue/green filter with black and white effects on this scenery for the WHOLE DURATION OF THE FILM? Can you imagine that?? 3 hours of mutilation of such amazing locales!!

Jawed Akhtar

वो जो लोग अकेले हैं,
अपने अपने साथ जियें!!
**********
दुख के जंगल में फिरते हैं, कब से मारे मारे लोग,
जो होता है, सह लेते हैं, कैसे हैं बेचारे लोग!

जीवन जीवन, हम ने जग में, खेल यही होते देखा,
धीरे, धीरे जीती दुनिया, धीरे धीरे हारे लोग!

वक़्त गर्दन पर बैठा है, अपना राग सुनाता है,
संगत देने को बैठे ले सांसों के इकतारे लोग!

इस नगरी में क्यों मिलती है, रोटी सपनों के बदले,
जिनकी नगरी है वो जानें, हम ठहरे बंजारे लोग!

dukh ke ja.ngal me.n phirate hai.n kab se maare maare log
jo hotaa hai sah lete hai.n kaise hai.n bechaare log

jiivan jiivan ham ne ag me.n khel yahii hote dekhaa
dhiire dhiire jiitii duniyaa dhiire dhiire haare log

waqt gardan par baitha hai, apna raag sunaataa hai,
sangat dene ko baithe le saa.Nso.n ke ik-taare log

is nagarii me.n kyo.n milatii hai roTii sapano.n ke badale
jinkii nagarii hai vo jaane ham Thahare ba.njaare log

Happy Holi!!

Slice of Life - I

The Other " Let's subscribe to the mint."
Me: Sure!! Do they give away free coins to subscribers?
The Other: No, they just got started, i don't think they are that badly off, yet!
Me: Which mint?
The Other: The paper, what did you think?
Me: Never mind!

And so it happened, that the desi avatar of the Wall Street Journal entered our house.

In abount 15 days, the paperwala got a frantic call at 6:00 a.m.
"Can you please get rid of the mint and give us the Economic Times again? "

Objective of post: Our review of the new paper.

Slice of Life - II.
P Chidambaram presents budget. Me sees it at the end of the work day, expecting no real surprises - this cheaper, that dearer, petrol higher, kerosene lower? ...

Boy! Were there surprises! That was a Richter 10.0 Budget!

My unanswered questions:
1. Farm Procurement Prices are not increased, but agriculture subsidy is increased. Are we making fishing easier or handing out free fish to get a few votes?

2. How will it be ensured that all this welfare freebie booty does not end up where it usually does - in the houses of the politicians and the bureaucrats?

3. Where are the audited results of the Education Cess Collections and expenditure of last year?

4. What is the selection ratio we are looking at in providing 1 lakh scholarships between 9th and 12th classes? Even at a measly estimate of roughly 5 million students in the target beneficiary group, we are left with a selection ratio of 1:50! What are we trying to achieve here?

5. After the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, what was the pre and post per capita and average household income of the beneficiary families? How many beneficiary families did we have?

6. Why do we need a Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and a Singur at the same time?

7. Export of commodities stopped but forwards trading not stopped. Why?

8. Ban on skimmed milk to reduce prices of milk. What is the cause of shortage?

9. No analysis on the cause of general country wide inflation.

10. "Two lakh more teachers to be employed and five lakh more classrooms to be constructed. " - What about accountability for the infrastructure that already exists?

11. Defence Outlay increased by 7.8 percent - What is the breakup of this amount in terms of :
A. Increase in staff expenditure
B. Research and Development
C. Capacity building for all the 3 forces
What will we achieve with 7.8%?

My Take: This is not a nightmare budget. Nightmares are better.