अगर कविता एक मजहब होती
तो मुझे समझ में आता
कि मजहब में कट्टरता
कैसे महसूस होती है।
पर कविता
मज़हब नहीं है
कविता जल है
इसलिए
मुझे
कुछ समझ नहीं आता।
**********
If poetry were
a religion
I would probably
understand
fanaticism.
But poetry
is not a religion.
It is water.
And that is why
I understand
nothing.
**********
Most days
I look away -
'Keep your face
To the Sun
And you will see
no shadows.'
That is what I do
every day
Most days.
Not tonight.
Tonight
I want to cry.
आम दिन
वक्त की चाशनी में पड़ कर
बन जाते हैं
मीठी यादें
बुरे दिन
वक़्त के सहफ़ों पर पड़ कर
बन जाते हैं
किताबें
अच्छे दिन
वक़्त की सीप में पड़ कर
बन जाते हैं
कीमती मोती
केवल स्वयं को छलने के दिन
वक़्त की धूप में झुलस कर
बन जाते हैं
सांस की फांस।
In a world run by majoritarianism, where do people like us go? The ones who don't like what most people like? The ones who like the weird and the abnormal? Where do we go? The Youtube videos we like are hidden anywhere from 80th to 120th place. The page we are looking for doesn't pop up on Google search (Thank God for Duckduckgo), the images we want to use don't pop up on image search.. where do we, the abnormals, go?
So, if someone says that their only job around the house is to work and earn money, and lives that way. why do they then feel bad if the kids grow up to treat them as just an ATM machine?
Like most people who would pick up this book, I am an avid reader of detective fiction and non fiction, with a special interest in what forensics can do for crime fighting.
So, it was with a lot of interest and curiosity that i started reading this book. At 336 pages, one might say that the book should be a breeze for a reader. But it is not. Because, unless you are made of a solid iron heart, this book cannot be read at one go.
One difference, and a crucial one at that, is that we are always acutely aware of the difference between crime fiction and non fiction. The fact that you are reading about real people here, is fairly unsettling. Even though one reads about crime non fiction in monthlies, most of those crimes are, perhaps to pander to the tastes of the readers, crimes of passion. So, our awareness of other types of murders is fairly limited.
Also, those monthlies do not tell us the gruesome details of putrid odour, bulging eyes, decayed skin, et al. The book is graphic. Very graphic. So, it is not for the faint hearted.
The book leaves us to deal with the aftermath of the crime - what happens to survivors before the guilty party is caught.
Some of the cases are more unsettling than others. Some remain with you a long time.
Some of the content helps you understand how various parts of the government machinery have to sync their actions to catch the culprits, and what a high level of trust and co-operation that requires.
The content is engaging to say the least. Even with the graphic details, one could not put the book down.
There must be some reason that the author tells us where his various friends from the police force have retired, but I could not quite understand that reason.
All in all, one of a kind book. Well recommended for the library of the crime enthusiast.
सर्व-विदित, सर्वमान्य नहीं होता
सर्व-मान्य, सर्वप्रिय नहीं होता
सर्वप्रिय, सर्व-विदित नहीं होता।
***********
Universally Known, is not Universally acknowledged
Universally Acknowledged, is not Universally Loved,
Universally Loved, is not Universally Known.
**********
हाँजी, हुन्न वी कुज पढ़दे लिखदे हो?
हाँजी, पढ़दे हुन्ने आं
खतो - किताबत बन गए
खाते पोथी बहियाँ
बड़े गौर नाल पढेने आं
हाँजी, हुन्न वी कुज गांदे - वजाओंदे हो?
हाँजी, बिल्कुल गाणे आं !
प्रेम गीत जद्द बने सुहाग,
फेर बन गए लोरियां
हुन्न "वे मरजानयों" गाणे आं
ते पांडे पुंडे वजाओने आं
हाँजी, नाटक खेल रचाओंदे हो?
हुन्न वी स्टेज ते छांउंदे हो?
हाँजी, पूरा खेल रचाओंने आं
सुवेर तो शाम करौने आं
"देख काका, मच्छी!
आ गराईं गां दी,
आ गराईं मच्छी दी"
सारी दिहाड़ी कौतुक रचाके
तां 2 गराईआं खुवाने आं
हुन्न जे अख मटका वी लईए
त्रिया चरितर अखाने आं
Up to here, can be used as the script for a Swaang - either at a wedding or otherwise. The next para is less funny, so may not be a part of a Swaang.
हाँजी, हुन्न वी नचदे हो?
गेडे अड्डी टपडे हो?
वेडा हुन्न वी पटदे हो?
हाँजी, पूरा नचदे आं
बोलियाँ बनियाँ बोल
बोल बन गए गालां
वेडे सानु कौन नचाए
उँगलां ते नच नच हंसने आं
हाँजी, हुन्न वी नचदे आं
*********
This piece is written in a mix of Jhangi and Punjabi. Jhangi is a dialect to the south of Punjab.
Its a fun poem in the format of dialogue, where the poet asks something and someone responds - a format used in classical poetry.
A rough translation:
हाँजी, अब भी पढ़ते हो?
हाँजी, बिल्कुल पढ़ते हैं!
खतो-किताबत बन गए
खाते-बहियाँ सारे
पर बड़े ध्यान से पढ़ते हैं
हाँजी, अब भी कुछ गाते बजाते हो?
हाँजी, बिल्कुल गाते हैं!
प्रेम गीत जब बने सुहाग (विवाह के गीत)
फिर बन गए लोरियां
अब "ओ मरजानेया" गाते हैं (बच्चों को बुलाने का तरीका)
और बर्तन भांडे बजाते हैं
हाँजी, नाटक खेल रचाते हो?
अब भी स्टेज पर छा जाते हो?
हाँजी, पूरा खेल रचाते हैं,
पूरा दिन बिताते हैं
"देख बेटा , मछली!
ये कौर गाय का,
ये कौर मछली का! "
सारा दिन कौतुक रचाते हैं,
तब 2 कौर खिलाते हैं
अब जो नैन मटकाते हैं
"त्रिया चरितर" कहलाते हैं
*********
So, do you still read a lot?
Oh yes, for sure!
The long letters and poetry
became books of accounts
But I read them carefully.
So, do you still sing and play?
Oh yes, all day!
When love songs became wedding bands
and then became lullabies,
"Get here, NOW!" we sing all day
and the pots and pans fly.
So, do you still rule the stage?
Act as if born to do it?
For sure, and now I direct full plays!
And spend all day playing the part
"See, there's a fish!
This bit for the fish
This for the cow"
We get two bites to the stomach
This is how!
Now, when I roll my eyes
"Shenanigans" they get called all right.
पहले होती थीं
मन में बातें
अब बातों में भी
मन नहीं होता।
पहले होती थीं
मन की बातें
अब बातों का भी
मन नहीं होता
ਕੌਲ ਦੀ ਕੌਲੀ
ਦਗ਼ੇ ਦਾ ਮੌਰਾ
ਕਿਦਾਂ ਸੱਜਣਾ
ਕਿਸੇ ਨੇ ਜੀਉਣਾ ?
Kaul Di kauli
Dage da maura
kidaan sajjna
kise ne jeuna?
वादे की कटोरी में
दगे का जहर
कोई सजना
कैसे जाए बच?
In the bowl of faith
you poured the poison of lies
How, dear love,
Does one survive that?
**********
ਤੇਰੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਬੱਲਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਨੂੰ
ਤੇਰੇ ਮੀ ਨੇ ਵੱਸ ਬੁਝਾਇਆ
ਦੋ ਬੋਲਾਂ ਦੀ ਮੀਠੀ ਮਾਚਿਸ
ਤੂੰ ਨਾ ਨਾਲ ਲਿਆਯਾ
तेरी मेरी जलती आग को
तेरी बारिश ने आन बुझाया
दो बोलों की मीठी माचिस
वो भी साजन, तू न लाया
Our fire
was put out
by the rains
The matchbox
of two sweet words
You forgot to carry that.
********
ਬੁੱਧਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੂਝੇ ਬੁਝਾਰਤ
ਨਿਆਣੇ ਖਿੜ ਖਿੜ ਹਸਨ
ਦੋ ਹਰਫ਼ਾਂ ਦੀ ਗੁਥਮ ਗੁਥੀ
ਗੰਢ ਖੋਲ ਕੇ ਦੱਸਣ
Buddha baba bujhe bujharat
Nyaane khid khid hassan
Do harfaan di gutham guthi
gand khol ke dassan
बूढ़ा बाबा बूझे पहेली
बच्चे खिल खिल हँसते
दो शब्दों की गुथम गुथा
गांठ खोल समझाते
The old man
tries to solve the riddle
The children giggle around
Its a wrestling match between two words
They explain as they unravel.
(Indian riddles are usually based on wordplay - on multiple meanings for the same word)
