Poems Of India - XIII

Would a circling surface vulture
know such depths of sky
as the moon would know?

would a weed on the riverbank
know such depths of water
as the lotus would know?

would a fly darting nearby
know the smell of flowers
as the bee would know?

0 lord white as jasmine
only you would know
the way of your devotees:

how would these,
these
mosquitoes
on the buffalo's hide?

-- Akka Mahādēvi [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

The Rubaiyat: Quatrain LI


The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

This is the fifty-first quatrain of the FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. The themes of this quatrains is same as the one before. We do not have control over our destiny. We may do whatever we may like (pray or argue) but that will not roll back or change what has been determined for us. We are just pawns in this game for the powers that are outside of our control. The Moving finger (as in who is writing the fate) and having written moves on. The mortal lamentations and arguments and religious devoutness will not make it cancel half a line. All our tears will not wash away a word of what has been written.

Translation - Rone Se Aur Ishq Mein Bebaak Ho Gaye (Ghalib)

rone se aur ishq mein be_baak ho gaye
dhoye gaye hum aise ki bas paak ho gaye


Line 1/2 - The poet says from crying becuase of passion, we have become more bold. We have been washed like such that, enough! - we are clean. We used to be modest and taciturn in love, not revealing much. But this pain of passion that is making me weep, is making me bold and outgoing in my pursuit of my lover. I am now willing to risk it all. Our own tears have washed us so much that we have become clean again. Earlier it was cry of pain, now of repentance.. We have repented just enough to be pure. An alternative reading of "bas" (as in "bas! bahut hua") would convey a continuing fearless streak. We have been washed by tears. Enough now! we are pure now. No more crying.. no more repentance!

sarf-e-bahaa-e-mai hue aalaat-e-maikashii
thae yeh hii do hisaab so yunn paak ho gaye


Line 3/4 - Our utensil/cup of drinking wine has become the expenditure for the cost of wine. There were our only two calculations/estimates, so those have also all cleared. The poet says we had only two concerns that needed to be worked out. One where will we get the money to drink wine and other was where will we keep the utensils of wine drinking safe. Now that we have sold the utensils too to pay for wine, we have become free of all those concerns. Now we are clear of everything. This way ("yunn".. as if to show to the world of how he has cleared his finances) I have become clear of the world of sums and calculations and estimates.

rusavaa-e-dahar go hue aavaargii se tum
baare tabiiyaton ke to chaalaak ho gaye


Line 5/6 - Though you have become disgraced from the world from wandering. At last, you have become clever in your disposition. The poet probably reminiscing about the days of his youth says, that those days of wandering and being lost in the world made him disgraced and infamous in the whole world. But all is not lost, at least it has made me smart and clever in my temperament.

kehtaa hai kaun naalaa-e-bulbul ko be_asar
parde mein gul ke laakh jigar chaak ho gaye


Line 7/8- Who calls that the lamentations of the nightingale is ineffective. In the veil'ed rose's, a hundred thousand livers just burst apart (or become torn). Purely fantastical indeed!. The poet says who says that weeping of the nightingale is of no effect. Surely they can go and see the effect it has on the budding rose. The rose does not open up its petals and bloom. Instead, those lamentations made it torn its countless livers and that show up as bright red petals.

pochhe hai kyaa wajuud-o-adam ahl-e-shauq kaa
aap apanii aag ke khas-o-khaashaak ho gaye


Line 9/10 - Ask of what of existence and non-existence of people of passion. You yourselves have become the straw and woodchips of your own fire. The poet says what does people of passion and ardour care about of existence and non-existence. It's same for them for their are oblivious to everything. What to ask of them! They are the fuel of their own fire. They burn like dry straw and wood litter.

karane gaye the us se tagaaful kaa ham gilaa
kii ek hii nigaah ki bas khaak ho gaye


Line 11/12 - We had gone to her to complain about her indifference. That one only glance from her, that enough! - we have become dust. This is fairly straightforward. The poet says we were not okay when she did not shower me with her glances and airs (showing indifference) and we are still not okay when she did afforded me a look for we were turned to dust now! Either way, there is no respite for me!

is rang se uthaaii kal us ne ‘asad’ kii laash
dushman bhii jis ko dekh ke gam_naak ho gaye


Line 13/14 - In such a manner, she lifted yesterday the corpse of Asad. Seeing that, even the enemy was filled with grief. The poet says that in such style she lifted the body of Asad. The exact style or manner is not hinted. It could be with utter contempt or with utmost respect. And seeing this the hearts of the enemy were filled with grief (this also can be either ways, one the stone-hearted enemy seeing the beloved's respect are melted or seeing the contempt of beloved, their hearts are filled with grief as to Asad treatment.) Both are equally enjoyable!

Meaning of difficult words
be_baak = outspoken, bold
paak = pure, clean

sarf = expenditure
baha = value, price
mai = bar
aalaat = instruments, apparatus
maikashee = boozing

rusavaa = disgraced
dahar = world
baare = at last

chaak = slit, torn
naalaa = lamentation, weeping

adam = non-existence, nothing
ahl = people
khas-o-khaashaak = straw and wood chips, wooden litter

tagaaful = indifference
gam_naak = filled with grief

Read more posts on Ghalib.

Poems Of India - XII

He'll grind till you're fine and small.
He'll file till your colour shows.

If your grain grows fine
in the grinding,
if you show colour.
in the filing,

then our lord of the meeting rivers
will love you
and look after you.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

***********************
 
The eating bowl is not one bronze
and the looking glass another.

Bowl and mirror are one metal.
Giving back light
one becomes a mirror.

Aware, one is the Lord's;
unaware, a mere human.

Worship the lord without forgetting,
the lord of the meeting rivers.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Poems Of India - XI

A snake-charmer and his nose-less wife,
snake in hand, walk carefully
trying to read omens
for a son's wedding,

but they meet head-on
a nose-less woman
and her snake-charming husband,
and cry 'The omens are bad!

His own wife has no nose;
there's a snake in his hand.
What shall I call such fools
who do not know themselves

and see only the others,

0 lord of the meeting rivers!

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

The Rubaiyat: Quatrain L


The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes,

But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes;
And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field,
He knows about it all--He knows--HE knows!

This is the fiftieth quatrain of the FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. As with the similar themes that was presented in the previous quatrains, one about the Player controlling what the pieces do and the lowly and unaware pieces have no choice. All has already been decided, all is predisposed. What we think is free choice and free will is in fact, actions of someone higher. The Ball has no choice of left or right or of Yes or No other than do what (or does) what the Player decides. And this Player know it all. Like pieces of chess, whose victories and tragedies, and their valor and intrigue are nothing but the makings of the Player. Maybe what we have is same. All this for a game, all this is just a game!