My Old Known...

Comprehension.

Is a tough task.
Especially of things you have never dealt with,
Of people you have never known,
Of destinations you have never visited.

Understanding unseen avenues,
Requires efforts to the core
You need help to establish
That the unknown would become known
And you would rejoice in it
Just as you do the things
You already know

Yet, not knowing something is
Reason enough for saying
"I dont know it yet!",
For who has been able to
fathom deep into
The meanings not seen, not met.

But how do I explain this.
This lack of understanding,
When the unknown is a known
When I knew with surety
That the known was known all

That the argument of no familiarity
Does not hold true,
That the excuse of newness
Is afterall just an excuse

Or so it can be
That this inability
Is not one at all
That which I call new,
Was an old bond lost
 to be recalled;
That mere setbacks can not
Be termed unfathomable comprehensions
That the familiarity has
Always been a thing

For when a truly familiar avenue,
Seems like a destination far
That is when comprehension and patience,
Observe from a corner,
For they know this familiarity comes
From that old bond,
Which is why it is rock strong:
However, when such a bond encounters
A parting by distance,
Takes not long to know and decide
What seems like you have not understood
Is a soul you only have misunderstood.

From the alleys of sorrow

As I do with most of my creations, I translated this one song a little while ago and forgot that I had even made any such attempt. The lyrics depict the ailing heart of a woman whose love of life is not with her anymore. Though emotions of such magnitude can not be caged within the limits of words, I tried translating this song in a naive attempt to at least make the essence a little fathomable to those unacquainted with the nuances of Hindi.

Thought I should share it here.

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तुम मुझे भूल भी जाओ तो ये हक़ है तुमको,
मेरी बात और है मैंने तो मोहब्बत की है।

Replace me in your memories, rightfully you may, But /In my disparate case, forgetting you shall equal dismay, /For I have a connection that you know of not, /The connection of love that I hold but you do not.

मेरे दिल की मेरे जज़्बात की कीमत क्या है...

My heart and my emotions, /my tangled thoughts and illusions, /are they worthy or not? If so, I ask, they are worth what?/ I yearned for your love, and could you not love me back?/ This all is the value of this confounding question that I ask. /Choose not to respond to this query, rightfully you may, But/ in my disparate case, doing the same to you equals dismay,/ For I have a connection that you know of not,/ The connection of love that I hold but you do not.

ज़िन्दगी सिर्फ़ मोहब्बत नहीं कुछ और भी है...

Life is not merely about love but beyond,/ The heavens of beauties firstly adorned,/ In a world chastised by thirst and hunger,/ Life is not only love but issues quite others,/ Choose to ignore me, rightfully you may, But/ In my disparate case, Doing the same to you equals dismay,/ For I have a connection that you know of not, / The connection of love that I hold but you do not.

तुमको दुनिया के गम-ओ-दर्द...

Worldly sorrows are what you heed everyday,/ So be it that for me not a moment do you spare./ Everybody else is to whom a lover you are / So be it that for me, your love is so distant, so far./ ‘I am yours', the miracle thought, is no less a victory,/ So be it that you are, simply not my destiny./ In your love's conflagration, Choose to let my heart burn,/

तुम मुझे...

Because doing all of this to me, is what rightfully you may, But, O beloved!,/ In my disparate case, doing the same to you equals dismay,/ For I have a connection that you know of not, / The connection of love that I hold but you do not,/ The bondage of love that I hold but you do not.