Silence of the Stones [Hindi]

Ekdin paharon mein gayee thi achanak

Ek lambi sadak par chalte chalte

Ruk kar, do pal gawai thi achanak

Kahaniyan to kayin likhi gayi hai  In paharon ke , in vaadiyon ke

Par unki khamosh shayari ko dekh kar

Usdin,

Bezuban ho gayi thi achanak. 

Peele pattharon ke qile ke peechhe

Dubte suraj ke angaar dikhe the

Hare paharon ke mahalon ke beech mein

Nili nadi ke dhaar dikhe the

Aasmaan ke taraf mur gaya tha rasta

Jaane kahan le gaya tha rasta

Paharon ke ek choti ko chhukar

Vaadiyon mein kho gaya tha rasta

Kuch deewane se dost bhi to the

Deeewana sa ek yaar bhi tha

Dher sari hansi mazaak thi

Dher saara ehsaas bhi tha

Par paharon ne rok li humko

Bhula diya manzil ki khoj

Dhoondhla hota gaya waqt tab

Dhoondhli hoti gayi hosh

Tab kahani sunayi di thi ek aur

Lal pattharon mein goonjta hua

Dhun sunayi di thi ek aur

Hazaron saal purane un khandaron mein

Ghoomta hua waqt ki rooh dikhai di thi ek aur

Na jaane use kaun sadi se

Ek zubaan ki talaash thi

Pattharon ke in zanjeeron se

Azaadi ki talaash thi

Adhi kahani sunaidi thi mujhko

Adhi kahin to kho gayi

Dhun jo kanon tak na pahunchi

Dil mein kahin to reh gayi …

Jab dhundh hati aur raat chari

Hum who tila chhor kar aye the

Us pal ke us ehsaas ko

Usi ret par chhod kar aye the

Par abh  jab din dhalne par

Raat ki chand nikalti hai

Kabhi kabhi un paharon ki

Yaad achanak lati hai

Kahaniyan to bohot sune hai

Un patthar aur un vaadiyon ke

Par unki khamosh shayari dekh kar

Jab hum khamosh ho gaye the.

The Kiss [English]

Blind is the night

Blind

But fearless

Carefully treading on the stones

Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty

Hold the locked doors tight !

The silver knocker

So dull and dusty

Unseen shadows

Slipping through the hinges

Counting the stones

Five, six, seven , eight

Unfelt walls

High or low?

A soft breeze

An invisible window -

Night meets night

Touching each other

In wonder

Finger to finger

Skin to skin

Breadth to breadth

Hold still and watch

The kiss of the nights ….

July 11, 2011

Moonstruck [English]

 I
The night beats soft
The night beats silent
A lost princess in white robes

Day and night - weaving her brothers freedom
For a fate they never chose

The witches scare her
The goblins lure her
Her fingers are cold and numb

The weeds are dull
But her eyes are bright
Someday freedom  will come.


II
The waters are still
The waters are deep
The stars give never a twinkle

A swan alights- a princess rises
The lake mirrors the face of a queen

May the night never end
May the dawn never come
May the curse never begin again

But the moon shimmers by
Her heart wails a sigh
Forever it will take for her to redeem

III
The tower is lofty
The tower is dark
The moon traces its path on the wall

But the princess has - long tresses of gold
Like the sunbeams that slip through her hand

The cold stone walls
Lock out every sound and sight
So she hums herself a tune

The song flies out
Into the star studded night
In search of the elusive boon

IV
The night beats soft
The night beats slow
Fairytales line her dreams

The dim lamp wicker- cannot warm the little body
The dress coming off at the seams

The toes are blistered
The palms are calussed
The days wage wasn’t enough for a meal

But the moon still peeps
Through the tiny kitchen window
And watches the child smile in her dreams .


May 14, 2011