Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity of attending a book reading by Gulzar ji's Neglected Poems, his new collection of poems translated by Pavan Verma. Gulzar ji is a gem of a lyricist and a poet. I absolutely love his lyrics...
Nevertheless it was a dream come true to hear him read his poetry...so I grabbed my copy and needless to say thoroughly enjoyed reading The Neglected Poems. Gulzar ji's poems are simple and oh-so rich in imagery!
Sharing one of my favourite from the collection..
ऐश ट्रे पूरी भर गई है ...
जगह नहीं और डायरी में
ये ऐश ट्रे पूरी भर गई है
भरी हुई है जले बुझे अध् कहे ख्यालों की रख-व-बू से
ख्याल पूरी तरह से जो की जले नहीं थे
मसल दिया या दबा दिया था , बुझे नहीं वो
कुछ उनके टुर्रे पड़े हुये हैं
बस एक दो कश ही लेके कुछ मिसरे रह गए थे
कुछ ऐसी नज़्में जो तोड़ कर फेंक दी थी उसमें
धुआं न निकले
कुछ ऐसे आशार जो मेरे 'ब्रैन्ड' के नहीं थे
वो एक ही कश में खांस कर , ऐश ट्रे में
घिस के बुझा दिए थे
इस ऐश ट्रे में
'ब्लेड' से काटी रात की नब्ज़ से टपकते
सियाह कतरे बुझे हुए हैं
छिले हुए चाँद की त्राशें
जो रात भर छील छील कर फेंकता रहा हूँ
घड़ी हुई पेंसिलों के छिलके
ख्यालों की शिदद्तों से जो टूटती रही हैं ।
The Ash-tray is Overflowing
No more place is left in the diary:
This ash-tray is completely full!
It is full of the ash and smell of
Half-lit, half-burnt, half-said thoughts;
Thoughts which were not yet fully alight
Stubbed or pushed away, not yet extinguished;
Only some remnants lying about
And some verses
From whom only one or two drags were taken.
Some poems broken and thrown in
so that they do not smoulder;
Other couplets, not of my brand,
Stubbed, after coughing on but one puff.
In this ash-tray
Lie extinguished black drops
Dripping from the vein of the night
Cut by a blade;
Slivers from the moon
Which I have scraped the whole night;
Shavings of pencil which
Kept breaking against the extremes of thought.
Source: Neglected Poems, Gulzar
Translated by Pavan K. Varma
