Yeh Safar - यह सफ़र...

One of my favourite songs.. with the best lyrics to pep you up when you're feeling low..

Song - Yeh Safar...
Movie - 1942 A Love Story
Music - R.D. Burman
*(This album was his last before he passed away... According to me arguably his best work)
Lyrics - Javed Akhtar
Singer - Shivaji Chatterjee


दिल ना उम्मीद तो नहीं, नाकाम ही तो है,
लम्बी है ग़म की शाम, मगर शाम ही तो है,

यह सफ़र बहुत है कठिन मगर,
न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

यह सितम की रात है ढलने को,
है अँधेरा ग़म का पिघलने को,
(ज़रा देर इसमें लगे अगर) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

नहीं रहनेवाली यह मुश्किलें,
है यह अगले मोड पे मंज़िले,
(मेरी बात का तू यकीन कर) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

कभी ढून्ढ लेगा ये कारवां,
वोह नयी जमीन नया आसमान,
(जिससे ढूँढती है तेरी नज़र) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर - Need ka Nirman fir fir

This is one of my favorite poems.

I make it a point to read it when I'm down and almost out.... :-)



नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर, नेह का आह्वान फिर फिर

यह उठी आंधी की नभ में छा गया सहसा अँधेरा

धुलिधुसर बादलों ने धरती को इस भाँती घेरा

रात सा दिन हो गया फिर रात आई और काली

लग रहा था अब न होगा इस निशा का फिर सवेरा

रात के उत्पात-भय से भीत जन जन भीत कण कण

किन्तु प्राची से उषा की मोहिनी मुस्कान फिर फिर

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर .....

क्रुद्ध नभ के वज्रदंतो में उषा है मुस्कुराती

घोर-गर्जनमय गगन ने कंठ में खग-पंक्ति गाती

एक चिडिया चोंच में तिनका लिए जो जा रही हैं

वह सहज में ही पवन उनचास को नीचा दिखाती

नाश के भय से कभी दबता नहीं निर्माण का सुख

प्रलय की निस्तब्धता में सृष्टि का नवगान फिर फिर

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर....

कवी - हरिवंशराय बच्चन

The Muted Roar....

The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

The Old creature, way past his prime,
Still living in his archaic time,
Just refuses to let the jungle be,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

He seems to have a problem with the animals here,
He says he likes the donkeys but he hates the deer.
His fear of loosing power is for all to see.
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

Violence is his virtue, threatening others, his plot,
Two of his cubs, keep fighting each other a lot,
Who succeeds him doesn’t affect me,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

He’s always been a bully, telling us to shut up,
Either talk his language or rename our shop,
Most annoying of his vices, is his misplaced priority,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

All these years, we let him roar,
Honestly, now, he’s just a big bore.
Let’s just mute the roar, and set the poor ‘ol chap free,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

It is the end, my prophecy states,
We no longer subscribe to the policy that hates,
Waiting to read the obituary of the T – Company,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

An open letter to my soul mate...

Dear Girl,

I feel that time has come for me to find my soul mate, my companion. I know you’re out there somewhere. Don’t worry, I’ll find you.

And when I do, I hope that you’ll love me because I’m Himanshu and not because of anything else. I hope you won’t get embarrassed when my clothes don’t match or be annoyed when I want to watch the last over of the cricket match. I’ll run and call you the minute the last ball is bowled. And I promise to never call you while you’re busy watching the rerun of your favourite season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or Desperate Housewives.

I hope that you will remember that I love Yash Chopra Movies, not Quentin Tarantino, and that I love Shah Rukh Khan more than Aamir, and that I love the mindless comedies of Jim Carey as much as I love classics like Pursuit of Happyness and Juno.

I love reading, cooking, writing poetry, having long conversations, and also love taking long walks by the sea face. And if I cry in front of you in a movie, please don’t laugh at me. Please know that I am sensitive … in a manly, tough kind of a way.

I know, I’m not the best looking man around. I also know that my receding hairline can at times be the inspiration for my friend’s jokes. But I know that God has spent enough time giving me and my heart a big enough size to be able to accommodate all of this with a smile.

I pray that you’ll love me despite my tendency to forget birthdays, and if we happen to go out with your friends for dinner, please write their names really small on my hand so I can use it as reference. I’m a teacher and I love classical music and art. I also am a believer and pray at least once a day. Hope you don’t find any of those very “uncool”.

Please know that I will constantly act strong and in control, but inside I am actually lost and confused. *(Just don’t tell my friends). Understand that loving each other means being together, but not all the time. We should never bail on our friends. Also understand that I may at times act jealous and overtly protective, but only because I have insecurities and not because you are doing anything wrong.

Please be honest with me without being hurtful.I promise to always be honest with you, because you deserve honesty. And I promise to open doors for you and buy your ticket when we go to the movies. Please let me do it, because it makes me feel nice. Not because I’m trying to put up a false show of chivalry for you to get impressed. *We can go Dutch when we eat out though.

And no, you’re not fat, or ugly. You don’t even need make up either. So don’t ever feel the need to ask any of the above. Oh, and don’t be upset if you’ve cut your hair and I don’t notice. I will love you even in Jeans and a T Shirt.

I hope you don’t think I’m asking too much of you. I just want to be happy making you happy. I’m coming to find you, so don’t go anywhere. Stay where you are, whoever you are. Any by the way, my name’s Himanshu.

Yours lovingly,
Himanshu

कुछ सवाल...

जैसे दो यार मिले नुक्कड़ पे,
वैसे ही तुझसे आज, मिलने को जी करता है।
माओ के आंसु बनकर बह गए जो,
वोह सवाल तुझसे आज करने को जी करता है।


नन्ही कलि जो कुचली थी तुने,
नफ़रत का बीज बोया था जो,
हजारों घर जो उजाड़े है तुने,
बच्चों को अनाथ कर आया था वोह,
हर उस बच्चे की चीख सुनाकर तुझको,
तेरी चैन की नींद का इंतज़ार करनेको जी करता है।
माओ के आंसु बनकर बह गए जो,
वोह सवाल तुझसे आज करने को जी करता है।


तेरी गोली के शिकार हुए उस शख्स की,
बेवा जब फूट फूट कर रोती है,
मैं भी यह देखना चाहता हूँ की,
एस लाचारी की ख़ुशी आखिर कैसी होती है।
तेरी एस कमियाबी में आज,
शरीक होकर जष्न मनाने को जी करता है।
माओ के आंसु बनकर बह गए जो,
वोह सवाल तुझसे आज करने को जी करता है।


तू तो फिर भी इंसान है, आज नहीं तो कल जायेगा,
तेरे जाने से भी मेरा, कुछ खास फायेदा नहीं हो पायेगा।
तुझे ज़िन्दगी बक्श के आज,
तेरी सोच का क़त्ल करनेको जी करता है।
माओ के आंसु बनकर बह गए जो,
वोह सवाल तुझसे आज करने को जी करता है।