एक छोटा बीज

एक छोटा बीज, ज़मीन के अंदर था
आँख बंद करके, वो सोया रहता था

टिपुर टिपुर बारिश, बीज पे गिरती थी
सरकते सरकते सरकते, वो सरकता चला गया

एक समय आया, सूरज ने प्रकाश डाला
सूरज की किरणें बोली, अब तू बहुत सो लिया

बीज ने ली अंगड़ाई, और वो उठ गया
इधर उधर देखके वो नाचने लगा

एक छोटा पौधा, अब वृक्ष में बदल गया
आसपास के गाँव में वो छाँव देने लगा

आते जाते लोगों को वो छाँव देने लगा
आहा छाँव देने लगा, आहा  छाँव देने लगा

[My daughter performed this song in her first ever school gathering. She could sing it all very well and performed it superbly. Not only is the song beautiful, but my daughter's rendition makes it all the more lovely.]

The Road

The road travelled far and wide
Waiting for no man, time or tide.
it was born as a village street
On which children played without shoes on their feet.
As the children grew
the street changed anew.
Now it became a town road
And was made to look like one in Abroad.
But now it has become a road,
On which city life walks like a crew aboard.
Symbolising sophisticated people and their world.
But has it forgotten the time - now very blur,
When it was a village road;
And not one cared about it, not even a toad?
No! It hasn't forgotten the days
When it transformed in a thousand ways,
In the position it is ow
Discarding its 'olden things' then and now.
But it is happy with its life so far
As it is with Broadway on par.
It has helped people reach their destination
And has taught them to progress with determination.
It has shared so many joys and sorrows
Seen so many happy faces and burdened brows,
That it feels lucky to have been
Whatever he is, than Broadway be.

- 20-Sep-2000 (I wrote this poem around 13 years back.)

ऋतुराजाची चाहूल

 - पद्मा गोळे

आला शिशिर संपत
पानगळती सरली,
ऋतुराजाची चाहूल
झाडावेलीना लागली.

देवचाफा हा पहा ना
अंगोपांगी बहरला,
मोगराही कोवळ्याशा
पाने सजाया लागला. 

डोळे खिळविती माझे
जास्वंदीची लाल फुले,
बहाव्याने येथे तेथे
सोनतोरण बांधिले.

'कुहू' गाऊन  कोकिळा
करी वसंत-स्वागत,
तिलाही मी विनविते
शिकव ना मला गीत. 

Delight in Disorder

- Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness:
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction:
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher:
A cuff neglected, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly:
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat:
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility:
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

वासरू

- आत्माराम रावजी देशपांडे (कवी अनिल) (१९०१ - १९८२)


ओढाळ वासरू रानी आले फिरू
कळपाचा घेरू सोडुनिया

कानांमध्ये वारे भरुनिया न्यारे
फेर धरी फिरे रानोमाळ

मोकाट मोकाट, अफाट अफाट
वाटेल ती वात धावू लागे

विसरुनी भान भूक नि तहान
पायांखाली रान घाली सारे

थकुनिया खूप सरता हुरूप
आठवे कळप तयालागी

फिरू जाता मागे दूर जाऊ लागे
आणखीच भागे भटकत

पडता अंधारू लागले हंबरू
माय! तू लेकरू शोधू येई. 

अन्योक्ती

- कृष्णशास्त्री चिपळूणकर (१८२४ - १८७८)


मयूरान्योक्ती

झाडे पेटुनी वाजती कडकडा, त्यांचा ध्वनी होतसे,
ज्वाला राहुनि राहुनी उठती या, विद्युल्लता ही नसे,
काळा धूर नभी बहु पसरला, हा मेघ नोहे खरा,
वर्षाकाळ न हा, दवानल असे, मोरा, पळे रे घर घरा.




शुकान्योक्ती 

फळे मधुर खावया असति, नित्य मेवे तसे,
हिरेजडीत सुंदरी कनकपंजरीही वसे,
अहर्निश तथापि तो शुक मनात दु:खें झुरे,
स्वतंत्र वनवृत्तिच्या घडिघडी सुखाते स्मरे.







बाकान्योक्ती 

उभा राहे एके चरणी धरणीते धरुनिया,
तपस्चर्या वाटे करित जणु डोळे मिटुनिया.
बका, ऐशा ढोंगे तव अमति मासेच ठकती,
परि ज्ञाते तूझे कपट लवलाही उमजती. 

Habits of the Hippopotamus

- Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943)

The hippopotamus is strong

     And huge of head and broad of bustle;
The limbs on which he rolls along
     Are big with hippopotamuscle.
He does not greatly care for sweets
     Like ice cream, apple pie, or custard,
But takes to flavour what he eats
     A little hippopotamustard.
The hippopotamus is true
     To all his principles, and just:
He always tries his best to do
     The things one hippopotamust.
He never rides in trucks or trams,
     In taxicabs or omnibuses,
And so he keeps out of traffic jams
     And other Hippopotamusses.

British Rail Regrets

- Stephen Morris

British Rail regrets
The delay of the 9.20 train
From New Castle-on-Tyne,
Which was due to arrive
In Bristol at 18.00 hours.
The delay has occurred
Because the train has been derailed
Seven miles north of Leeds,
After being in collision
With an empty passenger train.
So far, only forty-seven
Of the hundred and ten
Bodies have been identified,
Seventeen of these being children.
Will people meeting the train
Please report
To the Station Master's Office,
Which can be found on platform one,
Where they will receive
Further information?
We would like to apologise,
For any inconvenice
Which may have been caused
To other passengers.
The 12.10 train from Manchester
Will be arriving on time.

झुक झुक झुक गाडी

गाडी आली, गाडी आली झुक झुक झुक
शिट्टी कशी वाजे पहा कुक कुक कुक
इंजिनाचा धूर निघे भक भक भक
चाके पाहू तपासुनी ठक ठक ठक
गाडीमध्ये चढा सारे चट चट चट
गाडीमध्ये बस चला पट पट पट
तिकिटाचे पैसे काढा छन छन छन
गाडीची ही घंटा वाजे घण घण घण
नका बघू डोकावून शुक शुक शुक
गाडी आता निघालीच झुक झुक झुक 

Salute to the Trees

- Henry Van Dyke

Many a tree is found in the wood,
And every tree for its use is good,
Some for the strength of the gnarled root,
Some for the sweetness of flower and fruit,
Some for shelter against the storm,
And some to keep the hearthstone warm,
Some for the roof and some for the beam,
And some for a boat to breast the stream.
In the wealth of the world since time began
The trees have offered their gifts to man.

I Had a Dove

- John Keats

I had a dove and the sweet dove died;
And I have thought it died of  grieving;
O, what could it grieve for?
Its feet were tied,
With a silken thread of my own hand's weaving:
Sweet little red feet! why should you die--
Why should you leave me, sweet bird! why?
You liv'd alone in the forest-tree,
Why, pretty thing! would you not live with me?
I kiss'd you oft and gave you white pease:
Why not live sweetly, as in the green trees?

The Year's at the Spring

- Robert Browning

The year's at the spring,
     and day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven--
All's right with the world!

The Chimney Sweeper

-William Blake

A little black thing in the snow,
Crying 'weep! weep!' in notes of woe!
'Where are thy father and mother? Say!'--
'They are both gone up to the church to pray.

'Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smiled among the winter's snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

'And because I am happy and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his priest and kin,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.'

The Calf Path

-Sam Walter Foss

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail as all calves do.

Since then two hundred years have fled,
And I infer the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bell-wether sheep,
Pursued the trail o'er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bell-wethers always do.

And from that day o'er hill and glade,
Through these old wood a path was made;
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because 'twas such a crooked path,
but still they followed-do not laugh-
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way staled.
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane
That bent, and turned, and turned again;
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And travelled some three miles in one.

And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet,
The road became a village street;
And this, before men were aware,
A city's crowded thoroughfare;
And soon the central street was this
of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed the zigzag calf about;
And o'er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead;
They followed still his crooked way;
And lost one hundred years a day;
For thus such reverence is lent
To a well-established precedent.

But how the wise old wood-gods laugh
Who saw the first primeval calf!
And many things this tale might teach--
But I am not ordained to preach.

The Caterpillar And The Butterfly

-Enid Blyton

A caterpillar green and fat
Upon a juicy cabbage sat,
Eating all day through;
And when a dazzling butterfly,
Creamy-white, came sailing by,
They both said, "How d'ye do?"

"I hope you like my powdered wings,
They're just the very latest things,"
Said Butterfly, in glee.
"And see my tongue, so long and curled,
The finest one in all the world,
A treat for you to see."

"Poor caterpillar! You can't sip
The nectar from a flower's lip,
Nor fly the summer through!"

The caterpillar raised his head,
"Don;t pity me!" he rudely said,
"I'm better off than you!"

"I eat all day, I sit and stare,
I want no flying through the air,
I like to creep and crawl.
A butterfly I'd hate to be,
It's best to be a grub like me,
A caterpillar small!"

Then all the elves who listened near
Laughed like anything to hear
The quarrel 'twixt the two'
But neither the grub nor butterfly
Could ever guess, the reason why-
I know it though! Do you?

श्रावणमासी हर्ष मानसी

श्रावण मासी हर्ष मानसी हिरवळ दाटे चोहीकडे

क्षणात येती सरसर शिरवे क्षणात फिरुनी ऊन पडे

वरती बघता इंद्रधनुचा गोफ दुहेरी विणलासे

मंगल तोरण काय बांधिले नभोमंडपी कुणी भासे

झालासे सूर्यास्त वाटतो सांज-अहाहा! तो उघडे

तरू शिखरांवर उंच घरांवर पिवळे पिवळे ऊन पडे

उठती वरती जलदांवरती अनंत संध्याराग पहा

सर्व नभावर होय रेखिले सुंदरतेचे रूप महा

बलाकमाला उडता भासे कल्पसुमांची मालाची ते

उतरुनी येती अवनी वरती ग्राहगोलची की एकमते

फाडफाड करुनी भिजले अपुले पंख पाखरे सावरती

सुंदर हरिणी हिरव्या कुरणी निजबाळांसह बागडती

खिल्लारे ही चरती रानी गोपही गाणी गात फिरे

मंजुळ पाव गाय तयांचा श्रावण महिमा एकसुरे

सुवर्ण चंपक फुलाला विपिनी रम्य केवडा दरवळला

पारिजातही बघता रोष मनीचा मावळला

सुंदर परडी घेऊन हाती पुरोपकंठी शुद्धमती

सुंदर बाला या फुलमाला रम्य फुले पत्री खुडती

देवदर्शना निघती ललना हर्ष माईना हृदयात

वदनी त्यांच्या वाचून घ्यावे श्रावण महिन्याचे गीत

The Red Wheelbarrow

-William Carlos Williams (1923)

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

[One of the poems that we learnt either in school or college, can't remember exactly. And I have always remembered this one for its meaning...I have never quite figured out what it really means. If anyone understands the usefulness of this poem, let me know. -PP]

धीवर पक्षी

तळ्याकाठी गाती लाटा
लाटामधे उभी झाड
झाडावर धीवरची
दिसे चोच लाल जाड


शुभ्र छाती पिंगे पोट
जसा चाफा यावा फुली
पंख जणू थंडी मधे
बन्डि घाले आमसुली


गड्या पाखरा तू असा
सारा देखणा रे कसा?
पाण्यावर उडताना
नको मारू मात्रा मासा


[ही कविता कोणाची आहे ते आता आठवत नाही. ही कविता आम्ही बालभारती च्या कॅसेट वर ऐकली. कॅसेट वरची कविता आणि अगदी त्याची चाल पण व्यवस्थित आठवते. कोणाला ह्या कवितेबद्दल काही माहिती असल्यास जरूर द्यावी. -PP]

She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways

-William Wordsworth

She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:

A violet by a mosy tone
Half hidden from the eye!
---Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.

She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!