LYRIC - LUTE — 3 [19 Lyrics]

LYRIC-LUTE — 3
[19 Lyrics]

Poet:
DR. MAHENDRA BHATNAGAR
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's is one of the significant post-independence voices in Hindi and Indian English Poetry, expressing the lyricism and pathos, aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect. Rooted deep into the Indian soil, his poems reflect not only the moods of a poet but of a complex age.

Born : 26 June 1926: Jhansi (U.P.), Edu. : M.A. (1948), Ph.D. (1957) from Nagpur University; Retd. Professor.

Several volumes of poetry in English and other languages are published, viz. In French 'A MODERN INDIAN POET : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : UN POÈTE INDIEN ET MODERNE; In English  Forty Poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar  After The Forty Poems  Exuberance and other poems  Dr.Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry  Death Perception : Life Perception  Passion and Compassion  Poems : For A Better World  A Handful of Light  Lyric-Lute. etc. Poems are translated in most of the Indian languages.

Published research & critical studies :
(1) Living Through Challenges : A Study of Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry
(2) Poet Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : His Mind And Art.

Adviser — 'POETCRIT'. At present — Research Guide in many Indian Universities.

Contact :
110 BalwantNagar, Gandhi Road, Gwalior — 474 002 (M.P.) INDIA
Phone : 0751-4092908 / M-98934 09793
E-Mail : drmahendrabh@rediffmail.com


SING

Sing; so that life a lyric may become !

Man is helpless at each step,
Each silvery love-dream is shattered,
Sunken in sea of tears
The sun of hope is far, far away,
Sing, so that each particle a friend may become !

Surrounded on all sides is darkness dense
Hurt is each heart, full of pain,
Shall mute cover of troubles life-long
For ever remain thus overhead?
Sing, that defeat victory may become !

Breath is overcast with helplessness-suffocation,
Smoldering is life smarting-burning fed,
Full of poisonous dense-dust particles
Is sky of man’s wishes,
Sing, so that suffering a music may become !

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A WISH

Let life flow freely,
Let it lead to victory!

Let each one find solace
Under the tree-shade of blessings!

Let there be songs played day and night
On the harp of the soul!

Let sweet dreams ever come
And bring pleasure and laughter!

Let no one be sad
Let laughter ring!

Let each man become gold
Made pure in the inner fire!

Let each one bear bravely
The knocks of the unknown fate!

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WHO ARE YOU

Who are you long-lost in waiting,
So awake in the dark mid-night?

Clouds of darkness are fleeing fast
From end to end of universe,
The atmosphere is calm and quiet
And without a wink
The stars stare in sky
Who are you, sweet ! so awake
In the company of galaxy of stars?

Whose lamp is it burning
With light new at the door?
It is illuminating the path,
Light is reaching out far beyond,
What is this lamp, flickering alone
In the face of the furious wind?

Again and again to-day
Strikes somebody the chords of heart-lyre
And from black lustrous eyes now and then
Flows down love on both the cheeks,
What is that agony
Touching the heart of lotus full awake at night?

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TO THE MOON

Please smile not and tempt me thus,
Or else I shall kiss your cheeks!

Yes, lavishly endowed with beauty you are
Your graceful eyes reflect the dream world of happiness
Where dance the naked damsels
Where new beauties enter and add to glamour
Go and join the beauty parade
Please shed not your lustre here!

How stealthy are your steps
Like a thief you traversed the sky
But no sooner the golden sun withdraws
All your lustre bewitching spreads out,
Cover not your limbs with attempt so vain!

For ages past I have seen you so mute
Tell me please, I ask, "Who are you?"
Now never shall you escape from view
Strewn is the entire court-yard with your treasure to-day
Please pause in your path
and enshrine me softly in your heart!

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THE BEAUTY OF THE SLEEPING MOON
Cosy lies the moon on the star-spangled carpet!
So care-free physically,
Mentally so free from worries;
And so content with life
Holding somebody's loving 'Anchal'!
Cosy lies the moon on the star-spangled carpet!
With feelings all anew,
With imaginations all novel,
With desires all maiden;
And with a heart full of a world of dreams!
Cosy lies the moon on the star-spangled carpet!
With happiness oozing out of every breath,
With nectar like hopes,
And thirst eternal;
Clasping light luminous to his heart!
Cosy lies the moon on the star-spangled carpet!

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MOON LIGHT

Giving herself airs the moonlight approaches me,
Knowing me alone, the moonlight beguiles me ever!

Slowly on the parapets comes down the moonlight,
Lovely and sweet song sings the queenly moonlight!

On my roof and tin-shade spreads the moonlight,
With my hands and face openly plays the moonlight!

Sleeps not herself nor allows others, the moonlight,
At dawn, nobody knows where flees the moonlight!

This moonlight speaks not to me none knows why,
Fills the heart with strange nectar of love this moonlight!

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NO GRIEVANCE
No grievance have I against you today!
The helpless eyes conceal the whole secret
The pleasant pictures of our meeting
Are enshrined in the heart,
I think over and over again,
Far far away a new path search I!
No habit though have I of forgetfulness Dear!
No grievance have I against you today!
Willingly or unwillingly sweet dreams
I sometimes enjoy;
Thus intoxicated I conjure up your image
No harm if I smile,
And create a new world of my own;
No mischief indeed is this!
No grievance have I against you today!
Sometimes even a tree embraces a creeper lone,
The tired Lotus also takes the Bee in the cosy petal-fold
When she shields and shrinks
Your memory torments me all the more
Beauty of the universe is nobody's pawn!
No grievance have I against you today!

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LUST FOR LIFE
The man lives on
By the cravings of love!
The lightnings crash near him,
The tornadoes roar and rage around him,
But a faith mysterious
Over brims his heart,
And sleeps he cosy and comfortable
In the shade of dreams and visions splendid!
The man lives on by the cravings of love!
In front of him mountain peaks dizzy,
Around him yawn chasms deep
But fired with faith divine
The man moves on
To get comrades genial
On his way eternal!
The man lives on by the cravings of love!
The death's orchestra plays on,
The mango-groves once jubilant and gay
Are silent and deserted now;
But with faith divine
In the midst of tears and sighs
The man laughs on!
The man lives on by the cravings of love!

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WINTER

Wet and heavy is the night,
And far away is sleep!

A deep murkiness is all around,
And a long way off is the crimson morning,
All sounds are still,
At such a time, why are you silent,
Do share a secret with me!

The fog rains quietly,
Cooled has been the sky's heat,
Silently meet the earth and sky,
At such a moment be with me,
Or else, the cold body will shiver!

Only the silence reigns
Trees sway beyond the fields,
Unexpectedly do the doors rattle,
Do not open the window and peep out,
There is intoxicating wind lies in wait!

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WINTER-WET

Slowly descended
The dew-drops
All through the night!

An ice-cold silence
Shields the sleeping earth,
On leaves and flowers danced
The love-puppet night,
The artist mist
Constructed a canopied dwelling!

Here, there and everywhere,
Like scattered diamonds are drops of water,
Stealthily prowl about
The gusts of wind,
Like a guard
Woke the waterfall ringing!

Lively is the gathering
Presided over by the night,
Her lover tightly held in her arms,
Wakes and sleeps the beloved,
Hidden somewhere
Is the frightened dawn !

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O WIND!

O wind!
Come, tuning a song,
Come, sweeping,
Shaking the boughs
Come, raising the dust!
Lovely fragrance filled
O vital Eastern Wind!
Come skipping
Over the distant mountain-peak!

O Wind!
Mad and over-brimming with youth
Come, kissing
These new green leaves
Come, humming a tune,
Come strewing the shreds of cloud!
Drunk and forgetful of mind,
Drunk and forgetful of body,
With laughter bubbling
Sweet and vivacious,
Vibrating the heart strings
Come, dancing!
O Wind!

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NEW LIFE

Man's life is filled with helpless moments;
The days and nights are all dark and dreary
And the stale talk of those dire needs
Rap my heart —
How long will it take the rains to come?
The song of life is left half-sung — never done!

The same old dreams deceive as yet,
And the heart is filled
With those very lusts, throbs and commotions —
How long will it take a new world to bear?
My life is filled with dreary moments!

The hot winds blow
Howling at the nests,
Scaring me to wonder —
How long will it take the spring to bloom?
My life is fading amidst autumn's dead leaves!

My fatigue-intoxicated body aches
And my heart is rendered
Weak, helpless and demoralized —
How long will it take to beam a smile?
My life becomes a show of skeleton!

Man's morrow is bright and gay,
Be it though not a better path,
Strewn with thorns, an intractable path,
But he tramples down the thorns
Alleviating adversities comes then
the New Life beaming smiles!
Mitigating darkness comes then
the New Life showering light!

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WE KNOW IT WELL

We'll march removing hurdles,
Cleaving the dark
We'll march!
For, we know it well —
That lightning flashes not in the blaze of noon!

Awake, incessantly shall we proceed
Erecting an edifice anew.
For, we know it well —
That youth falters not — no, never!

The opposing gales will gaze in wonder,
And the adversities will then quickly end;
For, we know it well —
That the breaths of the undaunted
are wasted not — no, never!

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KEEP AWAKE

(1)
Keep awake, in this world till dawn!

There is terror all around,
The wounded humanity weeps
Bear the strokes, till people are united!

Let each man be free from bondage
Fight against the current
Till the people's strife to victory rages!

Fight death,
Do not give up
Move towards the goal, do not stop
Till the savages are broken and defeated!

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(2)
REMAIN WATCHFUL
Remain awake
till it is morning the world over!
Fear frowns everywhere,
hurt humanity is wailing,
bear the brunt
till organized protests ensue!
Let every man be free from confinement,
contend against the tide,
till the flaring up of
the victory war of masses.
Fight death, feel not tired,
march unto the end, stop not
till the tormenters cower and crumble!

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HELPLESS

If life is pain,
Then bear its pangs
We must!

If life is a secret,
Then remain silent
We must!

If there is no harbour
Then row on
We must!

If life is a calamity
Then be washed away
We must!

If fire surrounds us,
Then burn constantly
We must!

How terrible is truth!
Then utter every falsehood
We must!

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ONE NIGHT

Like a flash of lightening
You came in the dark sky of my life!

In my arms you swung
When swayed freely the month of sawan1!

Like a shruti2 tune you rang
When the kajali3 was heard outside!

Like the music of anklets you chimed
When the tri-yama4 became fragrant!

Standing near the tulsi5 in the courtyard
You shone resplendent, O the only one!

Like a flame you glowed
Coming in my forlorn home and courtyard!

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1 The fifth month of the Indian Calendar (rainy month)
2 A minute part of a musical note produced at the time of carrying one musical note to another.
3 A type of folk-song sung by ladies during Bhadon (a rainy month) festival.
4 Third part of the night — a time of union of husband & wife.
5 A famous basil plant. It is considered holy by Hindus and worshipped in their courtyards.


SUDDENLY

(1)
Today I remembered you,
My heart resounded with song !
As if the sound of Anhad1 echoed in my heart !
After years,
O, after years!

Your company was the only truth,
Your hand the only protection,
Everything has disappeared, but
The ecstasy of each lived moment remains!

Ages have entered oblivion,
Sowing dreams in nights,
But those sweet images
Have always inhabited my life!

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1

(2)
Your memory flashed up today
and titillated my mind,
after ages,
many years.
Your company
was a palpable fact,
your hand a handy armour.
Every thing is lost in the past
frequent infatuation persists.
Ages have gone by
slowly, gradually,
nursing dreams every night,
but those sweet kaleidoscopic pictures
have been the inspiration of life.

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WELCOME
The blooming orchid in my yard
strews a multi-shaded grandeur sweet.
Her soft and silky tangled tresses
have a perfect shiny gloss.
She has snugness in her arms
and an insight in her eyes.
Naively she squeaks like a sparrow
and warbles dulcet notes.
Lanky and fresh
as if dangling from a tree twig
she feels bestowed upon the riches divine
and seems gloating over all her lot.
She appears thoroughly satisfied
adorned as she with trinkets fine.
The orchid is blooming
the beauteous blossom in my yard.

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(To my grand-daughter baby Ira)
PASSION AND COMPASSION
You create music [rhythm] in heart,
I will sing the song of life!
In this way
Let our age go on dwindling,
Let the throbbing breaths in our hearts
Move on!
Let the waving wick of love
Go on burning in both of our hearts!
Let the mutual emotion and compassion
Of our living souls
Go on cherishing!
You tell a story
Of enchanting love,
Listening which
I can sleep peacefully,
for a while!
And lose myself
In sweet and charming dreams
Forsaking my entire grief!
You make your tears of love
Overflow towards me,
I will make
The splendour of heaven
To stoop down
At your feet!

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