Tuesday, April 20, 2010

kya karoon sanvedana lekar tumhari? kya karoon? by Shri Harivansha Rai Bachchan

main dukhi jab-jab huaa
sanvedana tumane dikhaee,
main krtajny huaa hamesha,
riti dono ne nibhaee,
kintu is aabhar ka ab
ho utha hai bojh bhari;
kya karoon sanvedana lekar tumhari?
kya karoon?

yek bhi uchchhvas mera
ho saka kis din tumhara?
us nayan se bah saki kab
is nayan ki ashru-dhara?
saty ko moonde rahegi
shabd ki kab tak pitari?
kya karoon sanvedana lekar tumhari?
kya karoon?

kaun hai jo doosaron ko
du:kh apana de sakega?
kaun hai jo doosare se
du:kh usaka le sakega?
kyon hamare bich dhokhe
ka rahe vyapar jari?
kya karoon sanvedana lekar tumhari?
kya karoon?

kyon n ham len mana, ham hain
chal rahe aisi dagar par,
har pathik jis par akela,
dukh nahin bantte paraspar,
doosaron ki vedana mein
vedana jo hai dikhata,
vedana se mukti ka nij
harsh keval vah chhipata;
tum dukhi ho to sukhi main
vishv ka abhishap bhari!
kya karoon sanvedana lekar tumhari?
kya karoon?

****

“What will I do with your Compassion? What will I?” by Shri Harivansha Rai Bachchan

(Translation into English)

Whenever I have been sad,
You have shown compassion
And I have been grateful
Both of us followed the norm
But now this goodness of yours
Has become a heavy burden
What can I do with your compassion?
What can I do?

When has it been possible
For even a breath of mine to become yours?
That from your eyes may pour
the tears that flow from my eyes?
How long will the box of words
Keep hidden the secret truths
What can I do with your compassion?
What can I do?

Who can give his pain
And share it with another?
Who can share the pain that
Belongs to another?
Why should we continue
the business of being false with each other?
What can I do with your compassion?
What can I do?

Why don’t we acknowledge that
We are walking on a path
Where each traveller walks alone
And we cannot share our sorrows
He who exhibits his sorrow
Seeing another’s pain,
Really is hiding his happiness
That he is free from this pain
We are happy when
Another is unhappy
This is the curse
Of the world upon us
What can I do with your compassion?
What can I do?

(Translation of Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poem, ‘Kya Karoon Samvednaa Lekar Tumhaari? Kyaa Karoon?” by Abha Iyengar)

2 comments:

Pravin Nair said...

Hi there!

Just came upon your blog..
I loved this poem by harivanshrai ji...

a beautiful take on the world as it really is..

I also liked your translation of the same..flowed effortlessly n nicely...

I would like to invite you to visit my poetry blog

www.versepoems.com

Ur opinion wld be invaluable..thanks!

sangeeta said...

Very appropriate translation of a great work Abha...

I read this poem of Bachhan for the first time, a sentiment that touches every heart...but somehow i do not completely agree with the last stanza ....although it's true in most situations and we encounter such people the most.