All that you want in a blog
तेरा ज़ुल्फ़ों का झटकना,
और आंखों का मटकना,
अभी तक याद है।
बिजली में मुझ से लिपटना,
दफ़अतन फिर से चिपटना,
अभी तक याद है।
गले में आवाज़ अटकना,
रात को बेचैन भटकना,
अभी तक याद है।
शर्मा के चेहरे का भड़कना,
नज़रों का रह रह के फड़कना,
अभी तक याद है।
पूछो क्या हुआ, उस पर झिझकना,
होंठों का अंदर पिचकना,
अभी तक याद है।
फिर…
तेरे जाने पे मेरा तड़पना,
तेरे लिए लोगों से झड़पना,
क्यों तुझे नहीं याद है?
तेरे हिज्र में मेरा सिसकना,
आते ही तुझ से सिमटना,
क्यों तुझे नहीं याद है?
याद कर ना….
ਤੇਰੇ ਹੱਥਾਂ ਤੋਂਹ ਕੁੱਟ ਖਾਣ ਦਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਕੋਈ ਖਿਆਲ ਨਹੀਂ,
ਪਰ ਤੇਰੇ ਹੱਥਾਂ ਤੋਂਹ ਦੂਰ ਮੈਂ ਭੱਜਾਂ ਇਹ ਭੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਜ਼ਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਸਾਰੀ ਤਨਖਵਾਹ ਤੇਰੇ ਕਪੜ੍ਹਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਖਰਚ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ,
ਫੇਰ ਵੀ ਫ਼ਕਰ ਹੈ ਮੈਂ ਕੋਈ ਗ਼ਰੀਬ ਕੰਗਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਮੇਰੇ ਚੇਹਰੇ ਦਾ ਹਰ ਵਕ਼ਤ ਉਡਿਆ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ ਰੰਗ,
ਕੀ ਇਹ ਤੇਰੀ ਤਿੱਖੀ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਦਾ ਅਨੋਖਾ ਕੋਈ ਕਮਾਲ ਨਹੀ?
ਸਾਰਾ ਦਿਨ ਤੇਰੀ ਤੂੰ ਤੂੰ ਮੈਂ ਮੈਂ ਸੁਣਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ,
ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਚੰਭਾ ਲਗਦਾ, ਮੈਂ ਫੇਰ ਭੀ ਹਾਲ ਬੇਹਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਡਿਨਰ ਖਾਣ ਤੋਂਹ ਬਾਅਦ ਥੱਕ ਕੇ ਮੈਂ ਸੌਂ ਜਾਂਵਾਂ,
ਇਹੋ ਜੇਹੀ ਕਿਸਮਤ ਭੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਇਕ ਵਕ਼ਤ ਮੇਰੀਆਂ ਜ਼ੁਲਫ਼ਾਂ ਦੇਵ ਆਨੰਦ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਸੀ,
ਹੁਣ ਅਫਸੋਸ ਹੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਿਰ ਤੇ ਕੋਈ ਬਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਇਹਨਾਂ ਕੁਜ ਹੋਕੇ ਵੀ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰਾ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਾਂ ਤੇਰਾ ਰਹਾਂਗਾ,
ਦੂਜੀ ਔਰਤ ਵਲ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਚੁੱਕਣ ਦਾ ਪੈਦਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਸਵਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ।
Tere hathan tonh kutt khan da mera koi swaal nahin,
Par tere hathan tonh door main bhajaan eh bhi meri mazaal nahin.
Saari tankhwaah tere kapdheyan te kharch dinda haan,
Pher wi faqr hai main koi gareeb kangaal nahin.
Mere chehre daa har waqt udheya rehnda hai rang,
Ki eh teri tikhi nazar da anokha koi kamaal nahin?
Saara din teri tu tu main main sunana rehnda haan,
Lokan nu achambha lagda hai, main pher bhi haal behaal nahin.
Dinner khaan tonh baad thak ke main saun jawan,
Eho jeyi kismat bhi mere naal nahin.
Ik waqt meriyan zulfaan Dev Anand wargiyan si,
Hun afsos hai mere chehre te koi baal nahin.
Ehna kuj hoke wi main tera rehan haan, tera rahanga,
Dooji aurat wal nazar chukkan da paida hunda sawaal nahin.
न जाने क्यों मुझे वह समझते नहीं इन्सान,
दो आंखे, दो बाहें, दो पैर, दो हैं मेरे कान।
क्या क्या न मैंने उनके लिए किया, कोई पूछे,
सस्ते कपड़ों की उनके लिए खोल दी है दुकान।
समझता हूँ क्या उन्हें, ये नहीं उन्हें गुमान,
मैं तीर हूँ इक छोटा सा, वह हैं तीर कमान।
उनके घर के बिल्कुल सामने मैने अपना,
बनवाया है खिड़कियों वाला मकान।
दिन रात मैं यह ख्वाब देख रहा हूँ,
हम दोनों की होगी खूब सन्तान।
ताके हम दो और हमारे सौ से,
बस जायेगा हमारा खानदान।
फिर मेरे लिए चुनाव जीतना,
हो जाएगा इतना आसान।
के एक रोज़ मैं बन जायूँगा,
वज़ीर – ए – हिन्दुस्तान।
न जाने क्यों मुझे वह समझते नहीं इन्सान,
दो आंखे, दो बाहें, दो पैर, दो हैं मेरे कान।
ज़िन्दगी में अब भी तेरे नाम ने रुला दिया,
सुबह चली गयी पर शाम ने रुला दिया।
प्यार का आगाज़ हंसते हंसते हुआ था मगर,
यकायक प्यार के अंजाम ने रुला दिया।
तेरे इश्क़ में सैकड़ों मुकाम आये राह में,
सोचा न था पर आखरी मुकाम ने रुला दिया।
ज़िन्दगी की कशमकश में हम खुशमिज़ाज़ थे मगर,
पर क्या खबर थी ज़िन्दगी के आराम ने रुला दिया।
तेरी आँखों की कसम पीते रहे और जीते रहे,
बेखुदी तब बढ़ गयी जब एक जाम ने रुला दिया।
तेरे होंठों से होता था इज़हार-ए-उल्फत बार बार,
आखिर में तेरी नज़रों के पैगाम ने रुला दिया।
(On 23rd April 18, on my Facebook group ‘Main Shayar To Nahin’, I started a new series. Here is the third one of the series)
मेरे जेब का नोट और तेरे हाथ के वोट का,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं – 2
“नहीं, कभी नहीं”
कितने चुनाव लड़ चुका हूँ इस गद्दी को पाने में,
हर बार डिपाजिट लूज़ किया है इस सपने सुहाने में,
बैंक का बढ़ता लोन कभी कम होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं….
“जा, जा”
दो नदियों का मेल अगर इतना पावन कहलाता है,
क्यों न जहां राजनीतिक दल मिलते हैं, स्वर्ग वहां बस जाता है,
नोट से काम न चला तो व्हिस्की रम होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं..
“ऊंह”
एक बार मुझको मौका दो पावर में आ जाने का,
फिर देखो मैं टूर करूँगा सारे ही ज़माने का,
इस से आपकी प्रॉब्लम का हल होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं…
“जाओ न, क्यों सताते हो, होगा, होगा, होगा”
(On 23rd April 18, on my Facebook group ‘Main Shayar To Nahin’, I started a new series. Here is the second one of the series)
अमावस का चाँद हो, या काली रात हो,
जो भी हो तुम खुदा की कसम करामात हो।
अमावस का चांद हो….
चेहरा है जैसे कद्दू पे रखा हुआ तरबूज़,
या कोई बल्ब हो जिसका उड़ा हुआ हो फ्यूज़,
लगता है सबको ऐसे तुम एक में सात हो।
अमावस का चाँद हो..
ज़ुल्फ़ें हैं जैसे कई साल गेसू न धोये हुए,
मूंझे हैं जैसे धनिये के पौधे बोये हुए,
कहते हैं सब के तुम महाकाली साक्षात हो।
अमावस का चांद हो….
कान हैं जैसे हों कुंडें कढ़ाई के,
दांत हैं जैसे बने हों पुरानी मलाई के,
काली हो जिसमें स्याही तुम वो दवात हो।
अमावस का चांद हो…
(On 23rd April 18, on my Facebook group ‘Main Shayar To Nahin’, I started a new series. Here is the first one of the series)
आपके पहलू में आके रो दिए,
उसी पानी से कपड़े हमने धो दिए;
आपके पहलू में आके…
Bill धुलाई का सहा जाता नहीं,
पर गंदे कपड़ों में अब रहा जाता नहीं,
साबुन को घिसा घिसा के धो दिये,
आपके पहलू में आके…
बदबू ने जब भी किया हमको उदास,
ले आये कपड़ों के साथ पानी और घास,
ज़ोर लगाया ज़ोर लगाकर धो दिए,
आपके पहलू में आके….
ज़िन्दगी में एक दफ़ा आया यह मुकाम,
जब हमें हो गया था खांसी और जुकाम।
हौले हौले निकली भारी आवाज़ हमारी सुनके,
उन्हें लगा यह उनके प्यार का है अंजाम।
सांस हमारी फूली देख उन्होंने जज़्बाती समझ लिया,
इस गलत फहमी में यारो हम हो गए बदनाम।
यहां खांसी हमारी दिन बा दिन बढ़ती जाती थी,
वहां उनकी दिल्लगी ने जीना किया था हराम।
दोस्तो, सर्दी लगने पे फौरन जाईये दवाखाने,
इससे पहले माशूका करदे आपका काम तमाम।
डॉक्टर की दवाई का असर तो देखिए,
खांसी और महबूबा दोनों को किया सलाम।
नहीं तो बिमार की हालत कुछ ऐसी बन आयी थी,
खुद ही अपनी मौत का किया था इंतजाम।
I have this Facebook group called ‘Main Shayar To Nahin‘. Unlike many other groups on Shair-o-Shayari with members running into tens of thousands, I am very cautious about adding members. Following is the description:
“A group for Nazams, Ghazals and Shayari (but not songs). You can either upload your own or of a poet/writer. This is indeed a group for earnest fans of good and serious poetry. YOU SHOULDN’T BE JOINING IT IF YOU ARE ONLY INTO FRIVOLOUS, COPY-PASTE, FAST-FOOD EQUIVALENT IN SHAIR – O – SHAYARI.
Please avoid:
1. Greetings except in poetry.
2. Religious posts including pictures of gods and goddesses.
3. Pornographic, obscene or vulgar stuff.
4. Irrelevant stuff such as sharing phone numbers and ‘Hi, anyone from Pahargang?'”
On the 19 Jan 18, I started with a regular ‘Sher Of The Day’ penned by me. I shall be doing a weekly compilation of those too on this blog. Three days later, on 22 Jan 18, I started with another series ‘Hasya Panktiyan of the Day’. I am doing a weekly compilation of those that are not long enough to stand as separate posts. This is the fourth one:
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #39
शादी के बाद पड़ गया उनको भी रोना,
जिन्हें बीवी नज़र आती थी चांदी या सोना,
बर्तन और कपड़े धोने में वह माहिर हैं अब,
जिन्हे कभी हाथ तक भी आता न था धोना।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #40
रात ख्यालों में वह आयी सांस रुक गयी,
कांपते लबों की प्यास बुझ गयी;
भारी भरकम बदन पेड़ पर जब बैठा,
हर शाख पेड़ की खुद बा खुद झुक गयी।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #41
काश उन्हें रोक लेता आने से पहले,
और सोच लेता तसवीर बनाने से पहले;
लेकिन क्या करूँ मेरी किस्मत ही ऐसी थी,
देख लिया उनको मैने नहाने से पहले।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #42
ज़ालिम तूने मुझे कर दिया है तबाह,
रात से अब हौले हौले हो गयी है सुबह;
तेरे पैर दबाते दबाते थक गए हैं हाथ,
और यह करने की तू देती नही कोई तनख्वाह।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #43
बहुत अरसे से वह आये नहीं इधर,
जो ले गए थे मुझसे उधार,
रह रह के मैं देखता हूँ उधर,
पैसे ले के जहां हुए थे वो फरार।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #44
खुदा के बाद उनका ही नाम आता था लब पे,
पर एक दिन उनकी बहन को देख जो लिया;
अब भी बीवी दूसरे नंबर पर ही है,
और साली को कहते हैं: या खुदा, या खुदा।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #45
आखिर उसने दे ही दिया नज़राना,
सिखा दिया शौहर को रोटी बनाना;
लेकिन पूरा हुनर उसने फिर भी न दिया,
अपने हाथ में रखा बेलन चलाना।
I hope you enjoyed these.
Please wait for the next compilation.
Friends,
Today I can share with you as to why I selected Waltzing numbers as the theme of the Live Fest in Kandaghat this year.
The day of the Fest, Saturday, 14th April, coincides with the Festival of Baisakhi or Vaisakhi. On this day, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji founded the Khalsa Panth. This day also coincides with the harvesting of crops in Punjab and the famous lines: Kanka di muk gayi raakhi, o jatta aayi baisakhi (We have finished looking after the wheat plants; now, baisakhi (harvesting) is there).
Now, you are bound to interject as to what Baisakhi has to do with Waltz. Well, the joy of the jatt (farmer) on harvesting is translated in the men and women getting together and performing the bhangra and the gidda. Both are peasant dances. So is Waltz! Next you are bound to ask me that Waltz is now a sophisticated ballroom dance and how come its origin is peasant dance? It is a fact. The noble of that era in Europe used to dance the minuet but found the close, vigorous, rhythmic dance of the peasants more inviting. Thus the dance called Walzer (German) of the farmers in Bavarai, Tyrol and Styria actually went into the ballrooms of the noble and delighted them. We have many equivalents in India of the elite following in the footsteps of the commoners.
Fests So Far
Our journey of Music Fests is FIVE AND A HALF YEARS old TODAY!
Here is a list of Music Fests that we have hosted so far on the group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne’:
1.Dec 2012 – Chand Songs
2.Jan 2013 – Shaam Ke Geet
3.Feb 2013 – Dil Ki Awaaz Bhi Sun
4.Mar 2013 – Boat Scene Songs
5.Mar 2013 – Piano Scene Songs
6.Jun 2013 – Songs of Rain
7.Jul 2013 – Bhajans in Hindi Movies
8.Aug 2013 – Funny, Comical and Anglicized Hindi Songs
9.Sep 2013 – Sadhana Songs
10.Nov 2013 – Mala Sinha Songs
11.Nov 2013 – Story Telling, Kahani, Katha Songs
12.Dec 2013 – Mohammad Rafi Songs
13.Jan 2014 – Complementary Songs (same number repeated by Hero/heroine later in the movie)
14.Feb 2014 – Qawwali Songs
15.Feb 2014 – Nutan Songs
16.Mar 2014 – Bicycle Scene Songs
17.Apr 2014 – Flute Scene Songs
18.May 2014 – Sapna, Khwaab, Dream Songs
19.Jun 2014 – Maa, Maiyya, Mata, Maan Songs
20.Jul 2014 – Raahi or Mussafir Songs
21.Aug 2014 – Patriotic Songs
22.Sep 2014 – Train Scene Songs
23.Sep 2014 – Jeep, Car, Bus, Truck Scene Songs
24.Oct 2014 – Deewana or Paagal Songs
25.Nov 2014 – Hindi Flavour Songs
26.Dec 2014 – Guitar Scene Songs
27.Jan 2015 – Songs With Whistle
28.Jan 2015 II- Zindagi (Happy or Sad) Songs
29.Feb 2015 – Horse (Mule and Donkey too) Scene Songs
30.Feb 2015 II- Flash Rain Scene Songs
31.Mar 2015 – Neend Songs
32.Mar 2015 II- Zamana or Duniya Songs
33.Apr 2015 – Indoor Party Scene Songs
34.May 2015 – Chaman Baag Bagiya Songs
35.May 2015 II- Zulf Gesu Baal Songs
36.Jun 2015 – Baadal Badra Songs
37.Jun 2015 II- Mujra Songs
38.Jul 2015 – Hawa Songs
39.Aug 2015 – Shraabi Songs
40.Aug 2015 II- Na or Nahin Songs
41.Sep 2015 – Chal Chali Chalo Songs
42.Oct 2015 – Kabhi Songs
43.Nov 2015 – Dance Scene Songs
44.Dec 2015 – Mil Milan Songs
45.Jan 2016 – Khushi Hansi Muskaan Songs
46.Feb 2016 – Geet Gaana Nagma Taraana Songs
47.Mar 2016 – Bahaar Songs
48.Apr 2016 – Funny Songs
49.May 2016 – Hill Scene Songs
50.Jun 2016 – Ghar Songs
51.Jul 2016 – Kahin Kahan Songs
52.Aug 2016 – Yellow Dress Songs
53.Sep 2016 – Dost Dosti Songs
54.Oct 2016 – Mera Apna Hamara Songs
55.Nov 2016 – Songs in Headgear
56.Dec 2016 – Ajanabee Songs
57.Jan 2017 – Krishna Songs
58.Feb 2017 – Husn Songs
59.Feb 2017 II- Hot Songs of Lata Mangeshkar
60.Mar 2017 – Rang, Rangeen Songs
61.Apr 2017 – Raat or Din Songs Live Fest at Kandaghat
62.May 2017 – Aansu Songs
63.Jun 2017 – Koi Songs
64.Jul 2017 – Combination Songs
65.Aug 2017 – Not Held
66.Sep 2017 – Maa Songs
67.Oct 2017 – Chand & Chand Scene Songs
68.Nov 2017 – Bada, Badi, Bade Songs
69.Dec 2017 – Sajan, Sajani Songs
70.Jan 2018 – Drunken Scene Songs
71.Feb 2018 – Ek, Ik, One Songs
72.Mar 2018 – Sridevi Songs
Counting that in the month of August 2017 no Fest was held, the Fest on Waltzing numbers is going to be our 72nd Fest.
Waltz
Waltz is defined as a ‘A gliding dance done to music having three beats to the measure’ or ‘the kind of music suitable for Waltzing’.
The basic Waltz is a box movement as given below:
With a couple, another way to look at the Waltz is:
One last look at Waltz Box before we move on:
For the beginners any number of online classes are available to learn Waltz. Here is one Demo Waltz for the beginners by Michael Thomas:
Waltz in Hollywood Movies and Music
Waltz has been a popular theme of music (and dance) for English movies. One of the most popular has been Lara’s Theme for the David Lean 1966 movie Doctor Zhivago with Omar Sharif in the title role and Julie Christie as Lara Antipova. The leitmotif was later adapted as the number Somewhere My Love and it was very popular indeed:
Another popular number has been Engelbert Humperdinck’s The Last Waltz:
Waltzing Numbers in Hindi Movies (Thanks Anand Desai for helping me with this):
“The Waltz a 3/4 beat or the Time Signature has been a very popular beat among Indian Music directors. The beat is divided into 2 Vibhags or
Cycles of 3 beats each i.e. 3 beats make 1 Bar.. Now since its played in a tempo cycle we call it 3/4 coz you would play it fully twice so have 4 bars.”
Ladies and gentlemen, if you look at the Waltz Box pictures that I provided, you will understand it better.
It is similar to Tal Dadra since that too is a 3 beat Tal divided into 2 Vibhags.
“The Hinch / Khemta or Udaliyo that one hears in Raas Garbas has 6 beats each of two cycles and thus sounds similar but is not the same. Its a variation of the Dadra … Dha tin tin Na dhin dhin again 6 beats make a Bar However one plays the total cycle twice so we have four bars.”
The first known appearance of waltz in a Hindi song is in “Hum Aur Tum Aur Yeh Khushi” from Ali Baba (1940) composed by the legendary Anil Biswas.
Music director Naushad, known for his brilliant Hindustani classical compositions, helped usher the waltz rhythm into Bollywood mainstream as early as with the tragic “Tod Diya Dil Mera” from Andaz (1949), “Ab Raat Milan Ki” from Jadoo (1951), and “Tara Ri Yara Ri” from Dastan (1952).
Hats off to Naushad to come up with Waltzing on a very sad number!
Anand Desai and his friends came up with a list of songs in Hindi movies based on the Waltzing beat:
1.Aaja panchhi akela hai
2.Aap ke haseen rukh pe aaj naya noor
3.Agar mujhse mohhobat hai
4.Ai dil hai mushkil jeena yahan
5.Bedardi balama tujhko mera maan yaad karta
6.Bhanwre ki gunjan
7.Chup hai dharti chup hai chand sitare
8.Dil ke jharaoko mein tujhko bithakar
9.Dil ki girah khol do chupp na baitho
10.Dil ki nazar se
11.Dil mein sama gaye saajan
12.Dilbar mere kab tak mujhe
13.Hum aapki aankhon mein
14.Humne toh dil ko aapke kadmon mein
15.Jeena yahan marna yahan
16.Jeevan ke din chhote sahi hum bhi bade dilwale
17.Kuchh na kaho
18.Lag jaa gale ke phir yeh haseen raat
19.Mai shayar toh nahi
20.Meri neendon mein tum
21.Mud mud ke na dekh mud mud ke
22.Na yeh chand hoga na taare rahenge
23.Pyar ki yeh kahani suno
24.Suniye kahiye
25.Tarari ara ri ara ri
26.Tera mera pyar amar
27.Tera mujhse hai pehele ka naata
28.Tum jo hue mere humsafar
29.Udhar tum haseen ho
30.Yeh dil tum bin kahin lagta nahi
31.Yeh raatein nayi purani
32.Yeh raatein yeh mausam
33.Zulfon ko hatale chehere se
My own favourite is Bhanwre ki gunjan that I shall be singing during the Fest (even though I hardly know how to sing). I am giving you the movie version of the song. After the Fest, I shall replace it with my own singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aMH-zOmTh8
And now, friends, with this curtain-raiser for the Fest tomorrow, I must rush as my sister from Nagpur Manik will be arriving at the Kandaghat Railway Station shortly with her husband Sreehari and during the evening Vipan Kohli, Jaswant Lagwal and Kavita will arrive from Hamirpur.
I hope you know now as to why I selected this theme (I always have a reason!)
i-Peg Poem of the Week #8
These poems are for my close friend Maj Vishwas Mandloi’s delightful group of tipplers called i-peg. One has to raise a toast to the committed lot for their single-minded aim of spreading cheers!
The last one was titled ‘Jannat Ke Khwaab Aur Sharaab’.
Here is the eighth one:
A drink is like your faithful canine,
Whisky, gin, vodka, rum, beer or wine;
Savoured in moderation, it remains docile,
Else, you would make it bark and whine.
Some of the effects that make it look bad,
Have nothing to do with what you’ve had;
It is really a drink fit for gods in heaven,
How you ingest is what may make it sad.
What fault of your wife if you ill treat her?
Likewise liquor is exactly how you greet her;
She is nice to you when you are nice to her,
She will give you a kick if you stoop to beat her.
A drink is sure to add to your mood,
All depends upon if you are indeed shrewd;
If happy, you become happier and cheerier,
You are ruder if you started being rude.
Liquor can be your worst enemy or best friend,
It can take you to paradise or around the bend;
It is not it but how you treat it that matters,
Like a mirror it just reflects your intent.
Twenty – fourth March this year saw the 37th anniversary of my wife and I (Please also read: ‘Lyn And I – Scene By Scene’ and ‘Hum Ek, Hamari Ek…’). Here is how I greeted her on Facebook:
Another year gone by,
Another year of sweet memories,
Your still make me fly,
You give my life a new lease.
My Life and Love are only you,
For thirty and seven years,
From the day when we said, “I do”,
It has been life full of cheers.
Happy anniversary my dearest Lyn,
May God shower on you joys and health,
As for me, I always win,
You continue being my greatest wealth.
A day will come when stars will dim,
And there will be no moon light,
Our love will be still full to the brim,
And its flame would be burning bright.
i-Peg Poem of the Week #7
These poems are for my close friend Maj Vishwas Mandloi’s delightful group of tipplers called i-peg. One has to raise a toast to the committed lot for their single-minded aim of spreading cheers!
The last one was titled ‘Jannat Ke Khwaab Aur Sharaab’.
Here is the seventh one:
A drink at the sunset,
Makes you completely forget,
What you went through the day;
The rogues you met,
Physically and on the net,
Who kept happiness away.
Yes, the day was hard,
It was almost a discard,
That actually came your way;
You were constantly on your guard,
Facing one or the other retard,
Who was hell-bent to have his say.
Now let the drinks glasses clink,
And before anyone can blink,
Everything becomes happy and gay;
Suddenly the surroundings become pink,
And you can say with a wink:
Even after the sunshine one can make hay.
As the first sip goes down,
Say “bye-bye” to your frown,
Don’t let your hair prematurely turn grey;
Wear the king’s crown,
Not that of his clown,
Let a sundowner show you the way.
There are many truths of life,
Some for peace, some for strife,
But a drink a day keeps the doctor away;
So don’t cut your throat with a knife,
Whilst being scared of your wife,
Just enjoy your drink at the end of the day.
I have already given you a post about pussy-cats, viz, ‘Pussy-Cat, Pussy-Cat, Where Have You Been?‘ Hence, let me tell you one about rats too.
Sooner or later we had to come to the innovativeness of this species on earth that is so curious that it is almost enigmatic. Away from the hills and plains, it makes its home at sea and learns to live there with hardly any means of subsistence. At times when the sea is rough, it wretches out its guts until there is nothing more to bring out; and yet, if you ask it its favourite place, it would unerringly point a resolute finger towards the seas, the oceans and beyond.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about The Sailor. The most innovative of this species is the Indian Naval Sailor. He finds a way where none exists!
To cement your realization of this fact, I must tell you about this incident in the year 1976 during the Monsoons. I had just got my watch-keeping ticket on INS Himgiri and suddenly realized that the whole world was waiting for me to finish my under-trainee watch-keeping phase. One of the “whole world” was officiating CO Betwa; who realized that his CO and many of his watch-keeping officers were on leave, when Betwa had to sail for a prolonged sailing called MONEX (Monsoon Exercise). He requested my CO and my CO, always ready to oblige, dispatched me to him for the duration of the MONEX.
It was the toughest sailing I have done. At the dining table, because of constant rolling and pitching, your plates and cutlery would go from one side of the table to the other and you had to wait for your plate to return it to you with the next rolling and pitching. Even at that you had to carefully look at what you were eating; for, if the quantity of gravy in your meat had become more than earlier, chances were that in its journey on the table, someone would have puked in the plate.
Many people never got out of their cabins, lest we should all see the changed colours of their faces.
The officiating CO (actually the XO of the ship) was man of steel and good humour. Rolling and pitching and even cork-screw motions had as much effect on him as water on a duck’s back. He devised ways and means of letting the ship’s company see the humour in those trying conditions. For the officers, he had an interesting story book, in which men and women did many naughty things. He took out the pages of the book and distributed these between the officers. So the trick was to come to the end of the page, when, for example, things were hotting up between a character called Jack and another called Julie and then figure out who would have the next page!
For the sailors too he devised another game. Since, in a cat and mice game, the officers had got the cat end, the sailors had to be content with the mice game. Through the medium of daily orders he announced that anyone catching a mouse would be rewarded with a prize of Five Rupees (which wasn’t peanuts during those days).
Topass (sweeper) First Class Pillai caught the first mouse and was promptly given Rupees Five. For the next few days, we noticed that at about five in the evening, he’d bring a freshly killed rat and collect his Five Rupees and go.
On the fifth day, the XO got suspicious and sent his best spy after Pillai to see if he could…..well, smell the rat.
This super-spy discreetly followed Pillai and half an hour later reported the story to XO and it speaks volumes for the innovativeness of Pillai.
The story was that whilst the XO expected that Pillai would go straight out of his cabin to the ship’s side and get rid of the bandicoot, Pillai took it straight to his mess where a plastic bag awaited him. He packed the rat nicely into the plastic and then in a paper bag and then deposited it in the freezer in the galley. This would now be taken out about 30-45 minutes before going to XO next evening, thawed and readied as a freshly killed rat.
Finding a freshly killed rat, therefore, for Pillai, was less trying than for all of us trying to find the next page about what Jack did to Julie.
From your mom, dadi and nani
On my first birthday, after I went away,
I know you will be miserable and sad,
But today I have something else to say,
I hope that would make each one glad.
Let me start with the eldest of you,
Mona’s husband our dearest Maharaj,
I always loved you, my son Linoo,
You were always the jewel in my taj.
Mona, you have always been a daughter,
That can make any mother proud,
We have shared together tons of laughter,
Sometimes subdued, at others loud.
I am not going to write for you much,
The one nearest, my dear son Ravi,
I know you can write anything as such,
After all, you were born (to me) a kavi.
That brings me to my bahu, my Lyn,
Who shared with me endless love,
I hope that brings, on your face, a grin,
When I shower blessings from above.
JP, my darling, my little “Sweet”,
You were always closest to my heart,
You were there whenever we could meet,
Even death can’t make us apart.
Chuck you came into our lives gently,
I really adored your attitude and skill,
You are smart physically and mentally,
Having you in family was always a thrill.
Let me turn to first of grand and great-grand,
Ankur, Simran, Mohiraa and Noor,
Anywhere they went on sea and land,
Nani‘s house was never too door (away).
Tiny and Ippy are my favourite darlings,
Can’t describe the joy of being with them,
Whenever they visited I developed wings,
One a diamond and the other a gem.
Samira and Arjun filled me with elation,
When they tied their knot together,
I would have given them great celebration,
If they had visited Kandaghat ever.
That brings me to my youngest grandson,
One and only Arun-the-great,
There is no one like you under the sun,
You were really worth the wait.
Birthdays are special, I know,
You’d have wanted me to be there,
But look for me wherever you go,
And you’d find me everywhere.
And I would be waving at you, as always,
When you’d leave Whispering Winds, my abode,
Then, waiting for you to return on important days,
My eyes forever fixed on the road.
