Kavi Neeraj - Kaarvaan guzar gaya

In Memoriam
Kavi Neeraj (Gopaldas Saxena)
(4 January 1925 – 18 July 2018)

Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe
by
Kavi Neeraj  (Gopaldas Saxena)

Swapna jhade phool se, meet chubhe shool se
mit gaye singaar sabhi baagh ke babool se
aur ham khade khade bahaar dekhte rahe
Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe

Neend khuli na thi ki haaye dhoop dhal gayi
paanv jab talaq uthe ke zindagi fisal gayi
paat-paat jhad gaye ke shaakh-shaakh jal gayi
chaah to nikal saki na par umar nikal gayi
geet ashk ban gaye, chand ho dafan gaye
saath ke sabhi diye, dhuaan pahan-pahan gaye
aur ham jhuke-jhuke, mod par ruke-ruke
umr ke chadhaav kaa utaar dekhte rahe
Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe

Kyaa shabaab tha ki phool-phool pyaar kar uthaa
kyaa suroop tha ke dekh aainaa machal uthaa
is taraf zameen aur aasmaan udhar uthaa
thaam kar jigar uthaa ki jo milaa nazar uthaa
ek din magar yahan, aisi kuch hawa chali
lut gayi kali-kali ki ghut gayi gali-gali
aur ham lute-lute, waqt se pite-pite
saans ki sharaab ka khumaar dekhte rahe
Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe

Haath they mile ki zulf chaand ki sanwaar doon
honth they khule ki har bahaar ko pukaar doon
dard thaa diyaa gayaa ki har dukhi ko pyaar doon
aur saans yun ki swarg bhoomi par utaar doon
ho sakaa na kuchh magar, shaam ban gayi sahar
wo uthi lehar ke deh gaye kile bikhar-bikhar
aur ham dare-dare, neer nain mein bhare
oadh kar kafan pade mazaar dekhte rahe
Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe

Maang bhar chali ki ek, jab nayi-nayi kiran
Dholakein dhumak uthi, thumak uthe charan-charan
shor mach gayaa ki lo chali dulhan, chali dulhan
gaon sab umad padaa, bahak uthe nayan-nayan
par tabhi zahar bhari gaaz ek woh giri
poonch gaya sindoor, taar-taar huyi chunri
aur ham ajaan se, door ke makaan se
paalki liye huye kahaar dekhte rahe
Kaarvaan guzar gaya gubaar dekhte rahe



The caravan has passed
translated by
Mustansir Dalvi

Dreams spill like wilted blooms, intimacies bled by thorns.
In the garden, the babool is bereft of its strings of pearls,
and here we stand, yearning for the coming spring
but the caravan has passed, leaving us to stare
at dust, rising in its wake.

Barely had we opened our eyes, woe! The sun began to sink.
By the time we rose to our feet, life silently slipped by.
Trees shed leaves, leaves. Branches, branches burned to ash.
A lifetime sped by before desires found expression.
Songwords turned into tears, verses were interred.
Lamps around us have taken to wearing veils of smoke
and here we are, bent and broken, stymied at every turn
bearing witness to the descent of our changing days
while the caravan has passed, leaving us to stare
at dust, rising in its wake.

O, the allure of youth, that every flower was smitten!
O, the enchanting image, that made the mirror lose control!
Here the earth rose, there the firmament flew,
every heart went a-flutter, every gaze turned upwards.
But then one day, an ill wind blew,
ravaging every bud, choking every street
while here we remain, despoiled, broken by fortune,
inebriated by the spirits of our own exhalations.
The caravan has passed, leaving us to stare
at dust, rising in its wake.

My hands came together to comb moonlight’s tresses,
my lips opened to call out to every sign of spring.
I was granted pain to ease every ailing soul with love
and breath, to guide the heavens to come to earth.
Nothing came to pass. Dusk turned to dawn,
the rising wave crushed bastions into rubble,
and here we are, floundering in our fears, eyes filled with tears;
we wrap shrouds around ourselves and gaze at the grave
while the caravan has passed, leaving us to stare
at dust, rising in its wake.

When a new ray of light rode like a vermillioned bride,
drums beat with abandon, each foot rose to dance.
A happy cry rose: Here comes the bride! Here she comes!
The whole town turned out, a twinkle in every eye,
but just then a blighted bolt befell us,
obliterated the sindoor, rent apart the bridal veil,
while there we were, oblivious, in a distant house
watching the palanquin with its bearers depart
and the caravan passed, leaving us to stare
at dust, rising in its wake.


Translation and Transliteration © Mustansir Dalvi, 2018, All rights reserved.


Click on link to see the song from the film
‘Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal’ (dir. R. Chandra, 1966)
Singer : Mohammad Rafi
Music Director : Roshan


कारवां गुज़र गया
- कवी 'नीरज'

स्वप्न झरे फूल से, मीत चुभे शूल से,
लुट गये सिंगार सभी बाग़ के बबूल से,
और हम खड़े-खड़े बहार देखते रहे
कारवां गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे!

नींद भी खुली न थी कि हाय धूप ढल गई,
पाँव जब तलक उठे कि ज़िन्दगी फिसल गई,
पात-पात झर गये कि शाख़-शाख़ जल गई,
चाह तो निकल सकी न, पर उमर निकल गई,
गीत अश्क़ बन गए, छंद हो दफ़न गए,
साथ के सभी दिऐ धुआँ-धुआँ पहन गये,
और हम झुके-झुके, मोड़ पर रुके-रुके
उम्र के चढ़ाव का उतार देखते रहे
कारवां गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।

क्या शबाब था कि फूल-फूल प्यार कर उठा,
क्या सुरूप था कि देख आइना मचल उठा
इस तरफ जमीन और आसमां उधर उठा,
थाम कर जिगर उठा कि जो मिला नज़र उठा,
एक दिन मगर यहाँ, ऐसी कुछ हवा चली,
लुट गयी कली-कली कि घुट गयी गली-गली,
और हम लुटे-लुटे, वक्त से पिटे-पिटे,
साँस की शराब का खुमार देखते रहे
कारवां गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।

हाथ थे मिले कि जुल्फ चाँद की सँवार दूँ,
होंठ थे खुले कि हर बहार को पुकार दूँ,
दर्द था दिया गया कि हर दुखी को प्यार दूँ,
और साँस यूँ कि स्वर्ग भूमी पर उतार दूँ,
हो सका न कुछ मगर, शाम बन गई सहर,
वह उठी लहर कि दह गये किले बिखर-बिखर,
और हम डरे-डरे, नीर नयन में भरे,
ओढ़कर कफ़न, पड़े मज़ार देखते रहे
कारवां गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे!

माँग भर चली कि एक, जब नई-नई किरन,
ढोलकें धुमुक उठीं, ठुमक उठे चरण-चरण,
शोर मच गया कि लो चली दुल्हन, चली दुल्हन,
गाँव सब उमड़ पड़ा, बहक उठे नयन-नयन,
पर तभी ज़हर भरी, ग़ाज एक वह गिरी,
पुंछ गया सिंदूर तार-तार हुई चूनरी,
और हम अजान से, दूर के मकान से,
पालकी लिये हुए कहार देखते रहे।
कारवां गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।