दिल मिले या न मिले हाथ मिलाए रहिए

बात कम कीजिए, ज़हानत को छुपाते रहिये
अजनबी शहर है यह, दोस्त बनाते रहिये

दुश्मनी लाख सही, ख़त्म न कीजिए रिश्ता
दिल मिले या न मिले हाथ मिलाते रहिये

ये तो चेहरे का फ़क़त अक्स है तस्वीर नहीं
इस पे कुछ रंग अभी और चढाते रहिये

गम है आवारा अकेले मैं भटक जाता है
जिस जगह रहिये वहां मिलते मिलाते रहिये

जाने कब चाँद बिखर जाए घने जंगल मैं
अपने घर के दर-ओ-दीवार सजाते रहिये

--- निदा फ़ाज़ली

Be the best of whatever you are!

If you can't be a pine on the top of the
Be a scrub in the valley--but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway some happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass--
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail--
Be the best of whatever you are!
--- Douglas Malloch

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

Noon

The noon a mystic dog with paws of fire
Runs through the sky in ecstasy of drouth
Licking the earth with tongue of golden flame
Set in a burning mouth

It floods the forest with loud barks of light
And chases its own shadow on the plains
Some secret Master-hand hath set it free
Awhile from silver chains

At last towards the cinctured end of day
It drinks cool draughts from sunset-mellowed rills,
Then chained to twilight by the Master's hand
It sleeps among the hills.

--- Harindranath Chattopadhyay

ये दाग-दाग उजाला

ये दाग दाग उजाला, ये शब-गजीदा सहर,
वो इंतज़ार था जिसका, ये वो सहर तो नहीं

ये वो सहर तो नहीं जिस की आरजू लेकर
चले थे यार कि मिल जायेगी कहीं न कहीं
फ़लक के दश्त में तारों कि आखरी मंजिल

कहीं तो होगा शब-ऐ-सुस्त मौज का साहिल
कहीं तो जा के रुकेगा सफीना-ऐ-गम-ऐ-दिल
जवां लहू की पुर-असरार शाहराहों से

चले जो यार तो दामन पे कितने हाथ पड़े
दयार-ऐ-हुस्न की बे-सब्र खाब-गाहों से
पुकारती रहीं बाहें, बदन बुलाते रहे

बहुत अज़ीज़ थी लेकिन रुख-ऐ-सहर की लगन
बहुत करीं था हसीना-ऐ-नूर का का दामन
सुबुक सुबुक थी तमन्ना , दबी दबी थी थकन


सुना है हो भी चुका है फिराक-ऐ-जुल्मत-ऐ-नूर
सुना है हो भी चुका है विसाल-ऐ-मंजिल-ओ-गाम

बदल चुका है बहुत अहल-ऐ-दर्द का दस्तूर
निशात-ऐ-वस्ल हलाल-ओ-अजाब-ऐ-हिज़र-ऐ-हराम
जिगर की आग, नज़र की उमंग, दिल की जलन

किसी पे चारा-ऐ-हिज्राँ का कुछ असर ही नहीं
कहाँ से आई निगार-ऐ-सबा , किधर को गई
अभी चिराग-ऐ-सर-ऐ-राह को कुछ ख़बर ही नहीं

अभी गरानी-ऐ-शब में कमी नहीं आई
नजात-ऐ-दीदा-ओ-दिल की घड़ी नहीं आई
चले चलो की वो मंजिल अभी नहीं आई
- फैज़ अहमद फैज़.

Blowin' In The Wind

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, 'n' how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
And pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, 'n' how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

- Bob Dylan

The Times They Are a-Changin'

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressman
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he who gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
You old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

--- Bob Dylan