बादल आ गए हैं -

Clouds have Approached / Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Baadal Aa Gaye Hain'

I am not worried at all
neither scared
clouds have approached
on returning from work
I saw at home
two drops of rain
fallen on your head
there was a cloud
which was hidden
backwards in your black bun
that day
with that cloud
with you, I felt in love
while walking through darkness
as if I crossed the forest.
Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Baadal Aa Gaye Hain'
 © Translated by Varsha Singh

sapne me ek aurat se baatcheet -translated by shoba narayan

Conversation with a Woman in my Dream
Vimal Kumar

Translated by
Shobha Narayan


The woman,
first knocked at the door
in dream of course.
She asked as she entered the room
‘how are my children?
They must be quite grown up by now
eligible for marriage.
Do they go to school or college?’
What do I tell that woman
how to tell her
that her middle daughter had eloped with a driver.
How to tell her that the names of her children
had been struck off their school
And their father had lost her jewels in gambling and drinking.
In dream of course
I asked that woman
to sit down.
The children are fine I told her
But do tell me something about yourself
how are you?
The woman answered
Ah, no time to sit,
I came just for a while
I should go, I must leave now.142 :: April-June 2009
But you are very quiet, she says in dream of course.
you don’t even tell anything,
why are all these papers strewn on your table
what have you kept in your box?
your room is filled with a strange odour.
well, what about work, your job?
what are you doing these days?
what do I tell that woman
who has walked ten years
to reach here
into my dreams?
In fact she used to live in my neighbourhood
doing odd jobs.
suddenly one day
her children started howling
her husband was dumbfounded
what do I tell that woman
I thought of course in my dream.
And I told her in dream as you know
rather desultorily– ‘something or the other jest goes on.’
Please wait for some more time
while I make tea for you
And the woman asked
in dream of course
well, tell me what is happening in our city?
as in old times do you still potter around with this or that?
The woman kept on sitting
in my dream of course
talking about varied things
telling about her experiences
As she departed
of course from my dream
her children came running to me.
How is our mother?
the middle daughter asked.
And the youngest daughter started sobbing uncontrollably
‘Ma does not appear for some days now
in my dreams’ said the eldest.
Looking at her serious face
this young girl
growing like a palm tree,
I became thoughtful
Next time when this woman
trespasses my dreams
asking so many questions
what would I tell her
what lies do I keep in stock
to convey?

Vimal Kumar, 

vimal kumar -translated by shoba narayan

To See That Beauty Was A New Experience For The
Mirror
vimal kumar
Translated by
Shobha Narayan
In the town,
that has forests all around
big trenches, deep moats and caverns wide,
she lived
in fearful darkness,
like a flickering candle.
worn out, bone-weary,
did she work
day and night.
Years ago,
did I see her
outside the forest
roaming with a man
she was youthful then
on her face was an unfathomable richness,
inside her was a storm brewing,
that propelled her.
She took wings,
but vanished was her laughter
amid all this.
In the same forest
did I meet her again
drop-dead tired was she
as if war-wounded
smeared in blood.150 :: April-June 2009
But very noteworthily,
more than ever before
she appeared to be free,
like the vast skies above,
like the she-swan
soaring over the swinging seas below.
Momentarily was she like a flower,
in full-bloom
separated from its branch.
Now,
her courage was her ornament;
her confidence
adorned her forehead
stuck like a vermillion mark.
she had radiance on her face
that nature lent her,
as she fought with its elements.
Today,
she has her own discourse,
in its brilliance
glittered words
as if they were
diamonds.

पिता का दर्द

पिता का मूल्याङ्कन

मै एक पिता हूँ

इसलिए अब जानता हूँ

क्या होता है

पिता होने का दर्द

मेरे पिता भी मेरी तरह

छानते रहे  खाक इस शहर में

खोजते रहे मकान

बार बार बदलते हुए

फिर नौकरी भी .......

क़र्ज़ में रहे डूबे ज़िन्दगी भर

देखते रहे एक सपना 

बच्चों को  बड़ा आदमी  बनाने का

जिस तरह  देखना लगा हूँ

मै भी  एक सपना...

मेरी तरह बीता था  

उनका भी  बुढ़ापा बहुत  कष्ट में

मेरी तरह उन्हें भी जुकाम था 

मधुमेह भी कंधे में दर्द भी 

इसलिए ठीक ठीक जाना  अपने पिता को

पिता बन ने के बाद ही

दुःख मुझे है

कि नहीं जान पाया था अपने पिता को

पूरी  तरह उनके जीते जीते

क्या मेरे मरने के बाद ही  होगा 

मेरा  भी   मूल्याङ्कन

 एक पिता के रूप में 

मै भी कहाँ कर पाया

अपने पिता का मूल्याङ्कन

 उनके जीती जी .

मुझे लगता  है

पिता एक ऐसा शब्द है

जो आज तक नहीं बदला

जिस तरह माँ भी नहीं बदली कभी

जबकी बहुत चीज़ें बदल गयीं 

इस दुनिया के बदल जाने के बाद .

मै एक पिता हूँ दो जवान बेटियों का 

जिनकी नहीं हो पा रही  है शादी 

मै एक पिता हूँ 

उन बेटों का जिनहे नहीं मिल पा रही है  नौकरी 

मुझसे अधिक 

पिता होने का दर्द 

कौन जान सकता है 

इस दुनिया में बेटा.!

क्या तुम मुझे बता सकते हो 

दुनिया के किस अस्पताल में है इलाज़ 

 किसी पिता के दर्द का .

विमल कुमार .

joy sorrow.

Joy-Sorrow / Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Sukh-Dukh'

12 June 2014 at 20:23

What will I do
with that joy
which gives someone sorrow
I moved out
in search of joy
only after being sad in someone's sorrow

What form of joy have I found
in which hidden
is sorrow too
is joy assorted
within sorrow

Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Sukh-Dukh'
Translated by Varsha Singh

can u return......

Can You Return? / Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Kya Tum Lautaa Sakti Ho?'

12 June 2014 at 19:40

Can you return
my moon
which I brought on earth
one day
for you

That blue sky
can you return
on which you flew
spreading wings for so many days

Can  you return
those concerns
those thoughts
which I kept every moment
In your sorrowful days

So are you returning
that book
that letter
that thought

Can you return
that sleep
that dream
which came silently
on your bedhead
can you return that way
on which you walked with me
those stairs
on which you sat
and lessened
your sorrow with me
you received
some joy
after meeting me

I know
you can't return
cannot return
my touch
my shade
neither the fragrance of my body
which submerged deeply within you a day

Those tides of sea
and those bridges
you can't return
which created great waves
sometime
within you

So why are you returning
this file
this map
this photo album
this packet
when sinking dusk cannot be returned
can't be returned
that dawn
then why are you returning those things
which money can buy every time
you cannot return my tears
the agony of my soul
neither my anxiety
ever

You can't return
what I gave you along with my books
because these things
cannot be sold
by returning all this
stop trying to hide
a truth

If a human has spent
some precious moments
with another human
it can't be returned
in any manner

Either if you get angrier
but you can't return
my love
it will remain safe
in your memory
as remains
rivers and butterflies
flowers and moon

Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Kya Tum Lautaa Sakti Ho?'
Translated by Varsha Singh

Before loving

Before loving

we must see

map of each-other's house

must see

each-other's periphery

who stands on which side

who keeps which form of dreams

we must see

each-other's courtyard

each-other's roof

each-other's stairs

and windows too

if have no house

then must see

how much of sky is over head

how much is the shade of tree

Before loving 

must know

definitions of life

truth of demise

What are each-other's anxieties

strength of each other

who understands

sorrow

who gives importance

to struggle how much

how much is patience

must know

much better

who hides within

greed how much

hatred how much

who is cruel how much

and violent

If before loving

we all read

each-other's diary

we could guess about so much

Before loving

we must peep

within each-other

as we peep

within a well

to check the water level

each-other's dust

we must dust placed on shoulders

to know

how strong is this shoulder

before loving

must think

surely this much

not to regret later

and none can claim

allegation on each-other

Love which arrives 

like a flood

dishevels

things

love is the name of creation

not destruction

both must remember

very well this much

and hence must not get furious 

if fury arrives

must honestly

regret

Without any thoughtfulness

falling in love with someone 

becomes agonizing

self-destructive as well

but when someone's love

swarms for someone

wisdom doesn't works

defeats

brain

all thoughtfulness

is left inert

but a tussle keeps going

within human

between reason and emotion

emotion of someone wins

wins someone's logic

and like this a human loses

badly falls in love with someone

Translation of Vimal Kumar's 'Prem Karney Sey Pehley'

Translated by Varsha Singh

चुप रहकर महान

तुम बलात्कार पर चुप हो 
चुप हो हत्या पर 
बेरोजगारी पर तो तुमने सालों से मौन लगा रखा है 
गरीबी पर एक अजीब सी खामोशी है पसरी तुम्हारे चेहरे पर 

तुम्हारे लिए सबसे अहम् है 
आस्था का सवाल 
निवेश ही तुम्हारे समय का सबसे बड़ा सच है 
विकास की तुमने बनाई है एक नयी परिभाषा
संस्कृति की गढ़ी है नयी शब्दावली
तुम्हारे लिए घर नहीं
एक मंदिर है जरूरी

इस युग में
गिद्ध इसी तरह आते हैं
हर बार कुछ नयी शक्ल में
नयी शैली , नए अलंकार में

फिर वे आसमान पर छा जाते हैं
इसी यारह
बजती हैं चारो तरफ तालियां
खींची जाती है तस्वीरे
 पहनाई जाती हैं
मालाएं उन्हें इसी तरह 

चारो तरफ शुरू हो जाता है उनका जयगान
हम तो आपसे सिर्फ इतना जानना चाहते हैं
आखिर हम उनके बहकावे में हर बार क्यों आ जाते हैं 
जबकी वे चुप हैं 
हर उन सवालों पर 
जिसे वे चाहते हैं दबाना 
कि उनकी असलियत न खुले 
सबके सामने .
और वे चुप रहकर महान बन जाये 
इसी तरह इतिहास में .

विमल कुमार .

शोक सन्देश

सोचता हूँ जारी कर दूं अपना 

एक शोक सन्देश पहले ही 
पता नहीं तुम करोगे 
या नहीं 

ताकत के खेल में 
नहीं रहा कभी मै
नहीं कर सका किसी को उपकृत
जीवन में
कि वो करे मेरे लिए शोक
न ही किया ऐसा कोई काम
कि दुनिया रखे याद मुझे

पर शोक सन्देश जारी करना
क्या जरूरी है
जब मर जाते हैं
हजारों लोग बाढ़ में हर साल
भूकंप में दबकर

कौन जानता है उन्हें
कौन करता हैयाद
उनके नाम तो कोई बताता भी नहीं
कोई दिखाता भी नहीं
उनकी तस्वीर
बस लाशों की एक भीड़ सी दिखती है

इसलिए सोचता हूँ
त्याग दूं
शोक सन्देश का विचार

क्या बिना शोक के नहीं रह सकता जिंदा
मै इतिहास में
जब शोक सभाएं भी की जा रही हैं
प्रायोजित
बेशर्मी की हद तक .

विमल कुमार