The Walk

Tender legs and tottered steps, but the guidance was strong 

'From knees to feet' , the style was changed 

Curiosity counted every feet, but none was wrong 

Many slips and a few flips, but into the cushion hands that saved 

With cricket and soccer, the legs raced, but always in pairs, 

The legs fatigued, never did sports and spirits 

Floods of bloods, a plethora of wounds but with hearts to bear 

Falls were many, but never alone, in all grounds and streets 

Cushions and grounds, not any more, it's now a chemical folklore 

Biology and math are singulars, a revelation doth 

Attendances and grades meant chants and hades, excuses galore 

As a group but with tons of memories we part 

Across the seas, away from the zone, the walk starts with a fall 

We walked the ice and the grass,  both green and white, 

Blame it on name, not once,twice or thrice but in circles, my pal, 

We searched and are still alive, with research, our futile fight. 

Fiendic parody, all this sans the by-walkers, you, 

Thanks for the comfort,the lone boon is amazing too....

----------------------------------------A Thanking Concoction.

http://manofconstantleisure.blogspot.com/

Maiden Affairs: Rhyme and Rhythm

2. Ahead of the stars:

Air and water for the body, books and internet for the mind, Dreams and tranquility for the soul.

Destiny for dreams and ethics for path.

In a series of crests and troughs, there are always some slots alloted for letups. These are actually more entertaining than either the crests or troughs. In a clash of interests, the November and December railway stations changed the track from the carnatic to the sufi world. 

Mysticism has always amazed me. Any form of mysticism and occult can make me stand agape.

Its now the Sufi turn. On the way to the Sufi destination, I bumped in to something that made me take a diversion and that is Urdu qawwalis and poetry.

This particular piece is worth sharing here...This piece of poetry is amazing and wonderfully inspiring and it comes from Allama Iqbal. The great man who we know in India for the Song, Saare Jahaan se achcha. I was sifting the sands of sufi when I came across this beautiful poetry in the form of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition and later another anonymous poetic rendition. It was so inspiring, that I have tried putting it up here, pardon my knowledge of hindi. Feel free to correct any faults in the script or in the meaning.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/rock_group.asp

सितारों से आगे जहां और भी हैं,

अभी इश्क के  इम्तिहान और भी हैं

तही ज़िन्दगी से नहीं ये फज़ाएँ 

यहाँ सैकड़ों कारवाँ और भी हैं

कनाट न कर आलम-ए-रंग-ओ-बू-पर

चमन और भी, आशियाँ और भी हैं

अगर खो गया एक नशेमन तो क्या गम

मक़ामात-इ-आह-ओ-फुगाँ और भी हैं

तू शाहीन है, परवाज़ है काम तेरा

तेरे सामने आसमान और भी हैं

इसी रोज़-ओ-शब् में उलज कर न रह जा

के तेरे ज़मीन-ओ-मकान और भी हैं

गए दिन की तनहा था मैं अंजुमन में

यहाँ अब मेरे राज़दान और भी हैं

The attempted translation:

Beyond the stars are yet other worlds:
There are yet more trials of love ahead!
These conditions do not exist in the void of lower life:
There are hundreds of other caravans here!
Do not be content with this world of color and scent:
There are yet other gardens; other nests!
Why grieve, if this one nest be lost?
There are yet more places for clamor and complaint!
You are the royal eagle; soaring is your pursuit:
Before you are yet other firmaments (to soar up to)!
Do not lose yourself by being enmeshed in this day and night (routine and unavoidable)
You have yet another Time (as pure Duration) and yet other spaces (to conquer)!
The days are gone when I was alone in silent gathering:
Now here I have confidants as well!

 Rahat's version:

Another poetic rendition of "Sitaron se aage":