Best Gujarati Poems
*Hare Krishna, I am your devotee
I know and feel the pains of others
Keep me doing well to others
And let not ego or pride enter my mind.
Hare Krishna, as your devotee
Never speak ill of others
Disdain greed and avarice
Respect women as I respect my mother.
Hare Krishna, as your devotee
I never indulge in lies
Lust and anger not my forte
For the salvage of my family.
Lead me from despair to hope
Fear to trust, from hate to love
From false to truth, war to peace
Peace, Peace, Peace.
*Hare Krishna, the incarnation of God Vishnu*
+++
October 8, 2014
Form: Free Verse
Religion: Hindu (Gujarati)
Second Place win
Contest: A Religious poem Non-Christian by Roy Jerden
They say
?There are a million ways?
To say I love you
In this day and age?
I could only find
?In my computer’s brain?
The words
to say I love you?
In 53 languages
of the 10,000 languages
?Spoken on this planet
Someday I may be able
?To say the simple words
?I love you?
In all know languages?
This will have to suffice for a start
So I will say it
?Loud, and clear?
Just so you understand:
I love you (English)
Mein tumse pyar karta hoon (Hindi)
?Tu Tane prem karoo chu (Gujarati)
?Ame tomake bhalo bashe (Bengali)
?Me tula premkarto (Marati)?
Hum apse mohabbat karte hain (Urdu
?Mein thoda prem karanga (Punjabi)
?Man Dooset Daram
(Persian)
?Ana Ahabik Yanooni (Arabic)
?Havala (Hebrew)
Yongchon(Chinese)
?Aloha (Hawaian)
?Cinta(Indonesian)
?Dangshinun sarang hayo (Korean)?
Ajo (Japanese)
?Kasih (Malay)
?Phom tirak khun krap (Thai)?
Akoay Paginghe ikou (Tagalog)
?Toi yeu ong(Vietnamese)
Renmen (Creole)
?Jesuis L’amour voies(French)
?Liefdle (Flemish)
?Estoy amor tu (Spanish)?
Yosono amore tu (Italian)
?Estou o amore tu (Portugese)
Dashuri (Albanian)
?Maiteizam (Basque)?
OBHYAM (Bulgarian)
?Ljubav (Croatian)
?Laska (Czech)
?Jeger en kaerlighed du (Danish)
?Ikben houden van jig (Dutch)
?Gra (Gaelic)
?Ich bin lieben tu (German)
?Agape/eros (Greek)
?Ami (Esperanto)?
Armastama (Estonian)
?Rakam (Finish)
?Envagyok szeretet te (Hungarian)
?Elska (Icelandic)
?Ejekirin (Kurdish)
?Milestiba (Latvian)
?Meile (Lithuanian)
?Eu dragoste tu (Romanian)
?JHOBOEL Lubush (Russian)
?Elske (Norweigan)
?Easka (Slovak)?
JBYBAB (Serbian)?
Jagdan karlek du (Swedish)
?KOYATH (Ukraine)
?Benin sevi sen (Turkish)?
Ahava (Yiddish)
Ngingu u thando ungu (Zulu)
Venom resumes X 3
Suryas out of his basket indeed,
Even good boys are naughty, Sajni,
elevation creatonism,
mantra stance style,
the sun moons life,
he locks his eyes for an eternal rain dance,
chaos enveloped in tears from the sun,
cosmic comic stances that are silent,
the venom stillness of life,
under thunder blast compliance,
encounter my intellegence,
my imperfections,
venom resumes X 3,
vision,
prime modal,
infentile,
Surya is out of his skin,
he pees freely, and poohs slowly,
cautious very friendly,
screams X 3,
shout X 3,
venom X 3,
resumes X 3,
venom resumes X 3,
don't mention tantra to mantra,
Chandra,
everyone is listening,
even good boys are naughty,
even good boys go bad,
Chandra,
tell Rajni not to say any more mantras,
the town is out,
people are watching,
the sun will shout,
Surya X 3
Surya in gujarti means sun.
Chandra in gujarati means moon.
Rajni is name of an Indian man.
Tapasya means to run away for enlighnment in a jungle as pennance for bad deads in order
to aquire enlightment.
Oh! Black Americans,
Africa is your motherland
And most Africans love you
Not because you are called African Americans
And lost your African mother tongues
And cultures.
Being called Americans while speaking
African dialects , suit the most.
Did you hear about some people called "European Americans" in USA
To trace where they came from?
Oh!Black Americans,
I can advise you to learn " Swahili" and Continue to develop it in America.
Or mix up some African languages and come out with your new lingo - version and call it " Americaans" which will be differ to American English.
Make sure majority of Africans understand Americaans
Like Afrikaans in Germany, Belgium and Nederland.
Afrikaans could be called "Europeans" because it is a mixture of some European languages.
People speaking it are proudly Africans
As they are citizens
Of Africa.
They don't forget their motherland either.
If you wish to come back
To one of 54 African countries to stay,
The doors are always opened for you.
Oh!Black Americans,
Some Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
Hindi,Marathi, Tulu,
Malayalam, Marwari, Odia,
Bengali, Kannada,
Memoni, Gujarati,
Sindhi,Konkani
Awadhi people were slaves in South Africa
And they ended up being
South African Citezens
They forgot slavary and
Worked so hard to get wealths
Now majority of them are very rich
Than many people in India and pakistan
They did not forget their cultures
And traditions.
Oh! Black Americans ,
Remember,
In Africa ,
For Bantu to love and
Hate each other , it is not a new acappella.
In Asia ,
For Tamilians to love and
Hate each other, it is not a new salsa.
In India,
For Telugu to love and
Hate each other ,It is not a new lyric.
In South Africa,
For Afrikaners and British people to love and
Hate each other, it is not new samba.
In Belgium,
For walloons and flamands to love and
Hate each other, it is not a new rhythm.
In Canada ,
For French and British people to love and
Hate each other , it is not a new rhumba.
Remember ,
Hate and love are enemies
Who always lived together
From their creation.
By Alfonso Warally Ngengethe
Mussabwa Chris
Let’s go roam head and heart,
To meet many a millionaire
Of mind; meet, soon to depart.
The air outside, beckoning fair,
Wafting here what to deliver?
Sagas of wayfarers that dare.
Let’s soar, let’s struggle, endeavour,
New friendship to savour, and food
For thought for lifetime to savour.
What use this soulful solitude?
To what end its inner cues?
Let’s roam, return if to brood.
This life’s each moment’s meant to muse,
Let’s not sing laments of sorrows,
Let’s see varied hearts’ vibrant hues.
Let not today turn to morrow,
No one can stretch time, nor borrow,
For, they that roam rhyme and grow.
_________________________________
Inspired by a Gujarati piece by Niranjan Bhagat
Inspirations | 03.03.2017 |
A love-filled inning love asks for,
Not just wedding ring love asks for.
Let eyes dive deep further to probe,
No more than feeling love asks for.
We all desire joys of our own,
Who suffering in love asks for?
Just a moment-long communion,
What else a longing love asks for?
Heart heaves for a mere glimpse of love,
What else? Not a thing love asks for.
_______________________________
Ghazal |17.08.2023| love, heart
Poet’s note: Based on a Gujarati ghazal by Kireet Gosvami, but no translation
Hither all her desires, thither my fires,
Balancing both, burden became my life.
In hope of love I walked with wilderness,
Breathe in, breathe out, mundane became my life.
For an excuse to smile, I just shed tears,
Crematorium’s cauldron became my life.
You came to my world, to a wrong address,
To blessings beholden became my life.
Flowers vie with thorns in this dual world,
What a prickly garden became my life!
To a tinderbox of bamboo forest
You came and golden fire became my life.
As time passed more embolden you became,
You a warden, pardon became my life.
______________________________
Ghazal |16.03.2025 | life, love, desire, expectations
Note: Most people are stuck with two types of life: one that is lived, and the other he wishes to live. This Ghazal depicts this dilemma that often persists till the grave. In a way it says without saying so. The opening line in the couplet (matlaa) is without kafia and radeef. Inspired by a Gujarati poem by Venibhai Purohit, but no translation.
I have the wings, but there’s no sky, that’s why,
Feathers fall if I fail to fly, that’s why.
Will’s there, there’s wish, but not much can be done,
Kites idle lie in windless sky, that’s why.
Wealth vie within and still lands lie barren,
Bare coffers cry for lack of try, that’s why.
Reasons why prodigal sons waste their wealth,
Given free, goes off gifted pie, that’s why?
Tears agonizing still well in my eyes,
Pain’s too familiar to defy, that’s why.
_____________________
Ghazal |17.01.2025|
Inspired by a Gujarati poem by Pankaj Vakharia, no translation.
With her pet toy in hand and playing,
In mother’s lap, a strange smile lurking,
To her lullaby whilst listening,
Eyes on Ma, at last succumbs to sleep,
Here’s happiness for me sound asleep.
Their heavy school bags left way aside,
Uniforms too thrown on whatso side,
Back from bunking class, leave un-applied,
Bare bodied when children dance in rain,
Here’s happiness for me sans restrain.
Dreams and young desires dancing in mind,
Two teenagers in tender love blind,
At the appointed place do when find
And haply together smile their smiles,
Here’s happiness to me that beguiles.
Dawns a day, and Ma wakes up early,
Finds the house bare and rather lonely,
And lo, the door-bell rings suddenly,
Her daughter and kids hug her in glee,
Here is crest of happiness to me.
One eve, the sun prepares when to pack,
I see grandpa— nigh bent at the back,
Nostalgic, playing old songs from rack
When breaks into dance that transcends age,
That’s happiness to me freed from cage.
______________________________________________
Based on a Gujarati poem by Shyamal Munshi, titled:
mane to sukh eman dekhaya, transliteration as follows:
ek ramakdun lai mana-gamatun,
mana khole hasatun ramatun,
mithan halardan sambhaltun,
mani same jotun balak unghi jaye,
mane to sukh eman dekhaye.
bhar bharelan daftar khakhi,
ek divas khunaman nakhi,
ninshal man pan chutti rakhi,
bhai-bandho sau thai ughada bhar varshaman nhaye,
mane to sukh eman dekhaye.
ichao laine ubheli,
ek chokari preme gheli,
nishchit sthane pahonchi vaheli,
premi ne jotan ni sathe acherun malakaye,
mane to sukh eman dekhaye.
ek divas ma vaheli jage,
ghar khali-kham sunun lage,
ghar no bel achanak vage,
‘ne bachhane lai dikari malava avi jaye,
mane to sukh eman dekhaye.
chho kede thi hoy valela,
ek sanj ni dubati vela,
dada sahu mitroni bhela,
juni filmo yad kari ne junan gito gaye,
mane to sukh eman dekhaye.
______________________________________________
Translations | 02.01.14 |
Lesser as I cried softer felt my pain,
When muffled loud sobs soother felt my pain.
With a power-saw I cut me into two,
Gave me solace, the succour soothed my pain.
Dwelling on my hurt and its remedies,
Ever the more severe felt my pain.
Yea, like a dog I chewed on painful bone,
Like a piece of great bother felt my pain.
No one came, no one went, none talked of it,
Nor yet mind mused and smoother felt my pain.
Years passed since hurt happened, and then one day
We laughed together. Whither went my pain?
Some pains are born with us and grow with us,
You age and ere ye know, older gets pain.
____________________________
Ghazal |38.01.2025|pain
Based on a Gujarati piece by Parul Khakhhar, no translation.
When I was He was not,
With He there I am not,
Narrow goes the love street,
For two space there is not.
O keep light loads on I —
Loads scarce can ye carry,
Lighten thy ego’s load —
And lighter shall ye fly.
Knock, knock, who’s at the door?
Me, it’s me, came the lore,
You, me, where’s space for two?
And knocks came nary more,
Returning long later,
It’s you, called the caller,
Prompt was he welcomed in
As one — the scene and seer!
Good if tomorrows teach,
But for today ye reach,
Now’s the time to live in,
Good if goes every itch.
___________________________
Musings | 06.02.2023 | ego, love,
Poet’s note: The first of five quatrains in the form of epigram is due to Kabeer, Prem galee ati sankaree. As to the second: the first-person singular pronoun huñ in Gujarati meaning I comes with a dot on the consonant. A heavy or big dot is deemed as undue load, luggage of ego. In love, till me and mine, you and me remain, the two in love remain apart, oneness never happens. The remaining three also talk on the same theme.
Buzz, Buzz
catch the fuzz,
it's all a big fus this buzz,
heros of literature use good buzz words,
knock buzz, it's all a fuzz
it's time for all this fus,
quarrel tantra mantra anger song literature anger jam,
superherores knock before the clock clocks,
superheros do the tantra mantra,
the simple life dance,
with simple talks,
the secret is out,
superheros do coloberate,
colors do shout,
Naga Anthemson talks Naga buzz anthems,
hush, naga can't get rid of this fuzz,
smile and blush like an x o yo,
Naga Anthemson beats the beat,
superheros without second heart beat,
death is angry,
selfless without feet,
Naga, I told you,
Superheros don't beat to shoes,
think of blues,
the times now are a few,
life has feeling with all views,
anger wishes are a struggle beyond screws,
the universe is universally beaten,
you have to take a hit like some Jews,
it's not my writing it's beyond my self in your shoes,
Selfless buzz, it's also called a big universally known buzz fuzz fuss beat, drew.
The word "Naga" means naked in the gujarati language
Take to arms, who will come ye to save?
What hope from face-less faces ye have?
Never plead, nor for them ever rave,
From shameless what succour can ye crave?
Take to arms, none will come ye to save.
________________________________
Translation |06.09.2024| women, world
Poet’s note: This is third in the three-piece series on the theme. The incidence is taken from Mahabharata during Draupadi’s vastra-haran, disrobing. All the elderly so-called keepers of dharma keep quiet in the name of righteous action under the circumstances. The original in Gujarati as transliterated (in PS-acceptable way) is as under:
Suno Daraupadi, shastra uthaalo, ab naa Givind aayenge,
Kab tak aas lagaaohi tum bike hue akhabaaro se,
Kaisee rakshaa maang rahi ho Duhshaasaan darbaaro se?
Svayam jo lajjaa heen pade hai vo kyaa laaj bachaayenge!
Suno Daraupadi, shastra uthaalo, ab naa Givind aayenge.
- Pushyamitra Upadhyay
If there’s anything life asks for,
Trusting self, nothing life asks for.
Make unfeeling hearts love as ere,
And back to bonding, life asks for.
Hiding lifetime’s hoard how we feel,
To free from such felling, asks for.
To portray just as picture is,
Free truth from hiding, life asks for.
To forget faults as to forgive,
And no explaining, life asks for.
________________________________
Ghazal |01.07.2023| life, self, truth, forgive
Poet’s note: Based on a Gujarati piece by Gunwant Thakkar
Every New year dream fresh Dreams
renew your life, turn your life
another...Remember keeping Dreaming
the ele eldest, dearest reverie...
The Desire of being happy... !
German Frohes Neues Jahr
Arabic ??? ????? (sana sa’eedah)
Catalan Feliç any nou
Danish Godt nytår
Slovak Štastný nový rok
Spanish Feliz año nuevo
French Bonne année
Greece ?a?? ?????? (Kali chronia)
Gujarati ??? ?????? (saal mubarak)
Hebrew ?????? ?????? (shana tova)
Hokkien Kung Hee Huat Tsai
Dutch Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
English Happy New Year
Italian Buon anno
Japanese ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (Akemae Omedetou Gozaimasu)
Latvian Laimigu Jauno gadu
Lithuanian Laimingu naujuju metu
Mandarin ?? ?? (Xin Nian Kuai Le)
Polish Szczesliwego nowego roku
Portuguese Happy New Year - Feliz ano novo
Romanian La mul?i ani!
Russian ? ????? ????? (S novim godom)
Serbian Srecna nova godina
Swahili Buiti iseri irumu
Swedish Gott nytt ar
Thai Sawatdee Pi Mai
Turkish Yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun
Quite the list Alkas. Here's another in Gaelic= Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh. Hope yours is a happy one. Tom
Song Happy New year Abba
https://youtu.be/3Uo0JAUWijM