Both of them liked being out on Delhi roads

at dawn.

As they reached the DND flyover from Sarai Kale Khan
they could see a red sun over Okhla,

and as they went down towards Ashram, she said -
if only this Yamuna had a little life in it, no?

He got a little bothered
at this sudden, pretentious love for nature -

I have come all the way from Yamuna Vihar,
the petrol's almost gone,
and you're thinking of the river.

How many cities
will we move in this one city

to look for a place.


Tr. from Ravish Kumar's ?????? ?

Ravish Kumar

 

To escape the rain

tr. from Ravish Kumar's ?????? ??

To escape the rain,
he parked the scooter
under the Moolchand flyover.

They were so lost in each other
they didn't even notice
all the other scooters
waiting around them
for the rain to end.

For no reason at all,
he kept on trying
to become her umbrella,

and she felt good
under an umbrella she didn't need
below a flyover.

All the people around them
stared as if they were a
leftover cloud.

Ravish Kumar

 

I have that small town feeling today

tr. from Ravish Kumar's ?????? ?

I have that small town feeling today...
    and I feel like metro.

You know, whenever you pass by South Ex, I feel like Karawal Nagar.
    Shut up, you're crazy. In Delhi, everyone feels like Delhi.

That's not how it is. Not every one in Delhi is Delhi. Just like
everyone doesn't have love in their eyes...
    okay, but then how am I South Ex?

Just like I am Karawal Nagar.
    You're right...

you know, if this Barahpula flyover wasn't there, then the distance
between South Ex and Sarai Kale Khan would've been too much.
    Are you in love with me or with the city?

With the city; because my city is you.

Ravish Kumar

 

Come

tr. from Ashok Vajpeyi's '??'

Come,
like darkness comes near darkness,
like water runs into water,
like light dissolves in light,

come, wear me,
like a tree wears the bark,
like a mud-path wears the grass,

take me,
like the darkness takes the roots,
like water takes the moon,
like the infinite takes time.

???? ?? ???? ???? ??, ???? ?? ????,

????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ??, ?? ?? ??
???????, ??? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????-
-???? ??????? ?? ?? ????, ?? ??? ??
?? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ????? ??,
?? ??? ???? ???? ????, ?? ?? ????? ?? - 
??? ???-??? ??????? ???, ?? ?? ???????,
????? ??? ??? ??? (??? ????!) ??????? ?? ??????

tr. from Vikram Seth's 'Dubious'

?????? ???

 

?? ???? ?? ??? - Dorothy Parker

tr. from Dorothy Parker's 'A Very Short Song'

?? ??????,
    ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????,
?? ??? ???
    ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?????,
?? ???
    ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??,
???? ???? ??
    ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???

???? ?? ?? ??
    ???????? ?? ???!
???? ?? ?? ??
    ???? ??? ??????!
??? ?? ???,
    ????? ???? ?? ??? ????,
?? ??? ????
    ???????? ?? ????

Dorothy Parker

 

A Blessing

tr. from Dushyant Kumar's '?? ????????'

May your dreams be big,
may they outgrow 'could have,' 'should have,'
and get to walk on earth,
may they sulk an' go crazy for
the impossible heights of stars,
may they laugh,
smile,
sing, reach Mars,
may your dreams long for the flame,
may they burn their fingers,
may they stand on their own feet
an' do their own jig, may your dreams
be big.

Dushyant Kumar

 

News

tr. from Dushyant Kumar's 'Suchna'

Yesterday, Ma told me --
"Her marriage has been arranged,"
  standing there, I smiled, silent,
an' back in my room, I cried, there
  will be two worlds to me now, always,
  - my room and my home.

Dushyant Kumar

??????????? ????? ?? '????? ?????' ???? ???

?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????: "???,
???? ????? ??? ???, ?? ?????????-????? ?? 
??? ??? ??? ??," ?? ???? ??? ??
????? ????, ???? "????? ?? ??????
?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???????, ??? ?
???? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ????
??? ??, ???? ?? ?? ????????? ????? ??
????-???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???"