Sunday, March 30, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

कुछ है ख़बर तुझे भी कि उठ-उठ के रात को
आशिक़ तेरी गली में कई बार हो गया

तुम ने तो एक दिन भी न इधर गुज़र किया
हम ने ही इस जहान से आख़िर सफ़र किया
-ख़्वाजा मीर दर्द

kuchh hai khabar tujhe bhii ki uth-uth ke raat ko
aashiq terii galii mein kaii baar ho gayaa

tum ne to ek din bhii na idhar guzar kiyaa
hum ne hii is jahaan se aakhir safar kiyaa
-Khwaja Mir Dard

Do you know that I kept waking up all night
Walking down to the street where you live

Not a single day did you pass this way
Finally, I have bid goodbye to this world

English translation by Manish Modi

Friday, March 28, 2008

Veeru da jawaab nahiin!

है अगर दुश्मन ज़माना ग़म नहीं
कोई आये कोई जाये हम किसी से कम नहीं
-"हम किसी से कम नहीं" फ़िल्म से

hai agar dushman zamaanaa gham nahiin
koii aaye koii jaaye hum kisii ke kam nahiin
-From the soundtrack of "Hum Kisi se Kam Nahin"

No pains, even if the world is an enemy
They may come and go, but I am less than nobody

English translation by Manish Modi
Sher contributed by "Dhoom Macha De"
_______________
Veerendra Sehwag showed us why he deserves to be counted as one of India's greatest test cricketers, with a smashing triple ton off 278
balls with 41 fours and 5 sixes. Veeru thumped South African bowling to all corners, displaying complete mastery.

Way to go, Veeru! We want a quadruple ton from your tomorrow! India should win this test match and the series.

ROZ EK SHER

गो हाथ में जुम्बिश नहीं आँखों में तो दम है
रहने दो अभी साग़रो-मीना मेरे आगे
-ग़ालिब

go haath mein jumbish nahiin, aankhon mein to dum hai
rahne do abhii saagharo-miinaa mere aage
-Ghalib

The hands may be incapable of movement, but the eyes can still look
Please let the goblet and decanter of wine remain in front of me

English translation by Manish Modi
_____________
THE CONCEPT OF HERO IN INDIAN CULTURE
Ed. By Heidrun Brückner, Hugh van Skyhawk, Claus Peter Zoller
2007    250 x 165 mm    292 pp
Hardcover deluxe edition    Rs. 795

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Good news for book lovers!

Namo Vitaragaya

Dear friends,
Jay Jinendra

We are pleased to inform you that we have been gifted some 200 books, all published in the 1960s and 1970s, in good condition. These are novels, short stories and poems.

The writers are all top drawer, from Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay and Vimal Mitra in Bengali to Dhumketu and Gaurishankar Ojha in Gujarati.

We will be happy to gift them away.

All of you book lovers are welcome to come over and choose the books that you like. It shall be our pleasure to gift the books to you.

The books are available on a first come - first served basis.
_____________________________________________

Please come to our bookstore from 11 am to 7 pm, from Monday to Saturday.

All are welcome!

HINDI GRANTH KARYALAY
Publishers Since 1912
9 Hirabaug C P Tank
Mumbai 400004 INDIA
Phones: + 91 22 2382-6739, 2035-6659

Email: manishymodi@gmail.com
Web: http://www.hindibooks.8m.com

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

मैं किस के हाथ पे अपना लहू तलाश करूँ
कि सारा शहर ही पहने हुए है दस्ताने
-मुस्तफ़ा ज़ैदी

man kis ke haath pe apnaa lahuu talaash karuun
ki saaraa shahar hii pahne huey hai dastaane
-Mustafa Zaidi

Whose hands should I check for traces of my blood
When the entire city wears gloves?

English translation by Manish Modi
_____________
BIHARIDAS KI SATSAI
Poetry of Bihari
Critically Edited by Lakshmidhar Malaviya
With Detailed Introduction, text in Devanagari and Nataliq,
5 commentaries, exhaustive linguistic & poetic analysis
Hindi
Set of 3 books
2008    250 x 190 mm    940 pp in 3 vols.
Deluxe hardcover edition    Rs. 1500 per set

Monday, March 24, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

दहर की तहक़ीर कर इतनी न ऐ शेखे-हरम
आज काबा बन गया कल तक यही बुतखाना था
-अमीर मीनाई

dahar ki tahqiir kar itnii na ai sheikhe-haram
aaj kaabaa ban gayaa, kal tak yahii butkhaanaa thaa
-Amir Minai

Do not underestimate the power of time so much, o Sheikh
Until yesterday, a temple stood where Kaba stands today

English translation by Manish Modi
___________
LIFE AND STORIES OF THE JAINA SAVIOUR PARSHVA
By Prof Maurice Bloomfield
English translation of Acarya Bhavadeva's PARSHVACARITRAM
Hardcover
Rs. 600

Friday, March 21, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

ये चाँद सी बाहें ये फूलों से लब
किसी दिन इन्हें मेरी इम्लाक कर
-अदम

ye chaand sii baahein ye phuulon se lab
kisii din inhein merii imlaak kar
-Adam

These arms like silver, these lips like flowers
Make me their master one day

English translation by Manish Modi
___________________
PARSHVACARITRAM: THE LIFE OF PARSHVA
By Acarya Gunabhadra
Ed. and tr. into English
By Prof Dr Willem Bollee
Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 24
Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay 2008
250 x 190 mm    40 pp
ISBN 978-81-88769-35-3    Softcover     Rs. 80

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

लिपट जाते हैं वो बिजली के डर से
इलाही ये घटा दो दिन तो बरसे
-रियाज़ ख़ैराबादी

lipat jaate hain vo bijlii ke dar se
ilaahii ye ghataa do din to barse
-Riyaz Khairabadi

She clings to me, afraid of lightning
O god, let it rain for two days at least!

English translation by Manish Modi
________________
PARSHVACARITRAM: THE LIFE OF PARSHVA
By Acarya Gunabhadra
Ed. and tr. into English
By Prof Dr Willem Bollee
Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 24
Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay 2008
250 x 190 mm    40 pp
ISBN 978-81-88769-35-3    Softcover     Rs. 80

ROZ EK SHER

काँटे लिपट न जायें किसी दस्ते-नाज़ से
फूलों से खेलने का इरादा न कीजिये
-साबिर सहारनपुरी

kaante lipat na jaayein kisii daste-naaz se
phuulon se khelne kaa iraadaa na kiijiye
-Sabir Saharanpuri

Careful! Thorns may get stuck in your delicate hands
Do not intend to play with flowers

English adaptation by Manish Modi
__________________
PARSHVACARITRAM: THE LIFE OF PARSHVA
By Acarya Gunabhadra
Ed. and tr. into English
By Prof Dr Willem Bollee
Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 24
Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay 2008
250 x 190 mm    40 pp
ISBN 978-81-88769-35-3    Softcover     Rs. 80

Monday, March 17, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

न ख़ुदा ही मिला न विसाले-सनम
न इधर के रहे न उधर के रहे
-आफ़्ताब

na khudaa hii milaa na visaale-sanam
na idhar ke rahe na udhar ke rahe
-Aftab

Neither god nor my beloved's arms did I find
I belong neither here nor there

English translation by Manish Modi



Thursday, March 13, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

इस इमारत में रहेंगी कई नस्लें राही
रेत इतनी न भरो नींव में ठेकेदारो!
-बालस्वरूप राही

is imaarat mein rahengii kaii naslein Rahi
ret itnii na bharo niinv mein thekedaaro!
-Balsvarup Rahi

Many generations shall dwell in this building
So do not weaken the foundation with sand*, o builders!

English translation by Manish Modi

Cement and sand need to be mixed in a certain proportion in order to construct buildings. Since sand is cheaper than cement, most building contractors add more sand than necessary in order to maxImise their profits, at the expense of weakening the foundations of the buildings they build. Many such poorly constructed buildings collapse each year, killing hundreds of dwellers. Hence, the poet addresses builders and tries to get them to think of the innocent people who would live in the buildings they construct and whose lives would be at stake if they were to construct an inferior building.

Monday, March 10, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

आपकी शोख़ याद आ-आकर
चूमती बार-बार है मुझको
-रोहिताश्व अस्थाना

aapkii shokh yaad aa-aakar
chuumtii baar-baar hai mujhko
-Rohitashva Asthana

Your mischievous memory keeps coming
And caresses me again and again

English translation by Manish Modi

Sunday, March 09, 2008

On Mahila Divas

ये और बात कि आन्धी हमारे बस में नहीं
मगर चराग़ जलाना तो हमारे इख़्तियार में है
-अनजान

ye aur baat hai ki aandhii hamaare bas mein nahiin
magar charaagh jalaanaa to hamaare ikhtiyaar mein hai
-Unknown

It is a different matter that we have no control over storms,
But lighting a lamp is in our hands.

English translation by Manish Modi

Friday, March 07, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

सपने सजा रहा था कि यौवन गुज़र गया
जागा तो देखता हूँ कि जीवन गुज़र गया
-नन्दलाल पाठक

sapne sajaa rahaa thaa ki yauvan guzar gayaa
jaagaa to dekhtaa huun ki jiivan guzar gayaa
-Nandlal Pathak

I lost my youth engrossed in dreaming
And woke up to find that life had passed me by

English adaptation by Manish Modi
________________________
SATHOTTARI HINDI GHAZAL: SHILPA AUR SAMVEDANA
Analytical Study of Hindi Ghazals from the 1960s Onwards
By Dr Sadiqa Aslam Nawab "Saher"
2007    220 x 140 mm    424 pp
Hardcover     Rs. 500

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

दिल ख़ुदा जाने किसके पास रहा
इन दिनों दिल बहुत उदास रहा
-नज़ीर अकबराबादी

dil khudaa jaane kiske paas rahaa
in dino dil bahut udaas rahaa
-Nazir Akbarabadi

God knows where my heart has been
But these days, it's been very sad

English adaptation by Manish Modi
________________________
SATHOTTARI HINDI GHAZAL: SHILPA AUR SAMVEDANA
Analytical Study of Hindi Ghazals from the 1960s Onwards
By Dr Sadiqa Aslam Nawab "Saher"
2007    220 x 140 mm    424 pp
Hardcover     Rs. 500

ROZ EK SHER

संपूर्ण मी तरु कि आहे नगण्य पर्ण
सांगेल राख माझी गेल्यावरी जळून
-आरती प्रभु

sampuurna mii taru ki aahe naganya parna
saangel raakh maazii gelyaavarii jaluun
-Arati Prabhu

Whether I am a complete tree, or a mere leaf
My ashes shall give the answer after I am gone,

English translation by Manish Modi
__________
Yesterday's sher was mistakenly credited to Muhammad Yusuf Khatri. It
is actually by Shakil Badayuni. It was part of a ghazal rendered
beautifully by the incomparable Begham Akhtar. I apologise for this
faux pas and thank my friends Satyanarayana Hegde and Raj Mittal for
pointing it out to me..

Manish

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

ऐ मुहब्बत तेरे अंजाम पे रोना आया
जाने क्यों आज तेरे नाम पे रोना आया
-मुहम्मद यूसुफ़ खत्री

ai muhabbat tere anjaam pe ronaa aayaa
jaane kyun aaj tere naam pe ronaa aayaa
-Muhammad Yusuf Khatri

O love, your consequences drove me to despair
Today, I know not why, your very mention drove me to tears

English translation by Manish Modi
_____________________
SATHOTTARI HINDI GHAZAL: SHILPA AUR SAMVEDANA
Analytical Study of Hindi Ghazals from the 1960s Onwards
By Dr Sadiqa Aslam Nawab "Saher"
2007    220 x 140 mm    424 pp
Hardcover     Rs. 500

Monday, March 03, 2008

ROZ EK SHER

तेरी चाहत के सन्नाटे से डरकर
हुजूमे-ज़िन्दगी में खो गये हम
-शोहरत बुखारी

terii chaahat ke sannaate se darkar
hujuume-zindagii mein kho gaye hum
-Shohrat Bukhari

Afraid of the loneliness of your love,
I hid myself in the of crowd of life.

English translation by Manish Modi
_____________________
SATHOTTARI HINDI GHAZAL: SHILPA AUR SAMVEDANA
Analytical Study of Hindi Ghazals from the 1960s Onwards
By Dr Sadiqa Aslam Nawab "Saher"
2007    220 x 140 mm    424 pp
Hardcover     Rs. 500