Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost
New Hampshire
1923

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Ki Har Khwaish Pe Dam Nikle

- मिर्जा गालिब (Mirza Ghalib)

हजारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख्वाहिश पे दम निकले
बहुत निकले मेरे अरमाँ, लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले

डरे क्यों मेरा कातिल क्या रहेगा उसकी गर्दन पर
वो खून जो चश्म-ऐ-तर से उम्र भर यूं दम-ब-दम निकले

निकलना खुल्द से आदम का सुनते आये हैं लेकिन
बहुत बे-आबरू होकर तेरे कूचे से हम निकले

भ्रम खुल जाये जालीम तेरे कामत कि दराजी का
अगर इस तुर्रा-ए-पुरपेच-ओ-खम का पेच-ओ-खम निकले

मगर लिखवाये कोई उसको खत तो हमसे लिखवाये
हुई सुबह और घर से कान पर रखकर कलम निकले

हुई इस दौर में मनसूब मुझसे बादा-आशामी
फिर आया वो जमाना जो जहाँ से जाम-ए-जम निकले

हुई जिनसे तव्वको खस्तगी की दाद पाने की
वो हमसे भी ज्यादा खस्ता-ए-तेग-ए-सितम निकले

मुहब्बत में नहीं है फ़र्क जीने और मरने का
उसी को देख कर जीते हैं जिस काफिर पे दम निकले

जरा कर जोर सिने पर कि तीर-ऐ-पुरसितम निकले
जो वो निकले तो दिल निकले, जो दिल निकले तो दम निकले

खुदा के बासते पर्दा ना काबे से उठा जालिम
कहीं ऐसा न हो याँ भी वही काफिर सनम निकले

कहाँ मयखाने का दरवाजा 'गालिब' और कहाँ वाइज़
पर इतना जानते हैं, कल वो जाता था के हम निकले

--
चश्म-ऐ-तर - wet eyes
खुल्द - Paradise
कूचे - street
कामत - stature
दराजी - length
तुर्रा - ornamental tassel worn in the turban
पेच-ओ-खम - curls in the hair
मनसूब - association
बादा-आशामी - having to do with drinks
तव्वको - expectation
खस्तगी - injury
खस्ता - broken/sick/injured
तेग - sword
सितम - cruelity
क़ाबे - House Of Allah In Mecca
वाइज़ - preacher

The Battle Of Life

Life is a strange coliseum, where everyday everyone fight there battle, with life. There are some simple fights and some complex battles. From small child to an octogenarian everyone has got a fight may be small or big. A child fights to talk, to walk and to eat, essentially a child fights for everything that he/she can fight for. Slowly when they grow up they fight between themselves and fate and life for everything one might think of, from a piece of land to a piece of coin. They even fight just for the sake of fighting. It's like a curse and a boon at the same time. At one hand it hurts them but at the same time it makes them tougher in order to stand the higher ordeals of life that await in the distant future. Life is but a game and each one of us is a Gladiator in the game of life. When one of us fights any foe or friend the crowd around us enjoys, they enjoy each fall and also enjoy each time we rise. But watching this whole game is the Almighty who just sends each one into the arena at a proper time to fight it out for the sake of the themselves and for the sake of the world. Each time the challenges get tougher and tougher and each time we come out victorious the rewards are larger. But one day the fight for one does end and then he goes from this arena to another world, may be to another coliseum in another world or is reborn to fight again in this coliseum. The world is full of mystery and romance. The fights that God puts us through are a way to unveil these mysteries of life, because life is the greatest wonder among all the wonders on this earth.