Tuesday, November 11, 2014

All I ask... : A prayer

The other day I had a "re-org" attack and was looking at old pics to organize.
As usual, I got lost in looking at the pics and recollecting the "good ol' days" (Well, not that the present days are any bad, but saying "good ol' days" has its own charm :P)
Anyways, I digress.

I found a pic of a poster I had put up on my hostel wall.
The pic is a tad bit blurry (yeah, yeah I didn't have the fancy smancy 10MP cam then :P) Good old Nokia. *sigh*
So here's the marathi version (as I had read it somewhere) :
The original Bengali version is here [Courtesy : SG]

विपत्ति मधे तू माझे रक्षण कर
ही माझी प्रार्थना नाही.
विपत्ति मधे मी भयभीत होऊ नये
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

दु:खतापाने व्यथित झालेल्या माझ्या मना चे
तू सान्त्वन करावेस
अशी माझी अपेक्षा नाही.
दु:खावर जय मिळवता यावा,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझ्या मदतीला कोणी आले नाही,
तर माझे बाळ मोडून पडू नये,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझे रक्षण तू करावेस, मला तारावेस,
ही माझी प्रार्थना नाही.
तरुन जाण्याचे सामर्थ्य माझ्यात असावे,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझे ओझे हलके करून तू माझे सान्त्वन केले नाहीस
तरी माझी तक्रार नाही
ते ओझे वाहायची शक्ति माझ्यात असावी
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

सुखाच्या  दिवसांत नतमस्तक होऊन
मी तुझा चेहेरा ओळखून काढीन.
दु:खाच्या रात्री, सारे जग जेव्हा माझी फसवणूक करेल,
तेव्हा तुझ्या विषयी माझ्या मनात शंका निर्माण होऊ नये
एवढीच च माझी इच्छा...

~रवींद्रनाथ टागोर

And since I am bitten by the translation bug these days, I had to attempt a translation Simply could _not_ leave it alone. ;)
Here goes my attempt at translation :

I would never pray for you
to protect me from perils;
That I never be frightened by perils
is all I ask...

I would never expect you to console
my soul that's fraught with pain;
That I can conquer the sorrowful sea,
is all I ask...

Even though none comes forth to help;
Let my strength not fail me
is all I ask...

When the world fools me
and I face betrayal;
Let my mind be strong, and let it not waver
is all I ask...

I would never pray for you
to shield me from dangers;
That I may have the capacity to stay afloat
is all I ask...

I would never complain even if you
do not reduce my burden;
That I be strong enough to carry that burden
is all I ask...

In happier times, I will bow down to you 
and recognize your face;
In dark times, when the world betrays me
Let my mind never doubt you,
is all I ask...

~Rabindranath Tagore

[Translated on 11th Nov 2014]