Dream Weaver

मुझको भी तरकीब सिखा कोई यार जुलाहे

अक्सर तुझको देखा है कि ताना बुनते

जब कोई तागा टूट गया या ख़तम हुआ

फिर से बांधके और सिरा कोई जोड़ के उसमें

आगे बुनने लगते हो

तेरे इस ताने में लेकिन, इक भी गाँठ गिरह बुन्तर की

देख नहीं सकता है कोई

मैंने तो एक बार बुना था एक ही रिश्ता

लेकिन उसकी सारी गिरहें साफ़ नज़र आती हैं मेरे यार जुलाहे

Here is the translation of the original poem by Poet and lyricist Gulzar done by Pawan. K. Varma , writer and diplomat.

Teach me too trick or two, my weaver friend!

I have often seen you work the wrap

when a thread snaps or ends

you tie it

to some other

and begin to weave again

but in your weave

no one can see the knot

I had woven a relationship only once

But all its knots are clearly visible, my weaver friend !

Translated by Pawan. K. Varma

Gulzar Saheb has been my favorite poet since long. He is one of the very few who can bring out human relationships and emotions.

There is something about all his poems which connects with the inner instantly.

My eyes were filled and yet there was a smile on my lips when I first read this poem by Gulzar Saheb. This is such an evocative poem that for days the words kept coming back to me making me restless from within. The poet addresses a ‘julaha’ (weaver) admiring the way he spins a yarn with not a knot surfacing on the beautiful cloth and compares it with his own failed attempt to weave the fabric of a relationship which was replete with knots.

I asked the same question many a times to myself.. why can’t we weave the fabric of our relationships like the weaver. why is it that when a heart string breaks the knot is so starkly visible that it mars the beauty of an entire relationship built with love and care?

The answer which I get from within is very simple. We do not weave with unconditional love. The whole fabric of our life is filled with expectations we do not let our soul flow into it like the weaver. Be it the master weaver herself who had so beautifully woven the nights and days laced them with brilliant sunsets and enchanting sunrises.The fabric of life in the universe , in nature is so marvelously woven together with hardly a knot seen anywhere. I know She is a woman.

Selflessness is the key I guess.

We go into the intricacies, logic, explanations, we are never delicate, calm and loving in our approach when faced with a problem. We struggle, we fight with our inner and with the others and in that process tend to break the thread that binds us. Once broken we never give it the tenderness and attention it needs and make a shoddy affair of it.

May be that is the reason I selected my blog’s name as Spinning a yarn of life .. where I spin the words in to threads and weave my dreams, my hopes to make a fabric of life where the loose end merge in such a way that no knots are visible. It brings me closer to the master weaver and connects me with her.

I set my mind, heart and soul free to create yarns which color my world and may some others too. It is joy away from reality to bring the beauty of hurt, pain ,love, joy and every other emotion. To be one with the universe, with nature, with my own inner, to let the child in me meet the woman in me and merge beautifully.

I wanted to write a poem inspired by this one and here is my attempt. With due respect to my much admired and loved poet I have tried to weave the two poems together. Hope my attempt will be seen in the light of creativity and I shall be forgiven to use the poem without permission.

DREAM WEAVER

I am a tale weaver

I spin the words to make

colorful yarns

merging loose and broken ends

dissolving the knots

to create the cloth of dreams

and I owe it all to you

my weaver friend

who taught me the knack of

how to weave the rhythm of life

into tales of the soul

to write songs and verses

with the smoothness

of my silken thoughts

to bring color texture and feel

to my work just as hers

to infuse the joy and sorrow

laughter and tears

known and unknown

mysteries of life

to merge the nostalgia of youth

with the grace of old age

to combine , compare and define

what’s old and new

to blend haunting memories, broken dreams,

love’s promises, passions and desires

To see what no other eye can see

to create

lyrical images

magical yet meaningful patterns

and weave an exquisite garment called life