5 verses · ~1 min
मैं विद्युत् में तुम्हें निहारूँ नील गगन में पंख पसारूँ; दुःख है, तुमसे बिछड़ गया हूँ किन्तु तुम्हारी सुधि न बिसारूँ!
उलझन में दुःख में वियोग में अब तुम याद बहुत आती हो; घनी घटा में तुमको खोजूँ मैं विद्युत् में तुम्हें निहारूँ;
जब से बिछुड़े हैं हम दोनों मति-गति मेरी बदल गई है; पावस में हिम में बसंत में हँसते-रोते तुम्हें पुकारूँ!
तब तक मन मंदिर में मेरे होती रहे तुम्हारी पग-ध्वनि; तब तक उत्साहित हूँ, बाजी इस जीवन की कभी न हारूँ!
तुम हो दूर दूर हूँ मैं भी जीने की यह रीती निकालें, तुम प्रेमी हो-प्रेम पसारो मैं प्रेमी हूँ-जीवन वारूँ!!
इति
The Poet
गोपाल सिंह नेपाली
Gopal Singh Nepali
1911 · 1963
Gopal Singh Nepali lived a life divided between the quiet beauty of nature and the demanding glare of the Hindi film industry. Born in 1911 in Bettiah, Bihar, he emerged as a prominent voice in the post Chhayavaad era of Hindi poetry. Collections like Umang and Panchhi captured a profound love for the natural world, freedom, and the Himalayan landscapes. However, financial struggles eventually pushed him toward Mumbai, where he achieved tremendous success as a lyricist. He wrote roughly three hundred songs for over fifty films, crafting immortal melodies that blended high poetic dignity with popular appeal. During the national crisis of 1962, he wrote stirring patriotic verses that roused the conscience of the nation. Yet, despite his massive contributions to literature and cinema, the literary establishment often treated him with undeserved neglect. He passed away suddenly at the Bhagalpur railway station in 1963, completely unrecognized in his final moments. His life stands as a poignant reminder of the heavy price often paid by independent artists.
Paired Painting
The Banished Yaksha
Abanindranath Tagore breathes life into the poignant verses of Kalidasa, capturing the profound melancholy of the Yaksha, a celestial being exiled from his home. Seated in the dense, shadowed forests of Ramagiri, the Yaksha reaches out toward the darkening clouds, his soul yearning to send a message of love to his distant bride. Tagore utilizes the wash technique to create a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere, where the boundary between the mortal world and the divine realm dissolves into the misty, verdant canopy. This painting serves as an evocative testament to the resilience of human longing: it remains a masterwork of Indian emotional expression, echoing the eternal quest for connection across vast distances.
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