Yet another college story !

Setting:A typical messy boys hostel room.Time : 4 AM. Dramatis personae:A final year student,trying to clutch at the mosquito repellent just out of his reach amidst the pile of stuff on the table with one hand,and embarking on a vain attempt to shoo away the buzzing bastards with the other.Music playing in the background.For the character,this has been another day of getting up at noon,going through the placement drone,sharing expletives,disappointments and convictions with a bunchful of equally hyperactive colleagues,ending with a nite out.The character seems disappointed at having failed to bag yet another opportunity of a godforsaken job at some metro city with some kind of fat compensation.More so,he seems oddly confused.Till now,he never had to plan for things,He has no clue what he wants to do for a living.He had had a clue once.He long forgot all about it.Sometimes,he wants to revive that lost dream.However,somehow doing so requires a plunge that various elements in him sternly suggest to stay away from.The mosquito continues buzzing in his ear,and as he gears up for another shot at the repellent,he impulsively feels a connection with the poor insect and hmmmms along with it;idly wondering if the hmmmm is symantically viable and he has a shot of actually conversing with the mosquito.A Lynyrd Skynyrd song comes up,one of his favorites.The character whistles along initially,and then closes his eyes,and listens.

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.

Go take your time... Don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Oh,won't you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Better be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.

The character gets up,finds the repellant and plugs it in.He then opens up blogger and posts the lyrics in the hope that he always remembers them,as a note.For somehow,within all the idealistic overtones,the song does seem to make sense.A lot of sense.

P.S: In case you have not yet laid your hands on Lynyrd Skynyrd,do.The song is "Simple Man".Also check out "Free bird","Tuesday's gone" and "Sweet home Alabama"-good lyrics, and awesome solos..Its a pity the original Skynyrd band is no more.Music is all the more poorer for this loss.

The Cup

The Cup

-Swami Vivekananda

This is your cup -- the cup assigned
to you from the beginning.
Nay, My child, I know how much
of that dark drink is your own brew
Of fault and passion, ages long ago,
In the deep years of yesterday, I know.

This is your road -- a painful road and drear.
I made the stones that never give you rest.
I set your friend in pleasant ways and clear,
And he shall come like you, unto My breast.
But you, My child, must travel here.

This is your task. It has no joy nor grace,
But it is not meant for any other hand,
And in My universe hath measured place,
Take it. I do not bid you understand.
I bid you close your eyes to see My face.

6 years have passed since I read "The Cup" in one of my high school literature courses,and this poem still remains my favorite.

A cup of life

It is so small a thing
To have enjoyed the sun,
To have lived light in the spring,
To have loved, to have thought, to have done...

-Matthew Arnold

All you get from love is a love song

Like sailing on a sailing ship to nowhere
Love took over my heart like an ocean breeze
As seagulls fly I knew that I was losing
Love was washed away with the drifting tide
Oh it's a dirty old shame
When all you get from love is a love song
That's got you laying up nights
Just waiting for the music to start
It's such a dirty old shame
When you got to take the blame for a love song
Because the best love songs are written
With a broken heart
And now the tears in my eyes are ever blinding
The future that lies before me I cannot see
Although tomorrow I know the sun is rising
Lighting up the world for everyone, but not for me.

Bandeya Ho..

Baba Bulleh Shah (a Sufi saint-poet from the Punjab part of Pakistan) was coaxed by his relatives to leave his 'Mursheed' or guru whom he called 'Raiyaan' or 'Raaniya". His Guru, the famous saint Shah Inayat Qadri belonged to the 'Arain' or 'Raeen' caste, while Bulleh Shah belonged to the Syed caste (he was a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad). Bulleh Shah had to face the resentment and taunts of his family and other 'Syed' friends for accepting the spiritual guidance of a non-Syed. Bulleh Shah rejected his critics' false concept of inherent superiority and nobility of any caste through his poetry.
A particularly striking song Bandeya Ho of the Pakistani movie Khuda Ke Liye(In the name of God),takes the lyrics of a poem Bulleh Shah wrote as an answer to the society.He explains through this poem that whoever calls him 'Syed' will be punished in hell and who ever calls him 'Raaniya' will be showered with blessings...because for him his Guru is everything and his caste is now the same as his Guru's.
The poem talks of the equality of men,as well as imploring mankind for its preposterious attitude while taking the cover of religion and sanity.The lines,in Siraiki and Punjabi,roughly translated,follow thus:

Bulleh nu samjhawan aiyaan bhena te bharjhaiyaan
Manlay Bulleya sada kehna chad de palla raiyaan
Bulleh Shah's sisters and sisters-in-laws came to convince him. Bulleya, please do as we tell you and leave the Arain's (his guru’s) company.

Aal nabi ullad Nabi nu tu kyun leekaan laaiyaan
Jera sanu syed sadday dozakh milan sazaiyaan
(Bulleh Shah replies):
Why do you separate the Prophet's and Ali's decendants from the common people (why do you wedge a divide between the two)?
The one who calls me ‘Syed’ will go to hell, but the one who calls me ‘Arain’ will enjoy the comforts of heaven

Bandeya Ho Bandeya
Bandeya Ho
Bandeya Ho Bandeya
Bandeya Ho
Imploring mandkind...(Banda means man, while Bandeya refers to Mankind)

Raeen saain sabhan thaain rab diyaan be parwaiyaan
Sohniyaan pare hataiyaan te khoojiyaan lay gall laiyaan
Arain and masters are born at every place, God does not discriminate against anyone.
Beautiful people don't care for such differences, only the ugly ones do

Je tu loorain baag baharaan chaakar hoo ja raiyaan
Bulleh Shah di zaat ki puchni shakar ho razaiyaan
If you seek to the gardens of heaven, become a servant to the ‘Arains’. Why ask about the caste of Bulleh Shah? Instead be grateful in the God's will.

Bandya Ho Bandya
Bandya Ho...
Bandya Ho Bandya
Bandya Ho...

Another awesome Bulleh Shah poem Bulla Ki Jana was made into a song by one of my favourite artists,Rabbi Shergill in his debut album Rabbi.Watch it,the video is a beautiful one too.

This new year...

I know somewhere there's a party going on

Interesting peoples' conversation to be found

I've lived in cities where there is no solitude

made some friends there that i wish i never lose

but for now,i want to stay in this quiet town.

Stargazer..to Stardust

It was past 4 in the night,and this guy had had no sleep for almost two days straight now.As he lay passive,almost dead-still,amidst the smoke that surrounded him in a comfortable haze while threatening to strangle him some day,reflecting on the more trivial aspects that life continued to dish out for him with almost uncanny punctuality,along came
a most naked song,by the world's most loved rock band,at the most opportune moment.
The lines go thus:

Tough
You think you’ve got the stuff
You're telling me and anyone
You're hard enough

You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone

And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

We fight
All the time
You and I, that’s alright
We're the same soul

I don't need
I don't need to hear you say
That if we weren't so alike
You would like me a whole lot more

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone

And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

This is it

I know that we don't talk
I am sick of it all
Can you hear me when I sing?
You are the reason I sing
You're the reason
Why the opera is in me

Where are we now?
Still got to let you know
A house doesn't make a home
Don't leave me here alone

And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you that makes it hard to let go
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

Sometimes you can't make it
The best you can do
Is to fake it

Sometimes you can't make it on your own.

(Sometimes you can't make it on your own,by U2)

Survivor - Eye of the Tiger - Rocky IV

Rising up
back on the street
did my time,took my chances
went the distance
now i'm back on my feet
just a man,and and his will to survive..

So many times
it happens too fast
you trade your passion for glory
don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
you must fight just to keep them alive..

It's the eye of the tiger
it's the thrill of the fight
rising up to the challenge of our rival
and the last known survivor
stalks his prey in the night
and he's watching us all with the eye
of the tiger

Face to face
out in the heat
hangin' tough
stayin' hungry
they stack the odds
still we take to the street
for the kill with the will to survive

It's the eye of the tiger
it's the thrill of the fight
rising up to the challenge of our rival
and the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
and he's watchin us all with the eye...


one of the most inspiring tracks ever...

subtitulo

I know somewhere there is a party going down
Interesting peoples' conversation to be found
I've lived in cities where there is no solitude
made some friends there that I hope I'll never lose
But, for now, I want to stay in this quiet town.

sometimes I miss the shows I loved a long time ago.
Come Sunday morning there's a market on the square
Children are playing, bells are ringing in the air
Old men are drinking, it's a lazy afternoon
content with thinking that there is nothing to do
So for now, I'm gonna stay in this quiet town

On the street you are listening to every beat of your heart
Want to know if it's working and you're still alive
On your feet you are walking around with your clothes torn apart
In a nightmare where the question is how to survive

In this dangerous land
I'm trying the best that I can
to be a respectable man
So won't you listen won't you listen to me

I'm breaking the law if you don't give me more than public attention
I'm breaking the rules gonna act like a fool

On the street you are looking so hard for a place for the night
All you want is understanding of your basic rights

In this dangerous land
I'm trying the best that I can
to be a respectable man
So won't you listen won't you listen to me

I'm breaking the law if you don't give me more than public attention
I'm breaking the rules gonna act like a fool
I'm crossing the line if you don't give me time on your television
I've got something to say don't push me away

(MLTR -breaking the rules)

3 AM we seemed alright

iitk is a whole new world.one keeps on discovering new things on a regular basis.Academically,have never felt so crappy in my life..when marks were not breezing by in the first(or second ;) ) sem,we had a consolation-we hadnt studied to deserve good grades-but as i said,life teaches you new things here-the more you study-the more you come to realize how far away you are from perfection...this sem has been on the exact lines.full stop.


p.s-as the number " 3 AM" by poets of the fall plays in the background,couldnt help but agreeing with these people...