{"id":8624,"date":"2019-03-07T01:58:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T01:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/?p=8624"},"modified":"2019-03-07T14:18:55","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T14:18:55","slug":"learning-hindi-through-poetry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/learning-hindi-through-poetry\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Hindi through Poetry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Literature can be a powerful way to learn a new language. Although, at the most basic levels of language learning, the student may at first focus on simple vocabulary and grammatical structures, these are not what gives a language its depth and vibrancy. Particularly in South Asian culture, which has a rich oral and literary tradition that spans centuries, your interlocutors will appreciate even a rudimentary awareness of poetic and other literary traditions and indeed some knowledge of the writers themselves. Through literature, you can open a window that extends ever wider into a distinctive culture and way of life to which you previously did not have access. In this way, you are able to see the language in all of its living, breathing dimensions \u2013 as playful, comedic, lovelorn, bleak and sorrowful, mysterious and timeless and universal yet utterly particular to a specific time and place. In this blog, I’ll delve into another poem by Parveen Shakir but, this time, focus at the end not only on explaining unfamiliar vocabulary but on expanding the student’s vocabulary to encompass differing registers. If you’d like to catch up on my previous posts about this poet, you can do so here: Parveen Shakir: A Poetess for the Modern Age <\/a>and The Poetry of Parveen Shakir<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by James Loesch on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hindi Text<\/strong><\/td>\nTransliteration<\/strong><\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0936\u093e\u092e \u0906\u0908 \u0924\u0947\u0930\u0940 \u092f\u093e\u0926\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u0947 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Shaam aayi teri yaadon ke sitaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nEvening came and memories of you \u2013 like stars \u2013 emerged<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0930\u0902\u0917 \u0939\u0940 \u0917\u093c\u092e \u0915\u0947 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0928\u0915\u093c\u094d\u0936 \u092a\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Rang hi gam* ke nahin naksh* bhi pyaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nNot only the shades \u2013 even the shadows of grief seemed precious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u090f\u0915 \u092e\u094c\u0939\u0942\u092e \u0924\u092e\u0928\u094d\u0928\u093e \u0915\u0947 \u0938\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Ek mauhoom* tamanna* ke sahaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nAn idyll emerged, abetted by desire<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u091a\u093e\u0901\u0926 \u0915\u0947 \u0938\u093e\u0925 \u0924\u0947\u0930\u0947 \u0939\u093f\u091c\u094d\u0930 \u0915\u0947 \u092e\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Chaand ke saath tere hijra* ke maare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nIt rose with the moon, stung by your careless absence<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0915\u094b\u0908 \u092e\u094c\u0938\u092e \u0939\u094b \u092e\u0917\u0930 \u0936\u093e\u0928-\u090f-\u0916\u093c\u092e-\u0913-\u092a\u0947\u091a \u0935\u0939\u0940<\/td>\nKoi mausam ho magar shaan-e-kham-o-pech* vahi<\/em><\/td>\nWhatever the season, the grandeur of this twisted labyrinth remains<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0930\u093e\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u0924\u0930\u0939 \u0915\u094b\u0908 \u091c\u0941\u0932\u094d\u092b\u093c \u0938\u0901\u0935\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Raat ki tarah koi zulf* sanvaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nAs the night unfolds \u2013 a lock of hair falls free of its knot<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0930\u0915\u093c\u094d\u0938 \u091c\u093f\u0928 \u0915\u093e \u0939\u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0938\u093e\u0939\u093f\u0932 \u0938\u0947 \u092c\u0939\u093e \u0932\u093e\u092f\u093e \u0925\u093e<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Raqs* jin* kaa hame saahil se bahaa laayaa thaa<\/em><\/td>\nThe spirit\u2019s dance carried us, on crashing waves, far from shore<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0935\u0939 \u092d\u0901\u0935\u0930 \u0906\u0901\u0916 \u0924\u0915 \u0906\u090f \u0924\u094b \u0915\u093f\u0928\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Voh bhanvar* aankh taka aye to kinaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nYet, even as its raging swell threatened to engulf us, the shore lay \u00ad\u2013 always \u2013 in its wake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0935\u0939 \u0924\u094b \u091c\u093e\u0928 \u0932\u0947 \u0915\u0947 \u092d\u0940 \u0935\u0948\u0938\u093e \u0939\u0940 \u0938\u0941\u092c\u0941\u0915-\u0928\u093e\u092e \u0930\u0939\u093e<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Voh to jaan le ke bhi vaisaa hi subuk-naam* rahaa<\/em><\/td>\nEven if he were to kill, he would remain unsullied<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0907\u0936\u094d\u0915\u093c \u0915\u0947 \u092c\u093e\u092c \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0938\u092c \u091c\u0941\u0930\u094d\u092e \u0939\u092e\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Ishq ke baab* me sab jurm* hamaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nIn this chapter of love, these crimes are ours \u2013 and ours alone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0907\u0936\u094d\u0915\u093c \u0926\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948 \u091c\u094b \u0924\u0947\u0930\u0947 \u0935\u0939 \u0924\u0939\u0940-\u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924 \u0930\u0939\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Ishq dariyaa hai jo tere voh tahi-dast* rahe<\/em><\/td>\nLove is a river, ever flowing as your empty hands outstretched<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0935\u0939 \u091c\u094b \u0921\u0942\u092c\u0947 \u0925\u0947 \u0915\u093f\u0938\u0940 \u0914\u0930 \u0915\u093f\u0928\u093e\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/td>\nVoh jo doobe the kisi aur kinaare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nThat which drowns \u2013 soon emerges \u2013 on another shore<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u2766<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0927\u0942\u092a \u0915\u0940 \u0930\u0941\u0924 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0915\u094b\u0908 \u091b\u093e\u0901\u0935 \u0909\u0917\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0915\u0948\u0938\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Dhoop ki rut* me koi chaanv ugaataa kaise<\/em><\/td>\nHow can shadow bloom in the season of sunshine<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0936\u093e\u0916\u093c \u092b\u0942\u091f\u0940 \u0925\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0939\u092e-\u0938\u093e\u092f\u094b\u0902 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0906\u0930\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932\u0947<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Shaakh* phooti thi ki hum-saayon* me aare nikale<\/em><\/td>\nWhen one branch breaks \u2013 from the others \u2013\u00a0a sigh echoes into the shadows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Image by Simon Turkas on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.<\/p><\/div>\n

Explanation of Vocabulary:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \u0917\u093c\u092e (gam): sadness, sorrow. Test yourself<\/strong> – can you think of any more common alternates to this word? (for this and all questions – answers below)<\/li>\n
  2. \u0928\u0915\u093c\u094d\u0936 (naksh): impression, mark. Test yourself<\/strong> – think of at least one synonym to this word.<\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0\u092e\u094c\u0939\u0942\u092e (mauhoom): imagined, fancied or imaginary, ideal. Test yourself<\/strong> – what is the Sanskrit equivalent to this word?<\/li>\n
  4. \u0924\u092e\u0928\u094d\u0928\u093e (tamanna): desire, wish, longing. Test yourself\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. \u0939\u093f\u091c\u094d\u0930 (hijra): separation, desertion, absence (most often in the context of the separation between the lover and the beloved or the separation that exists between the devotee and the divine). Test yourself\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. \u0936\u093e\u0928-\u090f-\u0916\u093c\u092e-\u0913-\u092a\u0947\u091a (shaan-e-kham-o-pech): literally, this phrase means “the grandeur\/majesty\/glory of the bend\/curve\/defeat (\u0916\u093c\u092e) and twist\/turn\/bend\/obstacle (\u092a\u0947\u091a). Can you think of any other ways to translate this in English?<\/li>\n
  7. \u091c\u093c\u0941\u0932\u094d\u092b\u093c (zulf): lock of hair (very common word in poetry). Test yourself<\/strong> – can you think of any related words or even a synonym to this word?<\/li>\n
  8. \u0930\u0915\u093c\u094d\u0938 (raqs): dance. Test yourself<\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. \u091c\u093f\u0928 (jin): a supernatural creature often found in Islamic and pre-Islamic folklore (indeed, it is based on a pagan creature that was later adopted and absorbed into Islam). It is not necessarily good or evil but can be mischievous, ill-tempered or beneficent based on its personality and circumstances. How else would you translate this in English – is there an equivalent?<\/li>\n
  10. \u092d\u0901\u0935\u0930 (bhanvar): whirlpool, vortex.<\/li>\n
  11. \u0938\u0941\u092c\u0941\u0915-\u0928\u093e\u092e (subuk-naam): \u0938\u0941\u092c\u0941\u0915=light, soft or delicate + \u0928\u093e\u092e = of good name or reputation, unsullied.<\/li>\n
  12. \u092c\u093e\u092c (baab): chapter, section, division, subject\/topic. Test yourself<\/strong> – what are some synonyms and\/or related words?<\/li>\n
  13. \u091c\u0941\u0930\u094d\u092e (jurm): crime. Test yourself<\/strong> – can you think of a synonym to this?<\/li>\n
  14. \u0924\u0939\u0940-\u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924 (tahi-dast): empty\/impoverished hands. Test yourself\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
  15. \u0930\u0941\u0924 (rut): season. Test yourself\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
  16. \u0936\u093e\u0916\u093c (shaakh): branch or bough. Test yourself\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
  17. \u0939\u092e-\u0938\u093e\u092f\u093e (hum-saayaa): neighbor (literally, this means “one who shares the same shade”). Test yourself<\/strong> – can you think of a synonym for this?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Answer Key:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. \u0909\u0926\u093e\u0938\u0940 (udaasi), \u0905\u092b\u093c\u0938\u094b\u0938 (afsos), \u0926\u0941\u0916 (dukh)<\/li>\n
    2. \u0928\u093f\u0936\u093e\u0928 (nishaan), \u091a\u093f\u0939\u094d\u0928 (chinha), \u091b\u093e\u092a (chaap – partial syn.), \u0926\u093e\u0917\u093c (daag – partial syn.)<\/li>\n
    3. \u0915\u093e\u0932\u094d\u092a\u0928\u093f\u0915 (kaalpanik)=imaginary, \u0915\u0932\u094d\u092a\u0928\u093e (imagination)<\/li>\n
    4. \u0907\u091a\u094d\u091b\u093e (icchaa), \u091a\u093e\u0939 (chaah)<\/li>\n
    5. \u0935\u093f\u0930\u0939 (virah), \u091c\u0941\u0926\u093e\u0908 (judaai)<\/li>\n
    6. no equivalent<\/li>\n
    7. \u0932\u091f (lat – lock of hair), \u092c\u093e\u0932 (baal – hair), \u091a\u094b\u091f\u0940 (choti – braid)<\/li>\n
    8. \u0928\u0943\u0924\u094d\u092f (nritya), \u0928\u093e\u091a (naach – dance), \u0928\u093e\u091a\u0928\u093e (naachnaa – to dance)<\/li>\n
    9. no equivalent<\/li>\n
    10. no equivalent<\/li>\n
    11. no equivalent<\/li>\n
    12. \u0905\u0927\u094d\u092f\u093e\u092f (adhyaay – chapter), \u0935\u093f\u0937\u092f (vishay – subject)<\/li>\n
    13. \u0905\u092a\u0930\u093e\u0927 (apraadh)<\/li>\n
    14. \u0917\u0930\u0940\u092c (gareeb – poor), \u0939\u093e\u0925 (haath – hand)<\/li>\n
    15. \u090b\u0924\u0941 (ritu), \u092e\u094c\u0938\u092e (mausam)<\/li>\n
    16. \u0921\u093e\u0932 (daal)<\/li>\n
    17. \u092a\u0921\u093c\u094b\u0938\u0940 (parosi)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

      Literature can be a powerful way to learn a new language. Although, at the most basic levels of language learning, the student may at first focus on simple vocabulary and grammatical structures, these are not what gives a language its depth and vibrancy. Particularly in South Asian culture, which has a rich oral and literary…<\/p>\n

      Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":8635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3792],"tags":[475636,309353,9410,475526,3834,475520,238697,475680,475523,475631,475630],"class_list":["post-8624","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hindi-language","tag-ghazal","tag-hindi-language","tag-hindi-literature","tag-hindi-poetry","tag-hindi-vocabulary","tag-hindi-words-and-phrases","tag-learning-hindi","tag-parveen-shakir","tag-registers","tag-urdu-literature","tag-urdu-poetry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8624"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8637,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8624\/revisions\/8637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}