7.I AM LIKE A GRASS

                                    About the Author

PASH (1950-88) , was a major Punjabi poet. His important works include Lok Katha, Udadiyan Bajjan Magar and Sade Samayan Vich. The present poem “ I Am Like A Grass” , translated from Punjabi by Suresh Sethi, breathes optimism.

PASH (1950-88) पंजाबी के महत्त्वपूर्ण कवि थे. Lok Katha, Udadiyan Bajjan Magar and Sade Samayan Vich उनकी  महत्त्वपूर्ण साहित्यिक कृतियाँ है। प्रस्तुत कविता "I Am Like Grass”  आशावादी Suresh Sethi के द्वारा पंजाबी से अनुवादित है। 

Major: प्रमुख, Important: महत्वपूर्ण, Works: कृतियां, Include: शामिल, Present: प्रस्तुत, Translated: अनुवादित, From: से, Optimism: आशावादी,

A. Work in small groups and answer the questions orally:

Q. 1. Have you seen grass ?
Ans. Yes, I have seen grass.

Q. 2. How does it look ?
Ans. It looks green in colour.

 Q. 3. How do you feel when you walk on it?
Ans. I feel soft like a carpet when I walk on it.

 Q. 4. Can a man be compared to grass ? Read the poem and see why the poet thinks himself similar to grass.

Ans. Yes, a man can be compared to a grass. The poet thinks himself similar to grass because the grass cannot be destroyed. We can cut it, animals can graze it but it sprouts again, similarly the identity of a man cannot be destroyed. It can be din for some periods but it appears again.

I Am Like Grass ( मैं घास के जैसा हूँ )

I am like grass
you can chop me mow me down
but I shall sprout again
grow
and bounce back

Like: के समान, Grass: घास, Chop: काटना, Mow: हंसिया या मशीन से घास छांटना, Down: नीचे, Sprout: प्रस्फुटित होना, उग जाना, Again: दुबारा, Grow: उगना, bounce: ऊंचा उछलना, bounce back: फिर से लंबा बढ़ना,

हिन्दी अनुवाद: मैं घास की तरह हूँ तुम मुझे हंसिया से काटकर टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर नीचे फेंक सकते हो, परन्तु मै पुनः उग आऊँगी, नन्ही-नन्ही पत्तियां निकल आएँगी और दोबारा ऊपर नीचे-डोलने लगूंगी।

you can obliterate my signposts
you can bomb the Universities
reduce the hostels to rubble
you may scorch the Slums
but you cannot erase my identity
because I am like grass
I will sprout again
and my mantle shall cover everything.

Obliterate:नष्ट करना, Signposts : निर्देश खंभे, Bomb: बम फेंकना, Universities: विश्व विद्यालय, Reduce: कम करना, Rubble: गिरे भवन के ईट पत्थर के टुकड़े, Scorch: जलाना, झुलसाना, Slums: गंदी वस्ती, Erase: मिटाना,  Identity: पहचान, Mentle: छोटा लबदा, 

हिन्दी अनुवाद: तुम मेरे निशान को मिटा सकते हो, तुम विश्वविद्यालयों को बम से उड़ा सकते हो । छात्रावासों को पत्थर और ईंट के छोटे-छोटे टुकड़ों में बदल सकते हो, तुम गदी बस्तियों को झुलसा सकते हो परन्तु तुम मेरी पहचान को नष्ट नहीं कर सकते क्योंकि मैं घास की तरह हूँ मै पुनः उग आऊँगा और मेरा चोगा सभी चीजों को ढंक लेगा।

B. 1. Answer the following questions very briefly :

Q. 1. Why does the poet say that he is like grass ?

Ans. The poet says that he is like grass because at any cost we cannot destroy the identity of the grass similarly the identity of a man cannot be erased.

Q. 2. Why does the poet say that he will sprout again even after being moved down ?

Ans. The poet says that he will sprout again even after being moved down because like grass the identity of a man cannot be obliterated.

Q. 3. What makes the poet say that people can't erase his identity ?
Ans. The grass makes the poet say that people can't erase his identity.

Q. 4. What will his mantle cover ? 
Ans. His mantle will cover everything.

You may bomb Banga
you may destroy Sangrur
and reduce the whole district of Ludhiana
to ashes
but it will be only a matter of time
two years ten years
before my green mantle covers everything again

Cover: अधिकार में कर लेना, Destroy: नष्ट करना, Ashes: राख, Matter of time: समय की बात, Become: होना, 

हिन्दी अनुवाद: तुम बंगलादेश पर बम फेंक सकते हो, संगरूर को नष्ट कर सकते हो, और लुधियाना के समूचे जिले को राख में बदलकर उसकी पहचान को कम कर सकते हो, परन्तु यह केवल समय की बात है—दो साल या दस साल में ये हरे चोगे में पुनः सभी चीजों को ढँक लगे।

I shall become a vast green jungle
the green jungle of Barnala
where tourists will visit me
visit my green jungle
because I am like grass
you can chop me
you can mow down
but I will sprout again
and cover everything

Vast: विस्तृत, Tourist: यात्री , Everything: सब कुछ,Green: हरा।

हिन्दी अनुवाद : मैं विशाल हरा जंगल बन जाऊंगा, बरनाला के हरा जंगल जैसा जहाँ पर्यटक मुझे दर्शन करने आयेंगे। मेरे हरे जंगल का दर्शन करेंगे, क्योंकि मैं घास की तरह हूँ। तुम मुझे टुकड़े-टुकड़े में काट सकते हो, तुम मुझे नष्ट कर सकते हो, परन्तु मैं पुनः उग आऊँगा और सभी चीजों को ढँक लूँगा।

B. 2. Answer the following questions very briefly :

Q. 1. What do Banga and Sangrur refer to ?
Ans. Banga and Sangrur refer to a place which cannot be destroyed. for their identities.

Q.2. "And reduce the whole district of Ludhiana to ashes." What does this line suggest ?
Ans. And reduce the whole district of Ludhiana to ashes'. This line suggests that we cannot destroy the identity of a place even after being ashed.

Q. 3. What time will it take for the poet to come back to his normal state?
 Ans. It will take two years, ten years for the poet to come back to his normal state. 

Q. 4. Why will the tourists visit the green jungle of Barnala ?
 Ans. The tourists will visit the green jungle of Barnala because it will become a vast green jungle.

SUMMARY: I AM LIKE A GRASS

The poet 'I Am Like Grass' is written by a major Punjabi poet Pash. In this poem the poet compare himself with a grass which never goes vanish. We cut the grass, animals grass it, people fire it but it does not finish. It appears again with a new green. Similarly the poet tells that a man can obliterate the sign posts, bomb the universities, reduce the hostels to rubble, many scorch the slums but cannot erase their identities. Their identities sprout again like grass.

The poet tells that a man may bomb Banga, may destroy Sangrur and reduce the whole district of Ludhiana to ashes but it is only time factor. After some duration they will appear again and their identities cannot be destroyed.

The poet through this poems wants to tell that the identity of a man is cannot be obliterated. Man's identity is immortal though the man is mortal. The identity of a man cannot be destroyed at any cost. It can be din for few periods but it appear again like grass. The identity of a man is like the grass which never goes to vanish.

'I Am Like Grass' शीर्षक कविता पंजाबी के महत्त्वपूर्ण कवि पाश द्वारा लिखी गई है। इस कविता में कवि अपनी तुलना घास से करता है जो कभी समाप्त नहीं होती। हम घास को काटते हैं, जानवर इसे चरते हैं, लोग इसमें आग लगा देते है, परन्तु यह खत्म नहीं होती। यह पुनः नई हरियाली के साथ उगती है। इसी प्रकार कवि कहता है कि व्यक्ति किसी चिह्न को नष्ट कर सकता है, विश्वविद्यालय में बम चला सकता है। होस्टलों को छोटे-छोटे ककड़-पत्थरों में बदल सकता है, गंदी बस्तियों को झुलसा सकता है, परन्तु उनकी पहचान को नहीं मिटा सकता। उनकी पहचान पुनः घास की भाँति निकल आती है।

कवि कहता है कि आदमी बंगा पर बम गिरा सकता है, संगरूर को नष्ट कर सकता है और लुधियाना के जिले को राख में बदल सकता है परन्तु यह समय गति है। कुछ समय बाद ये सभी पुनः निकल आयेंगे। उनकी पहचान को नष्ट नहीं किया जा सकता।

कवि इस कविता के माध्यम से कहना चाहता है कि व्यक्ति की पहचान को मिटाया नहीं जा सकता । व्यक्ति की पहचान अमर है, हालांकि व्यक्ति नश्वर है, व्यक्ति को पहचान को किसी भी कीमत पर मिटाया नहीं जा सकता है। इसे कुछ समय के लिए धुँचले में छिपाया जा सकता है, परन्तु यह पुनः घास की भाँति प्रकट हो जाता है। मानव की पहचान घास की तरह है जो कभी समाप्त नहीं होता।

Q. 1. Summarise the poem in about 100 words.

Ans. In this poem the poet Pash has been compared himself to grass. The grass which cannot be destroyed after chop, mow down and fire in the field. We can bomb to a building and convert it into pieces of stones and bricks but cannot erase its identity. We can bomb to place and convert it into ashes but it is only time factor and after some years it appear again. We cannot destroy the identity of grass which converts into jungle after some period. Similarly the identify of a people cannot be obliterated. People can die but his identity never dies and appears again of the his death.

 C. 2. GROUP DISCUSSION:

1. Nature is our best teacher.

Ans. It is true that nature is our best teacher. We teach many kinds of things form nature. Sun rises on limit time and sets on time. The day cannot be anything, cloudy, rainy, hot, cold etc. but the rising and setting of sun never closest. It teaches us our resolute nature. In any circumstances we have to do our duty. We teach it from nature. Flowers blossom in any circumstances which teaches us to live happy at any circumstances. The Himalayas is standing on its position and facing many kinds of problems but never changes its position which teaches us to live uncharged if we get any kind of problem. Thus we see that the nature is our best teacher and teaches us to face any kind of circumstances causing in our life.

2. We can always get inspiration from Nature.

Ans. We can always get inspiration form nature. As we see the nature never thinks about its past and always alive in its present. It does not make itself sick to think about its future. It faces all kinds of problems easily and never makes itself sad. We destroy many beautiful things of nature but it does to say us anything. We get inspiration from nature to not mind on anyone's fault and always to care on our duties.