Doing Homework at ’67’!

I completed 67 years this April (2018).  And in July I was doing homework. Homework of my granddaughter Tanvi. I never did it for her mother (my daughter) but you cannot say ‘no’ to a boss! She sent me a poem in Bengali and wanted me to explain that to her both in English and Hindi so that she understood the same properly. She added,”Nanu, I would love it if you can translate it for me.” The poem is a well-known poem for kids written by none other than the great Poet, Noble laureate Rabindranath Thakur! It is titled: তাল গাছ

I shuddered even at the thought of attempting to ‘translate’ a Poem and that too by none other than one of the greatest poets India ever produced. But when a ‘grand-daughter’ wants it a grand-dad has no option but to deliver.
So I put on my thinking cap and with active assistance from Google Uncle through the site  “translate.google.co.in” I managed to have something I was sure would be acceptable to my granddaughter.  And she did.  She actually loved it!  Below is the outcome, surely not a literary gem but reasonably good for a first-timer :

A Palm Tree

A palm tree tall
Taller than all
Stands on one leg
Staring into the sky
Looking at dark clouds
And wishing itself to fly
How to fulfill its craving
Where shall it find wings?

Hence,
On its head
the leaves shaped round
Are the wings that it has found
to fulfill its desire to fly
Now nothing can stop it
to be high in the sky.
The quivering leaves in the wind
Gives it a feeling of flying in mind
Travels wide and far
Even going beyond the stars.

And now the wind has stopped
The leaves are still, their quiver lost
The flight of fancy comes to an end
It returns to its mother, the land!
Its love for earth feels warmer
Now loves to remain in its corner!

 And this was the Hindi version that I think was a better job of mine :

ताड़ का पेड़

ताड़ का एक पेड़
खड़ा मानो एक पैर
सब पेड़ों से ऊँचा वो
ताक रहा आसमान ऊपर
मन ही मन सोच रहा
मैं भी कर आऊँ
बादलों की सैर
पर कहाँ है मेरे पास पर !

इसीलिये ,
गोल गोल पत्ते जो हैं उसके सर के ऊपर
मन में उन्हें ही अपने पंख मानकर
चला अपनी उड़ने की अभिलाषा पूरी करने
अब कोइ रोक नहीं सकता उसे उड़ने
पूरे दिन बहती हवाओं में
हिलते काँपते पत्तों के सहारे
छोड़ अपने घर द्वारे
उड़ चला पार करके तारे
(उड़ चला खोजने कहाँ गए तारे )

थोड़ी देर बाद अब
रुक गई है बहती हवा
पत्तों में भी कम्पन कहाँ
मन की उड़ान से वो लौट आया
फिर एक पैर पर खड़ा पाया
अपनी माँ, माटी को मन में पाया
पृथ्वी के प्यार से मन भर आया

And the payment I got for this effort was the sweetest part. A great big hug from Tanvi, a few moments longer than the usual!