This series features poems written for children by famous Hindi poets. In this post – “Ab Yah Chidiya Kahan Rahegi” by Mahadevi Verma.
Writing poems for children is no mean task. Not only must the ideas be kept simple, but they must also be conveyed using equally simple words, rhymes and meters. These four elements have to be chosen keeping in mind age group of the children at whom the poem is aimed. Eight year olds will probably not like something written with five year olds in mind. This makes writing children’s poetry very difficult, especially for poets who are more used to addressing adult audiences.
This series features Hindi poems for children, written by poets who are well known for their poems aimed at mature audiences.
Ab Yah Chidiya Kahan Rahegi by Mahadevi Verma
Lyrics:
आँधी आई जोर शोर से,
डालें टूटी हैं झकोर से।
उड़ा घोंसला अंडे फूटे,
किससे दुख की बात कहेगी!
अब यह चिड़िया कहाँ रहेगी?
हमने खोला आलमारी को,
बुला रहे हैं बेचारी को।
पर वो चीं-चीं कर्राती है
घर में तो वो नहीं रहेगी!
घर में पेड़ कहाँ से लाएँ,
कैसे यह घोंसला बनाएँ!
कैसे फूटे अंडे जोड़े,
किससे यह सब बात कहेगी!
अब यह चिड़िया कहाँ रहेगी?
Glossary:
झकोर – gust of wind
आलमारी – closet, cupboard
About the Poet:
Born in Farukhabad, Uttar Pradesh in 1907, Mahadevi Verma is known as a Hindi poet, freedom fighter and educationist. She is regarded as one of the four pillars of the Chhayavad movement, an era of Neo-romanticism in Hindi literature that is known for its leaning towards themes of love and nature.
She is known not only for her poems, but also for her prose which includes her childhood memoirs and stories about her pets. Her poems have been regularly published in collections over a period of more than 60 years.
She has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the Jnanpith Award for literature, and Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian award. She passed away in 1987.
Interested in more information on any of the above topics? Please comment on this post, and I will try to write about them soon.
Beyond Words 