I received this story on Whatsapp today. Inspiring ...
Arthur Ashe, The Legendary Wimbledon Player was dying of AIDS which he got due to Infected Blood he received during a Heart Surgery in 1983.
He received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:
"Why did God have to select you for such a bad disease?
To this Arthur Ashe replied:
50 Million children started playing Tennis,
5 Million learnt to play Tennis,
500 000 learnt Professional Tennis,
50 Thousand came to Circuit,
5 Thousand reached Grandslam,
50 reached Wimbledon,
4 reached the Semifinals,
2 reached the Finals and when I was holding the cup in my hand, I never asked God "Why Me?"
So now that I'm in pain how can I ask God "Why Me?"
Happiness keeps you Sweet!
Trials keeps you Strong!
Sorrows keeps you Human!
Failure keeps you Humble!
Success keeps you Glowing!
But only, Faith keeps you Going.
Sometimes you are unsatisfied with your life, while many people in this world are dreaming of living your life.
A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead dreams of flying. But, a pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse dreams of returning home. That's life. Enjoy yours...
If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that.
Live simply. Walk humbly. Love genuinely.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ॥
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Nir-Aamayaah |
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet ॥
May all be in bliss
May all be disease-free
May all see auspicious
May no one suffer
ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Shlok
Couplet
ਲੋਇਣ ਲੋਈ ਡਿਠ ਪਿਆਸ ਨ ਬੁਝੈ ਮੂ ਘਣੀ॥
लोइण लोई डिठ पिआस न बुझै मू घणी ॥
Loiṇ loī diṯẖ piās na bujẖai mū gẖaṇī.
I have seen, but my thirst is not quenched
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇ ਅਖੜੀਆਂ ਬਿਅੰਨਿ ਜਿਨੀ ਡਿਸੰਦੋ ਮਾ ਪਿਰੀ ॥੧॥
नानक से अखड़ीआं बिअंनि जिनी डिसंदो मा पिरी ॥१॥
Nānak se akẖṛīāʼn biann jinī disanḏo mā pirī. ||1||
O Nanak, those eyes are different, that see my love.
Translation:
That thirst is deep that afflicts my eye That eye is different that sees my Love
Here is a very well researched article on Tagore and Sikhism ...
Tagore and Sikhism
Monday 20 October 2014, by Amiya Dev
Rabindranath Tagore wrote six poems on Sikh heroism and martyrdom, two in 1888, three in 1898, and one in 1935. Of them three are on Guru Gobind Singh, one on Banda Bahadur, one on Bhai Torusingh, and one on the boy, Nehal Singh.
The Guru Gobind Singh poems are spaced between his twenty year-long sâdhanâ to be worthy of his leadership, and his death, the height of the sâdhanâ being his refusal to a rich gift brought by a disciple (the theme so enthralled Tagore that he wrote the same poem twice and on the same day), and the death being self sought in expiation for a thoughtless killing.
The Banda Bahadur and Nehal Singh poems are built around the Mughal siege and eventual fall of the Gurudaspur fort and the subsequent carnage and martyrdom, especially of the two of them, Banda being forced to kill his own son and Nehal Singh defying his mother’s plea that he wasn’t Sikh.
Martyrdom is also the theme of the Torusingh poem, he offering his head with his braid which his captor had asked him to cut off.
The poems were preceded in 1885 by three essays addressed to the juvenile readers of the Jorasanko house—one on Guru Nanak’s life in the background of his father’s money-mindedness; a second one on the heroic Guru Gobind Singh ever fighting for Sikh indepen-dence; and a final one on that independence as attained and bloodily guarded by Banda Bahadur and others until the advent of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Tagore had visited Amritsar at the age of eleven in 1873 with his father, Debendranath, on their way to the Himalayas. The latter had come to Amritsar before, his interest in Sikh monotheism as propounded by Guru Nanak much influencing his Brahmo faith. In Tagore’s autobiography, My Reminiscences (1912), he recalls his sense of wonder as a boy at the Golden Temple:
“I remember the Gurudarbar at Amritsar like a dream. Many days with father I walked to that Sikh temple in the middle of a lake. Prayers were being said there all the time. My father would sit among those Sikh worshippers and at some point join in the singing; on hearing their songs of devotion from an outsider they would be much inspired and respect him. ... Once he had a singer from the Gurudarbar come to our house and sing bhajans for him.”
On his earlier trip in 1857 Debendranath had collected the famous Nanak bani ‘gagan mai thâlu ravi-candu dÑpak bane...’,translated it into Bengali, had that translation printed, and either he himself or had his son Jyotirindranath set it to music. Young Rabi must have sung it at Brahmo festivals. The âratÑ motif of this song (‘kaisÑ âratÑ hai/bhavakhandanâ terÑ âratÑ’) may remind us of a song Tagore wrote a few years later, in 1884: ‘Tânhâre ârati kare candra tapan ...’ (Him the moon and sun offer ârati ...), a song Vivekananda was fond of.
Similarly, his other devotional songs of the mid-eighties may not be very far from the spirit of Nanak-bani—for instance, ‘e parabâse rabe ke hây ...’ (How go on with this sojourn here ...: 1885) and ‘andhajane deho âlo, mritajane deho prân ...’ (Give light to the blind, give life to the dead ...: 1886).
Later, in 1909, he came across a pleasant Sikh bhajan—‘bâdoi bâdoi ramyabÑnâ bâdoi ...’—which he translated into Bengali (‘bâje bâje ramyabÑnâ bâje ...’ [The lovely binâ breaks into music ...] and developed into a regular song with two additional stanzas (‘nâce nâce ramyatâle nâce ...’ [Dances in a lovely beat ...] and ‘sâje sâje ramyabeœe sâje ...’ [Dresses in lovely attire ...].
Another Sikh bhajan he translated and published in 1914 was: ‘e Hari sundar e Hari sundar ...’, the translation being close to the original, with no change in the first line, for instance.
1909 to 1914, in fact somewhat earlier than 1909 to somewhat later than 1914, was a period in Tagore’s career as a poet-composer when the spirit of Nanak, and Kabir, and a number of other Sants from medieval India seemed to have fit into his creative psyche. We recall that in 1914 he brought out, with assistance from Evelyn Underhill, One Hundred Poems of Kabir. Notwithstanding the scholarly doubt about the full authenticity of his Kabir sources, his regard for Kabir was unbounded. But some of his Western admirers’ putting Kabir and him on the same scale and preferring Kabir to him was misjudgement, for Kabir was primarily a Sant whose poetry, oral, was only an effective medium. Tagore, on the other hand, was primarily a poet and composer (Sant Tagore would indeed be a travesty), fully conscious of his craft, experiencing a degree of devotion in the period we are talking of. Obviously the same distinction applies to Guru Nanak and Tagore, Sant and poet. (Perhaps we would understand this distinction better if we place Tagore beside someone nearer home—Rama-krishna Paramahamsa whose words were as full of faith as wisdom and who by all means was a saint.)
To Tagore Kabir and Nanak were true propagators of what he meant by dharma; and what he meant by dharma would perhaps be clear from the following excerpts from his essay, ‘The Simple Ideal of Dharma’ (1903):
“If I have to light a lamp at home, I have to make much effort ... I have to keep track of where mustard is sown, where oil is pressed from it, whereabouts of the oil market, and then there is all the going about dressing up an oil lamp—after such elaborations what meagre light do I get? My immediate purpose may be served, but it only doubles the darkness outside.
“To get the world-revealing morning light I don’t have to depend on anyone—don’t have to manufacture it; all I have to do is wake up. As I open my eyes and unbar my door that light floods in which no one can stop. ...
“As this great light is, so is dharma. It too is immense, it too is simple. It is God gifting Himself—it is timeless, it is boundless; ... To have it, we only need to ask for it, to open our hearts.”
It is in this perspective that we may look up his essay on ‘Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh’ written in 1910 as preface to Sarat Kumar Roy’s book, Sikh Guru o Sikh Jâti. While Maratha history under Shivaji was political (and a history that eventually failed), Sikh history at the outset was religious.
‘The freedom that Baba Nanak had felt was not political freedom; his sense of dharma was not constricted by the worship of deities that was limited to a certain land’s or people’s imagination and habit, and did not accommodate the universal human heart, on the contrary restrained it; his heart was free from the bonds of these narrow mythological religions and he dedicated his life to preaching that freedom to all.’
‘But come to be oppressed by the Mughals the disciples (œishya>Œikh) of Nanak turned into a community of their own, and for that reason their prime effort became defending themselves from harassment and surviving, rather than preaching religion all around. ... Their last Guru was especially devoted to this task.’
This was the thrust of Tagore’s argument. He summed it up in the following words:
‘Nanak gave a call to his disciples to be free from selfishness, religious bigotry and spiritual inertia ... Guru Gobind bound the Sikhs to a particular necessity, and so that they are never forgetful of it he imprinted it in their hearts by name, attire, ritual and several other means.’
Tagore bemoaned the outcome of Sikh history. Like a river it had issued from a snowy mountain peak, but instead of making its way to the ocean it has gone meandering in the sand.
We know that this reading of Sikh history did not at all go down well with intellectuals and historians, Sikh or non-Sikh, except for Jadunath Sarkar who printed its English version in The Modern Review in 1911. What is of more immediate interest is what caused Tagore’s shift from his earlier admiration for Guru Gobind Singh. His disillusion with karma bereft of dharma must have come from the excesses and the communally exclusive nature of the Swadeshi and Boycott movements in Bengal, keeping the Bengal Muslims at bay and causing Hindu-Muslim riots. He himself had been part of these movements but soon withdrew. The ground was getting ready for his first political novel Ghare-Baire (1916: The Home and the World) which would draw no less fleck than the essay on Sikh history. It was a coincidence, yet perhaps no coincidence, that he would write his Nationalism lectures the same year in Japan that were not without a bearing on nationalism or nationalisms in India.
Jallianwala Bagh might have been anywhere in India and Tagore would have protested, but it being in Amritsar might have had an extra association for him. Yet the estrangement caused by the Sikh history essay went on for over two decades. Eventually during his visit to Lahore in 1935 things cleared up. Tagore addressed the Fifth Punjab Students’ Conference, read his poetry at the YMCA, had a warm reception from the local Sikh leaders, visited a Gurudwara, and reportedly issued a press statement confirming his regard for Sikhism. And it was on his return to Kolkata that he wrote his sixth and last Sikh poem, the one on Nehal Singh’s martyrdom.
[All translations from the Bengali are mine. Special acknowledgement: Professor Harjeet Singh Gill.—A.D.]
Nothing Is Far
- Robert Francis
Though I have never caught the word
Of God from any calling bird,
I hear all that the ancients heard.
Though I have seen no deity
Enter or leave a twilit tree,
I see all that the seers see.
A common stone can still reveal
Something not stone, not seen, yet real.
What may a common stone conceal?
Nothing is far that once was near.
Nothing is hid that once was clear.
Nothing was God that is not here.
Here is the bird, the tree, the stone.
Here in the sun I sit alone
Between the known and the unknown.
Lyrics to George Harrison's most popular song on youtube:
My sweet lord
Hm, my lord Hm, my lord
I really want to see you Really want to be with you Really want to see you lord But it takes so long, my lord
Lyrics and Translation
Aiso Aiso Heerla Ghat Mo Kahiye
Jhori Bina Heero Kon Parkhe
Tharo Raam Hriday Mai Bahir Kyon Bhatke
Esa Esa Ghirat Doodh Ma Kahiye
Bina Jhugiye Maakhan Kesa Nikale
Esa Esa Aag Lakdi Ma Kahiye
Bina Ghasiye Aag Kesa Nikale
Esa Esa Kyaad Hivde Ma Jadiye
Guraan Bina Taala Kon Khole
The heart has beautiful jewels
Without a jeweler who knows?
Raam is in your heart, why do you wander around?
Pure ghee is hidden in the milk
Without churning how will butter come out
Fire is hidden in the wood
Without striking how can it start?
There are such doors on the heart
Without Guru who will open the locks?
Kabir says listen seekers
With Raam by your side who can disturb you?
Alternation Translation
The heart has hidden jewels
You need a Jeweler to understand
Butter is hidden in the milk
You need churning to get it out
Fire is hidden in the wood
You need friction to start it
There are hidden doors of the heart
You need a Guru to open the locks
Listen seekers what Kabir has to say
You need Raam to lead to peace
Raam lives in your heart
Why do you wander around?
A Journey through Wisdom in Bob Dylan's top 10 songs
Bob Dylan, the legendary singer-songwriter and Nobel laureate, has left an indelible mark on the world of music with his thought-provoking lyrics and timeless melodies. Through his top 10 songs, Dylan imparts valuable lessons that resonate across generations, addressing issues such as war, injustice, change, and personal growth. The enduring relevance of these lessons reflects the universal nature of Dylan's artistic legacy.
1. "Blowin' in the Wind":
Lesson: Advocate against war and injustice.
In "Blowin' in the Wind," Dylan raises poignant questions about the state of the world and the need for social change. The song serves as a powerful call to action, encouraging listeners to stand against war and injustice. The lesson here is to be vocal and proactive in the face of societal challenges, promoting peace and equality.
2. "The Times They Are a-Changin'":
Lesson: Embrace change and align yourself with the right side of history.
Dylan's anthem for change, "The Times They Are a-Changin'," emphasizes the inevitability of societal shifts. The lesson conveyed is to embrace change rather than resist it. By aligning oneself with the right side of history, individuals can contribute to positive transformations and progress.
3. "Subterranean Homesick Blues":
Lesson: Choose good company and follow your conscience.
In "Subterranean Homesick Blues," Dylan's lyrics caution against negative influences and encourage individuals to surround themselves with positive influences. The lesson is to choose good company wisely and stay true to one's conscience, navigating through life with integrity.
4. "Forever Young":
Lesson: Constantly renew yourself and maintain a youthful spirit.
"Forever Young" is an ode to eternal youth and a wish for everlasting vitality. The lesson here is to embrace a mindset of continual renewal, staying young at heart, and approaching life with a spirit of curiosity and enthusiasm.
5. "Like a Rolling Stone":
Lesson: Let go of your ego and be open to change.
Dylan's classic "Like a Rolling Stone" advises listeners to shed their egos and embrace change. The lesson is to be open to new experiences, relinquish attachments to past identities, and navigate life with a sense of freedom and adaptability.
6. "Tangled Up in Blue":
Lesson: Long for a connection with a vanishing beloved.
In "Tangled Up in Blue," Dylan explores the complexities of love and the longing for a lost connection. The lesson is to cherish and seek meaningful connections, even when faced with the inevitable challenges and changes that life brings.
7. "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall":
Lesson: Speak out against injustice, suffering, pollution, and warfare.
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" serves as a powerful social commentary, addressing a myriad of global issues. The lesson is to speak out against injustice, suffering, pollution, and warfare, advocating for positive change in the face of adversity.
8. "Hurricane":
Lesson: Stand against injustice, even when falsely accused.
"Hurricane" tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's wrongful conviction, and Dylan's call to stand against injustice. The lesson is to be resilient in the face of false accusations, fight for justice, and stand by principles even in challenging times.
9. "Mr. Tambourine Man":
Lesson: Stay awake and continue learning from life's experiences.
In "Mr. Tambourine Man," Dylan expresses a desire to escape and experience life fully. The lesson is to stay awake, both figuratively and metaphorically, and continue learning from the journey of life, embracing its highs and lows.
10. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right":
Lesson: Be carefree and accept that not everything works out, but it's okay to move on.
In "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Dylan reflects on acceptance and moving forward. The lesson is to be carefree, acknowledge that not everything works out as planned, and understand that it's okay to let go and embark on new beginnings.
Lyrics and Songs
"Blowin' in the wind"
Lesson: "War is bad"
Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, and how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind
2. "The times they are a changin'"
Lesson: "Stay on the right side of history"
The line it is drawn the curse it is cast
The slow one now will later be fast
As the present now will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a' changin'!
3. "Subterranean homesick blues"
Lesson: "Keep good company, follow your conscience"
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows
4. Forever Young
Lesson: "Renew yourself all the time"
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
5. "Like a rolling stone"
Lesson: "Give up your ego; Be a rolling stone"
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, ah how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
6. Tangled up in blue
Lesson: "long for the vanishing beloved"
Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
I was layin' in bed
Wondrin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said our lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like
Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bank book wasn't big enough
And I was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on my shoes
Heading out for the east coast
Lord knows I've paid some dues
Gettin' through
Tangled up in blue
She was married when we first met
Soon to be divorced
I helped her out of a jam I guess
But I used a little too much force
We drove that car as far as we could
Abandoned it out west
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As I was walkin' away
I heard her say over my shoulder
We'll meet again some day
On the avenue
Tangled up in blue
I had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much
And one day the axe just fell
So I drifted down to New Orleans
Where I was looking for to be employed
Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat
Right outside of Delacroix
But all the while I was alone
The past was close behind
I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind
And I just grew
Tangled up in blue
She was workin' in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later on as the crowd thinned out
I's just about to do the same
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, Don't I know your name?
I muttered somethin' under my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces
Of my shoe
Tangled up in blue
She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
I thought you'd never say hello, she said
You look like the silent type
Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And everyone of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin' coal
Pourin' off of every page
Like it was written in my soul
From me to you
Tangled up in blue
I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafes at night
And revolution in the air
Then he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
She had to sell everything she owned
And froze up inside
And when finally the bottom fell out
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin' on
Like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue
So now I'm goin' back again
I got to get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They're an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are carpenters' wives
Don't know how it all got started
I don't know what they're doin' with their lives
But me, I'm still on the road
Headin' for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point
Of view
Tangled up in blue
7. "A hard rain's a-gonna fall"
Lesson: "Speak about injustice, suffering, pollution and warfare."
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
8. "Hurricane"
Lesson: "Speaking against injustice"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
9. Mr. Tambourine Man
Lesson: "Be awake, learn!"
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
Though I know that evenings empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship
My senses have been stripped
My hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly through the sun
It's not aimed at anyone
It's just escaping on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facing
And if you hear vague traces of skipping reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time
It's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind
It's just a shadow you're seeing that he's chasing
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time
Far past the frozen leaves
The haunted frightened trees
Out to the windy bench
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky
With one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
10. Don't think twice, it's all right
Lesson: "Be Carefree"
Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
Even you don't know by now
And it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do somehow
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window, and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm a-traveling on
But don't think twice, it's all right.
And it ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
The light I never knowed
And it ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
But we never did too much talking anyway
But don't think twice, it's all right.
So it ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And it ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinking and a-wonderin' walking down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right.
So long honey, baby
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't a-saying you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right.
"Forever Young" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded in California in November 1973. The song first appeared (in two different versions, one slow and one fast) on Dylan's fourteenth studio album Planet Waves (1974).
A demo version of the song, recorded in New York City in June 1973, was included on Dylan's 1985 compilation Biograph. In the notes included with that album, Dylan is quoted as saying that he wrote "Forever Young" in Tucson, Arizona, "thinking about" one of his sons and "not wanting to be too sentimental."
A live version of the song, recorded in Tokyo on 28 February 1978 and included on Dylan's album Bob Dylan at Budokan, was released as a European single in 1979.
Written as a lullaby for his eldest son Jesse, born in 1966, Dylan's song relates a father's hopes that his child will remain strong and happy. It opens with the lines, "May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true", echoing the Old Testament's Book of Numbers, which has lines that begin: "May the Lord bless you and guard you / May the Lord make His face shed light upon you." Not wishing to sound "too sentimental", Dylan included two versions of the song on the Planet Waves album, one a lullaby and the other more rock oriented.[1]
In notes on "Forever Young" written for the 2007 album Dylan, Bill Flanagan writes that Dylan and the Band "got together and quickly knocked off an album, Planet Waves, that featured two versions of a blessing from a parent to a child. In the years he was away from stage Dylan had become a father. He had that in common with a good chunk of the audience. The song reflected it. Memorably recited on American TV by Howard Cosell when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight crown for the third time."[citation needed]
Rod Stewart recorded a song entitled "Forever Young" that was released as a single and included on his Out of Order album in 1988. The song was remarkably similar to the Bob Dylan song of the same title, sharing not only a similar melody but many of the same lyrics. Stewart agreed to share his royalties with Dylan.[2] Stewart's version made number 57 on the UK singles chart on its release in 1988 and number 55 on re-release in 2013.[3]
May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung May you stay forever young Forever young, forever young May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong May you stay forever young Forever young, forever young May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful And may your song always be sung May you stay forever young Forever young
Rod Stewart's version
May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
surround you when you're far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you'd have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you'll always stay
Forever Young, Forever Young
Forever Young, Forever Young
May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
with a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
and in my heart you will remain
Forever Young, Forever Young
Forever Young, Forever Young
Forever Young
Forever Young
And when you finally fly away
I'll be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
I'm right behind you, win or lose
Forever Young, Forever Young
"योगी सोते हुए भी जागता है और भोगी जागते हुए भी सोता है।"
Yogi awakes while asleep, Bhogi sleeps while awake Lyrics:
Hoshiyar Rehna Re Nagar Main Chor Avega
Jaagrat Rehna Re Nagar Main Chor Avega
Chor Avega Re ik din Kaal Avega
Hoshiyar Rehna Re Nagar Main Chor Avega
Na Dar Tode Na Ghar Phode Na Koi Roop Dikhawega
Is Nagri Se Koi Kaam Nahin Hai Tujhe Pakad Le Jayega
Teer Top Talwar Na Barchhi Na Bandook Chalavega
Aavat Jaat Nazar Nahin Aveh Bheetar Hi Ghoom Ghoomavega
Bhai bandhu Sab Kutamb Kabila Dekhat Hi Reh Jayega
Dhan Daulat Aur Maal Khajina Yahin Dharaa Reh Jayega
Muthhi baandh kar Aaya re pagle, Haath pasaar ke jayega
Kahe Kabir Suno Bhaye Sadho Karni Ka Phal Payega
Translation:
Be awake, be alert,
One day a thief
will come to the city
He'll not be invisible
He wont break any door
He wont destroy the house
He wont care about the city
His interest will be you
He'll take you away
He won't carry a bow,
Neither a cannon, nor a sword
He wont strike with a gun
Coming and going he won't be visible
He will spin you from inside
Your friends, family will be helpless
Wealth and treasure will remain here
You came to this world closed fisted
You will leave with open hands
Kabir says you will face
the destiny of your
actions
"Those who know her, know her less." - Emily Dickinson on Nature.
In "What mystery pervades a well," Emily talks about three strange and mysterious things: well, the sea and nature. Their limits are unknown. Even to the ones who get near them. In fact the ones who are nearer actually even more perplexed by its beauty.
The ones who are truly near, are not afraid. Like the grass next to the well. Or the sedge next to the sea. They are fearless. Nirbhau says Guru Nanak in Mool Mantra. Bold, not afraid, not timid in Emily's words.
I found it interesting that the grass and the sedge are male. They don't understand. Even when they get near, and they try to know, they don't. They might be talking about her all the time, citing her the the most. But they have never really visited her house, the haunted house. They have not understood her invisible ghost. Not understood. Not known. Perhaps knowing is impossible. And they should be focusing on loving, and not knowing.
This poem reminds me of Guru Nanak's Aarti: "You have thousands of eyes, but none is yours. you have thousands of shapes, yet not one is yours. Thousands of pure scented paths are yours. I am amazed at how many scents you have." It also reminds me that he says, "As big you are, as big are your gifts."
What mystery pervades a well!
- Emily Dickinson
What mystery pervades a well! That water lives so far -- A neighbor from another world Residing in a jar
Whose limit none have ever seen, But just his lid of glass -- Like looking every time you please In an abyss's face!
The grass does not appear afraid, I often wonder he Can stand so close and look so bold At what is awe to me.
Related somehow they may be, The sedge stands next the sea -- Where he is floorless And does no timidity betray
But nature is a stranger yet; The ones that cite her most Have never passed her haunted house, Nor simplified her ghost.
To pity those that know her not Is helped by the regret That those who know her, know her less The nearer her they get.
- Emily Dickinson
Another Emily Dickinson poem about how innumerable nature is:
Singing oneness!
