The Poem and its English Translation:
जला अस्थियां बारी-बारी
चिटकाई जिनमें चिंगारी,
जो चढ़ गये पुण्यवेदी पर
लिए बिना गर्दन का मोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
Repeatedly burn there ashes
inflames in them sparks,
They walked to the gallows
without valuing a life like gem,
Today!Pen praise for them.
जो अगणित लघु दीप हमारे
तूफानों में एक किनारे,
जल-जलाकर बुझ गए किसी दिन
मांगा नहीं स्नेह मुंह खोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
Those small numberless lamps of ours,
on edges in storms,
Extinguished someday after burning,
never hoping for love to come.
Today!Pen praise for them.
पीकर जिनकी लाल शिखाएं
उगल रही सौ लपट दिशाएं,
जिनके सिंहनाद से सहमी
धरती रही अभी तक डोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
Mountains are erupting fire in all direction
there blood has initiated that reaction,
From war cry of those brave-hearts
ground is still shaking the same,
Today!Pen praise for them.
अंधा चकाचौंध का मारा
क्या जाने इतिहास बेचारा,
साखी हैं उनकी महिमा के
सूर्य चन्द्र भूगोल खगोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
A blind hit by glare
from history,poor fellow is unaware,
Sun,moon,astronomy,geography
all have witnessed their fame.
Today!Pen praise for them.
Background:
This poem is written by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. He was one of the most important Hindu poets at the time. He was known for his rebellious poetry at the time before Independence. It was one of his famous poems. He wrote it to enlighten the fighters of india who were fighting for the freedom. He wanted to encourage them in what they were doing.
Structure:
This is a short poem with only four stanzas consisting of only five lines each. All of them have a linking line at the end which has the name of the poem. It is a lyrical poem.
Analysis:
जला अस्थियां बारी-बारी
चिटकाई जिनमें चिंगारी,
जो चढ़ गये पुण्यवेदी पर
लिए बिना गर्दन का मोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
He is talking to his pen from the start and asking it to write about all the freedom fighters today. He is praising all the people who fought for their country and were still fighting for it no matter what. He is asking the pen to praise them. He is acknowledging the fact that these people are continuously fighting and burning in the flames without caring about themselves. He is saying that what great people they are who don’t even care about their lives which everyone gets only once and if gone can’t be regained.
जो अगणित लघु दीप हमारे
तूफानों में एक किनारे,
जल-जलाकर बुझ गए किसी दिन
मांगा नहीं स्नेह मुंह खोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
Now he is referring to the fighters again and calling them lamps of light which burn and provide light to others. The poet is asking his pen to write about the people who have been glowing and wasting themselves for us and protecting us from the storms. He says that there will be a time when they will lose everything and stop giving light i.e. they will die, but even after that they wouldn’t expect anything from us as whatever they are doing they are doing it for the sake of the nation itself. They are fighting for their land and so dear pen, this day, write in their favor.
पीकर जिनकी लाल शिखाएं
उगल रही सौ लपट दिशाएं,
जिनके सिंहनाद से सहमी
धरती रही अभी तक डोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
Now he gets all rebellious and states that oh pen how can you not see how amazing they are? When the mountains and the land itself has started giving signs acknowledging what great people they are. He says that due to the bloodshed of those great people even the mountains has started to cry and explode in the reaction as they can’t get over the fact that such people have died. Then he mentions the land. He says that the way these freedom fighters fought for their nation and the land and the way they reacted in the battlefield, the land is still shaking due to that and shouting out in their praise.
अंधा चकाचौंध का मारा
क्या जाने इतिहास बेचारा,
साखी हैं उनकी महिमा के
सूर्य चन्द्र भूगोल खगोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल।
In the end, he gets all emotional and states that it’s very sad to see that us humans have unable to see through their amazing character. We are unable to praise the people who lost everything fighting for us and protected us while even the Sun, Moon, Geography and Astronomy have acknowledged their brilliance and greatness. He asks his pen to write that the whole nature has approved them of what they did, but the normal people have refused to see it and have become blind in that regard.
Theme:
The main theme of the poem is to glorify the ones who have repeatedly fought for the country and the land. The poet asks all other poets to write about such people who have continuously saved us and protected us in every situation and have never asked for anything in return. They even lost the most important thing one has, i.e., their life, but continued to fight no matter what. So the poet wrote this poem to ask people to praise and encourage such people and to remind them of those who have already died fighting.
Summary:
This poem starts off with the poet praising the heroes of the nation who have lost everything fighting for their people protecting them. The poet is asking other poets to write in their favor. He is asking them to write about what they did and how they lost even their lives just because of us so that those who don’t know can know about them. He says that these people fought in difficult situations and lived in places away from their family and their homes where life was very hard. The poet was of the thought that we couldn’t help them back them so we should at least remember them with good words now. He says they are forgotten heroes so we should acknowledge their sacrifices this day and write about them. He says that if today we are safe and if the borders are secure today it’s because of them and even today their blood and uproar infuse fear in the enemies. In the last stanza, he is calling all the people who do not know about their glorified history blind as they do not even know the basis of their present. He wants to write in their glory and encourage others to do the same.
Also provided below is the Video on the same
