Daily Poetry — July 19, 2026

आँसू (Aansu) - An Excerpt

Composed by जयशंकर प्रसाद (Jaishankar Prasad)

Original Hindi

इस करुणा कलित हृदय में अब विकल रागिनी बजती। क्यों हाहाकार स्वरों में वेदना असीम गरजती? आती है शून्य क्षितिज से क्यों लौट प्रतिध्वनि मेरी? टकराती फिरती पागल-सी देती फिर अपनी फेरी। अंधकार की गुहा सरीखी, वह आँखें डरावनी सी, एक व्यथा की काली छाया, है बसी हुई मन में। जीवन का अनमोल समय यह, बीत चला है धीरे, क्यों स्वप्निल स्मृतियाँ आकर, मन को घेर लेती हैं।

English Translation

In this heart filled with compassion, a restless melody now plays. Why does boundless sorrow roar in cries of lament? Why does my echo return from the empty horizon? Striking, wandering madly, giving its turn again. Like a cave of darkness, those eyes, so frightening, A dark shadow of anguish, dwells within the mind. This precious time of life, it passes slowly, Why do dreamlike memories come and envelop the heart?

AI Generated

AI Echo (Hindi)

क्या यही नियति का खेल है, या मन की गहरी उलझन? खोई दिशाओं में भटका, कोई आशा का कण। कितनी रातें बीती यूँ ही, आँसू पोंछते-पोंछते, अधूरी कहानियाँ मेरी, क्यों आज भी हैं जागते। शांत सरोवर की गहराई, कहाँ छिपा है मेरा सत्य? हर लहर में एक प्रश्न है, हर साँस में एक व्यर्थ। यादों के पंख लगाकर, उड़ता रहता है मन मेरा, ढूँढता कोई किनारा, जहाँ मिटे यह अँधेरा।

AI Generated

AI Echo (English)

Is this the play of destiny, or the mind's deep tangle? Lost in directions, a particle of hope wanders. How many nights passed thus, wiping away tears, My incomplete stories, why are they still awake today? The depth of a calm lake, where is my truth hidden? In every wave, there's a question; in every breath, a futility. With wings of memories, my mind keeps flying, Searching for a shore, where this darkness might cease.

Literary & Historical Context

"Aansu" (Tears) is one of Jaishankar Prasad's most celebrated lyrical poems, often regarded as a pinnacle of the Chhayavaad (Romanticism) era in Hindi literature. Published in 1925, it is a profound expression of love, separation (viraha), and spiritual longing. This particular excerpt encapsulates the deep melancholic introspection that pervades the entire work. Prasad uses rich imagery and a poignant tone to explore themes of unfulfilled desires, the relentless echo of sorrow in the heart, and the haunting presence of past memories. The "restless melody" and "boundless sorrow" are characteristic of the poet's exploration of the human heart's complex emotional landscape. The imagery of an "empty horizon" and "cave of darkness" highlights a sense of existential isolation and the inescapable nature of grief. "Aansu" is significant for its emotional depth, lyrical beauty, and its contribution to defining the Chhayavaad style, which emphasized individualism, emotional intensity, and a mystical connection with nature. It stands as a timeless meditation on sorrow and memory.