Daily Poetry — July 28, 2026

अकाल और उसके बाद (Akal Aur Uske Baad)

Composed by नागार्जुन (Nagarjun)

Original Hindi

कई दिनों तक चूल्हा रोया, चक्की रही उदास। कई दिनों तक कानी कुतिया सोई उसके पास। कई दिनों तक लगी भीत पर छिपकलियों की गश्त। कई दिनों तक चूहों की भी हालत रही शिकस्त। दाने आए घर के अंदर कई दिनों के बाद। धुआँ उठा आँगन से ऊपर कई दिनों के बाद। चमक उठी घर भर की आँखें कई दिनों के बाद। कौए ने खुजलाई पाँखें कई दिनों के बाद।

English Translation

For many days the stove wept, the grinding stone remained sad. For many days the one-eyed bitch slept beside it. For many days lizards patrolled the wall. For many days even the condition of rats was defeated. Grains came inside the house after many days. Smoke rose above the courtyard after many days. The eyes of everyone in the house sparkled after many days. The crow ruffled its wings after many days.

AI Generated

AI Echo (Hindi)

फिर से जीवन की आशा जागी, अंधकार छटा। नन्हें हाथों ने मिट्टी को फिर प्यार से छुआ। खेतों में फिर हल चलने की धुन सुनाई दी। बच्चों की हँसी से गलियों में रौनक छाई थी। समय का चक्र है यह, दुख-सुख की चलती धारा। आज जो है सूना, कल होगा फिर से प्यारा। प्रकृति का नियम है यह, हर रात की सुबह होती। नई उम्मीद लिए, जिंदगी फिर से है सोती।

AI Generated

AI Echo (English)

Again, life's hope awakened, darkness cleared away. Little hands touched the soil with love once more. The tune of plows moving in the fields was heard anew. With children's laughter, the alleys bloomed as before. This is time's cycle, a flowing stream of joy and pain. What is desolate today, tomorrow will be lovely again. This is nature's rule, every night finds its dawn. With new hope, life again quietly dreams on.

Literary & Historical Context

Nagajun's 'Akal Aur Uske Baad' (Famine and After) is a poignant and iconic poem in modern Hindi literature, emblematic of the progressive literary movement. Written in 1952, it starkly portrays the devastating impact of famine on rural life and the profound relief and rejuvenation that follows its end. The poem's power lies in its simple, direct language and vivid, realistic imagery, depicting the suffering of a household through the anthropomorphized stove and grinding stone, the silent vigil of a dog, the desperate patrols of lizards, and the defeated state of even the rats. The second stanza, with its 'after many days' refrain, bursts with renewed life and hope, from grains arriving to smoke rising from the hearth, and the sparkling eyes of the family and even the crow's contented ruffling of feathers. It captures the essence of human resilience and the cyclical nature of hardship and recovery, making it a timeless piece reflecting the struggles and simple joys of the common people in post-independence India.