KOEL
— Puran Singh
Summary In English : This is a poem written by Puran Singh an India poet. He has addressed this song to the Cuckoo bird which is known as koel in our country. Thought the colour of Cuckoo is totally black. It has a melodious voice which enchants every body. Normally the Cuckoo is seen during spring season when mango fruits starts coming up on the tree and the Cuckoo in its sweet sound welcome the advent of mango on the trees.
The poet addresses the koel and ask — How is it that your wings are charred and back ? Has it been done by one lightengm the sky ? Though you are charred still you look so fresh.
Hiding yourself behind the mango leaves, when you sing from the core of your heart, thousand memories rapper in my heart. How is it that your sweet notes kindles fire in my heart with some sort of pain and restlessness? You see , even the roses are on fire with shining red colour appearing on their body with black marks on them. But still I fail to understand as to how your wings got charred and become black ?
The Cuckoo replies that it was the fire of love in my heart which has charred my wings but that has made me appear new and fresh. The greenery of the garden around excities me more and my heart starts enclosing. Where is my loved one, my Beloved ? The Cuckoo asks the leaves of the tree as to why are you a silent spectator to my agony ?
कविता का सारांश
‘ कोयल’ शीर्षक यह कविता एक भारतीय कवि पूरन सिंह द्वारा लिखी गयी है ।कवि कोयल नामक पक्षी को आधार बनाकर इस कविता की रचना की है। कोयल नामक पक्षी को अंग्रेजी में ‘द ब्लैक कक्कू ‘ के नाम से जाना जाता है। यद्यपि कोयल का शरीर काला होता है लेकिन उसके स्वर में एक अद्भुत मिठास होती है जो सबको आकर्षित करता है। सामान्य तौर पर बसंत के आगमन पर यह पक्षी दिखाई पड़ता है । इस ऋतु में आम के वृक्षों पर मंजर आने लगते हैं और आमों के वन में वृक्षों पर बैठकर वह इस फल के आगमन का स्वागत अपनी मीठी मीठी तान छेड़कर करता है ।
कवि कोयल पक्षी को संबोधित करते हुए उसे कहता है —’ क्या आश्चर्य है कि तुम्हारे पंख कोयल की तरह काले हैं ? ऐसा लगता है कि आकाशीय विद्युत की तेज जल्दी रोशनी एक एवं ताप से यह पंख काले पड़ गए हैं। यद्यपि तुम काले हो पर कितनी सुंदर और ताजा दिख पड़ती हो ।
आम के वृक्षों के पत्तों के पीछे छुप कर जब तुम्हारा कोयल स्वर मुखरित होकर कानों में पड़ते हैं तो हजारों समितियाँ फिर से जाग उठती है। वह स्मृतियाँ तुम्हारे स्वर के सहयोग से में ह्रदय में दर्द और ‘टीस ‘ पैदा करती हैं। मैं उसे सुनकर विचलित हो उठता हूँ। देखो !गुलाब के फूल भी तुम्हारी आवाज सुनकर रक्तताभ (रक्त का रंग ) हो उठते हैं जिन्हें केवल हवा और पानी का ही सहयोग मिलता है। इस लाली का रसास्वादन केवल वायु और जल को ही नसीब होता है । तुम्हारी दर्द भरी आवाज सुनकर आम का शरीर भी कहीं-कहीं काला पड़ जाता है और उन पर काले धब्बे दिखाई देने लगते हैं। पर मैं समझ नहीं पाती कि तुम्हारे पंख काले क्यों हो गये ?
कोयल अपने दर्द की दास्तान बयान करते हुए कहती है कि— प्रेम की जलन में उसके पंख काले पड़ गये। लेकिन इस ताप ने मुझे एक नया स्वरूप भी प्रदान किया ।इस रूप में ताजगी है और आकर्षण भी । मैं अपने प्रियतम से मिलने का व्याकुल हूँ। जैसे ही आम के वृक्षों पर मंजर लग जाते हैं, मेरे अंदर एक (दिल की) आग प्रज्वलित हो उठती है। चारों दिशाओं में फैली हरियाली मुझे और आंदोलित करती है और मेरे हृदय में एक ‘हुक’ उठती है जो एक तड़फ में परिणत होकर ‘पी कहाँ?’ पी कहाँ ? की रट लगाने लगती है ।फिर कोयल उस डाल के पत्तों से पूछ बैठती है— मूक दर्शक क्यों बने हो ,क्यों मेरे दर्द की पीड़ा का अहसास तुम्हें नहीं होता?
GLOSSARY AND NOTES
Lighting (noun): आकाशीय विद्दुत की तेज रोशनी।
Charred (verb): जलकर कोयला बन जाना। Counceal (verb): छिपाना । Strain (noun): अति श्रम । Shed (verb): फेंकना । Thy (pronoun ): तुम्हारा । Art (verb): are या है । Thou (pronoun): तुम । Singest (verb): गाना ।
EXERCISE
A. Work in small group and answer the questions briefly :
Q.1. Which is your favourite bird ? Why do you like it for its colour, melodious voice, beautiful appearance, usefulness etc ?
Ans. My favourite bird’s is a parrot. Its light green colour with a red band on the neck, its melodious voice and a beautiful look with long tail attract us. Its is a pet bird and nicely adjusts in the domestic environment. It very quickly picks up friendship with the children of the house. There are so many varieties of parrot — they pick up human’s voice and repeats the words so clearly.
B.1 Write ‘ T ‘ for true : ‘ F ‘ for false statement.
1. Koel is called the black Cuckoo. [T]
2. Koel sings in the apple leaves. [ F]
3. The song of Cuckoo brings a thousand memories. [ T]
4. The poet doesn’t become restless to hear its voice. [F]
5. The ‘ wings ‘ means your ‘ wings ‘. [ T]
B.2. Answer the following questions very briefly :
Q.1. Who wrote the poem Koel ?
Ans. The writer of the poem is Puran Singh.
Q.2. What do you write for ” thy” and “art” prose.
Ans. For ” Thy” we write yours and for ” Art” we write ‘are’.
Q.3. What makes thousand memories in heart ?
Ans. The high pitched note of the song of Cuckoo wakes of thousands memories in the heart.
Q.4. What makes thousand memories in heart ?
Ans. The shades of mangoes burn and there are black spots on the surfaces of the mangoes.
Q.5. ” O little Bird ” why capital ‘ B’ has been used here ?
Ans. Because the whole phrase has been used for Koel or the Cuckoo which is a hame of birds and is proper noun.
B.3. Answer the following questions very briefly :
Q.1. What charred the charred the wings of the Koal.
Ans. The fire of love has charred the wings of the Koel.
Q.2. Why is koel restless ?
Ans. The koel is restless in search of her Beloved. She cries ” where is my Beloved?”
Q.3. What fires the koel ?
Ans. The sight of mango blossous fires the koel.
Q.4. What burns her heart ?
Ans. The greener the garden, the brighter burns the heart of the Cuckoo.
Q.5. What does the flaming soul of the Koel ask ?
Ans. The flaming soul of the koel asks. ” Where ? Where’s my Beloved ?’
C.1. Long Answer Questions :
Q.1. In response of the speakers questions. ” What signed they wings ?” The koel replies.” The fire of love has charred my wings.” What does the Koel’s answer suggest ? Can love burn like fire? Is this burning a positive thing or a negative one . Explain .
Ans. This is the poetic way of saying a thing. Actually the Koel is in search of her partner. Both have been separated and the ‘ she Cuckoo’ is unable to bear the separation of her beloved and this has ignited sensation of fire in her heart. It is feeling inside which is expressed or is being expressed through the use of this word where .
Q.2. Why does the poet call the Koel ” a rain of spark” ? Explain.
Ans. The poet call the Koel ” a rain of spark” because her spark shedding notes go kindling fire, than roses are on fire and because her spark shedding notes go kindling fire , than roses are on fire and because the mangoes get bum marks and then again the fire of love got ignited and thus charred her wings.
Q.3. Why is the Koel restless ? Is she able to win over her restlessness ? It no, why ?
Ans. The felling of restlessness of the koel is the felling of an estranged lady . This is a symbolic felling of a ‘ Naejika ‘ or a lady in love. There is no question of winning or losing. Hence in expression in a poetic composition will remain undying. The felling would be everlasting and universal of the same time.
Q.4. Why is a Koel praised ? How do you feel when you hear its voice ?
Ans. There is an expression of pathos in its voice. It sounds that the or she something out of his life and the bird is trying to convey its inner feeling to every body who listen to her voice.
A man tries to align his own pathos with that of the bird or with any living body that is the reason that koel is praised.
Q.5. Do you think that the koel symbolises true love ?
Ans. The features of koel expressed only a part of ture love, that is sufferine but true love combines many things which also includes the ultimate sacrifice in love. The Koel’s episode doesn’t go up to that extent hence the symbol of love can’t be assigned here.