दीन / सूर्यकांत त्रिपाठी "निराला"

सह जाते हो
उत्पीड़न की क्रीड़ा सदा निरंकुश नग्न,
हृदय तुम्हारा दुबला होता नग्न,
अन्तिम आशा के कानों में
स्पन्दित हम - सबके प्राणों में
अपने उर की तप्त व्यथाएँ,
क्षीण कण्ठ की करुण कथाएँ
कह जाते हो
और जगत की ओर ताक कर
दुःख हृदय का क्षोभ त्याग कर,
सह जाते हो।
कह जाते हो-
"यहाँ कभी मत आना,
उत्पीड़न का राज्य दुःख ही दुःख
यहाँ है सदा उठाना,
क्रूर यहाँ पर कहलाता है शूर,
और हृदय का शूर सदा ही दुर्बल क्रूर;
स्वार्थ सदा ही रहता परार्थ से दूर,
यहाँ परार्थ वही, जो रहे
स्वार्थ से हो भरपूर,
जगत की निद्रा, है जागरण,
और जागरण जगत का - इस संसृति का
अन्त - विराम - मरण
अविराम घात - आघात
आह ! उत्पात!
यही जग - जीवन के दिन-रात।
यही मेरा, इनका, उनका, सबका स्पन्दन,
हास्य से मिला हुआ क्रन्दन।
यही मेरा, इनका, उनका, सबका जीवन,
दिवस का किरणोज्ज्वल उत्थान,
रात्रि की सुप्ति, पतन;
दिवस की कर्म - कुटिल तम - भ्रान्ति
रात्रि का मोह, स्वप्न भी भ्रान्ति,
सदा अशान्ति!"

A Night Thought / William Wordsworth

Lo! where the Moon along the sky
Sails with her happy destiny;
Oft is she hid from mortal eye
Or dimly seen,
But when the clouds asunder fly
How bright her mien!

Far different we--a froward race,
Thousands though rich in Fortune's grace
With cherished sullenness of pace
Their way pursue,
Ingrates who wear a smileless face
The whole year through.

If kindred humours e'er would make
My spirit droop for drooping's sake,
From Fancy following in thy wake,
Bright ship of heaven!
A counter impulse let me take
And be forgiven.

Night / William Blake

The sun descending in the west,
The evening star does shine;
The birds are silent in their nest,
And I must seek for mine.
The moon, like a flower,
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy groves,
Where flocks have took delight.
Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves
The feet of angels bright;
Unseen they pour blessing,
And joy without ceasing,
On each bud and blossom,
And each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest,
Where birds are covered warm;
They visit caves of every beast,
To keep them all from harm.
If they see any weeping
That should have been sleeping,
They pour sleep on their head,
And sit down by their bed.

When wolves and tigers howl for prey,
They pitying stand and weep;
Seeking to drive their thirst away,
And keep them from the sheep.
But if they rush dreadful,
The angels, most heedful,
Receive each mild spirit,
New worlds to inherit.

And there the lion's ruddy eyes
Shall flow with tears of gold,
And pitying the tender cries,
And walking round the fold,
Saying, 'Wrath, by His meekness,
And, by His health, sickness
Is driven away
From our immortal day.

'And now beside thee, bleating lamb,
I can lie down and sleep;
Or think on Him who bore thy name,
Graze after thee and weep.
For, washed in life's river,
My bright mane for ever
Shall shine like the gold
As I guard o'er the fold.'

सपने जो सच हैं / उत्तिमा केशरी

सुख के सपने की छाँव तले
जब वह सोती है हर रात
मानिनी की तरह
तब दीख पड़ता है
नायक का वजूद
अतीव सुन्दर
सुघड़ सौम्य
अति संवेदनशील

मानो अजन्ता की
मूर्त्तियों की तरह
तराश लिया उसका गठीला जिस्म
कमान-सी खींची
भौंहें
कजरारी आँखें
गुलाबी होंठ

और
इनके मध्य
एक सुखद सपना
जो सच लगता है।

मौजूद है / आफ़ताब हुसैन

इस अँधेरे में जो थोड़ी रौशनी मौजूद है
दिल में उस की याद शायद आज भी मौजूद है

वक़्त की वहशी हवा क्या क्या उड़ा कर ले गई
ये भी क्या कम है कि कुछ उस की कमी मौजूद है

कौन जाने आने वाले पल में ये भी हो न हो
धूप के हमराह ये जो छाँव सी मौजूद है

A Glass Of Water / Gajanan Mishra

Give me a glass of water
To drink in this summer.
Give me a glass of water,
I have nothing to drink,
The area is full of water, though.

Give me a bowl of rice
Or a bread to eat,
I want nothing more than this.

Give me a bowl of rice
To eat, on this day.
On this day, I am hungry.
I am being eaten by
My hunger, my thirst,
That are within me.

Ships That Pass In The Night / Paul Laurence Dunbar

Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing;
I look far out into the pregnant night,
Where I can hear the solemn booming gun
And catch the gleaming of a random light,
That tells me that the ship I seek
is passing, passing.
My tearful eyes my soul's deep hurt are glassing;
For I would hail and check that ship of ships.
I stretch my hands imploring, cry aloud,
My voice falls dead a foot from mine own lips,
And but its ghost doth reach that vessel, passing, passing.
O Earth, O Sky, O Ocean, both surpassing,
O heart of mine, O soul that dreads the dark!
Is there no hope for me? Is there no way
That I may sight and check that speeding bark
Which out of sight and sound is passing, passing?