Valentine's Day - Musings on Love

Just thought would ctrl+c, ctrl+v some of my favorite musings on love on this "auspecious" day. So below are excerpts from some top-of-my-mind recall of writings on love. Not suprisingly, lyrics from hindi movies dominate - but hopefully not the run-of-the-mill kind. But I cannot think of anything better to start with than the words from 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran. A poetry in prose, if there ever was one...
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When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.

Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,

And weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

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Sahir Ludhiyanvi is probably the finest lyricist Hindi cinema has ever seen, and will ever see. I personally do not share his intensely negative attitude towards life and world, but that does not take any thing away from the sheer beauty of his poetry. Many of his popular lyrics were originally poems in Urdu that were suitably "modified" to fit into a movie. One example is the song "Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai.." from the movie "Kabhi Kabhi". The original poetry is much more tough to follow, but I love the lyrics version too. Here are some excerpts:

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Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai
ki jaise tujhko banaya gaya hai mere liye
Tu ab se pahle sitaaron mein bas rahi thi kahin
Tujhe zameen pe bulaya gaya hai mere liye.....

Kabhi kabh mere dil mein khayal aata hai
Ki jaise tu mujhe chahegi umr bhar yun hi
Uthegi meri taraf pyaar ki nazar yun hi
Main jaanta hoon ki tu gair hai, magar yun hi....
Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai

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Javed Akhtar, one of few genuine poets of our times, expressed the longings of lovers separated by circumstances beautifully in the movie "Silsila" - "Main aur meri tanhaayi...". Excerpts from it...

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Yeh raat hai ya tumhari zulfein khuli hui hain
Hai chandni ya tumahri nazaron se meri raatein dhuli hui hain
Chand hai, ya tumhara kangan
Sitarein hain, ya tumhara aanchal
Hawa ka jhonka hai, ya tumhare badan ki khushboo
Ye pattiyon ki hai sarsaraahat, ya tumne chupke se kuchh kaha hai....
Ye sochta hoon main kab se gumsum yun hi
Ki jabki mujhko bhi ye khabar hai ke tum nahin ho, kahin nahin ho
Ye dil hai ki keh raha hai
Tum yahin ho, yahin kahin ho.......

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Finally, Gulzaar sort of sums it up when he says in "Aandhi"...

Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin
Tere bina zindagi bhi lekin, zindagi to nahin....

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Of course, I doubt any of the above would be of much use if one were to pursue his / her Valentine today. I would highly recommend the anthem of our times for that purpose -

Aashiq banaya, aashiq banaya, aashiq banaya aapne.... :-))

Have a good Valentine's Day (whatever that means).