Broken Dreams, Unheard Voices: Why Neeraj's Poetry Fits Modern Student Protests 🏛️

स्वप्न झरे फूल-से,

मीत चुभे शूल-से,

लुट गये सिंगार सभी बाग़ के बबूल से,

और हम खड़े-खड़े बहार देखते रहे।

कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे!

नींद भी खुली न थी कि हाय धूप ढल गई,

पाँव जब तलक उठे कि ज़िन्दगी फिसल गई,

पात-पात झर गये कि शाख़-शाख़ जल गई,

चाह तो निकल सकी न, पर उमर निकल गई,

— नीरज

Dreams withered away like fallen flowers,

Friends pierced like sharp thorns,

All the beauty of the garden was stolen by the desert weeds,

And standing helpless, I kept watching spring pass by.

The caravan moved on, and I kept watching the dust left behind!

Before my sleep could fully break, alas, the evening sun had set,

Before my feet could take a step, life slipped away from my grip,

Leaf after leaf withered away, branch after branch caught fire,

The desires of my heart remained unfulfilled, but a lifetime passed away.

— Neeraj