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रविवारीय विशेष/Sunday Special
Magahi or Magadhi is a language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is believed to be the language spoken by Gautama Buddha. It was the official language of the Mauryan court, in which the edicts of the great emperor Ashoka were composed.
The language is derived from the ancient Magahi Prakrit, which was created in the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Grammarian Kachchayano, one of the ten principal disciples of Gautama Buddha wrote of the importance of Magahi, “There is a language which is the root (of all languages); men and Brahmans spoke it at the commencement of the kalpa, who never before uttered a human accent, and even the supreme Buddhas spoke it: it is Magahi.”
Though the number of speakers in Magahi is large, it has not been constitutionally recognised in India.There are around 20,700,000 speakers of Magahi language including Khortha which is considered a dialect of Magahi.
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Although Magahi was legally absorbed under the subordinate label of Hindi in the 1961 Census, it is a language much older than Hindi. In fact Bhojpuri and Magahi have a common origin which is visible in the usage of words, phrases, idioms and the aggressive tone of the language. Like Bhojpuri, Magahi also has a very rich and old tradition of folk songs and stories. However, as poet-diplomat Abhay K., an anthologist of 100 Great Indian Poems and 100 More Great Indian Poems (Both published by Bloomsbury), noticed, there is no written poem in Magahi or Magadhi language. .
“It is surprising,” Abhay, who is the Indian Ambassador in Madagascar with additional charge of Comoros, told globalbihari.com.
Himself being a poet of repute (Abhay is a winner of SAARC literary award and Asia Pacific Excellence Award, and has published nine poetry collections), he decided to write the poems in his mother tongue, that is Magahi, for globalbihari.com. He also translated these poems in English for the global readers. We feel privileged to present these two poems to our readers.
-Editor
एगो कविता मगही में
—अभय के.
हम हैरान हिय की क़ोई लिखल कविता न हय मगही में
इधर ऊधर भागहिय, फेन बैठहिय कविता लिखे लगी मगही में
गली कुचा में सुनहिय लोग कैसे बोलअ हथिन मगही में
ध्यान से सुनहिय सबके बोली-चाली मगही में
दिन-रात चिरैं जैसन चाएँ-चाएँ करत हथिन मगही में
ओखनी सब के गारी भी बढ़िया लग है मगही में
ठीक है को ठीक हक़ो, अच्छा आ गया को अच्छा आ गेलहु कहल जाय है मगही में
खाना खाए-खनवा खैलहु, चाय पिए- चैइआ पिलहु होवअ है मगही में
हम शहर में घुमल-फिरल चल हिय किताब खोजते मगही में
घुर के घरे आब हिय बिन कौनो लिखल शब्द पैले मगही में
घर पर माता जी परथना कर हथिन मगही में
हमर बेटा के बुद्धी देहु भगवान
ई कविता लिखेलअ चाह हय मगही में ।
English Translation from Magahi
A poem in Magahi
(Translated by Abhay K.)
Surprised to learn that there is no written poem in Magahi
I run here and there then sit down to write a poem in Magahi
I listen to the people in the street talking in Magahi
paying attention to their sounds and tones in Magahi
they twitter like birds day and night in Magahi
even their abuses sound sweet in Magahi
thik hai is thik hako, accha aa gaya is acccha aa gelhu in Magahi
khana khaye is khana khailhu, chai piye is chaiya pilhu in Magahi
I go around the town looking for books in Magahi
I return home without finding a written word in Magahi
at home I hear my mother say her prayers in Magahi
Hamar betake buddhi dehu bhagwan, he wants to write a poem in Magahi.
Thik hai : all well
Accha aa gaya : well, you have arrived
Khana khaye : did you eat
Chai piye : did you drink tea
Hamar betake buddhi dehu bhagwan: God give my son sense
मैन्हैटन में खिचड़ी
–अभय के.
बंजारा नियन सालों घुरला के बाद हम अब बस गेलियों हे मैन्हैटन में
अब हियें हमर घर हो, अब खा हियो खिचड़ी मैन्हैटन में
देखहियो शिकागो ब्रॉडवे पर औ रोमीओ इ जूलीएट मेट ओपेरा में
जब आवहिय घरे पूरब ४३ गली में, खाहिय खिचड़ी मैन्हैटन में
पढ़हिय पोयट हाउस में ऐल्फ़्रेड कॉर्न औ लदन ओसमन जोरे
पिय हिय लाल शराब बर्ट किम्मेलमन जोरे मैन्हैटन में
शहर में घुर हिय काली-पीली टैक्सी में बतियते सुखबीर, इम्तियाज़, कार्ल जोरे
औ खा हिय इटैलियन तीसर औ लेक्सिंटॉन के बीच मैन्हैटन में
मिल हिय निकलस बर्न जोरे जुआँ वालदेज़ कफ़े में औ इन्द्रन अमीर्थनायागम जोरे मेट म्यूज़ीयम में
टमटम चढ़ हिय सेंट्रल पार्क में मैन्हैटन में
केल्विन क्लाइन खरिदअ हिय मेसी टाइम स्क्वेर में औ आइफ़ोनसेवन बड़का ऐपल स्टोर में फ़िफ़थ अवैन्यू पर मैन्हैटन में
पढ़ हिय नाइट स्काई विदआउट एग्ज़िट वूंड्ज़ बाई ओशेन वूआंग औ सिटिज़ेन बाई क्लॉडीआ रांकिन
पन्ना पलट हिय ऐन कार्सन के फ़्लोट के बॉर्नस एंड नोबल्स मैन्हैटन में
पिज़्ज़ा, पेस्ट्री, पास्ता, बर्गर, सैंड्विच, सब खैलियो पर दिन खतम होला पर जब घर ऐलियो
हम खिचड़ी के मज़ा ले हिय मैन्हैटन में।
English Translation from Magahi
Eating Khichadi in Manhattan
(Translated by Abhay K.)
As I belong to Gaya, magahi language is very close to my heart.
My Father, uncle, dadi and all members of family use to converse in magahi .
Gradually younger generation drifted away from this language.
All congratulations to Mr. Abhay K for writing poem in Magahi.
We expect many more from you.
Very entertaining. Write more.
Please keep the language alive.
Atleast talk sometimes in Magahi to help it pass to other generations.
And yes do produce Magahi literature.
Keep writing.
Best Wishes.