GONE ARE THE DAYS

Gone are the days When the school reopened in June, And we settled in our new desks and benches. Gone are the days When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

Gone are the days When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals, And returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat. Gone are the days When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors, Playgrounds, under the trees and even 

on tree branches.

Gone are the days When all the colours in the world,Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.Gone are the days When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table, Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.

Gone are the days When few played "kabadi" and "kho-kho" in scorching sun, While others simply played "book cricket" in the confines of classroom.

Gone are the days Of fights but no conspiracies, Of Competitions but seldom jealousy.

Gone are the days When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast, In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks. Gone are the days Of Sports Day, and the annual School Day, And the one-month long preparations for them.

Gone are the days Of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most enjoyed holidays after them. Gone are the days of tenth and twelfth standards, when we Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.

Let me add the nostalgic ghazal ye daulat bhi le lo,from the Ghazal Maestro, Jagjit Singh with English translation:-

Gone are the days We learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost, We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought. Gone are the days With so much fun in them, so many friends, So much experience, all this and more.

Gone are the days But not the memories, which will be Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and Ever and ever and Ever.

ye daulat bhi le lo, ye shohrat bhi le lo
Take all this wealth and fame
bhale cheen lo mujhse meri jawaani
You may even take my youth too
magar mujhko lauta do bachchpan ka saawan
But please, let me keep my childhood memories
wo kaagaz ki kasthi wo baarish ka paani
The boat made of paper and that water from the rain

 1st charanam:-

mohalle ki sabse nishaani purani
The oldest relic of the community
wo burhiya jise bachche kehte the naani
The old lady, whom all called Naani (Grandmother)
wo naani kee baaton mein pariyon ka dera
That Naani's stories was about the fairies
wo chehre ke Jhuriyon mein sadiyon ka phera
One could see her sufferings from the wrinkles on her face
bhulaaye nahin bhool saqta hai koi
How can anyone forget
wo choti see raaten wo lambi kahaani
The short nights and long stories
(concept: time passes fast when having fun)

2nd charanam:-

kari dhoop mein apne ghar se nikalna
In the hot afternoon, stealing out from the home
wo chiriya wo bulbul wo thithli pakarna
and trying to catch the birds and butterflies
wo guriya ki shaadi pe larna jhagarna
Those little squirmishes on a doll's wedding
wo jhoolon se girna, wo gir ke sambhalna
Falling from the swing, and then getting up again
wo pithal ke challon ke pyaare se tho'fe
Those beautiful presents of brass rings
wo tuti hui chudiyoy ki nishaani
That Momento of broken glass bangles
(wo kaagaz ki kasthi wo baarish ka paani)2
The boat made of paper and that water from the rain

3rd charanam:

kabhi re't ke oonche tilon pe jaana
Climbing the sand hillocks
gharonde banana, banaake mitaana
Making sand castles then destroying them
wo maasoom chaahat ki tasveer apni
That is the "Innocence of Childhood"
wo khwabon khilono ki taabir jaageer apni
That personal estate of dreams and toys
na duniya ka gham tha na rishton ke bandhan
Has no worries of the worlds nor bound by relationships
bari khoobsoorat thi wo zindgaani
That life was so much beautiful

Jagjit/Chitra:
ye daulat bhi le lo, ye shohrat bhi le lo
Take all this wealth and fame
bhale cheen lo mujhse meri jawaani
You may even take my youth too
magar mujhko lauta do bachchpan ka saawan
But please, let me keep my childhood memories
wo kaagaz ki kasthi wo baarish ka paani
The boat made of paper and that water from the rain