“Towards the Storms” — My Favorite Hindi Poem

As many of you might know, my education from first through eight grades was completed in India. One of the many reasons I am and always will be grateful for having grown up and studied there is that I am fluent in Marathi and Hindi, and have the ability to understand several other Indo-Aryan languages. A lot of people who have also grown up in India would relate to this as well, as it is normal for almost everyone there to know how to read and write at least three languages!
Throughout my early education, Hindi was always my favorite class — in fact I dreamed about getting a PhD in Hindi Literature along with Engineering (obviously)!
But then I moved to the US…
The only ways I could stay in touch with the language was through teaching Hindi to local kids during my high school years, watching old Bollywood movies or listening to old Bollywood songs in which the Hindi was pure and elegant (unlike most these days), and re-reading stories and poems from my Indian text books.
There is a poem that is very dear to my heart, one that I was introduced to in sixth grade and one that I had written my college application essays on, called Toofano Ki Aur or Towards the Storms by Shivmangal Singh Suman.
Below is this poem in Hindi and Hinglish script, and a translation. The translation to English is not literal and incorporates my interpretations to make it more meaningful to you. English translations are stacked right after every Hindi line so that it is easy to follow for those who are familiar with the language.
तूफानों की ओर घुमा दो नाविक निज पतवार | Toofanon ki aur ghuma do naavik nij patvaar
Towards the storm, steer your boat sailor
आज सिन्धु ने विष उगला है | Aaj sindhu ne vish ugla hai
Today the river is being malicious
लहरों का यौवन मचला है | Lahron ka yovan machla hai
The waves are moving aggressively
आज हृदय में और सिन्धु में | Aaj hruday mein aur sindhu mein
Today in the heart and in the river
साथ उठा है ज्वार |Saath utha hai jwar
Together there is an unrest
तूफानों की ओर घुमा दो नाविक निज पतवार |Toofanon ki aur ghuma do naavik nij patvaar
Towards the storm, steer your boat sailor
लहरों के स्वर में कुछ बोलो |Lahron ke swar main kuch bolo
Say something in the intensity of the waves
इस अंधड में साहस तोलो | Is aandhd mein sahas tolo
Use this storm to build your courage
कभी-कभी मिलता जीवन में |Kabhi-kabhi milta jeevan mein
Very rarely in life will you get
तूफानों का प्यार |Toofanon ka pyaar
Such affection from storms
तूफानों की ओर घुमा दो नाविक निज पतवार |Toofanon ki aur ghuma do naavik nij patvaar
Towards the storm, steer your boat sailor
यह असीम, निज सीमा जाने |Yaha aseem, nij seema janey
This is infinite and has no boundary
सागर भी तो यह पहचाने |Saagar bhi to yaha pahachaney
The river and ocean are the basically the same
मिट्टी के पुतले मानव ने |Mitti ke putle manav ney
Although people might be fragile like mud statues
कभी न मानी हार | Kabhi na maani haar
We must never give up
तूफानों की ओर घुमा दो नाविक निज पतवार |Toofanon ki aur ghuma do naavik nij patvaar
Towards the storm, steer your boat sailor
सागर की अपनी क्षमता है |Saagar ki apni kshamta hai
The ocean has its own capacity
पर माँझी भी कब थकता है |Par maanjhi bhi kabh thakta hai
So does the sailor and she must never give up
जब तक साँसों में स्पन्दन है |Jab tak saason mein spandan hai
Until your breath is running
उसका हाथ नहीं रुकता है |Uska haath nahin rukta hai
Your efforts must not stop
इसके ही बल पर कर डाले |Iske hi bal par kar daley
Only with this attitude and strength
सातों सागर पार |Saaton saagar paar
You will be able to cross the seven oceans
तूफानों की ओर घुमा दो नाविक निज पतवार |Toofanon ki aur ghuma do naavik nij patvaar
Towards the storm, steer your boat sailor
I hope you found at least some parts of this poem meaningful, and that you were also inspired to learn, re-learn, or speak in your mother tongue more often. Language is a powerful tool — it connects you to people, culture, and history!
