“Towards the Storms” — My Favorite Hindi Poem

Ankita Joshi
Sep 4, 2018 · 4 min read

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!

Ankita Joshi

Written by

working on STEM ed for all, engineering for impact & cool cars / @cal_engineer / founder @ acornlabs.org

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