Nay, do not grieve; gay and glee

Sarojini Naidu was known by the sobriquet “The Nightingale” of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet. Naidu was a great patriot, politician, orator, and administrator of all the famous women of India. Not only that, but she was truly one of the jewels of the world. Her birthday is celebrated as “Women's Day.”

This is a tiny poem written by her in days when India was struggling for freedom. Having new hopes and dreams; everyone was foreseeing India as an Independent Nation. Every Indian patriot was fighting for a new dawn of freedom. Days were deep dark and India lost esteem. In such dead dreamy nights, Naidu wrote wonderful lines and spread new aspiration. These beautiful lines through rays of light in such gloom.

It’s ancient, but the poem is relevant today as well. It’s the jewel of wisdom. When we face such gloom in life, it gives a ray of hope. It inspires us to rise above in struggle of life. Trials and trifles don’t sustain forever. It tells us not to grieve in grief. Do not murmur in troubles. Do not ache in an agony.

Nature radiates indifferent light whatever the suffering is! Every day the dawn shines with golden hues and the sun rises with luminous rays. Beauty does not vail. It emits enormous shades. So look with new hopes and dreams. Anticipate with new ambitions.

A sour today will be some forgotten yesterday. Don’t sob in sadness. Don’t cry over calamity. Tomorrow’s joy will dim all dismay and doom all desolation. All tears will turn into a thrill. Sorrows and sufferings will be relished into pleasures and cheers. Life will be filled with gaiety and bliss. The patriotic endeavor was at extreme; this poem gave fortitude in peril endurance.

The poem is a real ecstasy :          

Nay, do not grieve tho' life be full of sadness,
Dawn will not veil her splendour for your grief,
Nor spring deny their bright, appointed beauty
To lotus blossom and ashoka leaf.

Nay, do not pine, tho' life be dark with trouble,
Time will not pause or tarry on his way;
To-day that seems so long, so strange, so bitter,
Will soon be some forgotten yesterday.

Nay, do not weep; new hopes, new dreams, new faces,
The unspent joy of all the unborn years,
Will prove your heart a traitor to its sorrow,
And make your eyes unfaithful to their tears.

~ Sarojini Naidu

The gist of the poem :

Don’t distress, don’t despair; though life is full of sadness. Nature radiates; it never disdains. Our sorrows do not affect it. It is indifferent, whatever our grief or pine is! Dawn is always splendid. It does not vail its beauty for grief. Spring doesn’t disappoint. Lotus and Ashoka leaf blossom as they always do.

Don’t ache, don’t fade; though life is full of difficulties. Time doesn’t pause or linger on his way. It passes as it always does. Today may seem to be a long, strange and bitter day. But it will be some forgotten yesterday. Don’t procrastinate or temporize. Equivocation wavers us. Be strong, steady and serene in it.

Don’t moan, don’t groan; new hopes, new dreams, new faces are yet to come. The unspent joy of unborn years will prove our heart a betrayer to its sorrows. And make our eyes unfaithful to tears. Joy will flourish and sorrows will wane. Our heart will glee and eyes will blink. We will fly in freedom. So hope for the brighter tomorrow. Don’t grieve; gay and glee.   

The poem eases heart when it’s aching. No pain lasts forever. So instead of being in misery; elate and exult. Have delight for joyful tomorrow.