When Will Ye Go, O Guest? Poem by Aniruddha Pathak
When Will Ye Go, O Guest?
Will he has, heart to serve, host is kind,
How long still O thou guest should ye stay?
In limit O guest is welcome lined,
Reason none whatso to overstay.
Time passes, leaving things stale behind,
O leave bags and baggage, why delay?
Be thou guest of God, he too is kind,
Waiting, let no one's welcome decay.
Good to go just as came, keep in mind,
Taxing one's patience never does pay,
Taken care well, doted and well dined,
Ye aught know still your good-before day.
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In Sanskrit atithi means guest, literally one who calls in without date. Death is also an atithi. The host does not know when he would leave. Most of us are frightened of death, and do everything at our disposal to extend our stay on earth, if just to linger around. I always wonder why. Man, as guest here, should rather return at the earliest opportunity, and come back with new garments, new goal duly invigorated.
Ghazals, as genre, are made popular by Urdu poetry. They do not render so easily in English. This one is an attempt. Set in anapaest meter.
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Ghazals | 03.05.14 |
comments earlier received:
Edward Kofi Louis(12/29/2019 7: 47: 00 AM)
Bags of love! !
Heart to serve.
Thanks for sharing this poem with us. (Report) Reply
Aniruddha Pathak(12/30/2019 1: 04: 00 AM)
very apt feedback, thanks fir visiting
I was thinking of overstaying guests taking advantage of one's hospitality! We all have experienced those! Thanks to your notes I understood the real essence of poem. I do agree, staying attached to worn out body doesn't really make much sense. May be it is our social brainwashing making us want to stay here for ever.
Yes, from the poem there is no way of knowing which guest is it referring to. Poems are like that. Vagueness is often deliberately imparted. But I believe in some clarity, which is provided through the notes. Thanks for visiting.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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7/27/2025 9:58:23 AM # 1.0.0
Overstaying! ! Muse of the guest; But, patience is the key. Host, ghost, lost, most! Nest of love, Best with life, Able to handle your guest peacefully. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
Thanks for sharing, rather thanks for visiting dear poet.