What good a life ?, If filled with regrets.

These lines are a letter of advice to me by my dear father. I am attempting a translation here for the few readers of mine who do not understand Hindi. though this time it is just a translation in the form of a paragraph.. rather the gist of what has been conveyed above..

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dil ki baat waqt pe suno ...

(hear the voice of your heart at the right time)

Na karo dil se gila,
dil ka kya kasoor hai

Zamaane ke dastur mein
dil ka kahaan milaap hai!

Na suni dil ki baat
saath zamaane ke ho liye
zamaana kahin bichchad gaya
bus dil dhadaktaa reh gaya!
Dhadkane na suni maine phir bhi
zamaane ke khayaal mein, par
zamaana bekhayaal tha,
dil kahte kahte thak gaya!
Gair ke sawaal par
khud ko ansunaa kar diya
zamaane ke khayal se
dil ko rusva kar diya!
Waqt aise hi gujar gaya
aur zamaana badal gayaa
par, dil waise hi dhadak rahaa thaa
jaise phir mujhse kuch keh raha thaa!
Kyaa suntaa mai ab dil ki sada
waqt bahut nikal gaya thaa
zamaane ke khayaal mein mai
khud se be-khayaal ho gaya thaa !

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Do not blame your heart,what wrong has it done?When was it bound by the world, when did it adhere to it's conditions? Ignoring your heart, you tagged along with the world, a world which soon sailed adrift, leaving you with only your beating heart.Yet you did not feel the pulse of your heart,numbed by the desire to have the world's approval. "Alas! the world is not concerned", cried out your heart relentlessly, yet for the fear of what others would say, you shunned your own heart.For the sake of acceptance in the world you drove away from your heart.Time however passed,the world changed and you were still there in anticipation of others approval,only you were now wasted,weathered and tired.Now you started feeling a slight pulse and soon you could hear your heart loud and clear.It made sense to you,but it was too late,a lot of time had passed.In the quest of appeasing the world, your own identity,you had lost....

These lines convey a very simple yet a very often neglected point. We always come across crossroads in our life, where we have to make decisions based on either what we believe, our principles, our individuality and the world's outlook. I am not going to tread on which of the two is right. Whatever decision we take, should be made keeping in mind that later in our life we do not regret having done it.Today if we make a sacrifice for someone else, make it only if you are really a kind of a person who can bear pain with a smile for the sake of someone else.. Do not do it just for the sake of being considered great and kind.. For if your actions are not governed by who you are and what you believe in, you will lead a life filled with regrets .. and what good a life , what contending a life, how FULFILLING a life, if it is full of regrets.....