Lucu Lucu

is Lucifer. I finally figured that out at the very end of the manga. When only 2 or 3 chapters were left to read, ‘that’ page (I’ve forgotten which one now!) reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” and the name “Lucifer” popped up in my mind. Anyway, the manga got a little fast-paced towards the end (after 6^th volume) and a lot of (or few) questions were deliberately left unanswered while the author (or Lucu Lucu) ‘kept winking’ at the reader to figure it out by themselves! Not a bad ending for a series that had a ‘Slice of Life’ feel.

Speaking of endings, Nichijou (the anime) also ended yesterday after 26 hilarious episodes. It’s ending was a pure ‘Slice of Life’ ending and the fourth wall was never broken in an attempt to convey the end of series, which was done in Sketchbook with too many blatant cues that I felt like crying (metaphorically, not literally). This means I’ve to update my Anime/Manga list once again…

Speaking of reminiscences, here are four lines (most probably they qualify as Shers) cooked up by my (cousin?) sister (identified as R in this post):

हर लम्हा हर पल एक याद बन जाता है
खुली किताब में एक किस्सा बन जाता है

Har lamha har pal ek yaad ban jaata hai
Khuli kitaab mein ek kissa ban jaata hai

Every moment gets memorized
As an anecdote in an open book

जीने को तो हरदम जीते हैं इस एक पल में
ये पल यकीनन उसका हिस्सा बन जाता है

Jeene ko to hardam jeete hain is ek pal mein
Ye pal yakinan uska hissa ban jaata hai

Lives are spent in this one moment
Each moment is trapped in its nook

-विषालिका (Vishalika)

The last line in her original version of the second ‘sher’ was too long along with an explicit mention of the ‘book’. I replaced it with the pronoun ‘its (उसका)’ and removed other ‘clutter’ to shorten the line. Since she ‘liked’ the ‘mutilated sher’, the meaning must have not been lost in transition. (At least in the Hindi version; I didn’t show her my English translations!)

If you want to read ‘pure & high-quality’ Shers, check out the

<<Previous Post

Sheen Kaaf Nizaam’s Shayari–II

As foretold in the previous installment, here’s a second one. Also as mentioned there, do go through the tab titled “Shayari” before reading any further and this translation too requires mentioning Thanks to DQ.

I’ve removed two Shers from the following translated Ghazal because I don’t know a word’s meaning in one sher and the other one being “Urdu-heavy” was not very “translator-friendly”! So let’s enjoy the rest of the Ghazal:

मकानों के थे या ज़मानों के थे
अजब फ़ासले दर्मियानों के थे

Makaanon ke the ya jamaanon ke the
Ajab faasle darmiyaanon ke the

Were they space-like or were they time-like
Weird separations of the intervals, they were

This particular translation will be appreciated by physicists more than other mere mortals.

थे वहमों के कुछ, कुछ गुमानों के थे
सभी अपने अपने ठिकानों के थे

The wahamon ke kuch, kuch gumaanon ke the
Sabhi apne apne thikaanon ke the

Some due to doubts, some due to pride
All of their very own abodes, they were

खुली आँख तो सामने कुछ न था
वो मंज़र तो सारे उड़ानों के थे

Khuli aankh to saamne kuch na tha
Wo manzar to saare udaanon ke the

Nothing before the now open eyes
The scenery of all flights, they were

मुसाफ़िर की नज़रें बुलन्दी प' थीं
मगर रास्ते सब ढलानों के थे

Musaafir ki nazaren bulandi pa’ theen
Magar raaste sab dhalaanon ke the

The traveller had eyes on his ascent
The roads but of descent, they were

पकड़ना उन्हें कुछ ज़रूरी न था
परिंदे सभी आशियानों के थे

Pakadna unhen kuch zaroori na tha
Parinde sabhi aashiyaanon ke the

It was not necessary to bind them
All birds were residents, they were

उन्हें ढूंढ़ने तुम कहां चल दिये
वो किरदार तो दास्तानों के थे

Unhen dhoondhne tum kahan chal diye
Wo kirdaar to daastaanon ke the

Where will you go search for them
The characters of fiction, they were

-शीन काफ़ ‘निज़ाम’ (Sheen Kaaf ‘Nizaam’)

One sher on Anubhuti-Hindi.org has sentiments ‘similar’ to the fourth sher above! So I present a translation of that sher also:

हैं निगाहें बुलन्दियों पे मेरी,
क्या हुआ पाँव गर ढलान पे है

Hain nigaahen bulandiyon pe meri,
kya hua paanv gar dhalaan pe hai

My eyes are focussed on ascent,
Who cares if my feet are on descent

-नीरज गोस्वामी (Neeraj Goswaami)

Bold words there… Very Bold!

Recitation

Beginning of the End

How can it be correct if it isn’t even consistent.

–Warren Siegel

That title may feel a bit odd at first but by the end of this post, it will still feel so. Anyway, I’ll be talking about beginnings of a few shows/series in this post:

First of all, I started to read a new ‘Slice of Life’ manga (like Sketchbook) titled “Lucu Lucu”. It has a weird theme but if you ignore that, it is quite enjoyable. Well, even if you don’t ignore the theme (where demons are the ‘good guys’ & angels are the ‘bad’ ones), it is still relaxing & calming very much like another SoL manga titled “Yotsuba&!”.

Second of all, new episodes of two British panel shows have started airing again: “QI” Series I (‘I’ as in 9) featuring Stephen Fry & Alan Davies and “Would I Lie to You?” Series 5 featuring David Mitchell, Lee Mack & Rob Brydon. These series basically point to the beginning of the end of this year (if you are too picky in wanting to connect the body of this post to the title!).

Third of all and the most important one that gave me the idea for this post is the beginning of the scanlation of a ‘Samurai-based action comedy’ manga (the genre which includes gems like Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Samurai Champloo) titled “Samurai Usagi”. The scanlation stopped in 2008 and a new group picked it up nearly a month ago after more or less 3 years as seen on this page, which makes me happy that there are some ‘kind’ souls existing even today. [But, where are they when it concerns “Embalming”? Though, I think the absence of new chapters may be due to some other factors too!]

So, there you have it: a list of things that can keep you occupied till the end of (and beyond) this year. You may as well start with

Lucu Lucu