Gujarat Board GSEB Solutions Class 12 English Second Language Unit 4 Blind, Deaf Fish Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.
GSEB Std 12 English Textbook Solutions Unit 4 Read 2 Blind, Deaf Fish (2nd Language)
GSEB Class 12 English Blind, Deaf Fish Text Book Questions and Answers
1. Fill in the blanks.
A dark river flows from a dark cave. Its banks are stony. An old man is sitting on its bank. He is weaving a yam of rainbow. He is humming a song. But the fish does not see yarn or man. It does not hear the old man’s everlasting song. She is blind and deaf.
2. Complete the table. Write a detailed description and its importance.
| cave | It is dark. A river flows in it. |
| river | It flows in the dark cave. Its banks are stony. |
| bank | The bank of the dark river is stony. A very old man is sitting on it. |
| man | The man is very old even older than the sun. He is sitting on the stony bank of the dark river. |
| fish | The fish is blind and deaf. It swims in the stream. It does not see yarn or man. It does not hear the man’s everlasting song. |
| song | The song sung by the old man is everlasting. |
3. There are three word-pictures in Wlmt do you miss the poem :
(1) The river
(2) The man
(3) The fish Describe these pictures in detail.
Answer:
(1) The river: There is a deep cave where ? the sunlight does not reach. The cave is dark and seems mysterious. That cave is the source of a river. The water is streaming from it and falls on the rocks.
(2) The man : The man is very old – even older than the sun. He is weaving a yarn of rainbow and humming a song. He is singing an everlasting song.
(3) The fish: The fish is swimming in the s stream. It is blind and deaf. It cannot see the yarn that the old man is weaving nor the old man who is also singing an everlasting song.
4 The fish is alive but unable to enjoy the world around. Can there be persons like this fish ?
They are insensitive to beauty, colours, life, etc. They are just busy in routine and food.
- Are you a fish? Do you absorb your world with all your senses and sensibilities ? How do you enjoy life ? Write in detail considering these questions :
- What is your routine ?
- What would you like to see / enjoy ?
Answer:
I get up in the morning, carry out trifle routine jobs like brushing, bathing, taking breakfast, etc. and get ready to leave for my workplace. I spend the day there doing all monotonous work. In all this routine I miss the moments of enjoyment. I like music and sports very much.
I seek great joy from them, but I hardly find any time to listen to the music or participate in sports. My routine has been so monotonous and life so uninteresting that very often I have fits of depression.
If I were not so tied up, I would have travelled many places, met more men, listened to favourite music and taken part in sports to boost up my spirits.
5. Join ‘A’ with ‘B’ so as to find the deeper meaning in the poem.
| ‘A’ | ‘B’ |
| 1. cave | a. the creator |
| 2. rainbow | b. man |
| 3. fish | c. insensitive, routine |
| 4. old man | d. beauty |
| 5. river | e. dark |
| 6. blind deaf | f. mystery |
Answer:
(1-e), (2 – d), (3 – b), (4 – a), (5 – f), (6 – c).
6. Tick mark the sentence with the nearest meaning.
Question 1.
Tell her I will see her in the beyond.
(a) Nana will meet Nani after death.
(b) Nani will meet Nana in the next birth.
(c) Nani should know that she was not departing forever.
(d) Nani will return first and then Nana will.
Answer
(b) Nani will meet Nana in the next birth.
Question 2.
The shift was gradual.
(a) Step by step Nana moved away from himself.
(b) Very slowly Nana got transformed as Nani.
(c) Nana started making adjustment in the family.
(d) Gradually Nana learned to imitate Nani.
Answer:
(b) Very slowly Nana got transformed as Nani.
Question 3.
In fact, there is more of her and less of him.
(a) Nana was mostly overpowered by the personality of Nani.
(b) Nana liked Nani more than he liked himself.
(c) Actually the family remembers Nani more than Nana does.
(d) In this story Nani’s role is more than Nana’s role.
Answer:
(a) Nana was mostly overpowered by the personality of Nani.
Question 4.
Let him live his life any way he wants to………..
(a) Nana’s likings should be fulfilled by the family members.
(b) Let us allow Nana to live rest of life.
(c) Nana should be free to live or die.
(d) The family should not worry if Nana wants to behave as Nani.
Answer:
(d) The family should not worry if Nana wants to behave as Nani.
(A) Additional Questions and Answers
Answer the following questions:
Question 1. The poem ‘Blind, Deaf Fish’ is full of metaphors. Explain the metaphors.
Answer:
A dark cave is a mysterious source from where the human life emerges. A dark river is human life itself which keeps on flowing but ‘dark’ because nobody knows ‘what it is’ actually.
Many intellectuals have tried to interprete the human life in different perceptions. Stony bank is hardships on either side; from between them, the human life flows.
A very old man-An eternal man, creator of the world, i.e., God or Nature weaving yarn of human life which has different colours like the rainbow. Blind, deaf fish is human being himself who keeps on swimming in the stream (mysterious flow of life) being blind and deaf to universal song, i.e., eternal rhythm of nature.
(B) Reading Comprehension
Read the following stanzas and answer the questions:
(1)
In
a dark cave
flows
a dark river;
a man,
Old
as the sun-
or
older,
Weaving
a yarn
Qf
rainbow
and
humming
a song.
Questions:
(1) What does the poet mean by ‘Old as the sun or older’ ?
(2) What is the old man sitting on the stony bank of the river doing?
Answers:
(1)With the words ‘Old as the sun or older’, the poet refers to a mem with infinite oldage. It means an eternal man, i.e., may be the creator of the world-God.
(2) Sitting on the stony bank of the river, the old man is weaving a yarn of rainbow and humming a song.
OR
Questions:
(1) What kind of river is it ? Where does it flow?
(2) How is the river bank ?
(3) What is the old man humming ?
Answers:
(1) It is a dark river. It flows in a dark cave.
(2) The river bank is stony.
(3) The old man is humming a song.
OR
Questions:
(1) How is the old man ?
(2) What is the old man doing ?
Answers:
(1) The old man is as old as the sun,or ……… even older than the sun.
(2) The old man is weaving a yarn of rainbow and humming a song.
(2) But
the blind,
deaf
fish
in
that swim
the stream
See
neither
yarn
nor man,
Nor hear
his
everlasting
song.
Questions :
(1) Which figure of speech is used in the line, ‘But the blind, deaf fish that swim in the stream’ ?
(2) What does the poet want to convey through the words, ‘See neither yarn nor man, nor hear his everlasting song’ ?
Answers :
(1) The figure of speech used in the line ‘But the blind, deaf fish that swim in the stream’ is Metaphor. ‘The blind, deaf fish’ stands for ‘man’ and ‘swim in the stream’ means lives in this world.
(2) The words, ‘See neither yarn nor man, nor hear his everlasting song’ convey that man in this world is unaware or ignorant of the supreme power.
Vocabulary
1. Replace the underlined word /phrase in List ‘A’ with a word/phrase in List ‘B’ indicating suggestive meaning. Write the number of the sentence in the brackets.
| List ‘A’ | List ‘B’ |
| 1. We hired the trucks to shift our household belongings. | [ 3 ] intervene |
| 2. The basketball player was removed from the game when he did not give attention to the referee’s warning. | [ 4 ] curled up |
| 3. The manager was injured when he tried to get into a fight between two customers. | [ 1 ] cart away |
| 4. She rolled on the couch and fell asleep. | [ 2 ] pay heed to |
| 5. Doyle smiled at him and made a witty remark. | [ 6 ] taken aback |
| 6. I was shocked at his rudeness. | [ 7 ] whoosh out |
| 7. The train sped to the station with a sudden fast movement. | [ 5 ] quipped |
2. Tick mark the most logical response from the brackets to complete each of these sentences.
(1) Did the policeman ……….. the old man ? (reprimand / yelled)
(2) Tom was …………. by his master for telling a lie. (thrashed / hit)
(3) Her grandfather’s ashes were ……….. into the Ganga. (drowned / immersed)
(4) They are only concerned with their own ………. interests. (minor /petty)
(5) The little princess ……. to her maid that her bed was badly made, (grumbled / complained)
(6) Helen got up this morning like a ………. fairy. (bright / radiant)
(7) Jackson’s expression …………….. from irritated to amused. (morphed / altered)
Answer:
(1) reprimand
(2) thrashed
(3) immersed
(4) petty
(5) grumbled
(6) radiant
(7) morphed
3. Join words with phrases. Write the numbers in the brackets.
| Words | Phrases |
| 1. quibbling | (4) a sudden rush of intense emotion |
| 2. intervene | (2) come between so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events |
| 3. quip | (6) a movable frame on which a corpse is placed before burial or cremation |
| 4. flush | (9) a sudden movement accompanied by a rushing sound |
| 5. provoke | (1) argue or complain about small, unimportant things |
| 6. bier | (8) to give careful attention |
| 7. cart away | (3) a clever remark |
| 8. pay heed to | (5) deliberately make (someone) annoyed or angry |
| 9. whoosh out | (7) take away by means of a vehicle |
(4) While reading the passage, you have come across the synonyms of these words. Find out the actual words from the read.
unimportant, rebuke, inflame, astonished, dispute, baggage, submersion, gamble, redden
Answer:
(1) unimportant – petty
(2) rebuke – reprimand
(3) inflame – provoke
(4) astonished – stunned
(5) dispute – quibbling
(6) baggage – belongings
(7) submersion – immersion
(8) gamble – stake
(9) redden – flush
(5) Read the sentence and tick mark the option that best conveys its meaning more appropriately.
Example :
You people provoke and my mother has to bear the brunt.
A. My mother has to suffer the pain when she is pushed by people. (✓)
B. My mother has to surrender when she is instigated by people.
C. My mother has to tolerate when she is annoyed by people.
D. My mother has to give up when she is irritated by people.
Answer:
A. My mother has to suffer the pain when she is pushed by people.
Question 1.
He would arrogantly parade into the house with his new wife.
A. When moving in with his newly wed wife into the house, he looked humble.
B. When entering with his newly wed wife into the house, he looked haughty.
C. When walking with his newly wed wife into the house, he looked shameless.
D. When marching with his newly wed wife into the house, he looked proud. (✓)
Answer:
D. When marching with his newly wed wife into the house, he looked proud.
Question 2.
He would keep quibbling with her all the time.
A. He kept on opposing her all the time.
B. He kept on fighting with her all the time.
C. He kept on objecting over petty issues all the time. (✓)
D. He kept on worrying about her all the time.
Answer:
C. He kept on objecting over petty issues all the time.
Question 3.
Nani would whoosh out a few words together from her toothless mouth.
A. Nani would blurt out a few words quickly from her toothless mouth.
B. Nani would speak out a few words softly from her toothless mouth
C. Nani would utter a few words with a hissing sound from her toothless mouth. (✓)
D. Nani would articulate a few words with a loud sound from her toothless mouth.
Answer:
C. Nani would utter a few words with a hissing sound from her toothless mouth.
Question 4.
I do not want my grandchildren to be thrashed by their stepmother.
A. I do not want my grandchildren to be pampered by their stepmother.
B. I do not desire my grandchildren to be advised by their stepmother.
C. I do not wish my grandchildren to be beaten by their stepmother. (✓)
D. I do not expect my grandchildren to be whipped by their stepmother.
Answer:
C. I do not wish my grandchildren to be beaten by their stepmother.
Question 5.
At times a petty quarrel would push them into long silence.
A. It is bad that small fights harm ! communication. (✓)
B. It is bad that a trifling quarrel results from serious provocation.
C. It is bad that an insignificant fight would result in long arguments.
D. It is bad that a small quarrel ends up in long discussions.
Answer:
A. It is bad that small fights harm ! communication.
6. Underline the proper word from the brackets and mark its proper place by the sign.
Example: I went to Hardwar for the immersion of the ashes of my grandfather. (immersion / impression)
(1) I was taken aback by her assumption that I knew all about her domestic misfortune. (taken aback/ scooped)
(2) She received a strong reprimand when she lost her mother’s diamond necklace. (flush / reprimand)
(3) Her frustrated despair morphed into mockery. (quipped / morphed)
(4) For a moment Lisa was too stunned to say anything, (stunned / curled up)
(5) Nicholas looked radiant into the eyes that were gazing at him, and continued to turn over the pages and read, (flush / radiant)
(6) Your constant quarrels are making things unpleasant for the petty others in the office. (petty / unburdened)
7 Frame sentences using all the words. You may change the forms of the words if needed.
Example : Gulliver – ship – hit – stony – sink Answer: Gulliver’s ship hit the stony seashore and sank down.
Question 1.
she – sit – garden – quiet – humming – song
Answer:
She sat in the garden quietly humming a song.
Question 2.
my friend – not speak – deaf
Answer:
My friend cannot speak as he is deaf.
Question 3.
fishing – bank – river
Answer:
We went to the river-bank for fishing.
Question 4.
grandmother – weave – sweater
Answer:
My grandmother wove nice sweaters
8. Tick mark the words nearest in meaning.
Function
(Expressing the manner of action and making supposition about it)
1. Here is a description of Khushvant I; Singh’s grandmother by the writer himself. Read the following passage and observe the underlined words :
My grandmother, like everybody’s grandmother, was an old woman. She often told us the games she used to play as a child. That seemed quite absurd and undignified on her part and we treated it like the fables of the prophets she used to tell us. My grandfather’s portrait hung above the masterpiece in the drawing room. He did not look the sort of person who would have a wife or children. He looked as if he could only have lots and lots of grandchildren.
2. Observing the underlined words in F.1 say whether these sentences are True or False.
(1) Writer’s grandmother was a younger one unlike everybody’s grandmother.
(2) The grandfather of the writer looked like an ordinary social man.
(3) The grandmother in her childhood used to play games of children.
(4) The writer considered those games as they were real ones.
Answer:
(1) False
(2) False
(3) True
(4) False
3. Read aloud these sentences and try to understand the expressions. Write down (A) for an advice and (S) for a supposition
(a condition which is unreal, imagined or supposed).
(1) If I were you, I would study more. — (A)
(2) I wouldn’t do that if I were you. — (A)
(3) If he were taller, he could be selected in team. — (S)
(4) If I were not in debt, I would quit my job. — (S)
(5) If I were sick, I wouldn’t be here. — (S)
4 Here are some chits. Find out the role assigned to you in it. Perform it before the classmates. Tell one of the classmates to describe the performance using ‘as if’, ‘as’, ‘like’.
(1) walk – soldier
(2) eat – Bhim
(3) enter – Shivaji
(4) dance – Michael Jackson
(5) act – Amitabh Bachchan
(6) speak – political leader
Example :
(1) walk – soldier
Description:
1. Paresh is walking like a soldier.
2. Paresh walks as if he were a soldier.
3. Paresh is walking as a soldier walks.
(2) eat – Bhim
Description:
1. Kushal is eating like Bhim.
2. Kushal is eating as if he were Bhim.
3. Kushal is eating as Bhim does.
(3) enter – Shivaji
Description :
1. Vinay entered like Shivaji.
2. Vinay entered as if he were Shivaji.
3. Vinay entered as Shivaji did.
(4) dance – Michael Jackson
Description:
1. Sanyam dances like Michael Jackson.
2. Sanyam dances as if he were Michael Jackson.
3. Sanyam dances as Michael Jackson did.
(5) act – Amitabh Bachchan
Description:
1. Arjun acts like Amitabh Bachchan.
2. Arjun acts as if he were Amitabh Bachchan.
3. Arjun acts as Amitabh Bachchan does.
(6) speak – political leader
Description:
1. Jethalal speaks like a political leader.
2. Jethalal speaks as if he were a political leader.
3. Jethalal speaks as a political leader does.
5. Join these sentences using expressions ‘as if’ and ‘like’.
Example :
He walks in style of a king. Virsinh is not a king.
Answer:
Virsinh is walking as if he were a king.
Question 1.
The rabbit sat still. It is not a toy.
Answer:
The rabbit sat still as if it were a toy.
Question 2.
Her eyes are blazing. They are tongues of fire.
Answer:
Her eyes are blazing like tongues of fire.
Question 3.
They met after a long time. They were strangers.
Answer:
They met after a long time like strangers.
Question 4.
He looked very stubborn. He didn’t care at all.
Answer:
He didn’t care at all like a stubborn man.
Question 5.
The shadow was approaching. It was a I; tiny dark cloud.
Answer:
The shadow was approaching like a tiny dark cloud.
Question 6.
Nana would keep quibbling with Nani.
They were two people who had just married in s the first flush of love.
Answer:
Nana would keep quibbling with Nani as if they had just married in the first flush of love.
Question 7.
Nana became all the more irritable now.
He had lost a wager.
Answer:
Nana became all the more irritable now I’ as if he had lost a wager.
6. Match ‘A’ with ‘B’ and make meaningful sentences.
| ‘A’ | ‘B’ | Answers |
| 1. If I were a millionaire | a. I would reduce the tax | (1 → d) |
| 2. 1 would have travelled all the seas | b. If I were very handsome | (2 → e) |
| 3. I would have become a Bollywood hero | c. If I were a kite | (3 →b) |
| 4. I would fly across the Himalayas | d. I would give a lot to charity | (4 → f) |
| 5. If I were the president | e. If I were a dolphin | (5→ a) |
| 6. I would catch the clouds | f. If I were an eagle | (6 → c) |
7. Match ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ with relevant expressions and frame sentences using ‘as’ and ‘like’.
| ‘A’ | ‘B’ | ‘C’ |
| 1. Rucha | A. twinkled | a. lion |
| 2. Tarzen | B. climbed | b. stars |
| 3. They | C. singing | c. lightening |
| 4. Eyes | D. runs | d. Sunidhi Chauhan |
| 5. Usain Bolt | E.roared | e. mountaineers |
Answer:
(1 – C – d), (2 – E – a), (3 – B – e), (4 – A – b), (5 – D – c).
Sentences:
(1) Rucha is singing as Sunidhi Chauhan sings.
(2) Tarzen roared as a lion roars.
(3) They climbed the mountain like real mountaineers.
(4) Eyes twinkled as stars twinkle.
(5) Usain Bolt runs like lightening.
Writing
Write a paragraph on ‘My Grandparent’.
Question 1.
Name of grandparent – age – health – how much time you pass together – do you eat together ? breakfast, lunch, dinner – visit places like temple, river, garden, etc. with them – what you learn from him / her – how you express your love – what care you take of them – how they express their love to you – what care they take of you.
Answer:
The name of my grandfather is Govindbhai. He is 91 now, yet he is fit and fine. He keeps in good health because his life is simple and straight forward. I like his company very much.
When I am at school or out with friends or out for some other reason, he keeps on waiting for me and seems worried about my return. In the evening, he usually sits on the swing reading something.
As soon as I approach him, he puts aside everything and starts talking with me. He asks me several things. Even at this age, he is eager to know about the goings on and advancements in the world.
With my company he has learnt to operate computer and browse on net. He makes prolific use of mobile phone too. He knows how to do cashless transactions.
This is how even being at home, he helps my father do online shopping and carry out bank transactions. He likes to eat variety dishes. I always sit with him at least at dinner. He visits garden and sits with people of his age.
He also visits temple with my grandmother every morning. He feels very sad about value-deterioration in the present age.
He talks about the days of his youth and with a number of illustrations, he tries to inculcate in me how I can be a good citizen. Every day he has something now for me from which I can learn something.
He is very caring. He holds all the family-members together. If there is any misunderstanding in the family, he intervenes and make up with the things. I also take great care of thing.
Even at this age, he is independent. If at all he needs something, I take it as my priority and make him avail of it as soon as possible. He often protects me against the reprimands of my parents or others in my family, I like his proud way of living.
Question 2.
You visited an old age home in your week. Prepare a short report on it.
Name – place – date – how many old persons living – what is their daily life – their problems – how you pass your day with them – what you learnt
Answer:
Visit of Jeevan Sandhya (An Old Age Home)
Ahmedabad, February 6, 2019
February 4 was my birthday and I decided to visit an old age home with my parents. There is one, named Jeevan Sandhya, not very far from my house. We carried enough sweet-boxes with us as we knew that the strength of the indwellers over there was 60.
We chose afternoon hours to visit so that almost all of them must be relaxing after tea. When we entered, some of them were strolling on the open lawn, some others were swinging on swings, some others were sitting in groups and talking on various current topics.
A few were in their rooms whose mobility had decreased due to their poor physical health. They were reading books or magazines or watching TV being confined to their rooms.
We distributed sweets and I sought their blessings. The radiant smiles on their faces gladdened me unto the core of my heart. I sat with a few of them who seemed eager to share something with me.
I was also curious enough to know about their daily routine. They got up early in the morning and after attending their natural calls and other trifle morning jobs, gathered in a big hall to say prayers. After that there was a s’ Yoga Session. It was not compulsory for all, but a considerable number of them attended it.
They said that it supplied them a great energy to go through the whole day. Then they went to their rooms, took their bath, observed ‘Pooja’ and read newspapers.
After their breakfast, they had at least s two hours to be on their own. After the lunch at about 12.30, most of them had a nap. Then once more at about 7.00, they gathered for a common prayer followed by dinner.
After dinner, most of them went to their rooms. Before going to bed, they read, or wrote something, watched TV and so on. While talking with them, I learnt how one could go up, of course, after undergoing a lot of struggle.
I also learnt that honesty, diligence and perseverance are the three secrets to achieve greater heights. When I left, my heart was brimming with compassion. I felt that this was the right way to celebrate birthday.
Question 3.
Write a story of a movie which shows family bonding specially with grandparents like Baghban in your words.
Answer:
Presently, hardly any film is based on the subject of family bonding. In the last summer vacation, my father brought a C.D. of Baghban which he liked most. Very often he quoted from that film. It had made us (my sister and I) curious to watch it. It was played on our living room’s wide screen TV.
Father of three sons has retired from his job. He has sacrificed all his life making careers of his sons, getting them married and getting them settled. He is greatly satisfied and thinks that now he will live a happy retired life.
He invites all his three sons along with their wives and children to celebrate his birthday. Over a period of time, the old husband and wife are compelled to stay separately, i.e., one at one son’s place and the other at the other one’s home.
This becomes intolerable for them as they have never parted in their entire married life. Now their hard time starts, they are ignored by their sons and their wives. They have to endure humiliation from them frequently, but being parents, they bore it smilingly but with a pinch in their hearts.
At this ripe age, he has to seek a job to pass time and the old wife suffers humiliation being confined to home. The song picturised on them talking on phone is heart-melting. At last, both of them run away from their homes deciding to face worst consequences if at all they might have to encounter.
At last, a rich person whom they had adopted as their son in the beginning of his career happens to find them in this plight and comes to help them like an angel. The underline of the story is so pathetic that nobody watching this movie would help himself crying. What a touching movie!
Activity
A. Divide the students into groups of four. Each group will write ten peculiar things about their parents/grandparents. Then each group reads its observations aloud in the class. Prepare a list of observations that are common in almost all the student groups.
Note: Students will write ten peculiar things about their parents grandparents, and then read the observations aloud in the class. They will prepare a list of common observations.Sit with your parents and discuss your plans for the future. Talk about your apprehensions and mental blocks that hinder you from fulfilling your dreams.
Note: Students will sit with their parents and discuss with them their plans for the future. They will also talk about their apprehensions and mental blocks coming in the way of fulfilling their dreams.
3. You may have to make a lot of adjustments in your daily life with your parents regarding choice of food, clothes, movies, internet usage, career choice, selection of friends, social gatherings, choice of music, family customs & traditions, etc. Prepare a list of social, psychological, familial and cultural adjustments you have been making in your day-to-day life. Then share your experiences with your classmates.
Note: Students will prepare a list of their social, familial, psychological and cultural adjustments they have been making in their day-to-day life. They will share their experiences with their classmates.
Project
Prepare a questionnaire consisting of varied aspects of life including choice of food, garments, music, friends, habits, sports, vehicle, places, etc. and visit five families in your area. Ask all the family members – young and old of the house to fill the questionnaire.
Then prepare a list of choices of members of both the groups – young and old, compare them and find out the similarities and differences between the two sets of members.
Note: Students will carry out the project themselves.
Blind, Deaf Fish Summary in Gujarati
ન પરિચય આ એક પ્રતીકાત્મક કાવ્ય છે. આ કાવ્યને ગૂઢાર્થ (Mystical) કાવ્યની પંક્તિમાં મૂકી શકાય. આ કાવ્યમાં કવિએ જુદાં જુદાં પ્રતીકો પ્રયોજ્યાં છે. શરૂઆતમાં એક ગાઢ અંધારી ગુફાનો ઉલ્લેખ છે, જે કદાચ રહસ્યમય માનવની ઉત્પત્તિનો સ્ત્રોત છે.
અંધકાર એ તે સ્રોત વિશે આપણું અજ્ઞાન દર્શાવે છે. તેમાંથી નીકળતી નદી એ વહેતા માનવજીવનનું પ્રતીક છે. માનવજીવન કઠીન છે, તેવું સૂચવવા કદાચ નદીના કિનારાઓને પથરાળ (Stony) દર્શાવાયા છે. જેના પર સૂર્યથી પણ પ્રાચીન “વૃદ્ધ માણસ’ બેઠો છે, જે કદાચ સમગ્ર વિશ્વના સર્જક Creator)નું પ્રતીક છે.
તેના ઉપક્રમ મેઘધનુષનું સૂતર વણવું અને કદાપિ નષ્ટ ન પામનાર (સનાતન) ગીત ગાવાં એ કદાચ સર્જક(પરમાત્મા)ના સનાતન અસ્તિત્વનાં પ્રતીક છે. નદી(જીવનનો પ્રવાહ)માં તરતી માછલી એ કદાચ માનવનું પ્રતીક છે, જે પોતાની રીતે તયેં (જીબે) રાખે છે; પરમાત્માની ઉપસ્થિતિથી તદ્દન અનભિજ્ઞ. આમ, કવિ આ કાવ્ય દ્વારા માનવોને પરમાત્માના અસ્તિત્વનો સતત અહેસાસ હોવો જોઈએ એવું સૂચવવા માગે છે.
Glossary (શબ્દાર્થ)
ભાષાંતર
એક
ગૂઢ ખીણમાં
વહે છે
એક ગુપ્ત નદી
અને તેના ખડકાળ કિનારા પર
બેઠો છે
એક માણસ
વૃદ્ધ
સૂર્ય જેટલો
(કદાચ એથીય) વધુ વૃદ્ધ,
ગૂંથી રહ્યો છે
એક આંટી |
મેઘધનુષની
અને
ગણગણી રહ્યો છે.
એક ગીત
પણ
પેલી અંધ
બહેરી
માછલી
જે તરી રહી છે
પેલા ઝરણાંમાં
જુએ છે
નહિ તો આંટી
કે (પેલો) માણસ
કે નથી સાંભળતી
તેનું
શાશ્વત
ગીત. – આનંદ આચાર્ય