Flower And Thorn (Phool Aur Kanta) Poem by Surajit Basu

Born together at the same place,
Nurtured by the same plant the same way.
At night too the same shining moon
Upon them the same moonlight doth lay.

Upon them the same breeze doth blow.
Upon them the same rain doth fall.
Yet always we do find
Their actions - not the same at all.

The thorn pricks our friendly fingers,
Rips the clothes off the body,
Cuts the wings of lovelorn butterflies,
Pierces the dark skin of the bee.

The flower takes them in her lap,
Feeds her honey to the bee.
With its fragrance and colours,
It fills my heart with glee.

Translation of
'Phool aur kanta'
by
Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay 'Hariaudh'