વતનથી વિદાય થતાં On Leaving the Homeland (Vatanthi Viday Thatan)

વતન છોડવાની ઘડીએ કવિનું મન ભારે થઈ જાય છે.

The poet stands at the moment of leaving his homeland for elsewhere. The village where he was born, played and grew up will now be left behind. At this instant the heart grows heavy and his gaze lingers on each familiar thing.

ઘર, કેડી, ઝાડ, નદી - બધું જાણે 'ન જા' એમ કહેતું હોય.

The house, the cattle-shed, the village's narrow path, the trees, and the sandy bank of the river all seem to call out to the poet, 'do not go, do not go.' Even lifeless things become full of feeling here.

વતન સાથે જોડાયેલી અસંખ્ય સ્મૃતિઓ મનમાં ઊભરી આવે છે.

Countless memories are tied to the soil of his homeland - childhood games, the love of elders, the sights of the seasons. The grief of leaving the place where the roots of his life were sown cannot be held in words. The whole past stands before his eyes.

વતન માણસનું મૂળ છે; શરીર દૂર જાય તોય મન વતનમાં રહે.

The poet shows that one's homeland is not just a place but a person's identity and roots. The body may go far, yet the mind remains in the native land. This deep love of homeland and the pain of parting are the very heart of the sonnet.