लेक Lek (Daughter)

कवयित्री सांगते की तिची लेक म्हणजे मौल्यवान रत्नासारखी, अंगावरच्या कायमच्या गोंदणासारखी सुंदर आहे. लेक म्हणजे झाडाला येणाऱ्या नव्या कोवळ्या पानांसारखी ताजी आणि शरीराला थंडावा देणाऱ्या चंदनासारखी आहे.

In the first stanza the poet uses four beautiful comparisons to convey her daughter's worth - comparing her to a precious jewel, to a permanently etched, beautiful tattoo, to the fresh new leaves of a tree, and to cooling, fragrant sandalwood.

लेक घरात आनंदी असली की मनातली सगळी काळजी संपते आणि घर रोज उजळल्यासारखे प्रसन्न राहते. पण लेक घरात नसली की मनाला तिची आस लागते, वेळ जणू थांबल्यासारखा वाटतो आणि मन उदास होते.

In these two stanzas the poet draws a contrast - on one side the joy of the daughter being home, on the other the sorrow of her being away. When the daughter is cheerful at home, the load on the mother's mind lifts, and a calm, glowing contentment fills the house like a lit lamp. But when she is not near, the mother's heart aches for her, the clock seems to crawl, and her cheer fades.

लेक बोलक्या चिमणीसारखी आहे, जी सतत हसत घरभर बागडते, पण थोडे रागावले की रुसूनही बसते. कवयित्री म्हणते की सारे जग रुसले तरी तिला पर्वा नाही, पण आपल्या नाजूक लेकीने मात्र कधीही रुसू नये.

In this part the poet shows another side of her daughter's nature. Like a constantly chirping little bird, the daughter moves about the house full of joy, laughing and playing, but the moment she is mildly scolded her face falls and she falls silent. To this the mother says, wryly, that the whole world may turn against her and she wouldn't mind, but this one little life of hers should never fall silent - that is how dearly she guards her.

शेवटच्या कडव्यात कवयित्री म्हणते की फक्त लेकीलाच निसर्गाची भाषा समजते. ती काळ्या रात्रीनंतर येणाऱ्या सकाळच्या आशेसारखी आहे.

At the very end the poet offers one more thought - that a thing no one else in the house grasps, the subtle signals of nature, only this little life of hers understands. Just as dawn quietly rises after a dark night, the poet feels this daughter's presence brings a fresh ray of hope during the home's difficult, discouraging moments.