Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Cyber Fraud Awareness: Types and Red Flags: Hackathon Activity

Hello everyone,

This blog is a part of an Hackathon activity by Cyber Club Digital India Cell, MKBU. In which we have to create a content on the topic Cyber Fraud Awareness: Types and Red Flags and upload on social media as part of this activity.


Here is Youtube Video: Click Here




Beyond Spam: 5 Shocking Takeaways From the FBI's 2024 Cybercrime Report

We all get them: the daily barrage of suspicious texts and clumsy emails promising a prize or warning of a locked account. While it’s easy to dismiss them as a minor annoyance, they are the visible tip of a much larger and more dangerous iceberg. Cybercrime has evolved into a massive, sophisticated global enterprise that causes devastating financial and psychological harm.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently released its 2024 annual report, providing a stark look at the current state of digital threats. This article distills the five most surprising and impactful takeaways from that report. These findings challenge common assumptions about who is most at risk, what the biggest threats truly are, and how criminals are evolving their tactics.

The losses are measured in billions, not millions.

The financial scale of cybercrime is difficult to comprehend. In 2024 alone, the IC3 received complaints detailing a staggering 16.6 billion** in reported losses, with an average loss of **19,372 per complaint. This represents a massive 33% increase from the losses reported in 2023, signaling that criminal tactics are becoming more effective and lucrative.

To put this in a broader context, the total reported losses over the last five years have surpassed $50.5 billion. This isn't just a statistical anomaly; it's a trend of accelerating financial devastation that impacts real people, families, and businesses every single day.

The scam you see most often isn't the one that does the most damage.

There's a significant disconnect between the most frequent type of cybercrime and the one causing the most financial harm. While phishing attacks are by far the most common complaint, their direct financial impact is dwarfed by more complex schemes.

  • Most Reported Crime (by Complaint Count): Phishing/Spoofing with 193,407 complaints and $70,013,036 in losses.
  • Most Costly Crime (by Financial Loss): Investment fraud with 47,919 complaints and $6.57 billion in losses.

This data reveals a crucial part of the modern cybercrime playbook. Phishing is a high-volume "entry" attack, often used as a reconnaissance tool. Criminals use these initial attacks to steal credentials, gather personal information, or establish first contact. This groundwork then enables them to tailor the far more lucrative and psychologically manipulative investment scams that cause devastating financial harm.

The biggest financial victims aren't who you think—especially when it comes to crypto.

The stereotype of an older person falling for a simple scam is dangerously outdated. According to the IC3 report, individuals aged 60 and over not only filed the highest number of complaints (147,127) but also suffered by far the largest financial losses of any age group, totaling $4.885 billion—a staggering 43% increase in losses from 2023.

The most shocking statistic, however, relates to the most modern of financial tools. The 60+ age group also reported the highest number of complaints (33,369) and the most significant losses ($2.84 billion) related specifically to Cryptocurrency fraud. This counter-intuitive data shatters the myth that older adults are only victims of low-tech cons. It shows they are being aggressively and successfully targeted by criminals using the most sophisticated financial fraud schemes.

Scammers are getting a major upgrade with AI.

Artificial intelligence is supercharging the effectiveness of scams, making them hyper-personalized, flawless, and harder than ever to detect. This new era of attacks is being called "Phishing 3.0," where criminals leverage AI to analyze public data from social media and other records to craft perfectly convincing messages. These AI-driven campaigns can mimic human behavior and use real-time impersonations to bypass traditional defenses.

The threat of "deepfake phishing" is a tangible example of this evolution. Imagine receiving a video call from someone who looks and sounds exactly like your CEO, pressuring the finance team to approve an urgent wire transfer. This technology exploits trust and urgency, making employees feel compelled to act before they have a chance to verify the request.

It's called "Pig Butchering," and most victims don't know it's happening.

The most costly type of cybercrime—cryptocurrency investment fraud—is frequently a sophisticated confidence scam known as "pig butchering." In these schemes, criminals connect with victims online, often through social media or dating apps, and spend weeks or months building a trusted relationship. Once trust is established, the scammer introduces a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment opportunity, "fattening up the pig" before the financial slaughter.

The psychological power of this tactic is profound. A recent FBI initiative, "Operation Level Up," sought to notify victims that they were embroiled in these schemes, and its findings were alarming.

In a recent FBI operation that notified 4,323 victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud, a staggering 76% were unaware they were being scammed.

This statistic reveals that pig butchering isn't just about trickery; it's a form of long-term psychological manipulation. The victims don't believe they are sending money to a criminal; they believe they are investing with a trusted friend, partner, or advisor. But the human cost is even more harrowing. From that same operation, the FBI referred 42 victims to a victim specialist for suicide intervention. This underscores the profound devastation these scams inflict, moving them far beyond financial crime into a life-or-death public safety issue.

The Way Forward

The data is clear: cybercrime is more sophisticated, more costly, and targets demographics in ways that defy our assumptions. Criminals are leveraging advanced technology and deep psychological tactics to separate individuals and businesses from their money on an unprecedented scale.

As these threats evolve, our awareness must evolve with them. Knowing the key tactics and understanding who is truly at risk is the first and most critical step toward protecting yourself, your family, and your organization. Given that scammers thrive on trust and urgency, what one change can you make to your online habits to give yourself more time to think before you click?

Here is Infography of this whole blog,



Thank You!

Saturday, December 27, 2025

The Only Story by Julian Barnes - Flipped Learning Activity

Hello everyone,
Thhis blog post is a response to an activity assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. This worksheet is part of the study of the contemporary novel The Only Story by Julian Barnes. 

Flipped learning Worksheet: Click Here Teacher's blog: Click Here 


Video 1: Plot,Summary & Characters


Introduction:
'The Only Story' is a novel wrtitten by Julian Barnes
Published year: 2018
Genre: Memory Novel
Stting: 'Stockbroker Belt' outside london, 1960s
Narrator: Paul Roberts

Summary of the video:
This video introduces the major characters of the novel and provides a plot summary for the viewers. The Only Story is a recently published novel by Julian Barnes, released in 2018. The novel is divided into three parts and begins with the classical definition of the novel, as given by Dr. Samuel Johnson in his 1755 Dictionary of the English Language.

The major characters of the novel are Paul Roberts, a nineteen-year-old protagonist, and Susan Macleod, his forty-eight-year-old beloved. Susan is married to Gordon Macleod and has two daughters, Martha and Clara, who appear to be older than Paul. The story revolves around the love affair between 19-year-old Paul and 48-year-old Susan Macleod. The novel is narrated from the perspective of an older Paul Roberts, who reflects on his past and recounts his only love story with Susan. Through his memories, we are taken back fifty years in a flashback, where the story unfolds. Additionally, this novel shares a connection with Barnes's earlier work, The Sense of an Ending.

"Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more; or love the less, and suffer the less? That is, I think, finally, the only real question"


The story begins with a question. The novel is less about the love story between Paul and Susan and more about philosophical reflections on love, life, and suffering. It starts when Paul, a 19-year-old boy, joins a country club to play tennis. There, he meets Susan Macleod, a fellow tennis player. By sheer luck, they are paired together for a mixed doubles match, and from that point, they begin to develop feelings for each other. Paul starts dropping Susan home every day in his car, and over time, their relationship deepens. Eventually, they move in together in London. However, their relationship soon begins to deteriorate. Susan starts drinking excessively and lying to Paul. Meanwhile, Paul matures into his mid-thirties and begins distancing himself from Susan. Seeking new opportunities, he moves abroad for work, leaving Susan behind. As time passes, Susan ages and develops dementia. Paul, weary of the responsibility, decides to leave Susan in the care of her daughter, Martha, who agrees to look after her alcoholic mother. Since the novel is told from Paul’s perspective, we only see his version of events one that may be biased or incomplete.

In the end, Paul attends Susan in the hospital, but he does so without any visible emotion. Instead of worrying about Susan's condition, he finds himself preoccupied with his empty petrol tank, highlighting his emotional detachment from Susan and the life they once shared.


2. Narrative Method and Technique

2.1 Non-linear Narrative Structure
Barnes rejects linear chronology in favour of a fragmented structure. The narration moves constantly between present reflection and past experience, shifting from the narrator’s old age to his youth and then returning again to later stages of life. These temporal jumps imitate the workings of memory, where recollection does not unfold in orderly sequence but emerges in fragments, repetitions, and revisions.

The protagonist often begins an episode in the present, interrupts it with a recollection from decades earlier, and then revisits the same event later from a different emotional or moral perspective. This technique reinforces the sense that memory is unstable and that truth is continually reinterpreted.

2.2 Shifting Narrative Voices
One of the most striking formal features of The Only Story is Barnes’s use of multiple narrative voices within a single text. The novel moves between:
  • First-person narration (“I”), which conveys personal memory and self-explanation
  • Second-person narration (“you”), often used as self-accusation or moral interrogation
  • Third-person narration (“he”), which creates emotional distance between the narrator and his younger self
This unusual blending of narrative modes destabilises the reader’s trust in the narrator. The shifts suggest psychological fragmentation and moral uncertainty, as though the narrator cannot fully own or face his past actions. By constantly altering perspective, Barnes forces readers to question not only what is being remembered, but also why it is being remembered in that particular way.

3. The Novel as a Memory Narrative
At its core, The Only Story presents one story told from one consciousness. Other characters never speak directly; their inner lives remain inaccessible. Everything the reader knows about them is filtered through the narrator’s memory, which may be selective, defensive, or distorted.

This narrative strategy raises a central question that runs throughout the novel: can memory ever be trusted as truth? Barnes suggests that memory is shaped as much by guilt, fear, and self-preservation as by fact. As a result, the novel demands an active reader who reads against the narrator’s version of events.

4. Major Characters

4.1 Paul Roberts (Narrator and Protagonist)
Paul Roberts is both the narrator and the central character of the novel. At the time of narration, he is approximately sixty-nine or seventy years old. The love affair that defines his story begins when he is nineteen.

Later in life, Paul becomes a businessman and a partner in a cheese-making company. His professional success contrasts sharply with his emotional and moral failures. Throughout the novel, Paul presents himself as thoughtful, reflective, and deeply engaged with ideas of love and responsibility. However, his repeated confessions of cowardice and avoidance undermine his self-portrait.

Paul frequently admits that he ran away from confrontation, danger, and responsibility. These admissions, combined with his tendency to rationalise his choices, mark him as an unreliable narrator whose memory is shaped by self-justification as much as by remorse.

4.2 Susan Macleod
Susan Macleod is the woman at the centre of Paul’s “only story.” She is forty-eight years old when the affair begins, married to Gordon Macleod, and the mother of two daughters, Clara and Martha, both of whom are older than Paul.

Susan’s inner life remains largely silent in the narrative. Readers learn about her only through Paul’s recollections and interpretations. Over time, Susan develops severe alcoholism, becomes a habitual liar, and eventually suffers from dementia, leading to her institutionalisation.

A crucial moment in the novel is Susan’s brief revelation of childhood sexual abuse by her uncle, Humphrey. This disclosure provides psychological context for her emotional instability, sexual withdrawal, and later addiction. However, Barnes does not dwell on this trauma, emphasising instead how women’s suffering often remains marginal and unspoken.

4.3 Gordon Macleod
Gordon Macleod is Susan’s husband. He is depicted as violent, abusive, and emotionally brutal. Gordon represents patriarchal authority and domestic violence, and his presence intensifies the moral complexity of Paul’s relationship with Susan. Paul repeatedly avoids direct confrontation with Gordon, reinforcing his pattern of cowardice.

4.4 Martha and Clara
Martha and Clara are Susan’s daughters and are older than Paul. They remain largely in the background of the narrative, yet they carry the heaviest burden. As Susan’s condition deteriorates, Martha in particular becomes her primary caregiver. The daughters silently absorb the consequences of Paul’s abandonment, though their perspectives are never directly voiced.

4.5 Eric
Eric is Paul’s friend and functions as a moral mirror in the novel. In an early incident, Paul runs away when Eric is attacked, later disguising his fear as an attempt to get help. This episode establishes a recurring pattern of behaviour that Paul later repeats in his relationship with Susan.



5. Central Themes

5.1 Love and Responsibility
Barnes dismantles romantic idealism by presenting love as ethically demanding rather than emotionally fulfilling. Paul’s failure lies not in loving Susan, but in refusing responsibility when love required care and courage.

5.2 Memory and Unreliability
Memory in the novel is selective and defensive. Paul’s narration attempts to justify his actions, forcing readers to question the truthfulness of his account.

5.3 Cowardice and Moral Failure
Paul repeatedly runs from danger, confrontation, and responsibility. His life is marked not by dramatic wrongdoing but by consistent avoidance.

5.4 Trauma and Silence
Susan’s childhood abuse explains much of her later suffering. Barnes treats trauma indirectly, making its presence more unsettling and realistic.

6. Conclusion
The Only Story is not a romance but a post-romantic exploration of love’s ethical cost. Through fragmented narration and unreliable memory, Julian Barnes exposes how love without responsibility becomes a form of exploitation. Paul’s final insight offers no redemption, only recognition: when love is abandoned, it does not disappear—it returns as lifelong remorse.


Video 2: Joan | Character Study



Joan is the surviving sister of Gerald, Susan’s first husband, who died of leukemia. She comes across as a confident and strong-willed person, naturally taking charge in her relationships, especially with Susan. Her self-assured nature is clear through her casual authority and humorous banter, which subtly reinforces her position in the social hierarchy among her friends. Despite her tough and witty exterior, Joan is also practical, particularly when it comes to managing everyday expenses, as seen in her interest in calculating fuel costs. This mix of humor and pragmatism highlights both her intelligence and her careful approach to money.

Joan is independent and resilient. She never married and spent much of her life caring for her family, creating a self-sufficient and somewhat eccentric lifestyle. While she enjoys small pleasures like gin and cigarettes, she is mindful of her spending and lifestyle choices. Her reluctance to change such as dismissing walking despite its benefits reflects her desire to maintain comfort and control over her life. Joan is a memorable and well-rounded character, combining authority, wit, and practicality in a unique way.


Video 3: Memory Novel


This video focuses on the main four points which includes.
  1. Trauma is memory
  2. Imperfection of memory
  3. Memory priority
  4. Memory and morality
'History is collective memory; memory is personal history, trauma is memory'

The video draws a comparison between The Only Story and the movie Memento, in which the protagonist suffers from short-term memory loss, forgetting everything within 15 minutes. The film raises a crucial question, if memory is taken away, does moral responsibility for one’s actions also disappear? In postmodern times, the concepts of history and memory have become increasingly complex. Every time we revisit our memories, we unconsciously distort them, shaping them according to our emotions and biases. The very facts we store in our minds are often colored with lies. This is precisely the case with Paul’s memory and narration he keeps deceiving himself and the readers because of his remorse. For Paul, it is not about erasing memory but rather about reconstructing it in a way that serves his purpose. His unreliable narration reflects his guilt and his attempt to justify his actions.

The novel also touches on the idea that all human beings have at least one deeply significant story they cannot share with anyone. In this sense, everyone is a subaltern there are always things we cannot speak about. Paul, too, struggles to openly share his love story because, in reality, he is the villain of that story. Instead of presenting the full truth, he shapes the narrative from his own perspective to avoid confronting his own failings. He cannot tell his actual story because he knows he is the one at fault.

Paul’s mental state is characterized by cowardice. He runs away instead of standing up for his friend Eric. The video also briefly discusses passing references to an American man and F-1 racer Max Verstappen, though their connection to the novel remains unclear.

Video 4. Narrative Pattern



The narrative structure of this novel follows a classical framework. The protagonist, Paul Roberts, is an unreliable narrator, and the novel employs a mix of first, second, and third-person narration. While Julian Barnes adheres to traditional storytelling techniques, he also incorporates postmodern elements into the novel. Themes of memory and history are intricately explored through Paul’s unreliable narration, highlighting the fluid and subjective nature of personal recollections.

Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more; or love the less, and suffer the less? That is, I think, finally, the only real question. You may point out – correctly – that it isn’t a real question.


Because we don’t have the choice. If we had the choice, then there would be a question. But we don’t, so there isn’t. Who can control how much they love? If you can control it, then it isn’t love. I don’t know what you call it instead, but it isn’t love.

Most of us have only one story to tell. I don’t mean that only one thing happens to us in our lives: there are countless events, which we turn into countless stories. But there’s only one that matters, only one finally worth telling. This is mine.

Consider the novel's opening and the philosophical reflections on the first page how Paul, the narrator, contradicts himself. At first, he asserts that we all have only one story worth telling, yet in the same passage, he claims there are countless stories to tell. This self-contradiction becomes a crucial motif throughout the novel. Additionally, we tend to narrate stories in which we portray ourselves as heroes rather than acknowledging narratives that slip beyond our control. This is precisely the case with Paul. He recounts his love story, but it is possible that he presents only one side of it, while the actual reality might be entirely different. Similarly, Paul initially states that he is not keeping a diary, yet later in the novel, he confesses that he is indeed maintaining one. The entire narrative is intricately woven, employing the warp and weft of memory, and it unfolds through the flashback technique.

At the end of this video, a comparison is drawn between Thomas Hardy and Julian Barnes. However, while Hardy tells a story and embeds philosophical reflections within it, Barnes offers only fragments of a story, focusing primarily on philosophical musings.

Reading this novel was a profound experience. Initially, I expected a straightforward love story between two lovers, but as I progressed through the narrative, I realized it was much more than that. The distinct narrative style in each part is striking, demanding the reader’s active engagement. The use of flashback, while enriching, can also be disorienting at times.


Video 5. Question of Responsiblity



The video discuss about the theme of responsibility as it appears in the novel. It begins by highlighting a quote that suggests the narrator must be cautious when telling his story, implying that responsibility in narrating events and in life is a central concern. The speaker introduces the idea that responsibility can be seen in two ways, either as a matter of personal choice and control, or as something determined by larger, unavoidable forces.

Using the metaphor of a chain it is explained that each person or event is like a link in a chain. Just as a chain can break if one weak link fails under pressure, relationships and life can fall apart when a part of the whole is damaged. However, the metaphor also asks us to consider whether a broken link is weak by nature or simply overwhelmed by external forces. This idea extends to the notion of blame: rather than simply blaming one person for a failure such as Gordon’s domestic violence the lecture argues that we must look at the entire chain of events and recognize that everyone involved has some responsibility.

Paul Roberts, the narrator, uses this theme of responsibility to reflect on his own life. He questions whether he is to blame for his mistakes or if his circumstances and the actions of others, like Gordon, are more to blame. The lecture suggests that it is easy to assign blame to someone else, but true introspection requires admitting one’s own role in the breakdown of relationships. Ultimately, the message is that understanding responsibility means looking at the bigger picture and acknowledging that our lives are shaped by both our choices and the forces around us, and that we must take a hard look at our own contributions to any harm done.

Video 6. Theme of Love


The theme of love is undeniably central to this novel, as it revolves around the relationship between Paul and Susan. At 19, Paul holds a naive and immature perception of love, primarily tied to sexual gratification. He is unaware of the responsibilities that love entails. Love in the novel is closely intertwined with passion and suffering an important linguistic connection, as the Latin root of "passion" (patior) means "to suffer." Although the word no longer carries this meaning in everyday usage, the novel explores how love transforms into passion and ultimately leads to suffering, not just for Paul and Susan but also for their family members.

'Man's love is of man's life a thing apart
'Tis women's whole existence

This quote appears in the novel, where Barnes critiques the traditional notion of love through the characters of Paul and Susan. It is Susan who falls in love with Paul, making him her third partner, whereas Paul remains unmarried his entire life out of love for Susan and a lingering sense of remorse.

A Lacanian interpretation is also embedded in the video. As humans, we have repressed desires that we seek to fulfill through our love objects whether they are human, non-human entities, or even abstract things. In pursuing these love objects, we attempt to fill the void or lack within our lives. This idea is particularly evident in Susan’s marriage, she does not receive love or sexual fulfillment from Gordon, but she finds both in her love object, Paul.

However, love also brings responsibilities, that Paul repeatedly fails to fulfill. He is powerless against Gordon’s domestic violence towards Susan, unable to confront him, and ultimately flees from the Macleod household. Similarly, he does not intervene when Eric is attacked in the street, later considering himself a coward. As Susan ages and becomes incapable of taking care of herself, Paul ultimately abandons his duty once again by handing her over to her daughter, Martha, rather than taking care of her himself.

Video 7. Theme of Marrige



The video explains how the novel criticizes the institution of marriage. It explains that the story questions the idea of marriage by showing it as a fake or sham arrangement. The discussion highlights a quote suggesting that someone who is a true believer in love is naturally against marriage, implying that love and marriage are opposites. In the view presented, marriage is not the ultimate goal in life as some traditions suggest (just as birth and death are inevitable) but rather an institution that can end true love and lead to unhappiness.

It compares marriage to several everyday objects and situations a jewelry box that mysteriously turns precious metals into base metal, or a disused boat that is no longer seaworthy. These metaphors suggest that marriage, over time, loses its value and becomes a source of routine responsibilities rather than a celebration of love. The speaker also points out that many middle-class people suffer in silence in unhappy marriages, as seen in the case of domestic violence and other struggles within the novel.

While older works like Thomas Hardy's novels questioned marriage, today there are alternatives such as live-in relationships and divorce, which allow people more freedom and less cultural pressure to remain in unhappy unions. The novel does not offer a moral judgment but simply portrays marriage as an institution that may not fulfill its promise of happiness, leaving the reader to consider the complexities and responsibilities that come with it.

Video 8. Two ways of Looking at life



There were two ways of looking at life: or two extremes of viewpoints, with a continuum between them. Life is described in two very different ways. The first view is that life is like being the captain of a ship. In this view, every choice you make whether big or small steers your life in a particular direction, just like a captain deciding which way to guide a paddle steamer down the river. Each decision is important because it determines one path while closing off others, emphasizing the power of free will and personal control.There were two ways of looking at life: or two extremes of viewpoints, with a continuum between them.

Life is described in two very different ways. The first view is that life is like being the captain of a ship. In this view, every choice you make whether big or small steers your life in a particular direction, just like a captain deciding which way to guide a paddle steamer down the river. Each decision is important because it determines one path while closing off others, emphasizing the power of free will and personal control.

The second view, however, sees life as more like a bump on a log. Here, no matter what choices you might think you’re making, you’re actually just being carried along by forces beyond your control, much like a log drifting on the mighty Mississippi. In this perspective, life unfolds through inevitable currents and eddies that you cannot steer, suggesting that many events are predetermined.

Paul, the narrator, reflects on these two ways of looking at life and even suggests that sometimes his life feels like it is a mix of both. At times, he experiences the freedom of making choices, and at other times, he feels like he’s simply being pushed along by fate.

9.Creative Response

Write a short piece exploring how one of the themes in the novels relates to contemparory society.

Today, love is everywhere on screens, in dating apps, in endless social media feeds. Yet, the intensity that Paul experiences with Susan reminds us that love is not always neat or convenient. In a world obsessed with practicality, instant gratification, and “safe” relationships, truly consuming love still exists but it’s often messy, controversial, and isolating. People fall deeply, sometimes dangerously, in ways society doesn’t approve of. Paul’s story mirrors modern dilemmas: the clash between passion and expectation, the risk of heartbreak, and the human desire to live fully in a connection, even if it defies norms. Love hasn’t changed; only the rules around it have.


Refrences:

Barad, Dilip. Exploring Narrative Patterns in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story. ResearchGate, July 2023,


Barad, Dilip. Symbolism of Crossword Puzzles, Order, Intellect and Existential Respite in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story. ResearchGate, Aug. 2023,


Barnes, Julian. The Only Story. Jonathan Cape, 2018.


“Introduction | Character | Plot Summary | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 31 Jan. 2022,


“Joan | Character Study | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022,


“Memory Novel | Memory and History | Memory and Morality | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 2 Feb. 2022,


“Narrative Pattern | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 1 Feb. 2022,


“Question of Responsibility | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022,


“Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022,


“Theme of Love | Passion and Suffering | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 2 Feb. 2022,


“Theme of Marriage | Critique of Marriage Institution | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022,


“Two Ways to Look at Life | The Only Story | Julian Barnes.” Department of English, MKBU, YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022,


Thank You!

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems

Hello everyone, 
This blog is the part of Translation studies activity worksheet assigned by Dilip sir to analyse Translations generated using Gen AI tools (ChatGPT and Gemini) by applying theoretical frameworks of translation studies. I will evaluate the translations based on sound, metre, syntax, tone, grammar, and cultural connotations, and discuss challenges and resolutions. For the background reading visit the teacher's blog.




Poem 1
Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Urdu poem "Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mirii Mehboob Na Maang" into Hindi and English. Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat is a masterpiece of Urdu literature, renowned for its emotional depth, evocative imagery, and socio-political undertones. Here the Urdu version of the poem first put forword, which is written from right to left.

 Original Poem in Urdu Language:
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ

میں نے سمجھا تھا کہ تو ہے تو درخشاں ہے حیات


تیرا غم ہے تو غم دہر کا جھگڑا کیا ہے

تیری صورت سے ہے عالم میں بہاروں کو ثبات


تیری آنکھوں کے سوا دنیا میں رکھا کیا ہے

تو جو مل جائے تو تقدیر نگوں ہو جائے


یوں نہ تھا میں نے فقط چاہا تھا یوں ہو جائے

اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا


راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا

ان گنت صدیوں کے تاریک بہیمانہ طلسم


ریشم و اطلس و کمخاب میں بنوائے ہوئے

جا بہ جا بکتے ہوئے کوچہ و بازار میں جسم


خاک میں لتھڑے ہوئے خون میں نہلائے ہوئے

جسم نکلے ہوئے امراض کے تنوروں سے


پیپ بہتی ہوئی گلتے ہوئے ناسوروں سے

لوٹ جاتی ہے ادھر کو بھی نظر کیا کیجے


اب بھی دل کش ہے ترا حسن مگر کیا کیجے

اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا


راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا

مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ


Hindi Transaltion By Chat-Gpt:

मुझसे पहली-सी मोहब्बत, मेरे महबूब, न माँग

मुझसे पहली-सी मोहब्बत, मेरे महबूब, न माँग
मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो उजाला है जीवन,
तेरा ग़म है तो ज़माने के दुखों का क्या काम,
तेरे चेहरे से ही दुनिया में बहारों को ठहराव।

तेरी आँखों के सिवा और रखा ही क्या था,
तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर भी झुक जाए शायद।
यूँ न था—
मैंने बस चाहा था, यूँ हो जाए।

और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा,
और भी सुख हैं मिलन के सुख से बढ़कर यहाँ।

अनगिन सदियों के गहरे, वहशी अँधेरों के तिलिस्म,
रेशमी, मख़मली, सुनहरी झूठ की चादरों में,
गली-कूचों में, बाज़ारों में, जिस्म बिकते हुए—
धूल में लिथड़े हुए, ख़ून में डूबे हुए।

बीमारियों की भट्टियों से निकले हुए तन,
गलते घावों से बहती हुई पीप के साथ—
उधर भी देखनी पड़ती है नज़र, क्या कीजिए।

अब भी दिलकश है तेरा हुस्न, मगर क्या कीजिए,
और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा,
और भी सुख हैं मिलन के सुख से बढ़कर यहाँ।

मुझसे पहली-सी मोहब्बत, मेरे महबूब, न माँग।

Let me first clarify that I myself read this poem five times to understand the zest and the idea of the poem and also refer many blogs and articles. Additionally Urdu is alien language for me so judging the generative AI would be hard for me. In that case I have to blindly relie on the translation given by it. This translation given by GPT is the exact translation given by the Rekhta website. One thing is that the data is already available to the chatbot so it is easier for it to translate. Cultural connotations and collocations well handled in the translation.


Hindi Version Generated By Gemini:

मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग

मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग, 

मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख़्शाँ (रोशन) है हयात।

तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर (दुनिया का ग़म) का झगड़ा क्या है,
 तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात (ठहराव)।

तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रखा क्या है,
 तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर नगूँ (नतमस्तक) हो जाए।

यूँ न था, मैंने फ़क़त चाहा था यूँ हो जाए, 
और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा।
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल (मिलन) की राहत के सिवा।

अनगिनत सदियों के तारीख़ (अंधेरे) बेहिमाना (वहशी) तिलिस्म,
रेशम-ओ-अतलस-ओ-कमख़ाब (महंगे कपड़े) में बुनवाए हुए।

जा-ब-जा (जगह-जगह) बिकते हुए कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार में जिस्म, 
ख़ाक में लथड़े हुए, ख़ून में नहलाए हुए।

जिस्म निकले हुए अमराज़ (बीमारियों) के तन्नूरों से,
 पीप बहती हुई, गलते हुए नासूरों से।

लौट जाती है उधर को भी नज़र क्या कीजे,
अब भी दिलकश है तेरा हुस्न, मगर क्या कीजे।

और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा, 
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा।

मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग।

शब्दावली (Vocabulary): इस अनुवाद में 'नगूँ' (bowed down), 'सबात' (stability/permanence) और 'अमराज़' (diseases) जैसे शब्दों को रहने दिया गया है क्योंकि ये फैज़ की नज़्म की रूह हैं। भाव (Emotion): पहली छः पंक्तियाँ पारंपरिक प्रेम का वर्णन करती हैं, लेकिन बीच के हिस्से में जब "रेशम और कमख़ाब" की बात आती है, तो कवि समाज की कड़वी सच्चाई (गरीबी, वेश्यावृत्ति और शोषण) की ओर इशारा करता है। ध्वनि (Sound): हिन्दी में अनुवाद करते समय शब्दों के चयन में वही 'संगीत' बनाए रखा गया है जो मूल उर्दू में है, ताकि इसे गाते समय या पढ़ते समय वही प्रभाव पैदा हो।


English Translation By Chat-Gpt:

Do Not Ask Me for That Love Again

Do not ask me, my beloved, for that love again.
I once believed—if you were there, life itself would blaze,
That if your sorrow lived within my heart,
What mattered then the griefs of all the world?
That from your face, all seasons learned to bloom,
That nothing else existed but your eyes—
If you were mine, even fate would bow and break.

It was not so.
I had not wanted this—
I only wished that it might be so.

For there are sorrows in this world beyond just love,
And comforts greater than the comfort of one’s union.

For countless ages, dark and brutal spells
Have held their sway—
Spells spun in silk and satin, gold-embroidered lies,
Where bodies are displayed in street and mart alike,
Bought and sold,
Dragged through dust, bathed red in blood.
Bodies pulled from furnaces of disease,
From wounds that rot, where pus still streams and seeps.

The gaze is forced to turn that way as well—
What can one do?

Your beauty still enchants the heart, I know,
But what can one do?

For there are sorrows in this world beyond just love,
And comforts greater than the comfort of one’s union.

Do not ask me, my beloved, for that love again.

In this translation the essence of poem has captured. Talking about the syntactic structure then it does'nt adhere to it so far. However, the meaning is conveyed. the line, "तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात" is rooted in cultural context. In Indian culture "Alam" and "Bahar" often go hand in hand as the metaphor. Bahar literally showing the zenith of happiness in lover. "It is from your face that spring finds its permanence in the world" This translation reached to it.

English Translation by Gemini

Do Not Ask Me for Love Like Before

Do not ask me for love like before, my beloved,
For you were the radiance of my life.
And your sorrow was all the world’s strife.

Your face made spring eternal in the world,
And what else is there in the world but your eyes?

If I were to have you, my fate would be undone,
It was not so; I only wished for this.

There are other sorrows in the world besides love,
And other comforts besides the comfort of union.

In countless centuries’ dark, monstrous spell,
Wrought in silk, atlas, and brocade,

Bodies sold everywhere in the streets and bazaars,
Draped in dust, bathed in blood,

Bodies emerged from the furnaces of disease,
With pus oozing from rotting sores.

Even now, my gaze returns to you, what can I do?
Your beauty still captivates, but what can I do?

There are other sorrows in the world besides love,
And other comforts besides the comfort of union.
Do not ask me for love like before, my beloved.


Both poems explore the speaker's realization that love, once perceived as the center of life, has now been overshadowed by the broader suffering in the world. The speaker acknowledges their deep love for their beloved but shifts the focus toward societal anguish. This tension between personal passion and collective pain is the heart of both poems.


For instance "Do Not Ask Me for That Love Again" (Poem 1) and "Do Not Ask Me for Love Like Before" (Poem 2) both begin with a plea, emphasizing a change in the speaker's priorities and emotions. The plea is the same, even if worded differently. Both emphasize the beloved's unmatched beauty: "Your face made spring eternal in the world" (Poem 1) parallels "It is from your face that spring finds its permanence in the world" (Poem 2). The imagery of spring symbolizes the beloved’s ability to inspire life and hope, which remains unchanged in both translations.

In Poem 1, the line "Bodies emerged from the furnaces of disease, with pus oozing from rotting sores" uses harsher imagery compared to "Bodies emerging from the furnace of diseases, pus oozing from festering sores" in Poem 2. While both describe suffering, Poem 1 feels more immediate and brutal, while Poem 2 softens the blow slightly. Slight change of the past tense and continuous changes the very impact of the poem.


Poem 2: "The Second Coming" By William Butler Yeats

Original Poem:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?


Hindi Poem Genrated by Chat-Gpt:

द्वितीय आगमन,(W. B. Yeats)

घूमता ही जाता है, फैलते हुए वलय में घूमता,
बाज़ सुन नहीं पाता अब अपने बाज़ीगर की पुकार;
सब कुछ बिखर रहा है—केंद्र अब थाम नहीं पाता,
साधारण अराजकता दुनिया पर छूट पड़ी है।
रक्त-धुँधली बाढ़ छूट पड़ी है, और हर ओर
मासूमियत के सभी संस्कार डूबते जा रहे हैं;
श्रेष्ठ लोग निश्चय से रिक्त हैं,
और निकृष्ट उग्र आवेग से भरे हुए।

निश्चय ही कोई उद्घाटन निकट है;
निश्चय ही द्वितीय आगमन निकट है।
द्वितीय आगमन!—अभी ये शब्द
मेरे मुँह से निकले भी न थे
कि Spiritus Mundi से उभरी एक विराट छवि
मेरी दृष्टि को विचलित कर देती है:
रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं
सिंह का शरीर और मनुष्य का सिर लिए एक आकृति,
जिसकी दृष्टि सूर्य-सी शून्य और निर्दय है,
धीरे-धीरे अपनी जंघाएँ घसीटती आगे बढ़ती है,
और उसके चारों ओर
क्रुद्ध मरु-पक्षियों की परछाइयाँ डोलती हैं।

फिर अँधेरा उतर आता है; पर अब मैं जानता हूँ
कि बीस सदियों की पत्थर-जैसी नींद
एक झूलते पालने से दुःस्वप्न बनकर टूट पड़ी थी,
और कौन-सा रौद्र पशु,
जिसकी घड़ी अब आ पहुँची है,
बेथलेहम की ओर घिसटता चला आ रहा है
जन्म लेने के लिए?

Gyre (वलय): येट्स का ऐतिहासिक-दार्शनिक प्रतीक—सभ्यताओं का चक्रीय पतन और उदय, Falcon / Falconer: नियंत्रण और नैतिक केंद्र के टूटने का रूपक, Spiritus Mundi: सामूहिक चेतना / विश्वात्मा, Second Coming: ईसाई मसीहाई आशा का विघटन; यहाँ उद्धार नहीं, विनाशकारी नव-युग, Rough Beast: आधुनिकता, हिंसा और अमानवीय शक्ति का प्रतीक

Hindi version genrated by Gemini:
द्वितीय आगमन (The Second Coming)

घूमते-घूमते उस फैलते हुए चक्रवात में,
बाज़ अब सुन नहीं पाता बाज़-पालक की पुकार; 
सब बिखर रहा है; केंद्र अब थाम नहीं पाता;
महज़ अराजकता दुनिया पर छोड़ दी गई है,

रक्त-रंजित ज्वार उमड़ पड़ा है, 
और हर तरफ़ मासूमियत का संस्कार डूब गया है;
श्रेष्ठ जन विश्वास खो चुके हैं, 
जबकि अधम पाश्विक जुनून और तीव्रता से भरे हुए हैं।

निश्चय ही कोई दिव्य संकेत निकट है; 
निश्चय ही वह 'द्वितीय आगमन' निकट है। 
'द्वितीय आगमन!'—अभी ये शब्द निकले ही थे कि स्पिरिटस मुंडी (विश्व-आत्मा),
की एक विशाल छवि मेरी आँखों में कौंधती है: 
कहीं मरुस्थल की रेत में सिंह का शरीर,और मनुष्य का सिर लिए एक आकृति,
एक दृष्टि—शून्य और सूर्य जैसी निर्दयी,
हिला रही है अपनी भारी जंघाएँ, 
जबकि उसके चारों ओर मंडरा रही हैं क्रुद्ध मरु-पक्षियों की परछाइयां।

अंधेरा फिर छा जाता है; पर अब मैं जान गया हूँ कि पत्थर जैसी,
बीस सदियों की गहरी नींद को एक डोलते हुए पालने ने दुःस्वप्न में बदल दिया है, 
और वह कौन सा आदमखोर पशु है, 
जिसका समय अब आ पहुँचा, 
जो बेथलहम की ओर सुस्त क़दमों से जन्म लेने जा रहा है?


चक्रवात और केंद्र (The Gyre and the Center): येट्स का मानना था कि इतिहास चक्रों में चलता है। 'Widening gyre' के लिए मैंने "फैलते हुए चक्रवात" का प्रयोग किया है जो उस नियंत्रण से बाहर होती व्यवस्था को दर्शाता है जहाँ "केंद्र" (सभ्यता/नैतिकता) सब कुछ जोड़कर नहीं रख पा रहा।

प्रतीकात्मकता (Symbolism):- Spiritus Mundi: इसे "विश्व-आत्मा" कहा गया है, जो येट्स के अनुसार स्मृतियों का वह भंडार है जहाँ से सामूहिक बिम्ब (images) आते हैं। The Sphinx (सिंह शरीर, मनुष्य सिर): यह आने वाले एक नए, निर्दयी युग का प्रतीक है जो ईसाइयत की दो हज़ार साल की शांति को समाप्त कर देगा।

सांस्कृतिक संदर्भ (Cultural Connotations):- Second Coming: यह मूलतः ईसा मसीह के पुनरागमन का संकेत है, लेकिन येट्स इसे नकारात्मक रूप में देखते हैं—जैसे कि कोई रक्षक नहीं, बल्कि कोई 'विकराल पशु' (Rough Beast) जन्म ले रहा हो। Bethlehem: यह ईसा मसीह का जन्मस्थान है। यहाँ इसका प्रयोग विरोधाभास पैदा करने के लिए किया गया है कि पवित्र स्थान पर अब अपवित्रता का जन्म होने वाला है। ध्वनि और लय (Sound and Rhythm): हिन्दी में "रक्त-रंजित ज्वार" (blood-dimmed tide) और "पाश्विक जुनून" (passionate intensity) जैसे भारी तत्सम शब्दों का प्रयोग मूल कविता की गूँज और गंभीरता को बनाए रखने के लिए किया गया है।

Gujrati Version Ganerated by Chat-Gpt:

બીજો આગમન,(W. B. Yeats)

વળતો ને વળતો, વિસ્તરતા વલયમાં ફરતો જાય,
બાજ હવે બાજીગરની બૂમ સાંભળી શકતો નથી;
બધું તૂટતું જાય છે—કેન્દ્ર હવે ટકી શકતું નથી;
નગ્ન અરાજકતા દુનિયા પર છૂટી પડી છે.
રક્તધૂંધળી લહેર છૂટી પડી છે, અને સર્વત્ર
નિર્દોષતાની વિધિઓ ડૂબી જાય છે;
શ્રેષ્ઠોમાં કોઈ દ્રઢ વિશ્વાસ નથી,
અને નિકૃષ્ટો ઉગ્ર ઉન્માદથી છલકાય છે.

નિશ્ચિત છે—કોઈ મહાન પ્રકાશન નજીક છે;
નિશ્ચિત છે—બીજો આગમન નજીક છે.
બીજો આગમન!—આ શબ્દો હજી તો
મારા મોઢેથી પૂરા નીકળ્યા પણ ન હતા
કે Spiritus Mundiમાંથી ઉદ્ભવેલી એક વિશાળ પ્રતિમા
મારી દૃષ્ટિને વ્યાકુળ કરી દે છે:
રણની રેતીમાં ક્યાંક
સિંહનું શરીર અને મનુષ્યનું મસ્તક ધરાવતી એક આકૃતિ,
જેની નજર સૂર્ય જેવી ખાલી અને નિર્દય છે,
ધીમે ધીમે પોતાની જાંઘો ખેંચતી આગળ વધે છે,
અને તેની આસપાસ
ક્રોધિત રણપક્ષીઓની છાયાઓ ડોલે છે.

પછી ફરી અંધકાર ઉતરી આવે છે; પણ હવે મને ખબર છે
કે વીસ સદીઓની પથ્થર જેવી ઊંઘ
એક હચમચતા પાળણાથી દુઃસ્વપ્ન બની તૂટી પડી હતી,
અને કયો એ કર્કશ પ્રાણી,
જેનોય સમય હવે આવી પહોંચ્યો છે,
બેથલેહેમ તરફ લથડતો આગળ વધે છે
જન્મ લેવા માટે?

Gyre (વલય): યેટ્સનું ઇતિહાસદર્શન—સભ્યતાઓના ચક્રાકાર ઉદય-પતન, Falcon / Falconer: નિયંત્રણ, શિસ્ત અને નૈતિક કેન્દ્રના વિખંડનનું પ્રતિક, Spiritus Mundi: વિશ્વચેતના / સામૂહિક અવચેતન, Second Coming: પરંપરાગત ખ્રિસ્તી મુક્તિનો વ્યંગાત્મક ઉલટાવ, Rough Beast: આધુનિક યુગની હિંસક, અમાનવીય શક્તિ

Gujarati version ganrated by Gemini:

વિસ્તરતા જતા એ ચક્રાકાર વમળમાં ઘૂમતું ને ઘૂમતું,
બાજ હવે બાજ-પાલકનો સાદ સુણી શકતું નથી; 
વસ્તુઓ વેરવિખેર થાય છે; 
કેન્દ્ર હવે ધરી શકતું નથી; 
કેવળ અરાજકતા વિશ્વ પર છોડી દેવામાં આવી છે, 

રક્ત-રંજિત ભરતી ઉછળી છે, 
અને સર્વત્ર નિર્દોષતાના સંસ્કારો ડૂબી ગયા છે; 
શ્રેષ્ઠ જનોમાં શ્રદ્ધાનો અભાવ છે, 
જ્યારે અધમ ઉગ્ર ઝનૂન અને તીવ્રતાથી છલકાઈ રહ્યા છે.

ચોક્કસ કોઈ દૈવી સાક્ષાત્કાર હવે નજીક છે; 
ચોક્કસ હવે પેલું 'દ્વિતીય આગમન' નજીક છે. 
'દ્વિતીય આગમન!' — હજી તો આ શબ્દો વદાયા જ હતા, 
ત્યાં તો સ્પિરિટસ મુંડી (વિશ્વ-આત્મા) નું એક વિશાળ બિમ્બ મારી દ્રષ્ટિને વિચલિત કરે છે: 
ક્યાંક રણની રેતીમાં સિંહ જેવું શરીર અને માનવ જેવું મસ્તક ધરાવતી એક આકૃતિ, 
એક નજર — શૂન્ય અને સૂર્ય જેવી નિર્દયી, 
પોતાના ભારે સાથળ હલાવી રહી છે, 
જ્યારે તેની આસપાસ ચકરાવા લે છે રોષે ભરાયેલા રણ-પક્ષીઓના પડછાયા.

અંધકાર ફરી ઘેરાય છે; 
પણ હવે હું જાણું છું કે પથ્થર જેવી વીસ સદીઓની,
ગાઢ નિંદ્રાને એક ડોલતા પારણાએ દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં બદલી નાખી છે, 
અને એ કયું હિંસક પશુ છે, જેનો સમય આખરે આવી પહોંચ્યો, 
અને જે બેથલેહેમ ભણી જન્મે લેવા માટે ધીમા ડગલે જઈ રહ્યું છે?

ચક્રાકાર વમળ (Widening Gyre): યેટ્સના મતે ઇતિહાસ એક શંકુ આકારના વમળમાં ફરે છે. જ્યારે આ વમળ ખૂબ મોટું થઈ જાય, ત્યારે નિયંત્રણ ગુમાવાય છે. ગુજરાતીમાં "વિસ્તરતા વમળ" શબ્દ આ અરાજકતાને સચોટ રીતે દર્શાવે છે. કેન્દ્ર (The Centre): અહીં કેન્દ્ર એટલે સામાજિક મૂલ્યો અને વ્યવસ્થા. "કેન્દ્ર ધરી શકતું નથી" એ સૂચવે છે કે જૂની સભ્યતા હવે તૂટી રહી છે. સાંસ્કૃતિક પ્રતીકો:- Bethlehem: આ ઈસુ ખ્રિસ્તનું જન્મસ્થળ છે. કવિ અહીં કટાક્ષ કરે છે કે જ્યાં પવિત્રતાનો જન્મ થયો હતો, ત્યાં હવે એક ભયાનક પશુ (નવા યુગનું પ્રતીક) જન્મ લેવા જઈ રહ્યું છે. The Beast (સિંહ શરીર, માનવ શીર્ષ): આ 'સ્ફિન્ક્સ' જેવી આકૃતિ છે, જે દયાહીન અને શક્તિશાળી છે. તે દર્શાવે છે કે આવનારો સમય લોકશાહી કે નમ્રતાનો નહીં, પણ જડ શક્તિનો હશે. "રક્ત-રંજિત ભરતી" (Blood-dimmed tide) અને "નિર્દોષતાના સંસ્કારો" (Ceremony of innocence) જેવા શબ્દો દ્વારા મૂળ કવિતાની ગંભીરતા જાળવી છે.


Poem 3:

Original Poem:
આ ધારામાં વહેવું ઘણું આકરું છે,
કશું પણ ન કહેવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
બધા બુધ્ધિમાનોની વચ્ચે અહીં પર,
ખરેખર તો રહેવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
ભૂજાઓને બાંધી સમંદરમાં પડવું,
અને એમાં તરવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
સમજમાં ન આવે એવી વાત પર પણ,
સમાધાન કરવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
બાંધીને પાટા બધા જેમ આંખે ,
ચાલ્યા જ કરવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
મળે નૈ મથામણ પછી તોડ એના,
વિચારોમાં રહેવું ઘણું આકરું છે.
માંગ્યુ મરણ ”સ્તબ્ધ” મળતું નથી જ્યાં,
જીવતું ય રહેવું ઘણું આકરું છે.

– કૌશલ શેઠ


Translation given by Chatgpt:

Hindi Translation:
इस धारा में बहना बहुत कठिन है,
कुछ भी न कहना बहुत कठिन है।

यहाँ सभी बुद्धिमानों के बीच,
वास्तव में रहना बहुत कठिन है।

भुजाओं को बाँधकर समंदर में कूदना,
और उसमें तैरना बहुत कठिन है।

जिस बात का कोई मतलब न समझे,
उस पर समाधान करना बहुत कठिन है।

आँखों पर जैसे पट्टी बाँधकर,
बस चलते ही रहना बहुत कठिन है।

प्रयासों के बाद भी जो न मिले,
उन विचारों में रहना बहुत कठिन है।

माँगा "स्तब्ध" ने मौत, जहाँ नहीं मिलती,
जीते रहना भी बहुत कठिन है।

English Translation:
Flowing in this stream is very hard,
Saying nothing at all is very hard.

Among all the wise ones here,
Truly living is very hard.

Tying arms and diving into the ocean,
And swimming in it is very hard.

On a matter that makes no sense,
Finding a solution is very hard.

Like walking blindfolded on a path,
Just moving on is very hard.

After relentless effort, when nothing is gained,
Dwelling on such thoughts is very hard.

Where "stillness" asks for death but doesn't find it,
Even staying alive is very hard.


Translation given by Gemini:
Hindi Translation

इस धारा में बहना कितना कठिन है,
कुछ भी न कहना कितना कठिन है।
बुद्धिजीवियों के बीच रहना यहां,
वास्तव में जीना कितना कठिन है।

बाँधकर भुजाएँ समुद्र में कूदना,
तैरना कितना कठिन है।
असमंजस में समाधान ढूँढ़ना,
कितना कठिन है।

आँखों पर पट्टी बांधकर चलना,
कितना कठिन है।
मिल न पाने पर भी उसको तोड़ना,
विचारों में रहना कितना कठिन है।

मृत्यु माँगी, शांति नहीं मिलती,
जीना कितना कठिन है।


English Translation
To drift in this current, a daunting affair,
To remain silent, a burden to bear.
'Midst sages and scholars, a life so austere,
To truly exist, a challenge severe.
With arms bound, to leap in the sea,
To swim, what a tragedy.
To seek solace in doubt, a plight so dreary,
To find peace, a mystery.
Blindfolded to roam, a painful quest,
To break what's not found, no less.
To yearn for death, yet find no rest,
To live on, a test.

ChatGPT maintains a more structured repetition of "बहुत कठिन है" closely matching the original's "ઘણું આકરું છે" Gemini uses "कितना कठिन है" which creates a different rhythmic pattern ChatGPT preserves the original's parallel structure more faithfullyMetre and Sound: ChatGPT maintains consistent line lengths and rhythmic patterns Gemini's version has more varied line lengths ChatGPT better preserves the ghazal-like quality with consistent end-phrases Notable difference in musicality: ChatGPT: "भुजाओं को बाँधकर समंदर में कूदना" Gemini: "बाँधकर भुजाएँ समुद्र में कूदना"Lexicon and Grammar:ChatGPT uses more formal vocabulary: "समंदर" (colloquial) Gemini opts for more standard Hindi: "समुद्र" Both maintain grammatical accuracy but with different registersCultural Connotations:ChatGPT retains the philosophical depth of the original
Gemini's translation is more interpretive, especially in the final stanza.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION ANALYSIS: 
Syntax:ChatGPT offers a more literal translation, maintaining the original's directness Gemini creates a more poetic English version with added metaphorical elements Example: ChatGPT's "very hard" vs. Gemini's varied phrases like "daunting affair," "burden to bear"Metre and Sound:ChatGPT sacrifices poetic rhythm for literal accuracy Gemini creates a more rhythmic English poem with internal rhyming Gemini adds rhyming couplets not present in the originalLexicon and Grammar:ChatGPT uses simpler, more direct language Gemini employs more sophisticated vocabulary and poetic devices Example: ChatGPT's "very hard" vs. Gemini's "daunting affair," "austere"Cultural Connotations:ChatGPT maintains the philosophical simplicity of the original Gemini adds Western poetic elements that weren't in the original

OVERALL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS:Translation Philosophy: ChatGPT:Prioritizes fidelity to source text Maintains structural integrity Focuses on literal meaning Gemini:Takes more creative liberties Adapts to target language conventions Adds poetic elements not in originalStrengths: ChatGPT:Better preservation of original structure More faithful to source meaning Consistent translation style Gemini:More poetic English version Creative adaptation Better flow in target languageWeaknesses: ChatGPT:Less poetic in English Sometimes too literal Can feel mechanical.



Poem 4:- Original Poem:

साथी, सो न, कर कुछ बात!
बोलते उडुगण परस्पर,
तरु दलों में मंद ‘मरमर’,
बात करतीं सरि-लहरियाँ कूल से जल-स्नात!

साथी, सो न, कर कुछ बात!
बात करते सो गया तू,
स्वप्न में फिर खो गया तू,
रह गया मैं और आधी बात, आधी रात!

साथी, सो न, कर कुछ बात!
पूर्ण कर दे वह कहानी,
जो शुरू की थी सुनानी,
आदि जिसका हर निशा में, अंत चिर अज्ञात!
साथी, सो न, कर कुछ बात!

- हरिवंशराय बच्चन


Translation given by Chatgpt:
Gujarati Translation:
સાથી, સુ તો નહીં, થોડું વાત કર!
બોલે છે તારાઓ પરસ્પર,
ઝાડના પાંદડાઓમાં મધુર "મરમર,"
વાત કરે છે નદીની લહેરો તટ સાથે, પાણીમાં ભીંજાયેલ!

સાથી, સુ તો નહીં, થોડું વાત કર!
વાત કરતા કરતો સુઈ ગયો,
સપનામાં ખોવાઈ ગયો,
અધુરી રહી ગઈ વાત અને અડધી રાત!

સાથી, સુ તો નહીં, થોડું વાત કર!
પૂર્ણ કર એ વાર્તા,
જે તું કહેવાની શરુ કરી હતી,
જેનો આરંભ છે દરેક રાત્રિમાં, અને અંત છે સદાની અજ્ઞાત!
સાથી, સુ તો નહીં, થોડું વાત કર!

English Translation:
Companion, don’t sleep, say something!
The stars converse with one another,
The trees murmur softly,
The river waves speak to the shore, soaked in water!

Companion, don’t sleep, say something!
Speaking, you fell asleep,
And then lost yourself in dreams,
Leaving me with half a story and half a night!

Companion, don’t sleep, say something!
Complete the tale,
The one you had begun to narrate,
Whose beginning lies in every night, and whose end is forever unknown!
Companion, don’t sleep, say something!


Translation given by Gemini: Gujarati Translation

સાથી, ઉંઘ ન આવે, થોડી વાત કરીએ!
ચિડિયાઓ ગુજારતી વાતો,
ઝાડના પાંદડાઓમાં નરમ ‘ગુંજન’,
કિનારે લાગતી લહેરો વાત કરે છે!

સાથી, ઉંઘ ન આવે, થોડી વાત કરીએ!
વાત કરતાં કરતાં તું સૂઈ ગયો,
ફરી સ્વપ્નમાં ખોવાઈ ગયો,
અધૂરી વાત અને અધીરી રાત રહી!

સાથી, ઉંઘ ન આવે, થોડી વાત કરીએ!
કહાની પૂરી કરીએ,
જે શરૂ કરી હતી,
દર રાત્રે જેનો આરંભ થાય, અંત અજ્ઞાત!
સાથી, ઉંઘ ન આવે, થોડી વાત કરીએ!



English Translation

Friend, don't sleep, let's talk awhile!
Birds are chattering,
Soft murmurs in the leaves of trees,
Waves whisper on the shore!

Friend, don't sleep, let's talk awhile!
You've fallen asleep while talking,
Lost again in dreams,
Leaving me with half-finished words and a sleepless night!

Friend, don't sleep, let's talk awhile!
Let's finish the story,
That we began,
A story that starts every night, its end unknown!
Friend, don't sleep, let's talk awhile!


I'll analyze both translations of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poem:
GUJARATI TRANSLATION ANALYSIS:
Syntax: ChatGPT: Maintains closer fidelity to Hindi syntax: "સાથી, સુ તો નહીં" More literal translation of sentence structures, Preserves the original's repetitive pattern faithfully, Gemini: Takes more liberties: "સાથી, ઉંઘ ન આવે", Creates more natural Gujarati flow, Modifies sentence structures for better target language appeal

Metre and Sound:
ChatGPT: Maintains the rhythmic pattern of "મરમર" similar to Hindi "मरमर", Preserves the musical quality of original refrain, Keeps closer to original metre. Gemini: Uses "ગુંજન" instead of "મરમર" - different sonic effect, Creates new rhythmic patterns, More focus on natural Gujarati musicality

Lexicon and Grammar: ChatGPT: More formal vocabulary choices: "પરસ્પર", "તટ", Closer to Sanskrit-based vocabulary, Sometimes awkward constructions. Gemini: More colloquial choices: "ચિડિયાઓ", "કિનારે", Natural Gujarati expressions, Better grammatical flow

Cultural Connotations: ChatGPT:- Preserves poetic imagery more literally, Maintains the philosophical undertones, Keeps the mystical elements intact. Gemini: Adapts imagery for Gujarati readers, Localizes some metaphors, Makes the night-time setting more relatable.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION ANALYSIS:
Syntax: ChatGPT: More formal: "Companion, don't sleep". Maintains original syntactic patterns, Preserves repetitive structures. Gemini: More casual: "Friend, don't sleep", Restructures for English fluency, Creates new patterns while maintaining essence.

Metre and Sound: ChatGPT: Attempts to maintain original rhythm, More literal translation of sound effects, Preserves original's musical qualities. Gemini: Creates new rhythmic patterns, Focuses on English musicality, More attention to target language poetry.

Lexicon and Grammar: ChatGPT: More formal vocabulary, Closer to original word choices, Sometimes stilted English. Gemini:More natural English expressions,Contemporary word choices, Better flow in English.

Cultural Connotations: ChatGPT: Maintains metaphysical elements, Preserves night imagery literally, Keeps philosophical undertones, Gemini: Adapts imagery for English readers, Makes metaphors more accessible, Maintains emotional resonance

OVERALL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Strengths:
ChatGPT: Better preservation of original structure, More faithful to source imagery, Maintains philosophical depth. Gemini: Better target language naturalness, More poetic in translation, Better cultural adaptation.

Weaknesses:
ChatGPT: Sometimes awkward expressions, Less natural in target languages, Over-literal at times Gemini: Loses some original imagery, Takes more liberties with text, Less faithful to original structure

The translations serve different purposes: ChatGPT's version is better for studying the original closely, Gemini's version is more accessible to modern readers, Each captures different aspects of Bachchan's poetic genius.

Refrences: 
“ChatGPT - Translation Activity.” ChatGPT, chatgpt.com/share/6948e480-4614-8011-a899-ebd32e91ba3c . Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

Dilip Barad. “Guidelines for Using Generative AI in Translation Studies.” Reserchgate, Dec. 2024, www.researchgate.net/publication/387486712_Guidelines_for_Using_Generative_AI_in_Translation_Studies . Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

---. “Translation Studies Activity Worksheet Using Gen AI Tools for Translating Poems.” Reserchgate, Dec. 2024, www.researchgate.net/publication/387487880_Translation_Studies_Activity_Worksheet_Using_Gen_AI_Tools_for_Translating_Poems . Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

“‎Gemini - Direct Access to Google AI.” Gemini, gemini.google.com/share/fcf65090126d . Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

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