Don't Quit
John Greenleaf Whitter
About The Author
John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Whittier is remembered particularly for his anti-slavery writings, as well as his 1866 book Snow-Bound.
About The Poem
"Don't Quit" is truly an exceptionally inspiring poem, which I would like to share with our readers. It is very well written, with simple words and free-flowing rhymes; and yet with an extremely powerful message that applies to anyone and everyone. It’s all about perseverance, tenacity, determination and willpower to not to give up - especially when things are going wrong, and when one is seemingly swimming against the tide. This poem reminds us that there are seeds of success in every failure, and that's why we mustn't quit.
Don't Quit
by: John Greenleaf Whitter
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."
रुक मत जाना
Transcreated by
Nisha Tandon and 'Ambar' Kharbanda
हालात बिगड़ते हैं अक्सर
ऐसा कुछ-कुछ दस्तूर तो है,
जिस राह में मुश्किल भारी हो,
उस राह से मंज़िल दूर तो है,
जब क़र्ज़ कमाई से ज्यादा
बढ़-चढ़ के तुम्हें सताता हो,
जब माथे पर हर रोज़ निशाँ
तकलीफ़ों का रह जाता हो,
दिल पर भारी जब बोझ लगे
मुश्किल हो जाये मुसकाना
आराम घड़ी-दो कर लेना
पर दोस्त मेरे! रुक मत जाना
आड़े तिरछे रस्ते सारे
जीने की राह दिखाते हैं,
कुछ सबक़ सीख कर फिर इनसे
हम आगे बढ़ते जाते हैं,
जब लगता है लो फ़तेह हुई
तब नाकामी मिल जाती है,
लेकिन नाकामी भी अक्सर
कुछ तो समझा के जाती है,
रफ़्तार भले ही कम हो मगर,
कोशिश अपनी करते जाना
आएगी मंज़िल बाहों में,
ऐ दोस्त मेरे! रुक मत जाना
मंज़िल थी इतनी पास कि तुम
बस हाथ बढ़ा छू सकते थे
लेकिन क्यों थक कर बैठ गए
हिम्मत तुम कितनी रखते थे
घिर आई है अब शाम तो तुम
कहते हो हम भी हार गए
लेकिन क्या तुम्हें ख़बर भी है
तुम जीत के बाज़ी हार गए
पर्दों में हार के, अक्सर, जीत
देखो छुप-छुप कर मिलती है,
विश्वास पे अपने फिर कोई
शक की बदली आ घिरती है,
शायद इससे अनजान थे तुम,
मंज़िल थी तुम्हारे पास बहुत,
तुम हिम्मत हार के बैठे थे,
बैठे थे थके, निराश बहुत,
अब उठो, समेटो हिम्मत को
है तुमको बस चलते जाना
वो देखो राह निकल आई
ऐ दोस्त मेरे! रुक मत जाना