When poetry makes dry Budget numbers come alive

Do you look forward to hear an Urdu couplet from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley when he presents Budget 2017 on February 1? He might not disappoint you, now that it has become customary for the Budget speech to open or end with verse.
Besides trying to make their usually dry speech interesting, finance ministers also take a dig at the Opposition through their poetry.

The poetry recited so far in budget speeches has been quite diverse—from Urdu poet Allama Iqbal to Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.

Below are a few poetic quotes from recent Budget speeches:
1) Arun Jaitley, Union Budget 2016-17. Poet: Not known

Kashti chalaane walon ne jab haar kar di patwar hamein,
Lehar lehar toofan mile aur mauj mauj manjdhaar hamein.
Phir bhi dikhaya hei hamane aur phir yeh dikha denge sabko,
In halato mein aata hai daria karna paar hame.

Translation: When the exhausted sailors handed the oar of the boat to us, everywhere we faced storms and rapids. But we have showed and will keep on showing that we know how to cross the river in such conditions.


2) Arun jaitley, Union Budget 2015-16. Poet: Not known

Kuchh to gul khilaye hain, kuchh abhi khilaane hain,
Par baagh mein ab bhi kaante kuchh puraane hain.

Translation: We have made a few flowers bloom and have to bloom more, but there are a few old thorns in the garden.

3) Yashwant Sinha, Union Budget 2001-02. Poet: Not known

Taqaazaa hai waqt kaa ke toofaan se joojho,
kahaan tak chaloge kinaare kinaare.

Translation: The times require you to fight the storms. How long will you keep walking on the shore?

4) Mamata Banerjee, Railway Budget 2011-12. Poet: Akbar Allahabadi

Hum aah bhee bharte hain toh ho jaate hain badnaam.
Woh qatl bhee karte hai toh charcha nahin hota.

Translation: We are maligned even if we let out a sigh. They kill and yet no one talks.

5) Jaswant Singh, Union Budget 2004-05. Poet: Not known

Garib ke pet mein dana,
Grihini ki tukia mein anna.

Translation: Food in the belly of the poor, and money in the purse of the housewife.

6) Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Budget 1991-92. Poet: Allama Iqbal

Yunaan-o-Misr-o-Rom sab mit gaye jahaan say.
Ab tak magar hai baaki, naam-o-nishan hamara.

Translation: Old civilisations of Greece, Egypt and Rome have vanished from the earth. There is some reason why our civilisation is still alive.

7) Manmohan Singh, Union Budget 1992-93. Poet: Muzaffar Razmi

Kuchh aise bhee manzar hain taareekh ki nazron mein,
Lamhon ne khataa ki thi, sadiyon ne sazaa paayee.

Translation: Even this has happened in history: mistakes made in moments created trouble for centuries.

8) P. Chidambaram, Union Budget 2013-14. Poet: Thiruvalluvar

Kalangathu kanda vinaikkan thulangkathu thookkang kadinthu seyal.

Translation: What clearly eye discerns as right, with steadfast will and mind unslumbering, that should man fulfill.