THE STORY OF AUTUMN SEASON

                                       

AUTUMN

"Autumn is a second  spring when every leaf is a flower." 

( Albert Camus)

"Meri samt se usse aey saba

Ye payaam e akhir e gham suna,

Abhī dekhnā hai to dekh jā

Ke khizaan hai apni bahaar par....."

( Jigar Moradabadi)

“Autumn” is, surprisingly, a newer addition to the English language when compared to 'Fall ' . It wasn't until the 17th century that British English started using ' autumn' more than “Fall,” and it's taken from the French automne, which itself goes back to the Latin autumnus.  According to Merriam-Webster, while both terms are technically accurate, 'Fall'  is favoured in America and autumn is preferred in the U.K., where both terms originated. 

The astronomical definition of autumn is based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun and runs from the autumn equinox until the winter solstice. The meteorological definition of autumn uses the Gregorian calendar and counts the months of September, October, and November as autumn.

Crisp autumn temperatures and refreshing breezes mean that time outside can be enjoyed without fear of sunburn or sweating . It's the perfect season for getting stuck into active hobbies like walking, cycling, and gardening.The time of year that Keats called the 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness', autumn is a season famous for its harvest times, turning leaves, cooling temperatures and darkening nights.Autumn is the  time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.

I believe autumn is a journey and not a destination.It is about changing colours and  falling leaves that unfold the mysteries of the nature. Who doesn't love autumn for the changing colours of leaves? Trees that were once green explode into beautiful hues of gold, red, and orange.The landscape comes to its boney structure. Every tall and shady tree  looks like  a clothless  saint , a Darvesh or a Faquir. The naked trees and the falling leaves teach lessons  about ups and downs of life . 

I call it a time of two seasons.At daytime, you have the summer while  winter is knocking at the gate at night. Isn't autumn the year's last yet profoundly  loveliest smile.

It is also the season of separation. The leaves separate from the tree. They fall ,fly away and create avenues for new leaves to  arrive  . They fallen leaves merge into the  soil and silently convey  Rumi's  poetic line to the  earth  

"Hamchoo sabzeh bar baarha roeda -em" 

( Like green turf , we shall keep coming again and again. ) 

Kabir also joins Rumi to convey the tale of the  separation of leaves from the tree  in autumn

.

"Taruvar paat so yuun kahe

Suno paat ek baat

Yeh Ghar yaahi reet hai

Ikk aavat ikk jaat"

(The tree says this to the leaf , 

" O leaf '.listen to what I say :

In this house there's the tradition -

One comes ,the other goes away .")

(Avtar Mota)

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.