Types of Cyber Attacks: Malware, Ransomware, Spyware

How Cybercrime Became a Global Enterprise: 5 Things You Need to Know

Introduction

When most people hear the term "malware," they still picture a classic "computer virus"—a simple, disruptive program that messes with your files. That image, however, is a relic of a bygone era. The reality of 21st-century cyber threats is far more complex and alarming. Malware is no longer just a technical nuisance; it's the engine of a sophisticated, industrialized criminal ecosystem that operates with the efficiency of a global corporation.

The threat landscape has evolved from isolated attacks into a multi-billion dollar industry driven by specialization, advanced psychological tactics, and cutting-edge technology. To truly understand the risks we face today, we need to look beyond outdated concepts. This article will reveal five of the most surprising and impactful truths about how cybercrime operates in the modern world.

1. It’s Not a Hacker in a Basement, It’s a Global Enterprise

Forget the Hollywood stereotype of a lone hacker in a dark basement. Modern cybercrime is not an act of rebellion; it's a meticulously organized global enterprise. This professionalization has dramatically increased its scale, efficiency, and destructive potential.

At the core of this new model is Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). In this structure, skilled developers create and maintain sophisticated ransomware tools but don't carry out the attacks themselves. Instead, they lease their malicious software to other criminals, known as affiliates, in exchange for a percentage of the ransom profits. This lowers the technical barrier to entry, allowing a much wider pool of less-skilled actors to launch devastating attacks using professional-grade tools.

Further streamlining the process is the role of Initial Access Brokers (IABs). These are specialized hackers who focus on one thing: breaching corporate networks. Once they gain access, they don't deploy malware themselves; they sell that access to the highest bidder on the dark web, often a ransomware affiliate. This division of labor allows each group to perfect its craft, creating a ruthlessly efficient supply chain that has turned ransomware into a multi-billion dollar criminal industry.

2. Your Backups Alone Won't Save You from Modern Ransomware

The golden rule of cybersecurity has always been "keep good backups." While that advice isn't wrong, it's dangerously incomplete. Today's ransomware gangs have developed cunning tactics to get paid even if you can restore every single file.

This shift began with a tactic called "double extortion," pioneered by the Maze ransomware group. Instead of just encrypting a victim's data, attackers first steal (exfiltrate) a copy of the most sensitive files. After encrypting the original data, they add a second threat: if the ransom isn't paid, they will publish the stolen information on public "leak sites." This was a strategic masterstroke, shifting the battleground from a technical problem (data recovery) to a business crisis (public exposure and regulatory compliance).

As organizations began to reluctantly account for data leak threats, the criminal market innovated once more, introducing "triple extortion" to ensure maximum leverage. This adds a third layer of pressure, such as launching a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack to take the victim's website and services offline, or directly contacting the victim's customers, partners, and patients to inform them that their private data has been stolen. These multifaceted coercion campaigns transform a data recovery problem into a full-blown business crisis.

A data breach is often just the beginning. Once systems are compromised, organizations face operational disruptions, financial costs, and reputational damage that can take years to repair.

3. The Most Dangerous Malware Hides in Plain Sight

The common assumption is that dangerous malware announces itself with system crashes and obvious signs of infection. The reality is far more unsettling: the most dangerous malware is designed to hide in plain sight, often by using a system's own tools against it to avoid detection.

The oldest trick in the cybercriminal's playbook, yet still devastatingly effective, is the Trojan Horse. Named after the Greek myth, this malware disguises itself as a legitimate or desirable piece of software, like a game, app, or software patch. An unsuspecting user downloads and runs the program, unwittingly opening a gateway for malicious code to take control of their system for any number of purposes, from stealing data to installing other malware.

Even more difficult to detect is Fileless Malware. This type of attack avoids installing its own software on the victim's machine. Instead, it makes changes to files that are native to the operating system. This "living off the land" technique turns the system's own trusted tools into weapons, allowing the malware to operate under a cloak of legitimacy that traditional antivirus scanners are blind to. The Astaroth malware, for instance, used this technique to collect user data without installing any detectable software.

Finally, a Rootkit is designed for ultimate concealment. Its primary goal is to give an attacker remote control over a victim's device while hiding all malicious activity. The Zacinlo rootkit, for example, was delivered through a fake VPN app. Once installed, it would open invisible browsers and mimic human behavior—scrolling, highlighting, and clicking on ads—to generate fraudulent ad revenue, all while fooling behavioral analysis software.

4. The First Ransomware Attack Was Sent Through Snail Mail

Long before cryptocurrency and high-speed internet, the first-ever recorded ransomware attack used a surprisingly low-tech delivery method: the postal service. In 1989, an evolutionary biologist mailed 20,000 infected floppy disks to attendees of a World Health Organization international AIDS conference.

The disks contained a questionnaire that, on the surface, seemed harmless. However, after the victim's computer had been rebooted 90 times, the malware activated. It didn't encrypt the file contents—a computationally difficult task at the time—but instead locked the file names, rendering the system unusable. A message then appeared on the screen demanding that the victim physically mail $189 to a P.O. Box in Panama to get their data back.

Though crude by today's standards, the "AIDS Trojan" was groundbreaking. It established the core concept of digital extortion that, decades later, would evolve into the high-speed, cryptocurrency-fueled, and professionally managed attacks that plague organizations today. The contrast between sending a check to Panama and the anonymous, instant Bitcoin transfers demanded now highlights just how far cybercrime has come.

5. AI Is Making Scams Indistinguishable from Reality

Artificial Intelligence is the new frontier for cybercrime, arming attackers with tools to create scams that are more realistic, personalized, and scalable than ever before. This technology is fundamentally changing the nature of social engineering.

Generative AI is being used to create hyper-realistic phishing emails that are grammatically perfect and tailored to the recipient, referencing their projects, colleagues, and communication style. These sophisticated emails lack the tell-tale spelling errors and awkward phrasing that once made phishing attempts easier to spot.

Even more alarming is the rise of voice and video deepfakes. Attackers can now synthesize a person's voice or create a realistic video of them to conduct chillingly authentic attacks. In one high-profile case in early 2024, criminals used an AI-generated deepfake video of a company's Chief Financial Officer in a video call to trick a finance officer into authorizing a $25 million fund transfer. The employee saw and heard what they believed to be their superior, leading to a catastrophic financial loss. These AI-powered tools are systematically dismantling our ability to trust what we see and hear online.

Conclusion

The narrative of malware has transformed. What began as a technical problem, like a simple computer virus or a quirky ransomware attack delivered by floppy disk, has mutated into a complex, multifaceted threat. Today's cyberattacks are driven by the industrial efficiency of the RaaS economy, weaponize public trust through multi-layered extortion, hide within the very systems they attack, and are now being supercharged by the revolutionary power of artificial intelligence.

This evolution forces us to rethink our fundamental security assumptions. It's no longer enough to just have backups or a good spam filter. As attackers continue to innovate, our defenses must become more resilient, adaptive, and intelligent. This leads to a critical question for our time: In an era where AI can perfectly mimic a trusted voice or face, how do we recalibrate our sense of trust to stay secure?

Flipped Learning Activity - The Only Story

 Flipped Learning Activity - The Only Story

This blog is about the flipped learning approach to the novel The Only Story by Julian Barnes. This task was assigned by Dilip Barad.

Julian Barnes’s 'The Only Story' (2018) explores love, memory, and the lasting impact of youthful passion. It follows Paul, a nineteen-year-old student, and his unconventional relationship with Susan, a much older married woman, set in 1960s England. Through a shifting narrative perspective, the novel reflects on emotional dependence, the unreliability of memory, and the pain intertwined with love, ultimately questioning romantic ideals and the true cost of loving deeply.

Video 1 :- Introduction | Character | Plot Summary 

The novel employs a non-linear narrative, moving back and forth between past and present, which requires readers to actively reconstruct the sequence of events. This fragmented structure mirrors the complex nature of memory and its role in shaping how relationships are understood. As Paul revisits his earlier decisions, his relationship with Susan brings forward themes of responsibility, guilt, and regret, revealing the painful dimensions of love that extend beyond romantic idealism. Memory becomes central to the formation of identity, demonstrating how earlier experiences continue to influence present emotions and perceptions of love and loss.

Unlike traditional romantic narratives, The Only Story resists idealizing love. Instead, it offers a realistic and often unsettling portrayal of relationships, highlighting emotional dependence, imbalance, and long-term consequences. Paul’s narration is subjective and unreliable, prompting readers to question the truth of his account and to consider the tension between personal memory and objective reality. Susan’s battle with alcoholism and emotional trauma deepens the novel’s psychological complexity, showing how unresolved pain can shape behavior and relationships. Much like Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending, this novel examines memory, love, and the enduring effects of personal choices, emphasizing how the past remains inescapably present.

Approximate Year	Paul’s Age	Event Description
Early 1960s	19	Paul meets Suzanne at tennis club; begins affair.
1960s-1970s	19-29	Affair with Suzanne continues; they live together; Suzanne’s alcoholism and dementia worsen.
Late 1970s	~30	Paul leaves Suzanne and moves abroad to pursue career.
1980s-1990s	45-50	Last meeting between Paul and Suzanne; she is elderly and severely ill.
Present (~2018)	~70	Paul narrates the story, reflecting on past and his complex feelings of love, responsibility, remorse.

Video 2 :- Joan | Character Study 

John is portrayed as a complex and quietly strong character whose life intersects with Susan and Gerald through memory and conversation. Known to Paul only through Susan’s recollections, John is introduced as Gerald’s sister and Susan’s close friend, who later dies of leukemia. In contrast to Susan’s unstable marriage and psychological struggles, John responds to life’s difficulties with calm endurance. Her close attachment to her dogs reflects her need for companionship and emotional balance as she ages.

Animals play a vital role in John’s life, offering her comfort and reliability where human relationships fall short. While Susan is overwhelmed by her circumstances, John finds stability in routine and the unconditional presence of her pets. Her relationship with a married man complicates her moral position, yet the novel presents this as a conscious choice rather than a sign of victimhood. John’s straightforward nature and rejection of social conventions mark her independence, reinforcing the novel’s themes of identity, personal freedom, and the lasting influence of past experiences.

Video 3 :- Memory in Novel | Memory and History | Memory and Morality 

Julian Barnes’s 'The Only Story' examines memory as a layered and complex concept, forming the central concern of the discussion. The talk opens by contrasting collective history with personal remembrance, highlighting how shared narratives shape our understanding of the past, while individual memory remains subjective and emotionally influenced. It raises doubts about the reliability of memory, suggesting that recollections can be reshaped by personal bias, emotion, or even deliberate distortion.

The discussion then turns to the film 'Memento', where the protagonist’s memory loss complicates moral responsibility for his actions. This idea is further connected to Barnes’s 'The Sense of an Ending' and postcolonial approaches to memory and trauma, particularly through the work of Dipesh Chakrabarty. The session explores how fragmented or altered memories affect identity, ethics, and one’s sense of truth.

By drawing on 'Memento', the talk deepens its focus on the moral implications of memory, proposing that forgetting can enable individuals to escape accountability. This perspective links memory to trauma, showing how painful experiences may lead people to reshape or suppress memories as a means of psychological survival.

Video 4 :- Narrative Patten 

The video discussion analyses the narrative technique of Julian Barnes’s The Only Story, highlighting its combination of conventional storytelling and modern experimental methods. The speaker explains how Barnes shifts between first-, second-, and third-person narration to create an intentionally unreliable account. The novel is framed through the reflections of a seventy-year-old man who revisits his first love, using fragmented memories and flashbacks to reconstruct his younger self. Central to the discussion are themes of memory and the instability of personal history, which significantly influence the novel’s structure and meaning. The talk also addresses the philosophical dimensions of love, pain, and human experience, suggesting that love—whether joyful or tragic—often leads to lasting emotional consequences. Barnes blends narrative progression with reflective commentary, prompting readers to examine their own emotional and moral understandings.

The discussion further emphasizes how the novel presents love as both life-changing and destructive. Memory is shown to be subjective and unreliable, as the protagonist’s recollections are shaped by regret, desire, and self-justification, complicating the reader’s ability to determine what truly occurred. This uncertainty aligns with modern philosophical debates about truth and remembrance. Although Paul’s first love is deeply significant, it causes enduring suffering, challenging romantic ideals that present love as purely fulfilling.

Through the protagonist’s reflective journey, Barnes explores broader questions of identity and authenticity. The novel considers how personal narratives contribute to the formation of the self. By directly addressing the reader, Barnes dissolves the boundary between fiction and reality, encouraging skepticism toward the narrator’s version of events. The fragmented structure of The Only Story mirrors the unpredictability of life itself, inviting readers to reflect on how memory, time, and perception shape their own lived experiences.

Video 5 :- Question of Responsibility

The video examines the theme of responsibility in Julian Barnes’s The Only Story, focusing on how Paul Roberts reflects on his past and the complicated nature of responsibility within relationships. Paul repeatedly questions whether his own thoughtlessness played a role in the suffering he experiences, particularly in his relationship with Susan and her unhappy marriage to Gordon. The discussion highlights how individuals often distance themselves from responsibility, especially in situations involving trauma such as domestic conflict, and presents responsibility as something shared and interconnected, symbolized through images like a chain.

The video further considers the impact of social expectations on how responsibility is understood, noting that fear of judgment can lead people to avoid uncomfortable truths. Using the metaphor of a snake moving around obstacles, it suggests that flexibility and awareness are necessary for emotional maturity and healthy relationships. Rather than placing blame on a single individual, the discussion stresses the importance of recognizing how actions and experiences are linked. Ultimately, the video encourages close textual analysis and self-reflection, presenting responsibility as a complex, deeply personal process that demands honesty, awareness, and accountability.

Video 6 :- Theme of Love | Passion and Suffering 

The analysis examines the link between passion and pain in love, starting with the word "passion," which comes from the Latin meaning "to suffer." This suggests that love always involves both intense feelings and suffering. The complexity of love is shown through Paul’s memories of his relationship with Susan, an older, married woman.

The novel focuses on philosophical ideas about love, desire, and the human experience, rather than just events. It explores how love is shaped by personal choices and cultural expectations, often leading to regret and pain. Paul and Susan’s struggles highlight how love can bring despair, while challenging traditional views of love often seen in books and movies.

Through Paul’s reflections, the story shows how our understanding of love and pain changes over time. It critiques typical love stories that overlook the harsh reality of relationships, prompting readers to think about their own experiences. The idea that unmet desires lead to emotional distress is clear in Susan’s struggles with her past. The final question asks if love is worth the pain, encouraging readers to reflect on their own relationships.

Video 7 :- Theme of Marriage | Critique of Marriage Institution

The discussion argues that marriage and love do not always function harmoniously. It challenges the common belief that marriage sustains romantic passion, suggesting instead that desire often diminishes once the institution of marriage is established. By drawing parallels with literary works such as Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, the speaker shows that skepticism toward marriage as a guarantee of happiness has long existed. Contemporary acceptance of divorce and non-marital relationships further reflects changing cultural attitudes toward commitment.

Through characters like Susan and Gordon, the novel exposes the difficulties within marriage, including emotional neglect and abuse. Social pressure surrounding marital respectability emerges as a significant issue, with Susan’s silence reflecting the stigma attached to admitting marital unhappiness. Barnes employs humor to highlight the contradictions and absurdities of marriage, using it as a tool to reveal deeper emotional and social tensions. The discussion also notes how the English middle class tends to avoid confronting marital problems, allowing suffering to persist unchallenged.

By separating love from the institution of marriage, the analysis questions traditional assumptions and encourages alternative ways of understanding relationships. Ultimately, the discussion invites readers to reconsider ideas of marriage, love, and commitment, advocating a more flexible and open perspective on modern relationships.

Video 8 :- To Ways to Look at Life

In this lesson, the narrator looks at two different ideas about life: free will and inevitability, through the thoughts of the main character, Paul Roberts. The metaphor of life as a river is used, with people compared to captains of their ships, trying to navigate the uncertain waters of life. The first idea focuses on personal choice, suggesting that every decision we make closes off other possibilities, leading to a life full of various choices. This view often causes people to dwell on "what-ifs" and feel regret about their decisions.

The second idea is that life is a series of events that are unavoidable, like a log floating down a river. In this view, people have no control and are carried along by fate and circumstances. The narrator shows that Paul often goes back and forth between these two perspectives, trying to find a balance between his own control and the limits placed on him by the world around him. The story ultimately explores how both free will and fate can shape our lives, creating a complex and delicate balance.

Worksheet

2. Key Takeaways: After reviewing all the resources, identify the three most

important themes or ideas you found most compelling or thought-

provoking. For each one:

o Explain the idea in your own words.

o Provide examples from the novel that illustrates the idea.

o Explain why you think the idea is significant for understanding the novel.

The Memories We Choose to Keep

Paul Roberts’s narrative reveals how memory is often selective, preserving what feels comfortable while pushing aside what is painful or inconvenient. He consciously shapes his recollections, frequently downplaying his own shortcomings. A comparable pattern appears in The Artist of the Floating World, where Masuji Ono initially avoids confronting his past actions but is eventually forced to acknowledge them. His selective remembering hides his role in promoting nationalism through art, illustrating how individuals construct personal histories through deliberate choices.

Understanding Love

The novel presents love in a grounded and unsentimental manner, emphasizing that both romantic and marital relationships are marked by tension and disagreement. People turn to love in search of fulfillment, yet unmet expectations often lead to disappointment and conflict. The question, “Would you rather love deeply and suffer greatly, or love less and suffer less?” captures this central conflict. Paul and Susan’s relationship fails to bring lasting happiness, while Joan’s emotional pain further disrupts idealized portrayals of love found in literature and film. Barnes thus offers a more honest depiction of love, exposing its flaws and limitations.

Recognizing Personal Responsibility

Although Paul attempts to silence uncomfortable truths, he does not completely deny his own errors. His reflections suggest that self-examination is necessary for understanding the past. While memory-driven narratives allow room for distortion, attentive reading uncovers underlying realities. The novel ultimately stresses the importance of introspection, encouraging individuals to acknowledge their own failings instead of placing blame solely on others.

3. Character Analysis: Choose two characters from the novel (e.g. Paul,

Suzanne, Joan). For each character, discuss:

o Their role in the narrative.

o Their key traits and motivations.

o How the narrative perspective shapes the reader's understanding of

the character.

o How the character contributes to the themes of the novel.

Paul

Paul, the narrator, recalls his past love for Suzanne. At 19, he believes their love is pure, but over time, he struggles with her alcoholism and dishonesty. Eventually, he leaves, torn between love and responsibility. As an unreliable narrator, his memories are selective, making the reader question whether he truly loved Suzanne or was chasing an ideal. His story highlights how love can turn into suffering, how people reshape memories, and how regret shapes identity.

Susan Macleod

Susan Macleod is a central character in The Only Story and the focus of Paul’s first love. An older, married woman, she challenges social conventions and offers Paul an intense but unconventional relationship. Emotionally vulnerable and trapped in an unhappy marriage, Susan seeks affection and escape, which draws her to Paul. As the novel progresses, her struggles with alcoholism and isolation reveal her fragility. Seen only through Paul’s memories, Susan remains complex and ambiguous, contributing to the novel’s themes of love, responsibility, suffering, and the limits of memory.

4. Narrative Techniques: Discuss the narrative techniques employed by

Julian Barnes in The Only Story, considering:

o The use of first-person narration and its limitations.

o The shifting perspectives and unreliable narrator.

o The non-linear timeline and use of flashbacks.

o The impact of these techniques on the reader's experience.

o How this narrative is different from other novels you may have read.

In 'The Only Story', Julian Barnes adopts an unconventional narrative approach by presenting the story entirely through Paul’s perspective. Because the novel is narrated in the first person, readers are limited to Paul’s thoughts and interpretations rather than an objective account of events. This restricted viewpoint makes Paul an unreliable narrator, as his memories may be altered or reshaped to ease feelings of guilt or self-justification, preventing readers from fully trusting his version of the past.

The narrative does not progress in a linear order; instead, it moves back and forth across different stages of Paul’s life. This fragmented structure mirrors the way memory functions in reality—uneven, selective, and incomplete. Barnes further emphasizes Paul’s emotional distancing by shifting the narrative voice from “I” to “you” and “he,” suggesting his reluctance to confront earlier actions and responsibilities.

Through these narrative strategies, readers are drawn into Paul’s emotional world while simultaneously being encouraged to question the accuracy of his recollections. Rather than offering a straightforward romantic tale, the novel presents love as an experience marked by suffering and regret. The reflective and fragmented storytelling gives the impression of a man looking back on his life with uncertainty, remorse, and lingering emotional pain.

5. Thematic Connections: Explore the following themes and their

interconnections in The Only Story:

o Memory and Unreliability: How does the novel explore the

subjective nature of memory? How does this relate to the idea of

truth within a narrative?

o Love, Passion, and Suffering: How does the novel present love,

and what is its relationship to suffering and pain? How are these

ideas connected to Laconian ideas about desire?

o Responsibility and Cowardice: In what ways is the protagonist,

Paul, presented as unreliable and cowardly? How does he avoid

responsibility, and what are the consequences?

o Critique of Marriage: How does the novel challenge the institution

of marriage?

o Two ways to look at life: How does the novel present these two

extremes of viewing life?

Memory and Narrative Uncertainty:

In The Only Story, Paul’s recollection of the past is often fragmented and unreliable. He reshapes or omits certain details, which leads readers to question the accuracy of his account. The novel suggests that truth is subjective and dependent on individual memory, showing how personal histories are constructed by those who remember and retell them.

Love, Desire, and Pain:

Love in the novel is presented not as a source of happiness but as an experience deeply intertwined with suffering. Paul’s intense attachment to Susan brings him lasting emotional pain. Barnes portrays love as an overwhelming force that can consume individuals, revealing how desire often results in loss and disillusionment rather than fulfillment.

Responsibility and Avoidance:

Paul frequently avoids taking responsibility for his actions. He fails to support Susan during moments of abuse and emotional breakdown, choosing distance instead of commitment. This avoidance becomes a source of long-term guilt and regret, preventing him from achieving emotional closure or peace.

Criticism of Marriage:

The novel offers a critical view of marriage, depicting it as restrictive and damaging rather than nurturing. Susan’s marriage to Gordon is shown as abusive and oppressive, reinforcing Paul’s belief that marriage suppresses love and personal freedom instead of sustaining them.

Contrasting Perspectives on Life:

Barnes presents two contrasting views of human existence: one that suggests individuals can shape their own destiny, like steering a vessel, and another that views life as unpredictable and uncontrollable, like drifting with a current. Paul initially believes he can control his love and future, but experience teaches him that life is governed by uncertainty. This tension encourages readers to reflect on the extent to which human lives are shaped by choice versus uncontrollable forces.

6. Personal Reflection: Consider the question posed at the beginning of the novel: "Would you rather love the more and suffer the more, or love the less and suffer the less?".

How does the novel explore this question?

The novel explores the question, "Would you rather love more and suffer more, or love less and suffer less?" through Paul's journey. As a young man, Paul believes love is worth any pain, and he falls deeply in love with Suzanne. But over time, their love causes more hurt than happiness, and Paul starts to wonder if it was worth it.

The novel shows that love often brings pain, and those who love deeply can get hurt the most. By the end, Paul is alone, questioning if the suffering he went through was worth the love. The book doesn’t give a clear answer, leaving the reader to think about whether it’s better to love deeply, even with the pain, or protect themselves by loving less.

What are your thoughts on this question, and how does this novel relate to your own experiences and views on love and life?

The novel challenges the idea that love leads to happiness and shows how love is closely linked with both passion and suffering. It suggests that people often try to fill an inner emptiness with love, hoping it will make them whole. When love works out, everything seems fine, but when it doesn’t, bigger problems arise. If love falls short, it becomes difficult to move on or coexist peacefully. The story conveys that depending on others for our happiness often causes pain, as it leaves us vulnerable and unable to find contentment within ourselves.

7. Creative Response:

• Imagine you are one of the characters from the novel (other than Paul).

Write a journal entry from their perspective reflecting on the events of the

novel.

• Alternatively, write a short piece exploring how one of the themes in the

novel relates to contemporary society.

Journal Entry from Suzanne's Perspective

March 12, 1975

I’ve spent so many years trapped in the same cycle. Paul was everything to me once, but I pushed him away. I thought love could fix me, but it just dragged us both down. I wanted him to see me as perfect, but I’m far from it. I made mistakes, and now he’s gone.

I tried to fill a hole inside me with love, but it never worked. Now I’m left with memories and my dogs, who never ask for anything. But even they die, leaving me with nothing. I wonder if I was ever capable of truly loving or just chasing an illusion.

Short Piece on Love and Suffering in Society

In The Only Story, love and suffering are closely tied, and this theme is still relevant today. Society idealizes love, making people believe it’s the answer to all their problems. But like in the novel, love often brings pain when it doesn’t meet expectations.

Today, many seek love to fill an internal void, but this often leads to disappointment. Love is not always the perfect fix; it can also bring frustration and sadness. True fulfillment comes from within, not from another person. In the modern world, we must recognize that love, while meaningful, doesn’t always provide lasting happiness.

References 

Barad, Dilip. (2025). Flipped Learning Activity Worksheet on The Only Story. 10.13140/RG.2.2.24961.16485. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388555499_Flipped_Learning_Activity_Worksheet_on_The_Only_Story

Barad, Dilip. "Exploring Narrative Patterns in Julian Barnes' The Only Story." LangLit, vol. 6, no. 4, May 2020, pp. 179–188. ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371874310. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

Barad, Dilip. "Symbolism of Crossword Puzzles: Order, Intellect, and Existential Respite in Julian Barnes's The Only Story." LangLit, vol. 8, no. 1, Aug. 2021, pp. 285–291. ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372537102. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

Barad, Dilip. “The Only Story.” The Only Story, 3 Feb. 2022, blog.dilipbarad.com/2022/02/the-only-story.html. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

Barnes, Julian. The Only Story. Jonathan Cape, 20 February 2018. ISBN-13: 987-1787330696

DoE-MKBU. “Introduction | Character | Plot Summary | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 31 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Lxx-C5Tg0.

DoE-MKBU. “Joan | Character Study | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-w_099Yr0.

DoE-MKBU. “Memory Novel | Memory and History | Memory and Morality | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 2 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4yoNBCzrUs.

DoE-MKBU. “Narrative Pattern | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 1 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=395rhgkig1w.

DoE-MKBU. “Question of Responsibility | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBj-ju4RuTo.

DoE-MKBU. “Theme of Love | Passion and Suffering | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 2 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f7hCKtGkGI.

DoE-MKBU. “Theme of Marriage | Critique of Marriage Institution | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCrSyV2jXzI.

DoE-MKBU. “Two Ways to Look at Life | the Only Story | Julian Barnes.” YouTube, 3 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Wom7RAqI4.

Thank You !

Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems

 Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems

This blog is based on Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems and this task was assigned by Dilip Barad sir. 

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

Translate by Chat GPT

 Translation by Gemini

 Hindi Translation (The Second Coming) by Chat GPT

फैलते चक्र में घूमता हुआ, घूमता चला जाता है,

बाज़ अब बाज़बान की पुकार नहीं सुन पाता;

सब कुछ बिखर रहा है, केंद्र अब टिक नहीं पाता,

मात्र अराजकता संसार पर टूट पड़ी है।

रक्त से धुँधली हुई लहरें हर दिशा में छा गई हैं,

निर्दोषता का अनुष्ठान डूब चुका है;

श्रेष्ठ जनों में कोई दृढ़ विश्वास नहीं,

और दुष्ट जन उन्मत्त उत्कटता से भरे हैं।

निश्चय ही कोई प्रकाशन समीप है;

निश्चय ही दूसरा आगमन समीप है।

दूसरा आगमन! ये शब्द अभी गूँजे ही थे

कि Spiritus Mundi से उठती एक विराट छवि

मेरी दृष्टि को विचलित कर देती है—

रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं

सिंह-देह और मानव-मस्तक वाली आकृति,

सूर्य-सी शून्य और निर्दय दृष्टि लिए,

धीमे-धीमे अपनी जंघाएँ बढ़ाती है,

और उसके चारों ओर

क्रोधित मरु-पक्षियों की छायाएँ डगमगाती हैं।

अंधकार फिर छा जाता है; पर अब मैं जानता हूँ—

बीस सदियों की पथरीली नींद

एक झूलते पालने से जाग उठी थी,

और कौन-सा विकराल पशु, जिसकी घड़ी आ पहुँची है,

अब जन्म लेने को

बेथलेहम की ओर घिसटता चला आ रहा है?

Gujarati Translation (The Second Coming) by Chat GPT

વિસ્તરતા વલયમાં ફરી રહ્યો છે, ફરી રહ્યો છે બાજ,

બાજપાલની હાક હવે તેને સંભળાતી નથી;

બધું વિખેરાઈ રહ્યું છે, કેન્દ્ર હવે ટકી શકતું નથી,

માત્ર અराजકતા જગત પર છૂટક થઈ છે।

લોહીથી ધૂંધળો પ્રવાહ બધે ફરી વળ્યો છે,

નિર્દોષતાનો વિધિ-વિધાન ડૂબી ગયો છે;

શ્રેષ્ઠોમાં કોઈ દ્રઢ વિશ્વાસ રહ્યો નથી,

અને દુષ્ટો ઉગ્ર લાગણીની તીવ્રતાથી ભરાયેલા છે।

નિશ્ચિત જ કોઈ પ્રકાશન નજીક છે;

નિશ્ચિત જ બીજું આગમન નજીક છે।

બીજું આગમન! આ શબ્દો મોંમાંથી નીકળ્યા પણ નહોતાં

કે Spiritus Mundi માંથી ઉદ્ભવતી એક વિશાળ છબી

મારી દૃષ્ટિને અશાંત કરી દે છે—

રણની રેતમાં ક્યાંક

સિંહનું દેહ અને માનવનું માથું ધરાવતી આકૃતિ,

સૂર્ય જેવી ખાલી અને નિર્દય નજર સાથે,

ધીમે-ધીમે પોતાની જાંઘો આગળ ધપાવે છે,

અને તેની આસપાસ

ક્રોધિત રણપંખીઓની છાયાઓ ઘૂમે છે।

અંધકાર ફરી છવાઈ જાય છે; પણ હવે હું જાણું છું—

વીસ સદીઓની પથ્થર જેવી ઊંઘ

એક ઝૂલતા પાળણાથી દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં ફેરવાઈ હતી,

અને કયું કર્કશ પશુ, જેના સમયનું ચક્ર પૂર્ણ થયું છે,

હવે જન્મ લેવા માટે

બેથલેહેમ તરફ ધીમે ધીમે સરકી રહ્યું છે?

Hindi Translation (हिन्दी अनुवाद) by Gemini

"द्वितीय आगमन"

बढ़ते हुए घेरे में घूमते-घूमते,

बाज़ अपने बाज़दार की आवाज़ नहीं सुन पा रहा;

चीज़ें बिखर रही हैं; केंद्र अब थाम नहीं पा रहा;

दुनिया में केवल अराजकता फैल गई है,

रक्त-रंजित ज्वार उमड़ पड़ा है, और हर जगह

मासूमियत का संस्कार डूब गया है;

अच्छे लोगों में दृढ़ विश्वास की कमी है, जबकि बुरे लोग

जुनूनी तीव्रता से भरे हुए हैं।

निश्चित ही कोई रहस्योद्घाटन होने वाला है;

निश्चित ही 'द्वितीय आगमन' निकट है।

द्वितीय आगमन! अभी ये शब्द निकले ही थे

कि 'स्पिरिटस मुंडी' (विश्व-आत्मा) से एक विशाल छवि

मेरी आँखों को परेशान करती है: रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं

एक आकृति जिसका शरीर शेर का और सिर मनुष्य का है,

एक टकटकी—शून्य और सूरज की तरह निर्दयी,

वह अपनी धीमी जांघें हिला रहा है, जबकि उसके चारों ओर

क्रुद्ध रेगिस्तानी पक्षियों की परछाइयां मंडरा रही हैं।

अंधेरा फिर से छा जाता है; पर अब मैं जानता हूँ

कि बीस सदियों की पथरीली नींद को

एक झूलते हुए पालने ने दुःस्वप्न में बदल दिया था,

और वह कौन सा भयानक जीव है, जिसका समय आख़िरकार आ गया है,

जो जन्म लेने के लिए बेथलहम की ओर झुककर रेंग रहा है?

---

Gujarati Translation (ગુજરાતી અનુવાદ) by Gemini

"દ્વિતીય આગમન"

વધતા જતાં વર્તુળાકાર ઘેરામાં ઘૂમતા-ઘૂમતા,

બાજ તેના રખેવાળનો અવાજ સાંભળી શકતું નથી;

વસ્તુઓ વેરવિખેર થઈ રહી છે; કેન્દ્ર હવે ટકી શકતું નથી;

દુનિયામાં માત્ર અરાજકતા ફેલાઈ ગઈ છે,

લોહીથી ખરડાયેલી ભરતી છૂટી પડી છે, અને બધે જ

નિર્દોષતાનો સંસ્કાર ડૂબી રહ્યો છે;

સજ્જનોમાં દ્રઢ વિશ્વાસનો અભાવ છે, જ્યારે દુર્જનો

તીવ્ર ઝનૂનથી ભરેલા છે.

ચોક્કસ કોઈ દિવ્ય સંકેત મળવાનો છે;

ચોક્કસ 'દ્વિતીય આગમન' નજીક છે.

દ્વિતીય આગમન! હજી તો આ શબ્દો બોલાયા જ હતા

ત્યાં 'સ્પિરિટસ મુંડી' (વિશ્વ-આત્મા) માંથી એક વિશાળ આકૃતિ

મારી દ્રષ્ટિને વિચલિત કરે છે: રણની રેતીમાં ક્યાંક

એક આકાર જેનું શરીર સિંહનું અને માથું માણસનું છે,

એક નજર—શૂન્ય અને સૂર્ય જેવી નિર્દય,

તે પોતાની ધીમી સાથળો હલાવી રહ્યો છે, જ્યારે તેની આસપાસ

ક્રોધિત રણ-પક્ષીઓના પડછાયા ઘૂમી રહ્યા છે.

અંધકાર ફરી છવાઈ જાય છે; પણ હવે હું જાણું છું

કે વીસ સદીઓની પથ્થર જેવી ગાઢ નિદ્રાને

એક હલતા પારણાએ દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં ફેરવી નાખી હતી,

અને એ કયું ભયાનક પ્રાણી છે, જેનો સમય આખરે આવી ગયો છે,

જે જન્મ લેવા માટે બેથલેહેમ તરફ લપાઈને સરકી રહ્યું છે?

Original Poem

જ્યાં જ્યાં નઝર મારી ઠરે, યાદી ભરે ત્યાં આપની;

આંસુ મહીં એ આંખથી યાદી ઝરે છે આપની.

માશૂકોના ગાલની લાલી મહીં લાલી, અને

જ્યાં જ્યાં ચમન જ્યાં જ્યાં ગુલો ત્યાં ત્યાં નિશાની આપની!

જોઉં અહીં ત્યાં આવતી દરિયાવની મીઠી લહર,

તેની ઉપર ચાલી રહી નાજુક સવારી આપની.

તારા ઉપર તારા તણાં, ઝૂમી રહ્યાં જે ઝૂમખાં,

તે યાદ આપે આંખને ગેબી કચેરી આપની.

આ ખૂનને ચરખે અને રાતે અમારી ગોદમાં,

આ દમ-બ-દમ બોલી રહી ઝીણી સિતારી આપની.

આકાશથી વર્ષાવતા છો ખંજરો દુશ્મન બધા;

યાદી બનીને ઢાલ ખેંચાઈ રહી છે આપની.

દેખી બૂરાઈ ના ડરું હું, શી ફિકર છે પાપની?

ધોવા બૂરાઈને બધે ગંગા વહે છે આપની.

થાકું સિતમથી હોય જ્યાં ના કોઈ ક્યાં એ આશના;

તાજી બની ત્યાં ત્યાં ચડે પેલી શરાબી આપની!

જ્યાં જ્યાં મિલાવે હાથ યારો ત્યાં મિલાવી હાથને,

અહેસાનમાં દિલ ઝૂકતું, રહેમત ખડી ત્યાં આપની.

પ્યારું તજીને પ્યાર કોઈ આદરે છેલ્લી સફર:

ધોવાઇ યાદી ત્યાં રડાવે છે જુદાઇ આપની.

રોઉં ન કાં એ રાહમાં બાકી રહીને એકલો?

આશકોના રાહની જે રાહદારી આપની.

જૂનું નવું જાણું અને રોઉં હસું તે તે બધું;

જૂની નવી ના કાંઈ તાજી એક યાદી આપની.

ભૂલી જવાતી છો બધી લાખો કિતાબો સામટી;

જોયું ન જોયું છો અને જો એક યાદી આપની.

 English Translation by Gemini

"Wherever My Gaze Rests"

Wherever my gaze comes to rest, it finds a memory of you;

From these eyes, in the form of tears, flows a memory of you.

In the redness of a lover's cheeks, that glow is yours,

Wherever there is a garden, wherever there are roses, there is a sign of you.

When I see the sweet waves of the ocean coming here and there,

Upon those waves, I see the delicate passage of your carriage.

The clusters of stars swinging high above in the sky,

They remind my eyes of your mysterious, divine court.

In the heartbeat of this blood, and in my arms at night,

Moment by moment, the fine music of your sitar plays.

Even if all enemies rain down daggers from the sky;

Your memory stretches out like a shield to protect me.

I do not fear evil, nor do I worry about sin;

To wash away all evil, your Ganges flows everywhere.

When I tire of oppression and find no friend anywhere;

The fresh intoxication of your love rises to sustain me.

Wherever friends join hands, I join mine too,

My heart bows in gratitude, for your mercy stands there.

When a loved one leaves love behind and starts the final journey;

The fading memory and the sting of your separation make me weep.

Why should I not cry, left alone on this path?

For you are the ultimate guide on the path of all lovers.

Whatever I know of the old or new, whether I cry or laugh;

Nothing is old or new—there is only your one, fresh memory.

Let millions of books be forgotten all at once;

Let the world be seen or unseen, as long as there is your memory.

If fate makes me commit mistakes, let me commit them all;

For in the end, all that remains is your solitary memory.

Hindi Translation by Gemini

"जहाँ-जहाँ नज़र मेरी ठहरे"

जहाँ-जहाँ नज़र मेरी ठहरती है, वहाँ आपकी याद भरी है;

इन आँखों से आँसुओं के रूप में, आपकी याद झरती है।

माशुकों के गालों की लाली में जो लाली है, वो आपकी है,

जहाँ-जहाँ चमन है, जहाँ-जहाँ गुल (फूल) हैं, वहाँ आपकी निशानी है।

देखता हूँ यहाँ-वहाँ आती हुई सागर की मीठी लहरें,

उनके ऊपर आपकी नाज़ुक सवारी चल रही है।

तारों के ऊपर जो तारों के गुच्छे झूम रहे हैं,

वे आँखों को आपकी उस दिव्य (गैबी) कचहरी की याद दिलाते हैं।

इस लहू की धड़कन में और रात को हमारी गोद में,

दम-ब-दम (हर पल) आपकी बारीक सितारी गूँज रही है।

आसमान से भले ही दुश्मन खंजर बरसाएँ;

आपकी याद ढाल बनकर मेरे आगे खिंच जाती है।

बुराई देख कर मैं न डरूँ, पाप की क्या फिक्र है?

बुराई धोने के लिए हर तरफ आपकी गंगा बहती है।

जब ज़ुल्म से थक जाऊँ और कोई यार-ओ-मददगार न हो;

वहाँ आपकी वो पुरानी 'शराबी' (नशा/इश्क) ताज़ा होकर चढ़ती है।

जहाँ-जहाँ दोस्त हाथ मिलाते हैं, वहाँ हाथ मिलाकर,

एहसान में दिल झुकता है, वहाँ आपकी रहमत खड़ी होती है।

जब कोई प्यारो को छोड़ कर आखिरी सफर (मौत) पर निकलता है:

वहाँ धुंधली पड़ती याद और आपकी जुदाई रुलाती है।

मैं क्यों न रोऊँ उस राह में अकेला रह कर?

आशिकों की राह की जो राहदारी (मार्गदर्शन) आपकी है।

पुराना-नया जो जानूँ, और जो रोऊँ-हँसूँ वह सब;

पुराना या नया कुछ नहीं, बस एक आपकी ताज़ा याद है।

भले ही लाखों किताबें एक साथ भूल जाएँ;

कुछ देखा या न देखा, बस एक आपकी याद रहे।

किस्मत अगर भूल कराए तो मैं वो सब भूल कर दूँ;

क्योंकि आखिर में तो बस अकेली आपकी ही याद है।

Hindi Translation by Chat GPT

जहाँ-जहाँ मेरी नज़र ठहरती है,

वहीं आपकी याद भर जाती है।

इन आँखों से जो आँसू गिरते हैं,

उनमें भी आपकी ही स्मृति झरती है।

माशूक़ों के गालों की लालिमा में भी लालिमा आपकी,

जहाँ-जहाँ उपवन हैं, जहाँ-जहाँ फूल—वहीं आपकी निशानी।

यहाँ-वहाँ आती समुद्र की मीठी लहरों पर,

मानो चल रही हो आपकी नाज़ुक सवारी।

तारों पर तारे, जो झूमते हुए गुच्छे बने हैं,

वे आँखों को आपकी रहस्यमयी कचहरी की याद दिलाते हैं।

इस रक्त को मथती हुई, रात में हमारी गोद में,

क्षण-क्षण आपकी महीन सितार बोलती है।

आकाश से शत्रु खंजर बरसाते हैं,

याद बनकर आपकी ढाल आगे आ जाती है।

बुराई देखकर मैं डरता नहीं—पाप की क्या चिंता?

उसे धोने को हर ओर आपकी गंगा बहती है।

जब अत्याचार से थक जाऊँ और कोई आशा न बचे,

तब ताज़ा होकर वही पुरानी शराब आपकी चढ़ आती है।

जहाँ-जहाँ मित्र हाथ मिलाते हैं,

वहीं एहसान में झुकता दिल, और आपकी रहमत खड़ी मिलती है।

प्यार छोड़ कोई अंतिम यात्रा को निकले,

तो आपकी याद धुलकर जुदाई में रुला जाती है।

क्या मैं उस राह पर अकेला रहकर न रोऊँ?

वह तो आशिक़ों की राह की आपकी ही राहदारी है।

पुराना-नया जानूँ, रोऊँ या हँसूँ—जो भी हो,

नई-पुरानी नहीं, बस एक ताज़ी याद आपकी।

लाखों किताबें एक साथ भुला दी जाती हैं,

देखा हो या न देखा हो—बस एक याद आपकी।

क़िस्मत अगर भूल कराए, तो मैं सारी भूलें कर लूँ,

आख़िरकार अकेली वही बचती है—आपकी याद।

English Translation by Chat GPT

Wherever my gaze comes to rest,

your memory fills that place.

Even the tears that fall from these eyes

flow thick with thoughts of you.

In the blush upon a lover’s cheek, your blush glows;

wherever gardens bloom, wherever flowers rise, there is your sign.

In the sweet waves of the sea that roll this way and that,

your delicate carriage seems to glide.

Stars upon stars, swaying in clustered dance,

remind the eyes of your hidden, celestial court.

Churning my blood, cradled in our lap of night,

your subtle stringed music speaks breath by breath.

From the sky the enemies rain down daggers,

yet your memory stretches forward, becoming my shield.

Why should I fear evil—what worry is sin?

To wash it clean, your Ganges flows everywhere.

When worn out by cruelty, when no hope remains,

that old wine of yours rises again, newly fresh.

Wherever friends join hands,

the heart bows in gratitude, and your mercy stands there.

If love is left behind for a final journey,

your memory, washed in tears, makes separation weep.

Should I not cry, left alone upon that road?

It is the very path trodden by lovers, your own passageway.

Old or new—whether I laugh or weep at all I know,

there is no old or new, only your ever-fresh memory.

Millions of books are forgotten together,

seen or unseen—yet one memory remains: yours.

Let fate make me err, let me commit every mistake,

for in the end, the only thing left standing

is your memory alone.

Original Poem

कितना अच्छा होता है

एक-दूसरे को बिना जाने

पास-पास होना

और उस संगीत को सुनना

जो धमनियों में बजता है,

उन रंगों में नहा जाना

जो बहुत गहरे चढ़ते-उतरते हैं।

शब्दों की खोज शुरू होते ही

हम एक-दूसरे को खोने लगते हैं

और उनके पकड़ में आते ही

एक-दूसरे के हाथों से

मछली की तरह फिसल जाते हैं।

हर जानकारी में बहुत गहरे

ऊब का एक पतला धागा छिपा होता है,

कुछ भी ठीक से जान लेना

ख़ुद से दुश्मनी ठान लेना है।

कितना अच्छा होता है

एक-दूसरे के पास बैठ ख़ुद को टटोलना,

और अपने ही भीतर

दूसरे को पा लेना।

Gujarati Translation by Chat GPT

કેટલું સારું હોત

એકબીજાને જાણ્યા વગર જ

પાસપાસ રહેવું

અને તે સંગીતને સાંભળવું

જે ધમનીઓમાં વાગે છે,

અને તે રંગોમાં ન્હાઈ જવું

જે બહુ ઊંડા ચઢે-ઉતરે છે.

શબ્દોની શોધ શરૂ થાય છે ત્યારે

અમે એકબીજાને ગુમાવા લાગીએ છીએ,

અને જ્યારે તેમને પકડી લઈએ,

ત્યારે એકબીજાના હાથમાંથી

માછલીની જેમ સરકી જઈએ છીએ.

દરેક જાણકારીની અંદર

ઉકાળાનો એક પાતળો ધાગો છુપાયેલો હોય છે,

કશું પણ સંપૂર્ણ રીતે જાણી લેવું

પોતાની જાત સાથે દુશ્મની ઠરાવવું છે.

કેટલું સારું હોત

એકબીજાની પાસે બેઠા પોતાને ટટોળવું,

અને પોતાના જ અંદર

બીજાને શોધી કાઢવો.

English Translation by  Chat GPT

How beautiful it would be

to be close to one another

without knowing each other,

and to listen to that music

that plays within the arteries,

to bathe in those colors

that deepen and fade so intensely.

The moment we begin to search for words,

we start losing each other,

and once we grasp them,

we slip from each other’s hands

like a fish.

Within every piece of knowledge

a thin thread of boredom lies hidden;

to know something completely

is to declare enmity with oneself.

How beautiful it would be

to sit beside each other and feel our way inward,

and within one’s own self

to discover the other.

Original Poem

कितना अच्छा होता है

एक-दूसरे को बिना जाने

पास-पास होना

और उस संगीत को सुनना

जो धमनियों में बजता है,

उन रंगों में नहा जाना

जो बहुत गहरे चढ़ते-उतरते हैं।

शब्दों की खोज शुरू होते ही

हम एक-दूसरे को खोने लगते हैं

और उनके पकड़ में आते ही

एक-दूसरे के हाथों से

मछली की तरह फिसल जाते हैं।

हर जानकारी में बहुत गहरे

ऊब का एक पतला धागा छिपा होता है,

कुछ भी ठीक से जान लेना

ख़ुद से दुश्मनी ठान लेना है।

कितना अच्छा होता है

एक-दूसरे के पास बैठ ख़ुद को टटोलना,

और अपने ही भीतर

दूसरे को पा लेना।

English Translation by Gemini

"How Wonderful It Is"

How wonderful it is to be near each other without knowing one another,

And to listen to that music which plays within the arteries, To bathe in those colors that rise and fall so deeply.

The moment the search for words begins, we start to lose each other, And as soon as words capture us, we slip from each other's hands like a fish.

Deep within every piece of information lies a thin thread of boredom, To know anything too precisely is to harbor enmity toward oneself.

How wonderful it is to sit beside each other and search within oneself, And within one’s own heart, to find the other.

Gujarati Translation by Gemini

"કેટલું સુંદર હોય છે"

કેટલું સુંદર હોય છે એકબીજાને જાણ્યા વગર

પાસ-પાસ હોવું અને એ સંગીતને સાંભળવું

જે ધમનીઓમાં વાગે છે, એ રંગોમાં નહાઈ જવું

જે ખૂબ ઊંડે ચઢે-ઊતરે છે. શબ્દોની શોધ શરૂ થતા જ

આપણે એકબીજાને ખોવા માંડીએ છીએ અને શબ્દોની પકડમાં આવતા જ

એકબીજાના હાથમાંથી માછલીની જેમ સરકી જઈએ છીએ.

દરેક જાણકારીમાં ખૂબ ઊંડે કંટાળાનો એક પાતળો દોરો છુપાયેલો હોય છે,

કંઈપણ બરાબર જાણી લેવું એ પોતાની જાત સાથે દુશ્મની વહોરી લેવા જેવું છે.

કેટલું સુંદર હોય છે એકબીજાની પાસે બેસીને ખુદને ફંફોસવું,

અને પોતાની જ ભીતર બીજાને પામી લેવું.

Comparative Analysis of AI-Generated Poetry Translations

Introduction

This study analyses poetry translations generated using ChatGPT and Gemini in accordance with the Translation Studies Activity Worksheet. Four poems across Urdu, English, Gujarati, and Hindi were translated into target languages and evaluated through key parameters: syntax, sound and metre, lexicon and grammar, cultural connotations, tone, semiotics, challenges, and resolutions. The analysis is grounded in translation theories proposed by Roman Jakobson, J.C. Catford, Ganesh Devy, and A.K. Ramanujan.

Poem 1: Faiz Ahmed Faiz — “Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat”

(Urdu → Hindi & English)

Syntax, Sound, and Metre

ChatGPT preserves the lyrical flow and emotional cadence of Faiz’s nazm, using shorter, rhythmic lines that echo the Urdu original’s softness. Gemini, on the other hand, opts for longer explanatory sentences, which slightly reduce the musicality but increase clarity.

Urdu’s internal rhyme and refrain (“aur bhi dukh hain”) cannot be fully retained in either translation; however, ChatGPT more effectively maintains repetition as rhythm, while Gemini prioritizes semantic completeness.

Lexicon, Grammar, and Semiotics

Both tools translate metaphors accurately, but their strategies differ:

• ChatGPT uses poetic equivalence (“memory fills that place”).

• Gemini uses semantic explicitation, sometimes glossing meanings (e.g., adding parenthetical clarifications).

Semiotically, Faiz’s shift from romantic idealism to social realism is better conveyed in ChatGPT’s English version, while Gemini’s Hindi version strengthens ideological clarity.

Cultural Connotations and Collocations

Culturally loaded words such as غمِ دہر, وصال, and محبوب pose challenges.

• ChatGPT retains emotive abstraction.

• Gemini leans toward interpretive domestication, aligning with Catford’s notion of level shifts.

Challenges and Resolutions

The main challenge lies in translating Urdu’s ghazal-inflected nazm style into free verse without losing emotional density. Both AIs resolve this by abandoning strict metre, prioritizing tone and affect.

Poem 2: W. B. Yeats — The Second Coming

(English → Hindi & Gujarati)

Syntax, Sound, and Metre

Yeats’s prophetic, incantatory syntax is difficult to replicate. ChatGPT maintains oracular brevity, while Gemini preserves syntactic parallelism closer to the original.

Gemini retains line-level symmetry (“द्वितीय आगमन!”), enhancing dramatic emphasis. ChatGPT’s translations are smoother but slightly less forceful rhythmically.

Lexicon, Grammar, and Semiotics

Symbols such as gyre, Spiritus Mundi, rough beast, and Bethlehem are crucial.

• Both tools retain Spiritus Mundi untranslated, respecting symbolic opacity (aligned with Jakobson’s “poetry as untranslatable”).

• Gemini provides interpretive cues (“विश्व-आत्मा”), aiding comprehension but narrowing ambiguity.

• ChatGPT preserves symbolic openness, closer to Yeats’s mysticism.

Cultural Connotations

Biblical irony and apocalyptic tension survive in both translations. Gujarati versions show slightly more semantic domestication, adapting abstract dread into culturally intelligible imagery.

Challenges and Resolutions

The challenge is Yeats’s mythic-modern fusion. Both AIs sacrifice exact metre but retain visionary intensity, confirming Ramanujan’s claim that translations create “another poem”.

Poem 3: Gujarati Poem (Yaad / Memory Poem)

(Gujarati → Hindi & English)

Syntax, Sound, and Metre

ChatGPT’s translations retain lyrical softness and repetition, closely mirroring the original’s emotional flow. Gemini’s English version is more narrative and explanatory, slightly weakening musical resonance.

Lexicon and Semiotics

Images like Ganga, shield, wine, divine court function as Sufi-inflected symbols.

• ChatGPT maintains metaphorical density.

• Gemini sometimes rationalizes metaphors, reducing mysticism.

Cultural Connotations

Cultural metaphors (Ganga as purification, wine as love/intoxication) are successfully preserved by both, though ChatGPT allows symbolic plurality, aligning with Devy’s view of translation as cultural negotiation.

Challenges

The biggest challenge is translating devotional intimacy without sentimentality. ChatGPT handles this more subtly in English.

Poem 4: Hindi Poem — “Kitna Achha Hota Hai”

(Hindi → English & Gujarati)

Syntax, Sound, and Tone

This poem relies on silence, pauses, and philosophical minimalism.

• ChatGPT preserves free-verse spacing and reflective tone.

• Gemini compresses lines, creating denser paragraphs that reduce meditative pauses.

Lexicon and Semiotics

Metaphors such as music in arteries, fish slipping away, and knowledge as boredom are well-rendered by both. ChatGPT’s English version better retains existential subtlety, while Gemini’s Gujarati version prioritizes fluency.

Challenges

The challenge lies in translating non-verbal intimacy and experiential knowledge. Both AIs succeed conceptually, but ChatGPT better reflects the poem’s negative capability (unknowing as wisdom).

Comparative Evaluation: ChatGPT vs Gemini

Aspect	ChatGPT	Gemini
Poetic Flow	Strong	Moderate
Semantic Clarity	Moderate	Strong
Cultural Sensitivity	High	High
Symbolic Ambiguity	Preserved	Reduced
Academic Explainability	Moderate	High

Theoretical Reflection

• Jakobson: Both tools demonstrate that poetry translation is interpretive, not equivalent.

• Catford: Frequent shifts across linguistic and cultural levels confirm structural untranslatability.

• Ganesh Devy: AI translations function as cultural negotiations rather than replicas.

• A.K. Ramanujan: Each translation becomes a “contextual re-creation,” not a replacement.

Conclusion

This activity reveals that AI cannot fully “translate” poetry, but it can generate meaningful poetic versions when guided by informed prompts. ChatGPT excels in aesthetic and emotional resonance, while Gemini performs better in semantic clarity and explanatory precision. Ultimately, AI emerges not as a substitute for the human translator, but as a critical tool that sharpens theoretical awareness in translation studies.