Meet Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the poet: Some of his most popular verses

The 93-year-old BJP stalwart was not only an eminent politician but was also an acclaimed wordsmith who wrote hundreds of poems

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had been admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) since June 11 passed away on Thursday.

The 93-year-old.BJP stalwart was not only an eminent politician but also an acclaimed wordsmith who wrote hundreds of poems. A great number of his poems like, 'Geet naya gaata hun', 'Kadam milakar chalna hoga' are still etched in public memory.  

Here is a look back at some of Vajpayee's most famous poems. 

Geet naya gaata hoon:

Toote hue sapnon ki kaun sune siski,

antar ki cheer vyatha palakon par thithki

haar nahi maanoonga,

raar nahi thanunga

kaal ke kapaal pe likhta mitata hoon,

geet naya gaata hoon.

Kadam milakar chalna hoga: 

Baadhaen aati hain aaen,

ghiren pralay ki ghor ghataaen

paaon ke neeche angaare,

sir par barsein yadi jwalaein,

nij haathon se haste-haste

aag lagakar jalna hoga.

kadam milakar chalna hoga

Raah kaun si jaaun main:

Do din mile udhaar mein

ghaate ke vyapar mein

kshan-kshan ka hisaab mangun

yaa nidhi shesh lutaoon main?

raah kaun si jaaun main?

Maut se than gayi!

Jujhne ka mera irada na tha, mod par milenge iska vaada na tha,

Raasta rok kar khadi ho gayi, yun laga zindagi se badi ho gayi.

Maut ki umar kya hai? Do pal bhi nahi, Zindagi silsila, aaj kal ki nahi.

Main ji bhar jiya, Main man se maru, lautkar aunga, kooch se kyun daru?

Maut se bekhabar, Zindagi ka safar, sham har surmai, raat bansi ka swar.

Baat aise nahi ki koi gham hi nahi, dard apne-paraye kuch kam bhi nahi.

Pyaar itna parayon se mujhko mila, Na apno se baki hai koi gila.

Har chunauti se do haath maine kiye, Aandhiyon mein jalaye hain bujhte diye.

Aaj jhakjhorta tez toofan hai, Naav bhanwaron ki bahon mai mehmaan hai.

Paar pane ka kaayam magar hausla, dekh tewar toofan ka, tauriyaan tan gayi.

Maut se than gayi!