How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
and could not really know the other,
the foreign tongue. (6-7)
Here the speaker claims not to be able to "know" the second, foreign language. Essentially, she's explaining that she won't ever be able to gain the same familiarity with her second language than she had with her first, native one. In that sense, this new language will always be foreign to her, and she will always feel foreign to those who speak it as their home language.
Quote #2
And if you lived in a place you had to
speak a foreign tongue,
your mother tongue would rot, (10-13)
Now that escalated quickly. Not only does our speaker have to use a language that she's not familiar with, but—and this seems to be her biggest problem—she is going to lose contact with her original language. The icky-ness of the imagery here ("rot") really drives home how awful that would be for her.
Quote #3
(munay hutoo kay aakhee jeebh aakhee bhasha)
(may thoonky nakhi chay)
(parantoo rattray svupnama mari bhasha pachi aavay chay)
(foolnee jaim mari bhasha nmari jeebh)
(modhama kheelay chay)
(fullnee jaim mari bhasha mari jeebh)
(modhama pakay chay) (17-30)
Okay—here we have the mind-blowing second stanza in its entirety. We think this is just a brilliant move on Bhatt's part, since it forces her readers into their own moments of linguistic discomfort. Unless you speak or read Gujrati, you can't help but feel what the speaker is feeling when you encounter these lines. Essentially she's flipping the script on us. What if your whole world spoke and wrote Gujrati? How would you feel?