Punjabi Poetry Across the Border

The Punjabi poetry, across the border, is now more than half a century old. It has its own distinct tone, tint and flavour. Its language is the one commonly spoken by the people and its themes are down to earth. No efforts is, however, made at introducing finesse of style or dealing with the complexity of ideas. It is still very akin to Punjabi folklore and in the main it exudes warmth and vitality, inherent in the poetry of the soil. Apart from providing sheer delight to the readers on this side of the border, it also opens casements on the individual, social and political consciousness of the people, residing on the other side of the border.
Paradoxical as it may appear, the tenor voice in the Punjabi poetry across the border is nostalgic. The misplaced religious fervour is gone and there is an intense longing for remedying the wrongs committed by the all-too-enthusiastic people in the past. Ahmed Saleem in his poem Mian Gondal da Dhola has presented the tale of woe of a Sikh girl who did not leave her native place at the time of Partition. She is now a middle-aged woman, still clinging to her old faith. A Muslim boy asks her the reason why she has not been able to detach herself from Guru Bani, which she recites daily in the innermost room of her house. She opens her heart to him and the boy is profoundly moved at her revelation. He then expresses his determination to undo the wrong done to her-
A new Gurdwara
Your brother Ahmed, the grandson of a Muslim Khoja,
Fazal Din,
Will construct with the mortar of his blood.
In this manner
The heart of his sister's God
Will he win.
The Sikh girl embraces her Muslim brother and weeps bitterly. She sees in him a kindred soul, honest and true. At last she gives voice to her feelings-
Your warm heart,
O my brother!
Is my Gurdwara,
Since my God resides there.
Fakhar Zaman is another poet wedded to Punjabi poetry. He is perhaps the most talked about poet on this side of the border. In his latest collection of poems Vangaar, he has touched on many new aspects of modern civilization. He is in fact an ultramodern poet, using Western terms and phrases to bring home his point of view. Still, when a topic concerns his heart, he cannot help being sentimental-He came running,
Breathless he went to his old mother,
Sitting in a corner of her inner room.
Uncontrollably he embraced his mother
And blurted out-
'Our bombers
In a sudden raid
Have killed one hundred and fifty enemies
Across the border'.
The mother looked at him once
She then pushed him aside and said-
'How lamentable it is !
They too were
The offspring of their mothers'.
For reason well-known, the Punjabi poets across the border generally have recourse to symbols and metaphors to express their thoughts and feelings. Even when there is freedom of expression, a poet is true to his calling if he conveys his message covertly and not overtly. In another poem Chir da Sitta, Fakhar Zaman says-
At fault we are not
Wait for sometime more.
For how long
Why don't you tell us ?
What can I tell ?
The light is off at the source
It may come in the twinkling of an eye
(like sleep in Mirza Khan's eyes)
Or it may not come for hours together.
But do tell us something
Say something
When shall we be liberated from darkness ? In Parchhawan Dr. Saleemul Rehman has presented the working of the mind of an introvert who appears to be a victim of phantasmagoria. He recoils from the reality of life or perhaps the reality of life has embittered his very being. Driven to himself he finds refuge in the loneliness of his own mind-When the strong wind
Forces its way
Through the doors and windows
The dim lamp sways in the courtyard
And the dust crumbles down the soot-covered walls.
At that time
A long-haired shadow
Roams about in the rooms.
In the loneliness of this house
Someone remains hidden
All the day long.
At midnight
He breathes loudly in my breath.
Love of course dominates over most of the poems but in some of them the treatment given to it is pleasantly novel. In an idyllic poem Tarriya Chalittar, Muneer Niazi talks of his experience of love in an ironic tone-
My love
Is fair like lily-white blossoms
Her hair is like dark clouds
But the working of her mind
Is a great puzzle for me.
When alone
She meets me like thick pals
But in the company of her girl-friend
She doesn't even throw a glance at me.
Most of the Urdu poets like Ahmed Saleem, Abbas Athar, Shareef Kunjahi, Mohammad Safdar, Muneer Niazi, Laeeq Babri, Safi Safdar and some host of others have either switched over to Punjabi or are writing in both the mediums.