Foreword
 

The Contours of Punjabi poetry is my odyssey in the world of Punjabi poetic literature. It is as uncharted as the journey of the Greek hero Odysseus after the Trojan war. I just drifted towards Punjabi poetry and found it charming enough to be translated into English. Besides this, I had the urge in me to write articles on Punjabi poets for English readers.
I am fully aware that I have, in my enthusiasm, rushed in where the wise persons fear to tread. Translation in itself is a taxing job and the path is full of many pitfalls. The translator is never satisfied with his work as in every reading he wants to make changes here and there. Edward Fitzgerald translated Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in 1859 but he revised his work four times between 1869 and 1889. Some of the revised Rubaiyat have lost in the process the original freshness and accuracy.
Prabhjot Kaur, S. S. Misha, Shiv Kumar and some others are very sketchy but in revision these would lose poignancy and earnestness. My purpose has been to reach the readers who are eager to be conversant with the changing patterns of Punjabi poetry. This attempt will certainly cut across the barriers of languages in India and abroad. Even for the Punjabi readers there is something new and refreshing in these articles and translated poems.
The idea for writing articles on Punjabi poets was given by S. Mubarak Singh. He wanted me to contribute such articles to his journal Art of Living every month. I started with Amrita Pritam and Mohan Singh, in the year 1974, on my transfer from Govt. Brijindra College, Faridkotto Govt. Randhir College, Kapurthala.
There was a good response from the lovers of Punjabi poetry as well as the creators of Punjabi poetry. Later I collected these articles in my book Studies in Modern Punjabi Literature, published in 1980 by Avishkar Prakashan, New Delhi.
With the passage of time I translated the poems of some eminent Punjabi poets, such as Dhani Ram Chatrik, Dewan Singh Kalepani, Bawa Balwant, Harbhajan Singh and others, for Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. These translations were included in Modern Indian Literature (An Anthology: Volume one) Sahitya Akademi (1992) edited by Dr. K. M. George. Some Punjabi poems I translated for the journal Urdu Alive, Ludhiana (Winter Issue 1996), (Summer Issue 1997) and (Winter Issue 1999). Excerpts from Qissa Puran Bhagat form the part of my monograph Qadiryar (1992) published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.
But the second phase of my write-ups on Punjabi poets started in June 2000, when Ludhiana Tribune came into existence. For my weekly column, At the Crossroads, I contributed many articles on the contemporary Punjabi poets. The poets residing in Ludhiana predominated in this column as the paper reflected mostly the activities of the citizens of this megacity.
Some months ago, S. Purdaman Singh Bedi, Editor of Punjabi quarterly Mir, Ludhiana and a journalist of repute, came up with the suggestion that I should collect all such articles and translated poems for publication in the form of a book. I started this work fully aware of the labour involved in locating and selecting the material, spanning the last three decades. Mr. Bedi was persistent in going ahead and he infused in me the spirit of a crusader. A time came when I handed over to him the file but I went on augmenting it with more articles and more translated poems as the time passed.
I am thankful to him for his concept, patience and perseverance. His masterly touch is obvious.
Now the book is in the hands of the readers. It does not profess to present a profound study of Punjabi poets. But the discerning readers will regard it as 'a thing of beauty' and 'a joy for ever'.

N.S. Tasneem (Prof)