Poetess: Amrita Pritam
Intro: Amrita was a young resident of Lahore in 1947 who migrated to new Delhi in the middle of the worst carnage in the history of our land. According to some estimates more than 12 million people had been forced out of their homes, their birth towns, their peacefull villages and thousands more massacred… Please remember all those sisters who were massacred in this
craziness when you read Amrita Pritam’s marsiyya to the parition.
Accoding to her biography, she wrote this poem in a train bound to New Delhi few weeks after the Azadi day.
Ajj aakhaN waris shah nu, kitoN kabraN vichoN bol,
Te ajj kitabe ishq da koi agla varka khol.
Ikk roi si dhee Punjab di, tooN likh likh mare vain,
Ajj lakhaN dheeaN rondiaN, tainuN warish shah nu kahen.
Ve dardmandaN dia dardia, Uth takk apana Punjab
Ajj bailey lashaN vichhiaN te lahu di bhari Chinab
Kise ne panjaN paaniaN vich ditti zahar rala
Te ohna paaniaN dharat nu ditta paani la.
Is zarkhez zameen de looN looN phuttia zehar
gitth gitth charhiaN laaliaN foot foot charhia kehar.
Veh vallissi vaa pher, bann bann vaggi ja,
ohne har ik baans di vanjhali, ditti naag bana.
Pehley dang madariaN, mantar gaye guach,
Dooje dang di lagg gayi, janey khaney nun laag.
laagaaN keele lok munh, bus fir dang hi dang,
Palo pali Punjab de, neele pai gaye ang.
GaleoN tutte geet fir, trakaleoN tutti tand,
TrinjanoN tuttiaN saheliaN, charakhare ghookar band.
Sane sej de berian, luddan dittiaN rohR,
Sane daliaN peengh aj, pippalaN ditti toRh.
Jitthe vajdi si phook pyar di, Ve oh vanjhali gayi goach
Ranjhe de sab veer aj, bhul gaye ohdi jach!
Dharti te lahoo vassiya, kabraN paiaN choan,
Preet diaN shahzadiaN, aj vich mazaraN roan.
Aj sabbhe kaidoN ban gaye, husan-ishq de chor,
Aj kitthoN liayiye labbh ke Waris Shah ikk hor.
Aj aakhaN Waris Shah nu, kitoN kabraN vichoN bole,
Te ajj kitabe ishaq da, koi agala varka phol.
[This message has been edited by ChannMahi (edited March 17, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by ChannMahi (edited March 17, 1999).]