One of the most eminent and loved Pakistani Punjabi Urdu poet, Anwar Masud, never ceases to entertain one with his poetry that’s humorous, but not altogether bereft of a social message. His Banyan ( the humble vest that we wear underneath our shirt) and Aaj ki pakaiye ( What should be cooked today), which is in dialogue format between a man and his servant, have already attained iconic status. He’s also a well known scholar, having command over Urdu and Persian as well, apart from Punjabi, his mother tongue.
The other day, I came across another pearl by Anwar Masud in Punjabi that I found to be amazingly succinctly composed. When we are angry with someone, we need not use abusive or unparliamentary language that’s become bane of today’s world. The abuses entailing especially female relatives viz. Mother and sister are most disgusting and need to be banned altogether. In contrast, this gem of a piece by Anwar Masud teaches us how any hatable or disliked person can be cursed within the realms of decency. Being an erudite linguist, it’s very difficult to find words equivalent to the ones used by Masud in his poem even for a Punjabi like me. But as I want to share this delectably funny piece by Masud with larger audience, I seek readers’ indulgence to accept my humble attempt at translating this masterpiece. Original Punjabi lines in devnagri and it’s English translation are as below:
जा तेरी खखडी फीकी निकले खीरा निकले कौड़ा
रब करे तैनूँ खाना पै जाए डाडा गर्म पकौडा
The cucumber you eat be tasteless and bitter
A piping hot pakoda should singe you mouth’s inner
जा तेरेपिंडे उते तेरे टिलले हो जान कपड़े
खुरक वी तैनूँ ओथे होवे जिथे हाथ न आपरे
The clothes that you wear should dangle from your body
Itching should irritate unreachable part of your body
इक मुके ते पै जावे तैनूँ होर इक नवीं पसूडी
जा तैनूँ सुते पए नूं शाला लाड जावे कोई तंबूरी
May you encounter restlessness at a drop of hat
Earn you should, while asleep, a wasp’s wrath
जेडी गाल ज़रूरी होवे पुल पुल जाए तैनूँ
ऐनक किथे रखी सी याद न आवे तैनूँ
Important things should elude you in the nick of time
Misplaced specs should remain so when you need at all times
कदी न होवे कदी न होवेकदी न होवे पूरी
तैनूँ जेडी आवे शाला रह जाए निछ अधूरी
Should never get fully consummated
Incomplete sneeze should leave you devastated
मगरों लवे न तेरे पावें मारें ओनू पखी
शाला तेरे नाक दे उते लुडियां पावे मक्खी
Fly should escape all your attempts at swatting
Irritate you endlessly with her fierce dancing
मच्छर तैनूँ केरा पावन जिथे डांवें मंजी
पुर जान ओसदे दंदे तेरी कंघी हो जाए गंजी!!
And mosquitoes should infest where you put cot to rest
Your comb should lose all its teeth and leave your hair messed up at best!
Arvind Arya blog 