Ajj akhaan Waris Shah nu
Encyclopedia
Ajj akhaan Waris Shah nun (Punjabi
: اَج آکھاں وارث شاہ نُوں, ਅੱਜ ਆਖਾਂ ਵਾਰਸ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਨੂੰ) is a famous dirge
by Punjabi
writer and poet Amrita Pritam
(1919-2005) about the horrors of the partition of the Punjab
during the 1947 Partition of India
. The poem is addressed to the historic Punjabi poet Waris Shah
(1722-1798 CE), who had written the most popular version of the Punjabi love tragedy, Heer Ranjha
(ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ, ہیر رانجھا). It appeals to Waris Shah to arise from his grave, record the Punjab's tragedy and turn over a new page in Punjab's history.
The poem found resonance in both Punjabs - Indian and Pakistani. It featured in the Pakistani Punjabi film, Kartar Singh, where it was performed by Inayat Hussain Bhatti
.
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
: اَج آکھاں وارث شاہ نُوں, ਅੱਜ ਆਖਾਂ ਵਾਰਸ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਨੂੰ) is a famous dirge
Dirge
A dirge is a somber song expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived from the Latin Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam , the first words of the first antiphon in the Matins of the Office...
by Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
writer and poet Amrita Pritam
Amrita Pritam
Amrita Pritam was a Punjabi writer and poet, considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist, and the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, who is equally loved on both the sides of the India-Pakistan border, with a career spanning over six decades, she...
(1919-2005) about the horrors of the partition of the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
during the 1947 Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. The poem is addressed to the historic Punjabi poet Waris Shah
Waris Shah
Waris Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, renowned for his contribution to Punjabi literature. He is best-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha. Heer is considered one of the quintessential works of classical Punjabi literature...
(1722-1798 CE), who had written the most popular version of the Punjabi love tragedy, Heer Ranjha
Heer Ranjha
For 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters, see Heer Raanjha.Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are Mirza Sahiba, Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal. There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being 'Heer' by Waris Shah...
(ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ, ہیر رانجھا). It appeals to Waris Shah to arise from his grave, record the Punjab's tragedy and turn over a new page in Punjab's history.
The poem found resonance in both Punjabs - Indian and Pakistani. It featured in the Pakistani Punjabi film, Kartar Singh, where it was performed by Inayat Hussain Bhatti
Inayat Hussain Bhatti
Inayat Hussain Bhatti was a Pakistani singer, actor, producer, director, script writer, social worker, columnist, religious scholar and a protagonist of the development of Punjabi language and literature.- History :...
.
Excerpt
These are the opening lines of the poem -| Punjabi - Gurmukhi script | Punjabi - Shahmukhi script | English translation |
|---|---|---|
ਅੱਜ ਆਖਾਂ ਵਾਰਸ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਤੋਂ ਕਬਰਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਬੋਲ। ਤੇ ਅੱਜ ਕਿਤਾਬੇ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਅਗਲਾ ਵਰਕਾ ਫੋਲ। ਇਕ ਰੋਈ ਸੀ ਧੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਤੂ ਲਿਖ ਲਿਖ ਮਾਰੇ ਵੈਣ ਅਜ ਲੱਖਾਂ ਧੀਆਂ ਰੌਂਦੀਆਂ ਤੈਨੂ ਵਾਰਸਸ਼ਾਹ ਨੂੰ ਕਹਿਣ ਵੇ ਦਰਦਮੰਦਾਂ ਦਿਆ ਦਰਦੀਆ ਉੱਠ ਤੱਕ ਆਪਣਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ। ਅਜ ਬੇਲੇ ਲਾਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿਛੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਲਹੂ ਦੀ ਭਰੀ ਚਨਾਬ |
اج آکھاں وارث شاہ نوں، کتھوں قبراں وچوں بول تے اج کتابِ عشق دا کوئی اگلا ورقہ پَھول اک روئی سی دھی پنجاب دی، تُوں لکھ لکھ مارے بین اج لکھاں دھیاں روندیاں، تینوں وارث شاہ نوں کہن اُٹھ درد منداں دیا دردیا، اُٹھ ویکھ اپنا پنجاب اج بیلے لاشاں وچھیاں تے لہو دی بھری چناب |
Today, I call Waris Shah, “Speak from your grave,” And turn to the next page in your book of love, Once, a daughter of Punjab cried and you wrote an entire saga, Today, a million daughters cry out to you, Waris Shah, Rise! O’ narrator of the grieving! Look at your Punjab, Today, fields are lined with corpses, and blood fills the Chenab |