Thread of my most favourite poems in Panjabi / Hindi / Urdu and English

Main Tenu Phir Milangi
(I will meet you again) written by Amrita Pritam, for her parter Imroz
And here’s a beautiful recitation done by Gulzar Saab - …
Translation in English done by - Nirupama Dutt : http://www.littlemag.com/ghosts/amritapritam.html

“Kuj keha te hanera jarega kive
chup reha te shamadaan ki kehn gaye...”
— Surjit Patar
You can also listen to this poem in Patar Saab’s own voice:

It’s really difficult to choose a favourite poem by Batalvi but here is Ishtehaar which you may know as Ik Kudi. You can listen to the poem in Shiv’s own voice here-
(Shiv’s voice will take you elsewhere I promise)
full poem: https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/IshtiharShivKumarBatalvi.php

Nanak - Jaswant Zafar
An absolutely incredible poem. I don’t have words to describe please do read up the full poem or watch the video of Jaswant Zafar Ji reciting this poem -

Paash - Sab ton Khatarnak (the most dangerous)
You can also watch this video of Paash
reciting his epic poem here-

Ambi de boote thallay - Mohan Singh This is a very famous Panjabi poem:
“Ikk boota ambi da
ghar saaday lagga ni
jiss thallay behna hi...”

Kudian Kes Vahundiyan - Harmanjeet.
Harmanjeet is a current amazing Panjabi poet and lyricist do search his work if you’re interested in Panjabi poetry. You can also listen to this poem sung in the voice of Manpreet-

Heer - Waris Shah. Waris Shah choose to write this epic love saga in Panjabi I think that tells you everything about the beauty of Panjabi language. Jasbir Jassi’s version is one my favourites - and Gurdas Maan’s from Waris Shah

Rabba Sachya - Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Yes Faiz Saab sometimes wrote in Panjabi too. Here’s a beautiful rendition sung by Atif Aslam -

Raat — Mohanjit
“Main apni raat lab reha
Jo tu kidhre gawahi hai...”

Yaad - Kailash Puri

Ranjha Ranjha Kardi Ni Mein Aape Ranjha Hoi - Baba Bulleh Shah.
Here is Noor Jehan Ji singing for the film Murad Baloch (1968)

His poetry is truly immoral.
You can read more of his work here- https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/KafianBabaBullheShahB.php#Kafi0129

If you would like to read more Punjabi poetry here are some resources.
1. https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/PunjabiPoetry.php
2. http://apnaorg.com/books/g-booklist-5-new.shtml
A lot of music is also directly taken or inspired from Panjabi poetry Coke Studio Pakistan have done some great examples that you can search on YouTube.

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein - Sahir Ludhianvi. I don’t know what it is about this poem but it always brings tears.
Here is a video of Sahir reciting the poem.
Kabhi Kabhi as a beautiful song with slightly changed lyrics-

Ranjish Hi Sahi - Ahmed Faraz.
This ghazal has been beautifully sung by Mehdi Hassan -
and recently by @alisethimusic -

Ghalib is sab ka baap when it comes to Urdu poetry. The way that Ghalib wrote with such simplicity yet with depth is perhaps why he remains so loved till date. Here is one of my favourite poems Dil-e-Nadaan. Sung beautifully by Jagjit Singh -

Baat Karni mujhe mushkil - Bahadur Shah Zafar. Beautifully sung by Mehdi Hasan -

Ek Lafz-e-Mohabbat - Jigar Moradabadi
“Yeh Ishq Nahi Aasan, Itna Samajh Leeje... Ek Aag Ka Darya Hai, Aur Doob Ke jaana Hai” was the epic lines in this poem by Moradabadi

In aankhon ki masti - Shahryar. Do I even need to say anything.
A beautiful poem, sung by Asha Ji in one of my favourite films - Umrao Jaan :

dil ko bahlane ki tadbir to hai
tu nahin hai teri taswir to hai
—Shakeel Badayuni

Mai bhul jaun ab yahi munasib hai
magar bhulana bhi chahu to kis tarah bhulu
ki tum to phir bhi haqiqat ho koi khwab nahi - @Javedakhtarjadu

Mujh se pheli si mohabbat. This poem. Just everything. Every single word of it. Written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
You can hear it sung by Noor Jehan Ji - / recited beautifully by Zohra Segal Ji -

Kuch to hava bhi sard thhi — Parveen Shakir. Such an incredible female Urdu poet, that went too soon.

Khayal Jis ka ta — Muneer Niyazi

Hum jee rahe hai koee bahaana kiye baghair - Jaun Eliya

aankhon ko visa nahi lagta,
sapno ki sarhad nahi hoti
band aankhon se roz main
sarhad paar chala jaata hun
milne "Mehdi Hasan se"
— Gulzar Saab (Gulzar Saab is simply amazing such a beautiful poet, writer and lyricist)

woh tera waqt tah, yeh mera waqt hai
(end lines) —Vishal Bhardwaj

yeh hum gunahgar aurtain hai
jo ahl-e-jubba ki tamkanat se na roab khaen
na jaan bechen
na sar jhukaen na haath joden. (End lines) — Kishwar Naheed

Here are the books I have for Urdu poetry. Also @Rekhta has a huge resource online of poetry!!! Do check them out

Where Should I write - Rumi
This so, so beautiful.

“Maybe I could become a poet” — Hafiz

“Your silence is a song, your silence is a love letter I will never read...” @mazadohta loveee the imagery in this poem

Search for my tongue - Sujata Bhatt.
I love how Sujata has used the actual Gujarati script in this poem while describing how her tongue is getting lost. A beautiful poem.

Layla poem written by @zeinabeck
Such a deep poem, that really made me think. Thank you for your amazing poetry

Saviours - Imtiaz Dharker

“I speak three languages, write in two, dream in one...” — Kamala Das

A Haiku by Sonia Sanchez

“Exile begins where rivers end” - Of the Punjab poem written by @fmohyu ( btw his collection the displaced children of displaced children is AMAZING)

This poem by @shailjapatel is everything

Partition written by @asgharthegrouch (also definitely one of my favourite, favourite current poets)

I rise - Maya Angelou (one of the best poems ever)

“how much history is enough history...” - What seems like joy poem written by the incredible @KavehAkbar

What love isn’t - @YrsaDaleyWard

Phoenix - @ijeomaumebinyuo
(Also collection Questions for ada is Amaze )

Like a virgin - @NafeesaHamid

After the formalities— @Anthony1983 (epic poem and collection)

The daughters — @arshi_mona

@jusmunkaur is amazing with words and this poem in particular is my favourite

The Sari - Moniza Alvi.

Origin stories — @mafiasafia (loveee all her work! )

Just a few lines but I love this poem by @shaguftakiqbal ! Perhaps it’s my love for being a fellow Panjab

The end lines of this poem written by the one and only Sylvia Plath.

For women who are difficult to love by Warsan Shire. Love, love this poem. Warsan puts everything many of us women feel perfectly into poetry.

The lonely poet - Kahlil Gibran

Mahmoud Darwish

Even the rain - Agha Shahid Ali. All of Shahid’s poems are beautiful and it was him that brought the ghazal into English poetry!

Sex without love - Sharon Olds. #epicpoem

Insomnia is a cheap drug — @theresa_lola

i dream of an English
full of the words of my language— @meenakandasamy

This Panjabi poem by Ustad Daman. I’m extremely proud of my Panjabi language and I do hope to make people more aware of how beautiful Panjabi is. And I can never leave it as it is my mother like how Ustad Daman says #loveyourmothertongue #maboli

Hamesha Dair Kar Deta Hoon Main
Har Kaam Karnay May
Zaroori Baat Kehne Ho
Koi Wada Nibhana Ho
Usay Aawaz Deni Ho
Usay Wapis Bulana Ho
Hamesha Dair Kar Deta Hoon Main
— Munir Niazi Ji (do listen and watch Niazi Ji reciting)
#thispoem #thefeels

kisi nu yakeen hove na hove,
waqt saath deve na deve
par kala nu apni soch ‘te yakeen hai,
ki ous ne ik din,
zindagi ban hi jana hai
~ Imroz.

I seem to have loved you
in numberless forms,
numberless times
In life after life, in
age after age — Rabindranath Tagore

dil se jo baat nikalti hai asar rakhti hai
par nahi takat-e-parwaaz magar rakhti hai — Allama Iqbal

London needs love (sharifa) — @SabrinaMahfouz

Or maybe broken is the way we love.
As if meeting someone else, one soul searches the other for openings - a way to enter.
Even God’s limbs had to be torn
before the world could sing him.
— Kei Miller