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Main Sare da Sara
Among the recent anthologies of poetry published this season is a compilation of poems of the late Harbhajan Singh Halwarvi. Halwarvi was among the poets who were associated with the extreme Left movement in Punjab in the late 1960s. After the bright red hues paled, Halwarvi turned to journalism and was editor of Punjabi Tribune for many years. The latest collection of his poems, edited by his wife Pritpal Halwarvi and Amarjit Singh Kang, is called Main Sare da Sara. The anthology includes his poems as well as songs and ghazals. Halwarvi’s poetry is direct: he does not believe in frills. And, in the simplicity of this directness he is able to reach poignant moments as in this couplet: Panchhi kyon gumsum ne patte kyon cheekh rahe Aa ral ke dua kariye ai mausam theek rahe (Why are the birds quiet, why are the leaves screaming/ Come let’s pray in unison for the season’s calm)
Kamandal
Born in 1954 in Shahkot village of singer Puran Shahkoti, Deed is a senior official with Jalandhar Doordarshan. Poetry comes easy to Deed and he mirrors a wide range of emotions through it. Erotica is his strong point and he is able to express it in the right measure: Aisi japhi vich kass lai mainu Ki vichharh jaavan Te baahvan rehan khulian hamesh (Hold me so tight/ That if I slip away/ The arms should ever be open)
Panj Nadian da Geet
Harvinder’s canvas is a wide one: it focuses on the ancient times as well as the present-day problems the land faces. Critic Satinder Singh Noor is not wrong when he says in the introduction to the book that it is a significant contribution. It is also a well-researched volume and Harvinder deserves congratulations. It may not be the ultimate in poetry but it is a poetic rendition worth notice. For a sampler this is how the poet addresses the problem of female foeticide: Chirhian bin na saje banera Pahu phut te na sanjh savera. (The courtyards wilt without sparrows/ dawn and dusk are desolate without their chirping) |
POETS writing in Punjabi
far outnumber the readers of Punjabi poetry. So there is a virtual flood
of poetry all year round. One has to dive deep into the sixth river of
poetry to search out for poems and poets who have something to say and
say it well.
THE physical and the
spiritual go side by side in the verses of many a contemporary poet. So
is it with Jaswant Deed, who after publishing three anthologies of verse
in the past, has now come out with a collection of poems called Kamandal.
The spiritual aspect is heightened by a painting by Arpana Caur on the
cover, which shows a sage moving forward with a kamandal (bowl)
in hand.
WRITING an epic is a dream
of every poet but rarely is it realised for it has its problems. It
binds the poet to a particular theme and very often takes the narrative
form. However, undeterred by such hurdles, Harvinder has taken on the
rather ambitious project of singing the cultural history of Punjab in Panj
Nadian da Geet. Using folk sayings and folk poetry, the poet covers
a vast canvas indeed. In the words of the poet: This is a poetic
narration of the destiny of Punjabi people and it is dedicated to Punjab
and Punjabiyat."