Weaving emotions with words

Mona

Ki puchde o haal fakeera da, Sada nadiyo vichrhe neera da/ Sada hanjh di joone aaya da, Sada dil jaleyaa dilgeera da (Why ask about the condition of fakirs like us? We are water, separated from the river/We are just but a tear in this life, heartbroken, sad folks we are)... wrote Birha Da Sultan, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, the renowned Punjabi poet.

Writing of longing and love, he left the world early, but like all great creators, his verses are still succour to sad souls. Here are Punjabi authors and artistes remembering the legend through his works.

Stranger in this world

I heard Shiv Kumar for the first time in Amritsar at a mushaiyra. I was taken by his charm. His poetry moved me deeply. What a star he was. He looked like a man who was searching, was on a journey — he looked apart, like a stranger in this world.

One of my favourites is Ikk kudi, jihda naam mohabbat, gum hai, gum hai, gum hai. Ikk kudi, jihda naam mohabbat, Gum hai, gum hai, gum hai. Oh saad muradi sohni phaabat, gum hai, gum hai, gum hai... the loss that he reiterates may be specific to a particular woman, or may suggest an abstract idea of loss. The refrain of gumm hai gumm hai is haunting and suggests elusiveness, the transitory nature of love, of hope, of desires, beauty or an irrevocable loss? My latest play is called Gumm Hai, as a tribute to this poem, exploring for myself the nature of loss and grief.

— Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, renowned theatre-person

Our loved tara

If Shiv Kumar Batalvi's poetry is like the city of Agra, his Loona is the Taj Mahal. In Shiv’s Loona there is no hero, heroine or villain. He talks of the characters caught in a situation and their individual takes. It is a different thematic treatment, which is giving voice to a woman. Its very language, use of different meters, is as rich as is the imagery. At times, small details touch like a simple geet — Meri Jhanjar Tera Na Laindi — and how he has compared the sound of her anklet chhan chhan to his name chan chan! Comparing it to the sound when water is poured over fire is also beautiful. Shiv brought out the beauty of Punjabi language with its different folk songs and kissas together in Loona. Joban rut jovee mare/ phul bane ya tara, said Batalvi; I cannot say what he became post death, but in his lifetime we saw him as a tara — he was our star and phul; our loved one!

— Surjit Patar, Punjabi poet

Poet of the people

Critics of Shiv say that he is a poet of melancholy; it is true to some extent but is it wrong to sing of it? Sad songs are, in fact, the sweetest and eternal. He is one of most loved poets of Punjabi. With the mastery and maturity that Shiv Kumar handled Punjabi is remarkable.

One of his poems, Rukh, is my favourite. Like all great poets, in Shiv Kumar’s verses, objects and subject become one. He identifies so well with nature that it’s difficult to see a poet away from it. He sees all his relations in trees. Saavi boli sab rukhaan di dil karda likh jaavan /Mera vi eh dil karda ai rukh di joone aavaan. Je tussaan mera geet hai sunana, Maen rukhaan vich gaavaan/ Rukh taa meri ma varge ne, Jyun rukhaan diyan chhaavaan... reading Rukh makes me feel that Shiv Kumar is still alive in the tree in my backyard! He was a poet of the people. He had limitations like other poets, but his qualities couldn’t be found in any other.

— Dr Atamjit, Punjabi scholar

Deep connect

Menu Tera Shabab Le Baitha is my favourite creation by Shiv Kumar Batalvi. Beauty of a ghazal is that a lot is said in a few words. Each sher in this one is equivalent to a song. I love the lines Kini Piti te kini baaki eh/ Mainu eho hisaab lai baitha/ Mainu tera shabab lai baitha. Shiv Kumar conveys deep emotions in very few, simple words magnificently.

— Preet Sanghreri, lyricist

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