Poetic response to grave issues

Apart from love, romance and beauty of nature, poets also write about the issues concerning a specific period or situation. If we study the creation of classic Pashto poets, we will be able to draw a picture of the society of that time or at least we will come to know about a few important incidents taking place hundreds of years ago. But not all of those poets are interested in writing about ‘current affairs’, as they think that the gravity of the issues can affect their expression.

In classic poets, Khushal Khan Khattak, considered greatest among all Pashto poets by many western writers, is master of this art. He is honest enough to present his own shortcomings and mistakes without harming history. But his great achievement is presenting historical events in poetry with such mastery that it adds to the beauty of poems, even ghazals, instead of harming their delicacy.

Inspired by the literary movement ‘literature for the sake of life’ modern day poets pay more attention to current events. But here again only those poets who present their views in allegorical manner emerge victorious. Keeping in view the basic requirements of literary writing, they coat their thoughts with allegories and similes and turn their message into an everlasting and general appeal for the humanity.

On the other hand, poetry of some of their comrades become mere sloganeering in meters and rhymes. Compared with abstract topics discussing concrete incidents and political events in poetry is an uphill task. Some critics say that concrete subjects are too heavy for the delicate and fragile back of poetry. Usually illiterate and folk poets are more interested in writing about subjects but they too cross the line between literature and propaganda. However, the phenomenon shows that poetry gets quick response from people as compared to prose.

It was proven during the Swat military operation when a Pashto poem started circulating among the people through SMS by mobile phones. It reached every nook and corner of the province, if not the entire country. The anonymous poet addressed Mullah Fazlullah, the controversial cleric of Swat, in his poem, pleading to him to let them live in peace.

Ta ye pa skoon zmoong day wrana nangarai mullah

Ay imam dherai mullah

(You are living in peace after destroying our homes, O mullah of Imam Dheri)

Sta da lasa larhallay da Swat khkulay zawanai mullah

Ay imam dherai mullah

(The beautiful youths of Swat perished because of you, O mullah of Imam Dheri)

Sta da lasa banday shway pa moong banday bejlai mullah

Ay imam dherai mullah

(We are deprived of the electricity because of you, O mullah of Imam Dheri)

Dalta army na wa oas ba jorha shee chanhia mullah

Ay imam dherai mullah

(There was no army here but now a cantonment will be set up in the area, O mullah of Imam Dheri)

Bas day noar qlar sha khlak toal dy pa zarai mullah

Ay imam dherai mullah

(Stop it for God’s sake, all the people are pleading to you, O mullah of Imam Dheri)

Many residents of the troubled area received the SMS and they began to forward it to their acquaintances. “I am at loss of words to thank you for sending me such a realistic piece of poetry,” a resident of Matta sub-division of the troubled district told his friend, who had sent him the SMS.

Another recipient after getting the SMS asked the sender to download for him a mobile card worth Rs300 as he had spent all his credit on circulating the said SMS. He said that he did not know the literary quality of the poem but he was impressed by the simple and emotional wording of the poem.A Mingora-based lawyer when read the poem said that he liked it because it was free from verbosity and heavy wording usually used by literary people.

“The poem reflects that how a common man of Swat thinks about the whole episode. It is written for common man and perhaps by a common man instead of some known literary figure,” he added.