For today's posting, I return to Google Books, once again. Poetry of the Afghans is an English Language anthology of Pashto poems from the sixteenth to nineteenth century featuring some great names such as Rahman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak. From the 1867 collections compiled by Henry George Raverty.
Tor_Khan تور خان
I didn't know about this book. Good to hear it exists.
ReplyDeleteWe can expect another book of poetry by Afghans/Pashtuns, but that one would be filled with only tragic poems by our people. Everywhere I turn, Pukhtuns are writing these really depressing poems about what is going on our land today. I'm sure it'll require volumes of books, actually ...
It's really sad, but it's a reality for us, and we have to either live with it and accept it as our future as well or then fight together as one so that if not we today then our children and great-grandchildren tomorrow will live to see peace on their soil again.
You are right, Qrratugai - there's a common thread of sadness - I think you know about Mariam Jaan's contemporary poems.
ReplyDeletePashto poetry isn't all like that however - lots of it just is because it makes good poetic drama!
There's a Kabir Stori poem on this blog which is a philosophical look on the subject of love:
http://torkhan.blogspot.com/2009/08/dr-kabir-stori.html