Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Dear Swat

Ey Zama Hewaada, zama Janata, kala ba de yaadegama!
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Like a bird on the wing
In my own lightness and glee
Let me fly to my land of serenity
For, solitary among the throng,
I am smothered,
Smothered in a land of tall buildings
And fine homes and baths
In a land of empty, starless skies
And sights of a tired and frustrated folk,
Hurrying about swarming streets,
Watering the soil of the land of those
Who water the roots of my people’s demise!

Let nostalgia seep into my veins
And take me away, take me home!
Take me to the land of my people
Where my sighs will become clouds of serenity
Where the loud gushes of my rivers
Threaten for justice for my people
Where only my sweet-scented soil
Has the power to rekindle my being

Take me to the popular lush valleys of Swat
To the sights of green fields,
Encircling me in their treasures of emeralds
To those gardens of mint, those gardens of flowers!
Oh! Their liberating scent in the evening air,
In the wake of dusk, at the rooster’s call
To those modest houses with their mud walls!
Where the music of children’s innocence
Empowers the clear skies of the village,
Their laughter clinking in the air
Take me! Take me to those spacious courtyards
With trees of bounties in open yards, open skies
No fogs of suffocation
Take me away

~ Qrratugai
~ 14th October 2009

37 comments:

  1. Wow!......dher kha!!
    Da kho taso yao zal bia dher khkulee likal karree dee ao mata kho dasey khkaree laka che zama khyalat ao sochoona mo da kpal qalam pa hawala karree wee (kay dae shee da de her yao lwalawunkee da soch wee).......pa Allah bawar oakai che stargey mo rala namjaney krre ao da Khaista Swat hagha khanda khushali mo rala makhay makhayta krrey.....Allah mo qalam nore hum brakatee krra!

    Hmmm........title suggestions?......u r so clever :).....Ok don't laught at what I'm gonna suggest......what about "Take Me Away to Serenity" ???........ta hum ajeeba ye eela beela zamung 'kund-zehno' na mashwarey akhlay :).....I hope I'm not the lone follower of your blog and you'd get better suggestions than my crappy title.

    By the way nice poem and keep up writing such good stuff so that we may pop-up once in a while and enjoy it...:)

    Alla mo khushala ao pa khpal aman ke sata!!

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  2. Nostalgia, pain and restlessness, all together flowing in harmonious melody! Striking depiction of an awakened echo of something that had been hidden in the background of your mind. Khwagey khorey, jwand aw qalam dwanrra de barakatee aw Khwdey de da zrra tol muraduna poora ka! Kho alas Swat os hagha na dey patey kum che ta prekhey wo…It’s now the world of upheaval and chaos!
    ~Spogmai~

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  3. Oh! I forgot to suggest a title. What about the title: "My Swat-My Paradise, My Heaven of Serenity"
    No. kha
    ~Spogmai~

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  4. To both of you - many, many thanks for kindly appreciating it! Of course, I don't have the same superb feeling for this one as I do for "Dear Lord of the Oppressed," but I guess there's nothing wrong with that, eh. :) However, I'll have succeeded in my attempt to make it nice if the reader is aroused with feelings of nostalgia in his/her mind after reading the poem.

    Now, both suggestions are good! Which one do I go for now? lol. Soch ba pe wakam ao bya ba darta hal oweim che kum yao ye final title dey, ka khairee :)
    Manana again! Khudey de taso dwanra khushala ao pa aman sara laree. Aamene.

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  5. Qrratugai (my goodness! da sa ajeeba noom dey dae:))......Sorry to bother you again but I forgot to mention one thing earlier......staso pa dey leek poha na shoom "Ey Zama Hewaada, Zama Janata, KALA BA DE YAADEGAMA!??"......shouldn't it be something like ".........KALA BA DARZAM! ya DHER MEY YAADEGEY!"

    Yao zal bia da dey bey laasa bey khpo mashwaro awredo manana!!

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  6. Khugmanda, no need to say "sorry to bother you agan." LOL. It's my pleasure! :)

    Well, yeah, Qrratugai happens to be a nickname given to my by some friends who think I do a lot of qrrate :P I tend to disagree, but what can I say!

    About "Swata, kala ba de yaadegam!" ... It's a cry to Swat, as in "WHEN will you miss me, my home, when will you THINK of me, as I sit here longing for you!" (This is just to make it seem like I have some excuse for not going there ... )

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  7. @ Spogmai:
    Yes, the Swat portrayed in here doesn't exist anymore :S Khudey dee ubakhee, no! But that's not to keep us from remember how it once upon a time was or what it *can* be like if we work on it together, ka khairee . . . Hopefully, we'll get it back in our lifetime, ka khairee ... :) (I understand, this might just be a dream!)

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  8. @Qrratugai: Da khogman sok dey...lag ye rabandey wa'peejana!

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  9. LOL! Spogmai, na ye pejanam :P Ache tapos te wakoo, lol.

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  10. Qrratugai, Ghogman wai che lag "kund-zehan" yam, os gwarey che pa ishara ba poha shee aw kana direct tapoos tre wakrro? Sakh! Marrey mata pata neeshta! Ta tre tapoos waka!

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  11. LOL!! Hahahha ... Spongmai, khair dey. A ba daa messages ugori ao jawaab ba raaki, ka khairee, lol.
    Ka sanga, Khugmanda?

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  12. Hahaha......(Khudai de khair kai, da khazo pa walqa cherta war nasham...lol)

    @Spogmai, mung sadagaan che pa isharo pohey dae no wale ba 'kund-zehna' wae....ka sanga Qrratugai?..:)....hasey de bal comments ke da sherona dher kha likalee, ka mo khpal wee no bia kho dhera kha shaaira khkarey.

    Bas dagha poem "Dear Lord of the Oppressed'" pa waja de blog ta raghaley wom ao bia che mey pakey da Swat bara key khabarey ooleedey no kala na kala zaka dalta pekha kome che keday shee sa nawee sa pakey wee......khabara da da che da Swat pa gham ke mung tole shareek yoo ao insha-Allah sanga che Qrratugai likalee che "we'll work on it together" ao ligya warla yu da khera da khpal was mutabiq ao Insha-Allah Swat ba bia hagha da khushalo ao aman Swat jorr shee bus time ba akhlee......I hope its enough pejangalo, ka na?? (by the way, I hope I'm not disturbing your 'girl talk' :), ka dasey wee no ghwarey rata oowayai che bia mo na disturb kome)

    Khudai mo roghey jorrey ao khushala sata!!

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  13. Na, you're not disturbing our "girl talk," if there's such a talk going on here, lol.
    I write frequently and have a million stuff that I can post here, but often feel as though they're not ... relevant enough to be shared here (I write on random and various topics). But will consider posting them nonetheless, ka khairee, if you're willing to read them.

    Manana for your visits and thoughts! Much appreciated :)

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  14. Warho, how's this for a title: "O' My Swat, My Long-lost Home"? :D

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  15. Da la bala......mung wakh na wakh nandara okoo che 'Title' ba ye final shawey wee da dey uss bal imtehan ke wachawaloo...zamung mazgha doomra kaar cherta kai....:)
    Hmmm......I guess title is quite an important part of a poem and as the saying goes "You are the boss"....no taso ta che sa munasiba khkaree hagha werla kedai zaka her yaw wersara lagee.

    Allah mo kha sata!

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  16. LOL! PHINE ... Num ye warla gdam che taso pe khushala shai ao daa nandaara mu sa asar wakee, LOL.

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  17. Maa wey dasi title ba warla warkam che that's neither of the ones you both suggest in your earlier comments! lol Che khafa na shai bya, kana ;) Jang ba shoro kai che "alaa, zama hagha title ye ke na khodo!"
    Togha kom, togha. lol

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  18. @ Khugman saib! Da pejandgalo dapara mo yao jehan manana!
    Da khazo pa walqa kho already warghaley ye! jo Khwdey de darta der khair kree nu...lol…marra khazey gharibananey - aw bya hagha hum da Swat khazey – cha ta sa wai…dwa takee ye pa sifat ke owaya jo bya ba darna zareegi qurbaneeqi…aw da qar darrd pa taki kitchen ta rawaney shee dwa qatrey okhkey toi krree…nor ye bya pa zrra ke sa nawee.
    kho za aw da khor Qrratugai me hum hasey bas pa net manzarai manzarai kego kana norey we are just harmless, amiable little creatures!
    Pa de bal comment ke che kom dwa shairona tha ledalee de…da tapey dee lol…ma na de jorr karree.
    @ Gwalpari…da nawey nom (O’ Swat, My Long-lost Home) ye mata munasib na khkari…sam khkwaley nom warla keda marrey lol toqa da kha…khpal da Pukhtu nazmoona hum zamong sara share krra kana…

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  19. Hasey staso dey 'jo jo' porey rata yawa lateefa ghundey rayada shwa......zama yao malgarey dey da Swabi sara taluq laree, hagha ba rata wayal wae taso Swatian che yai kana taso che kalima hum wayai no wayai che "LA ILAHA ILLALLAH, JO MUHAMMAD RASOOL ALLAH".....:)

    @Spogmai; zamung pa zrra kae hamesha da khazo dapara ehteram dae ao pakaar da che wee zaka che more, khore ao loor her Pakhtoon laree. Buss badqismatai sara da baaz kharabai mung ke da na-pohai pa waja shta ao pakaar da che dagha khabarey discourage shee ao Insha-Allah da wakh sara sara ao taleem ao pohey sara ba ka kher wee da kha makha khatam shee.......Ao che pa tareef khushalegai no aramaan dae che shairee na razee kana uss ba mey taso dwanrro la yawa oogda qaseeda likalae wae ao taso ba mae kha stayalae wae......:)
    @Qrratugai/Gwalpari; gora Spogmai ziata poha laree no hagha che derta da title bara ke sa wayee no......u have to think about it because the Title has to be a good one!

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  20. Kha, Jo Khugmanda, taso hum baare da Swat na yai? :D Good, good! Daa kho dera kha khabara shwa, kha!

    Btw, waley ta'reef sirf pa shairee sara keegi so? ;)

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  21. Kha warho! Someone suggested another title :D "My Lush Valleys of Swat"! Sanga dey, ho?

    P.S. Spogmai Gwal Babo! Zama kam nazmuna? LOL. Maa kho sirf hagha yao lekaley dey no, marey, ("Ta Laare Da Bal Cha Shwe"), nora da Pukhto na yam! :S Kho sta hagha shairi dalta ke post kawal ghwaaram ... ka taa ijaazat rako jo halo.

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  22. LOL! Spogmai wrote: "kho za aw da khor Qrratugai me hum hasey bas pa net manzarai manzarai kego kana norey we are just harmless, amiable little creatures!"

    !! Za marey!! "Little creatures" ba de hagha nwasyaane yee, marey, LOL! I'm sure che munga dwanra che kala payarr shu, sam chal ba yo jorr karey yee, you know :P Manzaritob ba yu hum khkaara shee, lol. Dunya taba kawaley shu.

    Kha, na, khair dey - we're too amiable and harmless; we wouldn't do that :)

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  23. @Qrratugai: Kha warho! Someone suggested another title :D "My Lush Valleys of Swat"! Sanga dey, ho?......
    Da kho mata kha na khkaree baqee staso khpala khwakha da che sa paisala ye kawai....
    Spogmai poha da hagha werla kha khaista ghundey title sooch kawaley shee kho ka lag tame werla warkee, jo bia ba pakey doomra sa na yee..:)

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  24. Kha da, dagha title warla na gdam baare, Khugmanda. Spongmai Babo ta ba sabar waku che dessi title warla ugori che khwashala ye pe, ka khairree -- ao wakh ba warla hum warku, lol.

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  25. Gwalpari ay za yeba...da shta title hum bad na dey (looking around to see nobody is watching...janai kho sapa owaya che da title ma propose karrey dey kana lol)

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  26. LOL!....rishtya dher me ookhandal....Staso kho ajeeba patey patey khabarey dee :).
    Zama shak raghaley wo che da Qrratugai pa de poem kho zama ao da Spogmai na eelawa da bal cha comments nishta no chey khudai khabar che la bal soke pakey suggestions warkawalo wala raghlal, kho bia mey wel za keday shee haghey la cha warkarrey wee....lol
    @Spogmai: "Gwalpari ay za yeba...da shta title hum bad na dey"........Buss che taso wayai no kha dey zama kho nore dasey sam ghunda pa mazgho key na razee.

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  27. LOLzzz! Whatever, kha huo! :P
    Spongmai! Kam yao title, daa current yao ka hagha bal waala? hahahah!
    Actually, Mr. Khugman, wouldn't you like to know -- another friend suggested that title but she left it to me in a message, not in a comment heah! :D
    Khair dey yeba, maazgha me nan saba kaar na kai nu pata na lagee che sa kha dee ao sa bad. Raabashi sa, ka khairee lol

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  28. Hey, Khugman... how did you come across this blog? From Facebook or Khyberwatch or elsewhere? ...

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  29. I do sirf various sites and KW is one of them.....kho da kho da Spogmai pa mehrabani sera staso da "Dear Lord of the Oppressed" me weley wo JO bia mey I just googled it and found your blog.
    So it was just through my own curiosity..:)

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  30. LOL! Sheesh, stop making fun of our "JO," kha huo! Bewapa -- ta kho hum Swatey ye, pakaar da che pa shauq sara ye waye lol

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  31. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
    Once again great poem full of pure lonliness feelings for motherland.The alone angel in technological/materialistic land missing her paradise full of folks,greenry,wilderness,starfull sky,loud gushes of river,mudy huts,scented soil and above all the simple and beatiful peopl.

    Hagha da kali warshogane da gudar mazigar
    mara da khaar pa de spero koso ke meena kege..

    There iz strong imagiry and scenic feelings inside this poem, In search of spiritual serenity, the angel with fantacy wings flying flying towards swat,the land of flower,fall and mountains...Indeed this iz purely revealed mood.
    der ala jenai,,da fikar zor au generosity de manam...what a talent we have,proud on you...
    let me try to translate it in pushto with semi-same spirit...The Sweet Scented Soil of Swat have such great daughters.Those who live in the leap of green nature have always green land effects(green talent embeded in childhood)full of poetry,aesthics and philosphy..The same i see in Shehnaz.. keep writting such gifted poems and well keep reciting it..
    bariiiiiiiiiiiiiiii- nawaz khan

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  32. Ala, Nawaz Khana, lol ... dumra izat, dumra adab ... zama da paara??? Khudey de staso hara khushali nasib kee for your such beautiful and encouraging thoughts! Aameen.

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  33. Nawaz Khana larrey Qrratugai de rata pa asmaan kenawala! Jo kha de wakrral...lol...Yes, she deserves it!
    Kho sta prose hum sta da nazmono na kam na dey...da de bala shairee da!

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  34. Da Nawaz Khan wrore ka hagha "Spelani" likalo wala yee no yaqeenan che dher kha shair dae....hagha nazm kho yae zama dher khwakh shawae.

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  35. Aao, Khugmana, it's the same Nawaz. His poetry appears in this month's issue of Sahar Magazine as well.

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  36. :) :) :)

    @ Sheh Naz,,as spogmai said ,you deserve it grane...nu che dumra pakha lekal ke nu pa mung kho ba e zaror asar we kana..pa dua de ameen summa ameen sha...(da spogami(niaa) da duagaano asar darbande shawe kha jenai..lol..

    @ Spogmai rokhaney....... Neikbakhte ta na gore da sheh naz da takhayul baaz kho da owam asman na hm kala kala bara pa parwaaz she (au agha hm baghair de NAASAA da rocket da support na ..lol)
    Kho os rasara gham de che rakozom ba e senga..ha ha ha.....mare bus om dase bara kha da kana..ta ba da pukhto alfazo da dictionarai na beghama e..:)
    mare zama prose ke sa de kho hawaee khabare de pa taukaal e leko,,manana che ta e khwakhai no.au ta warta prosy poetry wele she...Kho ta hm JO pa owam asman e kha..bus dwana halta gup shup lagawai au qawe(green tea) skai.ch kala bor kegai no just press parachute,,au radangai..lol

    @ Khogmana rora,,,au om agha spelanu wala ym,,besyaar tashakur che zamunga mata goda shairy khwakhay.....nom de der khog de malgaree...

    ghwaredalee baghoona shai....nawaz

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  37. LOL!!! Gham ma kawa nor, Nawaza! Za already rakuza shawee yam! Sheesh ~rolling eyes~
    And STOP malande kawaling over my need for a "glossary" in order to understand Spogmai's poems! God, khalak jarra la rawalai, no!
    loll

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