Pashto Poetry – Hamza (Shinwari)Baba

 I might be a late bloomer, but i have just tonight picked up a book* about Hamza baba and i think im totally in love with his poetry!! Here is some of his poems i have just managed to read from the very poor and tiny pashto text that for a beginner is just about legible, though the book is more about his whole life and just a few poems quoted here and there.

 [* Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari : life and works by Prof. Dr Qabil Khan]

Ma kooza warta lemah kra, zema sar ne teyteida, shayid chi pe ulfat kei hum afghan patey kedam.
I lowered my gaze, but did not bow my head, perhaps even in love i was going to stay an Afghan (Pukhtun). 

Talah da newar asman ta lara, ma chi da sta husan da newar sara talelah!
The pan of the sun (in which it is being weighed) went up to the sky, when i weighed your beauty against it. 

Wai aghyar chi da douzakh jaba da, zeba janaat ta da pukhtu sara zem!
They call it the language of hell, but i shall enter paradise with my Pashto!

La pe afqa da pukhtunkhwa hum zaleydaley na yum, ze agha newar yum da afaqa chi rakhataley na yum.
I have not yet shown on the horizon of Pukhtunkhwa, i am that universal sun which has not risen.

Chi shepei kala rah shewama shi, pe dei wakht zema pe zre  kei shur paida shi
chi rana la dunya lara shi rukhsat shi, de shair da zre dunya ta rana shi.
In the dead of the night when the deep silence reigns, a loud noise rises up in my heart;
when light departs the world and darkness falls,  light comes to the inner world of the poet.

Ma wei chi de odu koum ba pe zema chaghu weekh shi, malomah shewa ma ghag karei wu khubulu ta pe khub kei.
I though i would wake up this sleeping nation with my calls, i found that i have been calling a sleepy people in dream.

Bal yaad ba sta da yaad depasa kala rashi mata, da yow da aks da pasa na wi bal pa aeena kei.
Except for that thought of you, how can another come to my mind, when there can be no reflection in a mirror atop the one that is already there.

Chi jewand gran dei ka asan dei khabar na yum, khu takal da asani ye la mushkil kai.
Whether life is difficult or notm i don’t really know, it is only further compounded by the urges of comforts.

Following are pashto translations by Hamza Baba of Allama Iqbals poems from  his book javednama, translated from urdu to pashto.

Da chi waim da bal jahan bayan dei, rakuz shewei da kitab da bal asman dei.
That i say is a story of another world, a book descended from another sky. 

Hungama warkygi zema na dei jahan ta, nawei rang warkeygi dei zemakei asman ta
bal Adam zema da khawrei na paidakeygi, marghei warkeygi  da ghulam da sauda ow zan ta.
Give excitement to the world from me, paint anew the earth and sky,
create another adam from my clay, kill this slave of profit and loss.

41 Responses to “Pashto Poetry – Hamza (Shinwari)Baba”

  1. Iram aziz Says:

    i love your translation

  2. Excellent work.
    Keep it up.

  3. seyab Khan Says:

    Pa makha chi nan raghlay makh the wali patawo…Kro gham the rata jour che the pa sha rawakatal.

  4. seyab Khan Says:

    ta che mata wayee chi zama na zaan qurban ka… zan da zan na sanga qurbanigi za hairan yum.

  5. Hamza Baba is a Greatest poet but read his books about TASAWUF

  6. Very Good all you dear Friends…..!!!
    Hamza Baba is such a great poet keep it up all you dear friend…!!

  7. Naeem Khan Says:

    I just remember one of his great verses:

    Tawheen da cha da meeney da Kaab’e tawheen kawal dee
    Kaab’a mey spaka na da kho sajdey badale shwey

    Do share some wonderful topics………….mananna!

  8. dear,

    your translation is incredible
    Do More et More

  9. sajid shinwari Says:

    I will add few verses from Hamza’s (Baba e Ghazal) Poetry.

    Hamza waye che….

    Paam che tamannah de be nashey nashi
    Landy marhaley che de ogdey nashi

    Eshqa pemany pa mayu mastey kara
    Paam kawah che jurey trey tobey nashi

    Dasey oba hum saqi larey ka na
    Kaif ye vi sewah kho stargy srey nashi

    Humra mai zwaney da ghazal patey di
    So che warke sta khkuley ghamzey nashi

    Tlaley di Hamza pakhtoon ashnau ta
    Besa ra wapas ba me jargey nashi

  10. keep it up baachaa

  11. M. Abdul Wahid Says:

    I am glad to have great poets like Hamza Baba in Pashto Literature. I like his philosophical thoughts in his poetic works.

  12. You have done a marvellous job…and I would urge you to please include Hamza Baba’s work on Tassawaf as well… Congratulations!

  13. Salamona…..so lovely poietry……god give u long live AFghanistan and afghan nation be succeses in every steps of life…Ameen…

    here is my Own sheer…but it is alittle bit….naughty…

    *Missing text*

    [ Sorry, i don't think that is appropriate. - Pukhtana]

  14. Ameen Umar Shirzad! but please put your own shair, i wana hear it! i would love to write shairuna but i don’t have the talent for it! lol

  15. Ferdaus MOMAND Says:

    salamo,

    Translation of baba e ghazals (HAMZA BABA) poems is a great and holy work for our pashto, i love his ghazals.
    I want u and all those who have talent of doing such thinks to proceed thier works in this case.

    sta pa anango ki da hamza da weno sra de
    ta shwi da pakhto ghazala zwan za de baba kram,

    stasi da roghtia pa hela

    MOMAND

  16. Assalaam-o-Alaikum!
    DA HAMZA BABA KULLIAT PA DIARLUS (13) JILDOONO KHWER DE. KA SOK DA BAIRA OOCHATA KI CHI HAGHA PA YO WEBSITE RA WALI, NO DA PAKHTOON QAAM LOY KHIDMAT BA OOKI.
    DA ALLAH PA AMAAN.

  17. wahhhhhhhhhh jeee wah 050 9067400

  18. Pa Rukh May Ma Waha Zalim-e Mayen Yum Pur Taa
    Deh Oshko Dak-e Stergy Chata Wara-wom Mayena???????azam from dubai jar jar zam watana mobal no 050 9067400

  19. Wai Wai .WAI KHALK CHE ZA PAKHTON YAM AOW DA DOZAKH JEBA ME DAI KHO ZA BA DA PAKHTO SARA JANAT TA ZAM !!!!!!

  20. HAMAZA BABA IS LIKE A BRIDHE AMONG WHICH LINKS THE OLD POETS TO THE NEW.
    HE HAVE CHANGE THE STYLE OF POETRY AND PUT THE POUNDATION OF NEW POETRY WHICH IS STILL IN USE AND WILL BE IN FUTURE BECAUSE TIS PERFECT AND NOTHING ACTUALLT LEFT.HAMZA BABA IS GREAT POET.HE SAYS..”HAMZA DA KHOG ASHNA BA DARTA SA SIFAT BYAN KRAM,KHO GWARA CHI DA HAI DADI WASAKI KHWAGA WE”
    I WILL SELECT A VERSE FROM MY OWN POETRY “SANGA YE BAYAN KRAMA SANG SADIQA SANG BAYAN,STA BAYAN JUDA BAYAN STA BAYAN GHAZAL GHAZAL”
    I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TRANSALTION.KEEP IT UP.WISH YOU THE BEST.

  21. HAMZA BABA IS LIKE A BRIDGE WHICH LINKS THE NEW POETRY TO THE OLD.ITS STILL IN USE AND WILL BE BECAUSE THATS PERFECT AND NOTHING LEFTS.HE IS A GREAT POET.HE SAYS”HAMZA DA KHOG ASHNA BA DARTA SA SIFAT BAYAN KRAM,KHO GWARA CHI DA HARI DADI WASAKI KHWAGA WI”AND I WILL SELECT ONE VERSE FROM MY POETRY “SANGA YE BAYAN KRAMA SANG SADIQA SANG BAYAN,STA BAYAN JUDA BAYAN STA BAYAN GHAZAL GHAZAL”
    I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.KEEP IT UP.GOD BLESS YOU

  22. yah he is v great poet and philosphetr

  23. This makes me feel so much better!

  24. mohammad khan Says:

    when we have people like yuor the pashtoo language will be spoken allover the world.

  25. shafiq afridi Says:

    Hamza Baba is outstanding,because he clearified all the aspects of life in a very good and smooth way.Hamza BaBa such people come hardly ever to this world,may god bless him.and keep his soul in paradise.

    tashwe da pushtu ghazala zawan za day baba karam
    ta rata saba saba kawa za ba bega kram

  26. hamza baba i wuld like to call him as the emam of pushton in this era.
    really i love hamza baba poerty coz it bears depth and bravity.

  27. nida durrani Says:

    definitely hamza baba is a great piller in pushto peotry, all asspects of his poeatry are outstanding. it is really a great job to translate his work.

    Ta che warta raghly nu da har cha warta makha shwa,
    Zra kho da hamza warkoty kor wo khu us kaly sho.

    DA ALLAH PA AMAN

  28. Attaullah khan Says:

    Hamza kho deer Qabeel ihteram de da toolo Pukhtano dafara

  29. dost muhammad Says:

    hamza baba is simply above all pakhtoon poets.

  30. Dear friends i realy surprised when i have seen this type of poetry and translation. keep it up,
    Gora che khanda kawe pe stargo ke, kar de maseha kawe pa stargo ki.

  31. Hamza baba waiy
    deray khaburay may pu zru dhy kho sulgui krum.
    aw thufani sthurgo tha sta 6 may kathuh shi.

    Niazullah khan Wazir Sirkikhel

  32. ahmad ali usufzay Says:

    dr seb,
    der pa adab sara,
    staso da kosh
    ish che da pukhto star aw kheraza shaeri che taso da firangi
    jabe ta tarjuma kawai, yaw der kha kar mata khkara sho. Allah de taso kamyab aw kamran ke ,
    manana,
    ahmad ali usufzay

  33. Fawad Ali Says:

    I think every one takes Hamza Baba as a poet only but his philosphical thoughts are as stunnings as his poetry. I am currently reading his autobiography it is so great and rythemic to read. Look at the philosophy in this sentence of autobiography “Nakse Hayat” he writes “Language is the mother of Tradtions and Cultures.

  34. it is outstandard poetry AND i like it very much
    i am very proud of this poetry
    AND INSHAALLAH THIS POETRY will be famous
    MOHAMMAD HAMZA TARIQ (RANA’S)

  35. kiramatullah Says:

    kash chi Hamza baba mah hota

  36. kiramatullah Says:

    kash Hamza baba mah hota kiyoka shairee ka lafze sun kar har kisee ke demaghoo mah hamza ka sharee atie hay

  37. Mehak Khan Says:

    great work!

  38. I really very impressed wd peotry of Hamza baba. he is an excellent pakhtu peot.

  39. Gohar Shinwari Says:

    Hamza ghwag me wo waaiz ta hm me skal sharab

    lambedal pa sawaboono azaboona

  40. Hamza was not only a poet, while he was a great fighter against strangers who were against Pashtoons and Afghans. He had obtained the title of houner the great father of Pashto ode(lyric poem) or (da pakhto da ghazal Baba).
    May good bless his soul!!!
    Amen
    Ma teet warta lema kral zama sar na teeteda!
    shayad che pa ulfat ke hum Afghan pate kedam

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