Waris Shah (1722–1798) was a
PunjabiThe Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Sufi poet, renowned for his contribution to
PunjabiPunjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
literature. He is best-known for his seminal work
Heer RanjhaFor 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters, see Heer Raanjha.Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are Mirza Sahiba, Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal. There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being 'Heer' by Waris Shah...
, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha.
Heer is considered one of the quintessential works of classical Punjabi literature. The story of Heer was also told by several other writers—including notable versions by
Damodar DasDamodar Das Arora was a famous Punjabi poet, belonging to the Jhang District. He is famous for his poetic narration of the tale of Heer Ranjha, which is titled Heer Damodar. This was the first Punjabi language poem about this famous love-legend...
, Mukbal, and Ahmed Gujjar—but Waris Shah's version is by far the most popular today.
Background
Waris Shah was born in
Jandiala Sher KhanJandiala Sher Khan, or Jandiala Sherkhan, is a town and union council of Sheikhupura District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part Sheikhupura Tehsil and is located at 31°49'15N 73°55'10E. The town is notable for being the birthplace of famous poet Waris Shah, known as the Punjabi...
,
PunjabThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
into a reputed
SyedSyed is a masculine given name derived from the title Sayyid, it is not to be confused with the similar looking name Sayid...
family who claimed descent from prophet
MuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. His father's name was Gulshar Shah. Waris Shah acknowledged himself as a disciple of Pir Makhdum of
KasurKasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
. Waris Shah's parents are said to have died when he was young, and he probably received his education at the shrine of his preceptor. After completing his education in Kasur, he moved to Malka Hans, a village twelve kilometers north of
PakpattanPakpattan is the capital city of the Pakpattan District in the Sahiwal Division in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Pakpattan is one of the ancient cities of Pakistan. It is the city that has the shrine of the well-known Sufi of all times, Baba Fareed...
. Here he resided in a small room, adjacent to a historic mosque, now called Mosque Waris Shah. His mausoleum is a place of pilgrimage today, especially for those in love.
Shakespeare of Punjabi language
Waris Shah is also called Shakespeare of the
Punjabi languagePunjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
because of his great poetic love story,
Heer RanjhaFor 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters, see Heer Raanjha.Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are Mirza Sahiba, Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal. There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being 'Heer' by Waris Shah...
. Some critics say that through this story of romantic love, he tried to portray the love of man for God (the quintessential subject of Sufi literature).
He was a consummate artiste, deeply learned in Sufi and domestic cultural lore. His verse is a treasure-trove of Punjabi phrases, idioms and sayings. His minute and realistic depiction of each detail of Punjabi life and the political situation in the 18th century, remains unique. Waris Shah also sublimated his own unrequited love for a girl (
Bhag Bhari) in writing romance.
Many verses of Waris Shah are widely used in
PunjabThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
in a moral context. One of the more popular is
"Waris Shah; Naa adataan jaandiyan ne, Bhavein katiye poriyan poriyan ji"
(Waris Shah says: A man never abandons his habits, even if he is hacked to pieces)
Excerpt from Heer Waris Shah
These are the opening lines from Waris Shah's rendering of Heer:
Translation:
"First of all let us acknowledge God, who has made love the worth of the world, Sir,
It was God Himself that first loved, and the prophet (Muhammad) is His beloved, Sir "
See also
- Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
- Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
- List of Punjabi language poets
- India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
External links
Further reading
"Great Sufi Poets of The Punjab" by R. M. Chopra, 1999.