Adil Najam
Anwar Masood is a perennial favorite. His aaj ki pakaiaye, banyain, lassi tay chai, and Jehlum da Pul are all classics of humorous poetry. But if he is to be remembered for anything, it has to be his (very) serious poem Ambri (Mother).
An ode to motherhood like no other. A glimpse into domestic violence that leaves one numb. The poem never fails to move the heart. It has a realistic tone that is the hallmark of all of Anwar Sahib’s poetry. But, despite the fact that I have heard this poem umpteen times – including in sittings with him – I had never realized just how realistic this tale is.
I had never realized that this is not just jagbeeti, this is aapbeeti. Not just social commentary, but autobiography. Here is another visualization (which also includes Urdu subtitled). It is shot at the actual school where this incident happened.
P.S. I dare not do it myself, but I do hope that someone will either translate, or at least explain the premise of this poem in English for those of our readers who do not understand Punjabi.
Touching.
I had wanted to write a post on the poem ‘safar ab jitna baaqi hey’ which is equally powerful and written by a mother. But will share it here. Khushbakht Shujaat is reciting it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG5qkMXl8pQ