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Sad fate of Punjabi in Pakistan

Summy

New Member
Messages
11
I have always been a stead fast supporter of the cultural arts and language abroad and at home. Thats why, I have been interested in the separation of India in 47' and its resulting impact. It is my conclusion, that it was something that was more negative than positive, but whether it needed to be done or not, is still up in the air.

But, the issue of Punjabi in Pakistan, is a growing concern, especially within the Punjabi diaspora. Many people think that, whatever commonality between Indians and Pakistans that is left, like languages such hindi/urdu, can defintely be a facilatator for change.

I have a friend who is the only muslim, Indian born punjabi, I have ever met. He was born in Ludhiana, and his story is amazing. What he went through, I can never forget, be it, hiding his religion, using fake names, and even praying secretly, he said he faced a lot of prosecution within his own country, which is horrible... But the common misconcpetion within Indian Punjabis is that, you can tell a pakistani from an Indian, by the way they speak punjabi. Pakistanis mix their punjabi with urdu, and speak a more academically charged language....

Recently came across two articles that opened by eyes... Most pakistanis I speak to, can understand punjabi fairly well, except for context... but I have not come across many pakistani punjabi youth that are fluent in Punjabi, rather I see more fluent in Urdu...


I was wondering if a pakistani punjabi could possibly read these articles, and give their two cents on punjabi in their household, and how they feel about this issue..

Here are the articles:

http://www.gowanusbooks.com/punjabi.htm

http://www.drsager.net/Punjabi%20in%20Pakistan.htm

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Basically both point out that punjabi is only spoken in rural areas, amongst the "uneducated", whereas any slight education would force them to speak urdu, which makes sense. Thats why in balaat, typically wealthier people are able to come here, and therefore the majoriity of them speak urdu...
---------


Interested to hear people's response:
 

Waleed

New Member
Messages
729
This is a long but very valuable discussion Summy, I'm at work right now. I'll reply to your post regarding this hopefully later in the upcoming days.
 

sulmoney

smd, bitch
Messages
532
your last statement is true, punjabi is seen as the paindu language amongst pakistanis here in america, and there is a very strong shift towards urdu as the pakistani language. whenever we go to community functions, it is always urdu being spoken, even if everyone is punjabi. the only time my family speaks punjabi is with other direct family members. it is a shame, but i see it as some sort of pakistani unification, as urdu is the official pakistani language, whereas in india, it is english.
 

Summy

New Member
Messages
11
Yeah, waleed, Im looking forward to your input alot... make sure you actually post something and forget like your emails hahah.

Ill share one of my good friends explanantion of this, hes a pakistani, and he take on religion, language and pakistan, is probably as interesting as it gets. Im trying to get him to join...
 

Mukandpuria

New Member
Messages
1,413
just to add on,

My boi Rehan was born in Punjab Pakistan and came to America when he was little. Its funny becuase he didn't know he was from Punjab Pakistan, since he never went back. But he could understand my Punjabi and when i spoke in Punjabi. He just went back last year to Punjab Pakistan and it was a eye opened for him. He comeback excited that he was Punjabi Paki and was like no wonder i could under you all these years. So i mean Punjabi dialect changes within every pind you visit in India Punjabi and so does it change as you go into Paki Punjabi but the core of the language is still there....When i talked to my boi about his culture his family i noticed a lot of similarities. He eats A lot of the same food as us, family shares some of the same pindu mind frame, and so on...It was an eye opener for him and for me because I learned how common our cultures are.
 

rajkaran

Member
Messages
720
i know this is a little off topic...but it's a little similar

My family is from Thailand and I see the same thing happening to Punjabi over there. Every year when I go back, most of the new generation is either fluent in Thai or English or both and have a hard time speaking in Punjabi properly (including myself since i was never taught it as a child)...At least the Gudwara there is still using Punjabi as the main language, but I've been to a few weddings where the MC spoke entirely in English or Thai...with bits and pieces of Punjabi here and there...

...and what's interesting to note is that "bangkokian" punjabi accent is VERY different from the Punjabi spoken in India...my punjabi teacher at school sometimes says my accent on certain words is wack...

------

I have one Pakistani Punjabi friend from Lahore who asked me why i wanted to learn such a "backward" language (Punjabi)...
 

Varun

Member
Messages
268
I hate the classism associated with Punjabi. Its a beautiful language that can be used to pen great literary works and at the same time it is a language of the people that even simple farm workers can use. Its amazing. Anyway, its weird how Pakistan is struggling with Punjabi (mostly because it has no official status in the education system nor are there any relgious places to teach it as Arabic is the lingua of choice of madrasas) even though they seemed to have it the most mainstream back in the day with the mass media. Check out lollywood in youtube, almost all films back in the day from Pakistan were in Punjabi. damn entertaining too!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5ZcKXt52ztQ
 

mafzal

Judge / Dancer
Messages
2,098
I didn't read the articles yet but most Punjabi Pakistanis I know do speak urdu instead of Punjabi. Most Paki Punjabi parents also speak Urdu instead of Punjabi, too, that's why. Urdu is seen as the upper-class choice, sadly. Both languages are rich and beautiful in their own ways.

Also lots of great, classic old songs and Pakistani singers and qawwalis are in Punjabi. [Noor Jahan, Alam Lohar, Mohammad Rafi] And as Varun pointed out the old Lollywood films.
 

Somi

Hookah is NOT harmful!
Messages
553
It is not as bad you guys think
it is still widely spoken in Pakistan
both of my parents were not from the big cities...dad is from a gaoon (called is Chaak) and mom is from a small city, Khanpur
and having to travel a whole lot to different gaoons and small cities (mainly south punjab) people still know the language
you will hear people speak punjabi vs. urdu even in the bazaar

As for the youth
Urdu is taught in school and yes to go to school it COSTS money...and we all know about the money situation in pakistan
but there are sooo many organization that offer basic schooling for free, which of course teach urdu.
Urdu is a national language but punjabi is spoken...

oo Also in Sacramento there are a LOT of paki punjabi and speak strict punjabi. I learned Punjabi before Urdu and speak both equally the same....what language is beautiful...no comment...

Sulmoney...our social gatherings...we speak punjabi
but there are Urdu speaking people.....they are not bad people
 

Waleed

New Member
Messages
729
Summy, as promised I am responding to your post  :)

First off, one wouldn't imagine that the issue of 'language' would be something that shapes the fate of nations rather it is wealth, resources and land. Incorrect, history has proven time and time again that language is a key factor that often leads to divisions - the partition of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) being our most recent example.

Summy, I agree with Somia - Punjabi is still widely spoken in Pakistan. However you are correct in deducing that Urdu is attributed as the language for the educated and higher class. Adopting Urdu as our national language did unite Pakistanis under one language, I am giving you this based on my experience of growing up in Pakistan with friends who were non-punjabi and also my upbringing in a military family (I'll come back to this). The fact is that Punjabi did suffer, if Urdu had never been implemented as our national language I'm sure Punjabi would be even more widely and properly spoken by the general public. It is spoken in the rural areas and I would say even in the major cities, but mostly by the middle and lower class, despite this one must remember that 40%-50% of the Pakistani population speaks Punjabi (this % would be even higher if you include some southern dialects of Punjabi).

Regarding my upbringing in a military family, both my grandfathers and all my uncles (Mom & Dad's side) and my father have served or are still serving in the Pakistani military. Even though every province has it's own divisions/battalions there is a lot of cross-province transfers, especially for officers. I remember my Dad was posted to a different city every 2 years and since our family could also speak Urdu it was easier for us to make friends/fit in with the new community. The military is just one institution in Pakistan that benefits from a national language as it makes communication so easy, there are many others. I don't have a problem with Pakistan having a national language but Urdu wasn't a wise choice (I think Arabic would have been a better selection but thats a whole other topic for discussion).

Going back to the point you made about the 'sad fate of Punjabi in Pakistan', this is a very real problem and it is progressively getting worse. I wouldn't say it as a point where Punjabi is being wiped out, rather quite the opposite with Pakistan's growing population especially in Punjab. The issue is Punjabi not being given the credit that it deserves and Urdu and English inheriting the title as the 'educated' man's language. There is a push in the middle and upper class to learn Urdu or English rather than Punjabi and there is a growing gap between the classes.

My parents, grandparents and all the generations before mine always spoke only Punjabi and I'm frankly upset at my parents for not speaking punjabi with me and my brother. They spoke to us in Urdu to help us "fit in" and 20ish years later, even they regret doing so as all our relatives speak Punjabi. However, at that time, that was the decision they made based on my Dad's frequent transfers. We would have picked up Urdu from our friends in school anyways if they had spoken to us in Punjabi at home. My spoken punjabi is decent at best but I can understand it very well. I've been making the effort to learn more punjabi (believe it or not, through youtube) and have even asked my father to speak with me in Punjabi only. Even in the military he only spoke Punjabi with his Punjabi friends but had the option of Urdu with his other friends. Our Punjabi identity is a huge part of who we are, but as I have said before (on our discussions in POL :)) I am first a Muslim, then a Pakistani, then a Punjabi. Across the border this might be different.

My brother however, is way ahead of me as he took the time out to fully learn and understand the Punjabi language and its roots. He can fluently read & write gurmukhi and shahmukhi which help him properly understand punjabi literature and poetry (versus reading from translation).

I read both the articles and the first one was a little sensational for my taste but both do address a very real and growing issue. I really liked the second one, especially the last paragraph.
 

Varun

Member
Messages
268
Very interesting post, Waleed. I am sure changing from NWF Province to Punjab or Sindhi would come with a whole host of differences, not just the language part, so I can understand your parents trying to ease the shifts by at least teaching you a language that supposedly would let you communicate better (I don't know how well it would work in the villages, but I am sure it was fine in cities). One thing I have to ask you though: How the hell do you think Arabic would be a better choice for Pakistan as a national language? From what I know, Pakistan, in theory, was not supposed to be an Islamic state but more so a homeland for South Asian Muslims. With that said, how would Arabic be important for a non-Islamic state. Making Arabic the national language seems preposterous and reminscient of many Pakistanis trying to deny their desi heritage and claim they are the descendents of the Turks, Persians, and Arabs who invaded India in the Middle Ages. That is far from truth, as most of us know. So why Arabic then?
 

sulmoney

smd, bitch
Messages
532
yes waleed, why arabic? i agree with varun, it would be highly illogical to have arabic as the official language of pakistan or to attempt to try to convert pakistanis into an arabic speaking people
 

Summy

New Member
Messages
11
First off, I respect the opinions here, and it should not get into an argument of who is MORE punjabi, and these need for assoication. Quite frankly, the popularization of punjabi culture has really thrown off what it actually means, but thats another story.

Somia,
I think it is a huge problem, and people dont quite get the severity. Quick question, Waleed says his punjabi is decent at best, which you have to respect that he is honest, but can you actually speak punjabi well? Be honest, because if you can, I think I would love to speak punjabi with you here to get a feel of how you speak. I also notice within punjabi pakistanis their mix of urdu and punjabi, and the adjectives they use, its different.

Waleed,

Brother, thats a good post. As you know, I am also the son of a military family, and therefore, your tie in with national language and military is interesting. From as long as can be, my family have been proudly part of the Indian Army, like most punjabi indian families. My father, was also a high ranking officer in the Army. I actually had a discussion with him maybe a couple of weeks ago about this topic. And he said to me, no matter where you went. Be it, the north in punjabi or down to Tamil Nadu, a place where hindi is very sacre, they see a pugh, and that indian suit, and they respect you.

I think, with Islamic states in general, they impose a sort of uniformity that some see and unifying and others as problematic. I am interested in social ties so I see ALL religious states as problematic. But if I was an ortho-dox muslim, or jew, I am sure I would see otherwise. But when a country imposes uniformity through language, or law (liek Sharia) the distinctiveness of each sub-culture is wholly sacrificed. If your object is to create uniformity with language and law, then you sacrifice, by definition and in practice, distinctiveness. So as we discussed before, many things INGRAINED in punjabi culture is sacrificed by uniformity in Pakistan. The language being the most obvious example. But also, many practices like weddings, celebrations, tales etc... These are all things that has transformed with the seperation of Pakistan.

Like I said, all religious states are horrible. Not one uniform state in the history of mankind has been successful in its existence. Israel, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, etc... all these countries that require uniformity and demand a cultural same-ness become very close minded. Many of those countries struggle reguararly because of this lack of diversity.

In India, who has its own share or problems and this is in NO WAY a comparision, has kept culture relatively intact. Think about it, if hindi was mandated the way urdu was, it would be insane to see people in gujrat, tamil nadu, and all these distinct places speaking hindi instead of their own language.


So, Waleed, historically, and in reality, Punjabi is being sacrificed because of need for one-ness. It is great for things like you said, military but its horrible for individuality. Thats why its seen as "second class", its against the majority. The thing with sharia relgious law, it has a long history of wiping out cultures. Which according to the Koran, is not a problem, again, because like you said, your religion is your first sense of idenitification.


The islamic revolution in Iran only started something like 48 years ago, when prioir to that, there was a HUGE amount of decendents still living there. Judaism and Christanity made up a HUGE portion of the society, and there the languages swang from Persian to Arabic, to Hebrew. Now, with the introduction of Sharia, there is no reminensce of pre-islamic culture. Nobody speaks hebrew in Iran, or very little. Its the purpose of religious law, which includes a uniform language.


So, it would create riots and uproar if Punjabi began to take a resurgence in Pakistan, not because they dont have love for punjabi culture, it is because of the basic culture that Pakistan, and other religiously ran states are producing.

There is nothing wrong with that in my opinion.


I think thats where the difference lies, is that, in Punjab India you have these obligation and freedom to practice your own language, and it is taught in the schools, and hindi is only taught is higher levels of education. Its not taboo to speak your own language be it punjabi, tamil, gujrati, bengali etc... and thats beucase india is not a religiously ran state and doesn need uniformity...


I hope you understand the difference, and its not a comment of anything, I think pakistan has some amazing people, and its a great land, with people of great history, its just the movement and what it has done has lead it to sacrifice individual cultures, including Punjabi, amongst others.
 

Varun

Member
Messages
268
Summy said:
Like I said, all religious states are horrible. Not one uniform state in the history of mankind has been successful in its existence. Israel, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, etc... all these countries that require uniformity and demand a cultural same-ness become very close minded. Many of those countries struggle reguararly because of this lack of diversity.
eh, the Vatican ain't too bad...


pretty good posts on linguistics for a bhangra forum. makes you think huh Summy, maybe us bhangra dancers aren't as smug with pseudo-identity or association as you have thought? I think these concerns truly show that we think and question the issues.
 

Somi

Hookah is NOT harmful!
Messages
553
OK honestly I do now know where to start...

SUMMY, my friend, dont think I am getting at you ...because Im SOOOO not 8)
1--if I did not know how to speak Punjabi, I will be a man like Waleed and say it...but FORTUNATELY my great grandparents, grandparents, parents, my siblings, cousins and extended family speak Punjabi....DUDEveven at our Masjid we speak Punjabi....so yes I AM being HONEST. yo, why would I lie? ;D as I said before the 1st language I learned was punjabi -> english -> then urdu (yes my urdu may be descent :( )
2--how I speak it, as someone mentioned the changes in different villages sooooo crossing the boarder, You think, of course mine is going to be different. Like i bet yours will be slightly different than some Indian Punjabis here
3--I still do not see it as a problem...Pakistan took ONE language and used it for everyone to understand....as Waleed said it was easy with Urdu when locating. When going to different places people can understand Urdu....I assume when you go around India people will understand a common Hindi v. Punjabi...

religious states are not horrible...look at Saudi, UAE and Isreal (come on, dont say that is a horrible religious state, those Jews are very successful and being ONE)

totally agree with Waleed in being a Muslim before anything. I think that is with all the Paki's....so this being Punjabi stuff isnt much of a problem...and amongst people, if you go to Pakistan now no one really complains that the Punjabi language is fading (which its not)....they are more concerned of the damn politicians

Waleed
Arabic? Really? I wouldnt think that would be a great language...just because it is not even close, plus the Quranic arabic is different then how they actually speak it...and since there are sooo many, which one would we have adapted?
for Pakistan....One side it was India (hindi) and the other it was Afghan (phushto/farsi) they just clapped their hands and boom Urdu....hahha... ;D ;D
my parents regret not teaching us Urdu 1st ??? hahaha, just because my 1 cousin spoke it....but learned...now am on reading and writing, need for the Fed job ::)


ok thats all...hate typing. ;)
I bet I didnt make sense....if i ever EVER see you Summy...I would so like to discuss this with you....ONLY if i remember the points :D :D but dude dont trip about the Punjabis in Pakistan...lol....we adapted it well in Sacramento...woo hooo, ooo yeah!
 

Waleed

New Member
Messages
729
Not avoiding the question Varun,Sulman & Somi about arabic as the national language, just a little tied up but will def post a response in a day or two!
 

Summy

New Member
Messages
11
Varun,

Uhh yeah, dont take this the wrong way, but ive probably seen less than 10 posts that are supported by some sort of intellect. Most of it is flimsy biased opinion, that is more based in feeling than intellect. Not calling anyone stupid, far from it, but considering I spend most of my time on the internet amongst many south asian bloggers and their sites, I usually am used to reading comments on matters that are evaluated by people who are deeply engaged in the issues and usually backed up by some sort of experience in South Asian communal issues.

I understand that this website is about personal opinions, but I would think that personal opinions would consist of more than just how one feels. Go to websites such as Sepia Mutiny, or Dr. Anonymous on passtheroti.com... these are websites that are dedicated to the furthering of issues amongst the educated in the south asian diaspora. You read their posts, and compare them to here, and there is a HUGE difference.

Merely talking about the issue does not imply viable comprehension of the subject as well...

---------

Somi,

First all, pretty much my punjabi is exactly the same as other indian punjabis. In the west, because I was born and raised in Punjab differs because I dont use english adjectives as a lot of youth tend to do here, but as far as the language... yeah, kinda differs from pind to pind, but not really.


Religious States: Are you claiming Saudi is a well run state? Well, for the most basic of basic understandings, watch any michael moore war connection movie, and you see how the saudi's have profitted. Saudi has the highest disparity between the rich and the poor, and the upper class has used natural resources to basically enslave the lower class. Now, when you see what the lower class and the higher class are comprised of, tell me then if religious hierarchy is beneficial...

The Vatican is a city state, and not an independent nation Varun. Not a good exmaple, it is enclosed within Rome, and it is a religious centre and not a politically independent state.

huhhhhhhhhh sighhhhhhhhh, common guys, like you gotta be a little more informed before you make statements. There is a huge difference in the Sharia used in UAE and in Iran, Iraq. There is a reason why they are more liberal, why religious law isnt enforeced the way it is in other countries. Rather than teaching, please just google UAE and go nuts, because you guys have to start being more informed before making these statements.


Yeah, its been SMOOTHHH sailing for Israel. Forget apartheid, wars, invasion, all the problems they have faced, probably the most out of any other country in the world... yeah, its been great for them. Just because Israel and other religiously ran states are successful in creating one-ness, which I never said they didnt, doesnt mean its outcome is correct. For socially based individuals like us, looking towards the east, we see religious states as not working, but they will argue and rightfully so, that the struggles that are seen are justified in the name of their dharam


Somia, I think you are being extremely naive with the punjabi is pakistan problem. I provided two articles and could provide 100 more of scholars who are claiming the same thing. Its not a bad thing, if you guys are claiming to be muslim before any culture, and sharia law enforces islamic rules, why are you deny the abolishment of a culture? Seems very odd... Punjabi is dying in Pakistan, if not already dead where it matters... It is a huge problem and claiming that it doesnt exist goes against your own countrymen and everything I provided for you..


Summinder Singh Dhaliwal
 

Somi

Hookah is NOT harmful!
Messages
553
Dude
seriously you are referring to Micheal Moore?

Ill admit for being naive but dying or not...its there...the culture is there...both languages are there too....along with others
Im not concerned because whenever I go to Pakistan that is the only language I come across with and see the culture ...in my everyday life i speak punjabi and express the culture, one ex is wearing shalwar kamiz throughout the day...thats me.

the lower upper class situation is EVERYWHERE...even in India

I respect the article and your opinions but the way I see things are a little different. :)
 

huhmzah

...عشق کیتا سو جگ دا مول میاں
Messages
1
Really interesting discussion! I read through all your posts & hope none of this is redundant: I just had a couple of side-notes to add -

This may surprise some of you (or not) but there's a fairly large chunk of Pakistani Punjabis who somewhere along the line picked up the idea that their language is in fact not a language at all. I'd go as far as to say the majority of Punjabis in Pakistan (and the vast majority of Urban Punjabis) are under the impression that Punjabi is a dialect or watered-down version or local creole or rural slang of Urdu [!]. From a purely linguistic perspective that's inaccurate [read: absurd] considering both the oral & written traditions of Punjabi predate the emergence of what we call "Urdu" and thus, if anything Urdu's a slang/dialect of Punjabi [trEASON!!]. (You'll get confused/cringing faces :-X and perhaps a tear or two if you say that to most Pakistanis -- cuz most are bound to take it as an insult to our izzat'o abr? as an "Urdu-speaking" nation).

Perceptions are crucial -- and just a brief existential tangent ;) - what is a language after all ??? ? There is no one standard, it's all relative and it changes from space to space, time to time ? ultimately, as they say, a "language" is just a dialect with an army.

But for all intents and purposes Punjabi is a language by regular standards -- it has a stable (and fairly elaborate) grammar, a unique/separate body of literature from other languages around it, a customized script and all that jazz -- so if someone decides their calling is to revive Punjabi in Pakistan ;) they'd first have to tackle reinstating Punjabi as a "language" in the popular imaginary.

Why is it though that despite there renowned writers/thinkers like Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, Shah Inayat, Waris Shah etc etc writing in Punjabi and still being widely read, Punjabi is where it is ? not even recognized as a provincial language in Pakistan?

The answer to that has something to do with the other issue that you guys have already touched on (so I'll try not to beat a dead horse) -- Punjabi is up against the "identity-creating machinery" of Pakistan, set in motion by the forefathers/mothers. Muhammad A. Jinnah and his contemporaries in the Pakistan movement were across the board bent on molding Pakistan into the European paradigm of what a "nation-state" ought to be. Rule #1: French for France, Spanish for Spain, English for England.... and err... Urdu for Pakistan [!?]. If you look at their rhetoric at the time about Urdu, they went far beyond just considering Urdu as an "inter-lingua" but rather as a "national" language i.e. tied to Pakistan's validity as a "nation". Considering that the linguistic/ethnic/cultural reality of Pakistan (like India) is far from one homogenous nation this causes a lot of problems, both practical and ideological. AND I?d argue this was also the core problem which led to the Bangladeshi nationalist movement [Case in point: Jinnah was boo-ed off the stage at Dhaka University after insisting that Urdu be the sole national language of Pakistan ? this has become a "Jallianvala Bagh" incident of sorts in Bangladeshi national history].

Urdu (both pre and post-Bangladesh) became a bit of a nationalist success story in Punjab. (Its important to mention that such was not the case with Pashto, Balouchi, Kashmiri and Sindhi ? but that?s another topic). The identity-creating machine came down very strong on Punjabi and the effects were first visible on the literary scene -- you have renowned ethnically Punjabi writers like M. Allama Iqbal (pre-partition), Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ishfaq Ahmed becoming literary giants in Urdu and being completely invisible in Punjabi. (Faiz has a couple of pieces in Punjabi conspicuously tucked away in the back of one of his collections). On a social level this gave rise to the "Dagga" phenomenon [Dagga = loving (not) term used by native Urdu speakers for urban Punjabis who've been "Urduficated"]. You guys have already spoken about how Punjabi is seen as crude and uncivilized and unworthy of being passed on to following generations in many parts of Pakistani Punjab so I won?t go into it ? but ultimately what needs to be highlighted is that that obviously isn?t an ?empirical? truth ? it?s just a subjective perception which is the result of larger socio-political forces. We?ve been taught to hear Punjabi as ?crude? and Urdu as not... even though in the right person?s mouth Punjabi can ?sound? quite refined and educated, and Urdu can sound like grunts and gags ? it?s all relative.

In any case, on a brighter note, Punjabi is far from dead in Pakistan. It is alive and well both in urban and rural Punjab, but Punjabi literature is truly under threat. No one writes in Punjabi, there are only a few small Punjabi newspapers, it is not a language of learning/teaching anymore and on the government level I doubt I?ll ever see the day when the speaker of the house stands up and summons parliament in Islamabad in Punjabi ;) [Je tuhaaN n?N kujh aakhan di lor hove... te hatth utha kar tusi mai-n?N ishaara kar deo...]

I?d go off on a little spiel on how amazing Punjabi is now (I wish I was more authentically fluent in it) but instead I?ll end here with a couplet by Amrita Pritam on Punjab:


ਜਿਥੇ ਵਜਦੀ ਸੀ ਫੂਕ ਪਿਆਰ ਦੀ ਵੇ ਉਹ ਵੰਝਲੀ ਗਈ ਗੁਆਚ,
ਰਾਂਝੇ ਦੇ ਸੱਬ ਵੀਰ ਅੱਜ ਭੁਲ ਗਏ ਉਸਦੀ ਜਾਚ,
--------------------------
جتھے وجدی سی پھوک پیار دی، اوہ ونجھلی گئی گواچ،
رانجھے دے سب ویر اج، بھُل گئے اُسدی جاچ۔


(Jithe vajdi si ph?k (tune) pyar'di, oh vanjhli (flute) gayi gav?ch (lost).
Ranjhe'de sab veer (brothers) ajj bhul gay? usdi j?ch (musical-notes))
​
 
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