Everything Afghanistan • Afghan poets

Afghan poets

Poetry is very famous in Afghanistan, it has long been a cultural tradition and passion for every Afghan. Almost all afghans have interest in poetry and for every occasion they have a poem on the tip of the tongue. On daily bases despite the war and the uncertainty of everything, public poetry gatherings are held every month and everyone shares their poetry which they write passionately. Normally, A lot of people attend these gatherings and it is one of great entertainment for young afghans.

Afghanistan was noted for its poetic language even before the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan in the 7th through 11th centuries. The Pata Khazana, if authentic, contains Pashto poetry written as far back as the 8th Century. Some of the famous poets from the region of Afghanistan through out history includes
Rumi
Khushal Khan Khattak
Rahman Baba
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Timur Shah Durrani
Shuja Shah Durrani
Al-Afghani
Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi and many others^.

Nowadays there are alot of young poets, Some of which are equally talented as these old poets. Most of Afghan youth take a keen interest in poetry no matter who they are, what society class they belong to or where they live.

Here are some random Afghan poems

Rumi :

Why think thus O men of piety   -   I have returned to sobriety
I am neither a Moslem nor a Hindu   -   I am not Christian, Zoroastrian, nor Jew

I am neither of the West nor the East   -   Not of the ocean, nor an earthly beast
I am neither a natural wonder   -   Nor from the stars yonder

Neither flesh of dust, nor wind inspire   -   Nor water in veins, nor made of fire
I am neither an earthly carpet, nor gems terrestrial   -   Nor am I confined to Creation, nor the Throne Celestial

Not of ancient promises, nor of future prophecy   -   Not of hellish anguish, nor of parasitic ecstasy
Neither the progeny of Adam, nor Eve   -   Nor of the world of heavenly make-believe

My place is the no-place   -   My image is without face
Neither of body nor the soul   -   I am of the Divine Whole.

I eliminated duality with joyous laughter   -   Saw the unity of here and the hereafter
Unity is what I sing, unity is what I speak   -   Unity is what I know, unity is what I seek

Intoxicated from the chalice of Love   -   I have lost both worlds below and above
Sole destiny that comes to me   -   Licentious mendacity

In my whole life, even if once   -   Forgot His name even per chance
For that hour spent, for such moment   -   I’d give my life, and thus repent

Beloved Master, Shams-e Tabrizi   -   In this world with Love I’m so drunk
The path of Love isn’t easy   -   I am shipwrecked and must be sunk.

” Raise your Words , not your Voice . It is Rain which grows up Leaves , not Thunder ” - Rumi .

“Only from the heart Can you touch the sky.” -Rumi

“my heart is a pen in your hand.
It is all up to you to write me happy or sad. ” -Rumi

Other poems:

Take everything away
and leave me alone with You.
Close every door and open the one to You. - Hakim sanai

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. - hamza baba

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.

Here is link to Afghan poems translated in english

http://www.afghan-web.com/culture/poetry/poems.html

poems are best in their own language, when translated they lose their meaning or their taste of poetry. So here is a link to pashto poetry books if anyone understands.

http://www.kitabtoon.com/kitabona/viewcat.php?cid=25