I’m not really sure what my first language is. I also don’t think I have just one mother tongue. This is why when I try to understand the Urdu poetry of Ghalib and the Punjabi writings of Amrita Pritam, and when I listen to contemporary Pakistani Punjabi singers like Bilal Saeed and Shamoon Ismail, I start to think thoughts in multiple languages, and find myself writing not only in English. This is the first time I wrote something in Punjabi, and my biggest learning has been ke mujhe saDak ka R nahi bolna aata.  

Sarrkaan/سڑکاں/ਸੜਕਾਂ/Roads by Hassan Shah

Kadi tu vi meri sarrkaan te chakkar laaya kardi si
Andher ich kaddi tu vi ujaalay jalaya kardi si

Kadi tu vi kendi si mainu, vela ey te ruk ja panj min[u]ta ‘aaste
Kadi tu vi mainu shahr ich phiraaya kardi si

Fir labbi tenu sarrkaan kisi hor deya
Kisi hor da andher tu mukaya kar di si

Puch diya rehndiya inn sarrkaan di hawawaan tere baare ich
Jawaab ki devaaN enu, ey vi tu bataa ke jaana si

Kehnde ne khuli sarrkaan te boohay nai honde, na honde ne koi vi baariyaaN,
Muqar naa javiN iss gal toN, bulaya tenu main sau vaari si

Musafir aakhde mainu, par qaidi aa main inn sarrkaan da
Na teri sarrkaan da pata mainu, na oday ore main kadi jaana si

Rab ne tere bakshi mainu phiran di bas chaar sarrkaan
Te paa ke tu laal jora, unn sarrkaan toN ruksat tu ho chuki si

Hik umr gawaa baiTtha tere intezaar ich
Te jado tu aayi… paloo ich apne hik puri umr chhupa ke aana si

Read Amrita Pritam’s Poem “Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Noon/Today, I call Waris Shah”