Ambri (poem)

امبڑی 
A mother's love
by Anwar Masood
Original title Non-fiction
Translator Anwar Masood
Written 1962-1972
First published in Western Punjabi: میلہ اکھیاں دا
Cover artist Ferozsons
Country Pakistan
Language Punjabi
Subject(s) Mother's Love
Form Quatrain and Narrative poetry
Meter Iambic pentameter
Rhyme scheme non-rhythmic
Publisher Ferozsons Publications
Publication date 1974
Media type Hardback
Lines 27
Pages 74 (book pages)

"Ambri" (Western Punjabi: امبڑی) (also commonly known as "Mother") is a punjabi language narrative poem by Anwar Masood.

It was inspired by a real event happened in 1950, in which Anwar Masood came across an incident when his one of students beats his mother to almost death while he was appointed as a schoolmaster in village nearby Kunjah. Written in a time span of a decade between 1962 and 1972 (by Anwar's own accounts). It was first published in 1974 in Mela Akhiyan Da,[1] and a revised edition was published in 2007. It is written in a dialogue style with non-rhythmic scheme like Aik Pahar aur Gulehri of Allama Iqbal, except in pentameters rather than tetrameters.[2]

It is considered as a magnum opus of Anwar, and most emotionally depicted poem about mothers love by him.[3] It is often recited by Masood in annual mushairas, mother days and in annual all Pakistani Poets gathering. The book in which the poem was published comprises total 11 poems, except Ambri all are comical poems, book received highly positive reviews and till now 40 editions of book had been published across the country.

Background

Anwar Masood is widely known about his hysterical humour and comical poetry, but, at the same time he writes classic genre of poetry, Ambri was one of his poem that depicted indescribable (according to him Unbayanable) love of mother towards her children's. Masood often describe about the inspiration of poem:

"I was appointed as a schoolmaster in Kunjah's village in Gujrat District, after my graduation, it was my starting days of earnings, one day, one of my student Bashir came late and i was furious because two periods had passed and when i was about to give him a punishment threat, he said: "Master jee, first listen to me that why i am late, then he continue that Akram (another student of mine) had did the worst today, he beat his mother and beaten her so harsh that she came to our home and she was bleeding and her face was swollen, instead of complaining, She came with his lunch and asked me to handed over to him because he ran from house without eating something, his mother was so worried about that his son is hungry and she was continually saying that Bashir go fast as you can, he must be starving of hunger", after this incident i couldn't sleep for couple of day's, i try to write this incident in a poetry, but fails, as too much pain and too much Mamta was in that incident that i couldn't find any words to describe this feeling but i never gave up, he added "Main Namurad is dil ki tasli ka kya karoon", it then took ten year to complete this. "
—Anwar Masood, Wisaal-e-Yaar Sunday, 09 May 2010

He describe that i wrote two times this incident but i was not satisfied as feelings was not there, then after ten years when he was on his service in Pindigheb he wrote the whole incident and he didn't even change the names of boys in his poem. He said then i came to realize that poem was came to me with its lines, it was meant to be written like this, not then when i wanted to write this, he further said that this poem definitely was "'Namz-e-Muarah".

Poem

Originally poem was written in Punjabi and was published in his Punjabi book Akhiyan Da Mela which also comprises ten other nazams along with it and was published in 1974. following is the listing of original, translated and English version of poem:[4][5]

Original Text (Punjabi) Urdu translation English translation


ماسڑ:
اَج بڑی دیر نال آیاں ایں بشیریا
ایہ تیراپنڈ اے تے نال ای سکول اے
جائں گا توُں میرےے کولوں ہڈیاں بھناں کے
آیاں ایں تُو اَج دوونویں ٹلیاں گھسا کے
بشیرا:
منشی جی میری اِک گل پہلں سُن لو
اکرمے نے نھیر جیہانھیراَج پایاجے
مائ نوں ایہ ماردائے تے بڑا ڈاہڈا ماردائے
اَج ایس بھیڑکے نے حد پئ مکائ اے
اوہنوں مارمار کے مدھانی بھَن سُٹی سوُ
بندے کٹھے ہوے نیں تے اوتھوں پج گیائے
چُک کے کتاباں تے سکوُل ول نسیائے
مائ ایہدی منشی جی گھر ساڈے آئ سی
مُونہ اُتے نیل سن سُجا ھویاہتھ سی
اکھں وچ اتھرو تے بُلاں وچ رَت سی
کہن لگی سوہنیا وے پتر بشیریا
میرا اک کم وی توں کریں اج ہیریا
روٹی میرے اکرمے دی لئ جا مدرسے
اَج فیر ٹُر گیا اے میرے نال رُس کے
گھیؤ وچ گُنّھ کے پراؤنٹھے اوس پکاے نیں
ریجھ نال رِنھیاں سُوآنڈیاں دا حلوہ
پونے وچ بَنھ کے تے میرے ہتھ وچ دَتی سُو
ایہو گل آکھدی سی مُڑ مُڑ منشی جی
چھیتی نال جائیں بیبا'دیریاں نہ لائیں بیبا
اوہدیاں تے لُو سدیاں ہون گیاں آندراں
بھکھا بھانا اج او سکولے ٹُر گیااے
روٹی اوہنے دتی اے میں بھجا لگا آیاجے
اکرمے نے نھیر جیہا نھیر اج پایا اے
ماسڑ:
آج بڑی دیرسےتو آیاہے بشیریا
یہ تیرا گاؤں ہے قریب ہی سکول
ہڈیاں تڑاکے ہی مجھ سے جاےگا
آیاہے تو آج دو گھنٹیاں گزارکے
بشیر:
ماسڑ جی پہلےایک بات میری سن لو
اکرم نے آج تو اندھیر ہی مچائ ہے
ماں کو وہ مارتا ہےاورسخت مارتا ہے
لیکن آج تواس نےجیسےحدہی کیہے
مارمارماں کو مدھانی توڑ دی ہے
لوگ جمع ہوےتو وہاں سےبھاگ آیاہے
کتابیں لے کر اپنی سکول چلا آیاہے
ماں اس کی ماسڑجی'گھرمیرےآئ تھی
منہ پےنیل اور سوجاہوا ہاتھ تھا
آنسو تھے آنکھوں میں اور ہونٹوں پہ لہو تھا
کہنی لگی مجھ سے وہ 'او بیٹابشیریا
میرااک کام بھی تو کر ہیریا
روٹی میرےاکرم کی لے جامدرسے
آج پھر روٹھ کر گیاہےوہ مجھ سے
گھی میں پراٹھےآج میں نے پکائے ہے
اوربڑےشوق سےیہ حلوہ بنایاہے
پوٹلی بنا کر میرے ہاتھ دی اس نے
بار بارکہتی تھ جلدی جاؤ بیٹا
بیٹاجلدی سے جانا زیادہ دیر نہ لگانہ
اس کی آنتیں سسک رہی ہوں گی
بہت بھوکا آج وہ مدرسےگیاہے
روٹی اس نے دی تو میں بھاگاچلاآیاہوں
اکرم نے آج تو اندھیر ہی مچائ ہے

[Schoolmaster asks Bashir:]

"O Bashir, you are so late today,
Right here is your village, so close to the school,
I will break your bones and set you straight,
for being so reckless, two bells late."

[The student, Bashir replies:]

"Dear Teacher, I beg you, please hear me out:
The vilest of vile things Akram has done,
He strikes his mother, and he beats her hard,
but today’s was the worst and left her scarred,
With the churning stick he struck her till it broke,
and fled when the neighbors gathered at the door,
He took his books, and ran for the school."
Dear Sir, his mother came to our house,
with a face bruised blue, and a hand swollen round,
She had tears in her eyes, and blood on her lips.
She said, "My son Bashir, My sweet Bashir,
Do me a favor son, my precious Bashir.
Please take this food to the school for my Akram,
He was angry when he left, upset with me,
Take him this bread kneaded with ghee,
and this scramble of eggs, prepared with love",
Wrapped in a napkin, she handed me his lunch,
Repeatedly for only one thing she pled,
Go son quickly, swiftly, ahead.
My Akram must be starving by now.
He left for the school without breaking bread."
"Dear Sir, she gave me the meal, and here I’ve come.
The vilest of vile things Akram has done."

Reception

Ambri received highly positive response and immensely extravagant reception, by readers and critics. It was first published in Mela Akhiyan Da in 1974 a Punjabi book comprises eleven poems including Ambri, all were based on comical poetry (Makholya Shairi) except Ambri, book was become a major hit and got critical reception, and was declared best seller of 1974, till now book has been published in 40 editions by Ferozsons. Ambri was considered as a master piece by Anwar, as he blends his emotions about incident in such a splendid form that one can couldn't hold himself while reading, to burst in tears. Ambri is highly demanded by audience in Mushaira and annual gathering of Pakistani Poets to recite. Ambri is adapted in many languages including Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit, English and Persian.

Video Visualization

In 2010, Ambri (originally given name Maa Di Shan) was visualize as a motion video by ATV Islamabad on the eve of Mother's Day, for the first time any Nazm (poem) is originally visualize by National television, It stars Anwar Masood Himself as a narrator of story, Directed and Produced by Muneeb Ahsan, co-produced and cinematography done by Umer Gulzar, The vedio was originally short in Islamiya School, Kunjha where this incident actually happened, the whole poem was narrated by in Punjabi and translated and subtitled by Nargis Bano. Vedio got positive response due to the stills and background music used which blends the intensity of poem into a deep emotions of love by mother.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mela Akhiyan Da".
  2. ↑ "Anwar Maqsood Ambri". Pashaura singh dhillon. June 5, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Anwars most heart touching poem". NativPakistan. June 17, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  4. ↑ "AMBRI (Mother) by Anwar Masood". NostalgicPakistan. December 19, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Punjabi Poem "Ambri" [Mother] by Anwar Masood, with English Translation". Knonie. May 9, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2014.

External links

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