Friday, June 27, 2008

'Nimakh' Transliterated - I

This transliteration of the book Nimakh is an attempt to address the many requests of our non-Gurmukhi reading friends to help them enjoy the unique experience of experiments done in Punjabi Haiku by Amarjit 'Sathi' Tiwana. He gave his gracious permission when I spoke to him about this. I present the first installment of the haikus from the book. Though an effort to capture the phonetic sounds of Punjabi has been made, this transliteration may still be far from perfect. So, please feel free to ask questions about any typical Punjabi word. I have tried to give in italics a few words I thought might pose problems for persons not familiar with Gurmukhi and typical Punjabi.

1. Harmandar parikarma
Maapey teikan mattha
Bacchey wekhan machhiaa’n

2. Kirat kareinda
Mailey bastar
Nirmal hatth

3. Rahi guacha bhaal
Akhaa’n banh’ke maa’n
Kheidey bacheyaa’n naal

4. Bacchey paondei khilli
Ikko wehrey khedd’n
Kuttey kukkad billi

5. Tankaa’n tey aswaar
Jango’n mudian asthiaa’n
Dhakkia’n fulla’n naal

6. Hukam karey sarkaar
Laa’o pulaa’n tey naake
Lehar na langhey paar

7. Pattjharh dhal’di sham
Score board tey siffraa’n
Khaali kheid maidaan

8. Chutti wali talli
Bacchey ghar nu challey
Jhulley peengh ikkali

9. Uchhi sakht chattaan
Treirh che uggya ghaa
Patthar andar jaan

10. Ambar nitt udaar
Magghar maah musaafri
Karey koonjaan di daar

11. Raagi karey riyaaz
Taanpurey tha’an sangat
Pakkhey di aawaz

12. Dhaley dupehra suttey
Manji uttey baapu
Manji hethaa’n kuttey

13. Mudh mudh chakkar laawey
Hatth ghadi di sooyi
Veila hatth naa awey

14. Chaayee dhund chufeirey
Gurudwaarey jandi
Bebey ‘neyrey ‘neyrey

15. Vagh reiha daryaa
Jithey paani peitla (shallow)
Othey uggeya ghaa

16. Pind che goli challey
Guru nanak di foto
Kandh tey tangi hilley

17. Harhya janda ghar (harhya – flooded)
Wicchey jaan khadaoney
Battakh balley geind

18. Mehak vihooney
Diary de wich
Sukkey full

19. Laggi ann pakaa’n
Pehli roti maa’n ne
Chidiyaan de layee rakhi

20. Dhal’hdi sham
Safeideyan de saaye
Door… pind takk

21. Sarad sanghni dhund
Vekhdeyan ee ho geya
Udd’da panchhi gumm

22. Maa’n pakaavey roti
Bacheyan wali choti
Baapu wali moti

23. Taarey tim timaondey
Ikk ikk kar ke raat nu
Airport wall aondey

24. Mela bharya poora
Roye guachi baccchi
Kuchhad wich katoora (Kuchhad – in her arms)

25. Baddlaa’n wich jahaaz
Jheel dhundh ‘cho aondi
Koonjhaa’n di awaaz

26. Ho pattey tey aswaar
Nikki bhoori keedi
Kardi nadiya paar

27. Bhaado’n challi langh
Rukkhi’en patt haryawley
Badlan laggey rang

28. Pattjhad aye
Bebey di fulkari
Dhupey suknee payee

29. Sardi layee tyari
Nikk sukk rahi sambhaal
Furti naal galehri (squirrel)

30. Bebey chakki jhoyee
Daliye andar dana
Bacheya koi koi

31. Jhaadaan wich samaadh (jhaad-bushes)
Jaye wassey pardes
Chadd pittra’n di yaad

32. Ikk dooni dooni
Bachha padhey pahadey (learns tables)
Beebi kattey pooni

33. Nighi dhupp chadhi
Icicle di weil
Tupka tupka jhadi

34. Nighi dhupp siyaal
Kar manji da ohla
Maa’n sukaavey waal

35. Raat chan’ni langhi
Pattey pattey tey payee
Tupka tupka treil (dew)

36. Chulhey wicho’n dhoo’an
Guru gharo Rehraas
Sandhya hoye vidaa

37. Pattjhad aye lathe’y (fell)
Rahiyaan pairien khadkan
Rang birangey patte’y

38. Chaddar uttey bhoondi
Baapu sutta taan’h (stretched)
Rakh sirhaney khoondi

39. Sarghi booha kholey
Dhupp chall kea a rahi
Lakh croraa’n meel

40. Chaala’n maaran
Satth che bacchey
Chappad daddu (chappad – village pond)

More in another post...

9 comments:

karan Cheema said...

Hi
You have an awesome blog! I read your other posts, and I can only say one thing, "keep up the good work, you are a good writer. You have that natural ability to keep your reader's eyes and mind glued to the post, thats how interesting your posts are :)".

And thanks for putting so much effort to transliterate these poems for the readers. I really enjoyed reading them, esp this one:
"Chaayee dhund chufeirey
Gurudwaarey jandi
Bebey ‘neyrey ‘neyrey".
I got flashbacks of my childhood while reading this, as my nani ji used to go to gurdwara in the early morning and she used to make me get up early on every sangrand to accompany her. And thats one of my fondest childhood memory.
Thanks once again!

Jasdeep said...

Great Job Manpreet Ji,
Why dont you create another blog for English transliterated Nimakh.
That will be great i think

Sidhusaaheb said...

Beautiful word-portraits have been painted here of life in the rural heartland of the land of five rivers!

However, I have one humble request to make. It would be so kind of you, if you could please remove the 'coding', so as to make the text easier to read.

:)

BTW, I would've loved the poem so much more, had the poem been written in even more thheitth Punjabi, the kind we speak in our villages. Hindi words seem to have crept in here and there. It is quite possible, though, that the poet aimed at enhancing the quality of the poem by doing that or something similar, which I, with my limited understanding of the art of poetry, fail to comprehend at the moment.

For instance:

Galehri = Kaato
AsthhiaaN = Phull
Sarad = Syaal
Nadiya = Daryaa
Sardi = Syaal
Sandhya = Shaam

(These are the ones I noticed at first glance and there might actually be more of them.)

I can not write even a single line of poetry, myself, but I still could not resist commenting on this aspect, especially since I have seen that 'Hindi-isation' of the Punjabi language has almost taken on the form of a phenomenon, with the Punjabi written in school and college text-books as well as newspapers falling victim to it in a big way.

:)

Meanwhile, I came across an interesting blog-post today at http://wondersofpakistan.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/waris-shah-ishq-da-waris/ that I thought you might want to take a look at.

Mampi said...

Ecstsay-Thanks for visiting. The Haikus indeed are small flashes of memory, thought, insights into life. More follows this week.

Jasdeep-Thanks for visiting. Will think over your idea. Meanwhile, you could link this anywhere you wish to.

SS-This was an effort to bring through Roman what the poet has written in Punjabi. Although he has not laid claim to using theith Punjabi, I feel that the poet would welcome constructive criticism. I have linked his blog in the blogroll. You can suggest it to him directly too.

Sidhusaaheb said...

The effort is highly appreciabe indeed!

I suppose the poet would be watching this space, in any case. So...

:D

Anonymous said...

Very well done!

Effort to translitrate the Panjabi version of A.S. Sathi's Haiku poems into Roman on the readers's demand is well posted here.

Its the grace on the part of the Poet who has given you the permission.

Effort is appreciable,almost half- way you have covered of the book.

Keep it up!
Complete the work!!

I suggest you, after completing the remaining part, go ahead and translate the book into English version too, of course after getting due permission from A.S. Sathi.
It will cover more readers of your circle especially who are non-Panjabis from south India.

Carry on !

Dhindsa

Gurinderjit Singh (Guri@Khalsa.com) said...

Sirahne Khoondi used to be the trademark of many bazurghs. The khhoodndies, turlahs, mauje (shoes).. now have been replaced Home Alarms, Hats or turlaless turban, Nike.. IPOD bla bla..
Very interesting and thanks to both you and to Mr Saathi.

Anonymous said...

okay went up the hill din xactly noe wht nimakh is plz email me n specify wht dis is n wat its all bout bhabz n iev read wht u wrote understoond dose......btw nicley done i cud pronounce punjabi evenm thou its written in english it aint hard to understand

Mampi said...

Mama-Thank you. My target was to reach those who read Punjabi Literature through Roman script. I would want more and more literature to reach our newer readers.

Guri-I remember my Bapuji also. And his Khoondi too.

Avna - I dont think you can read Punjabi script. So this should be a new discovery for you. More is coming soon.