Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu

Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu  is a famous dirge by the renowned Punjabi writer and poet Amrita Pritam (1919-2005) about the horrors of the partition of the Punjab during the 1947 Partition of India. The poem is addressed to the historic Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722-1798 CE), who had written the most popular version of the Punjabi love tragedy, Heer Ranjha It appeals to Waris Shah to arise from his grave, record the Punjab's tragedy and turn over a new page in Punjab's history. (from wikipedia)

Aj aakhan waaris shah noo kito.N qabra.N vicho.N bol!

Te aj kitab-e-ishq da koi agla varka phol!

Ik roi si dhii punjab dii tuu likh-likh mare vain

Aj lakkha.N dheeyan rondian tainuu.N waaris shah noon kahan

Uth darmandan diaa dardiiaa uth tak apna punjaab!

Aj bele laashaa.N vichiiaa.N te lahu dii bharii chenaab!

Kise ne panja paania.N vich dittii zehar rala!

Te unhaa.N paaniaa.N dharat nuu.N dittaa paanii laa!

Es jarkhej zameen te loo.N loo.N phutiaa zehar

Gith gith chadiaa.N laliyaa.N , fut fut chadiaa kehar

Vihoo.N vilissi vaa fir van van vaggi ja

Ohne har ik baans di vanjhli ditti naag bnaa

Naaga.N keele lok moo.Nh bus fir dang hi dang

Plo plii panjab de neele pai gye ang

Ve glio.N tutte geet fir traklio.N tutti tand

Trinjhno.N tuttia.N sahelian charkhde ghookar band

Sne sej de bediya.An ludhan dittian rodh

Sne dalia.N peengh ajj piplaa.N diti tod

Jitthe vajdii phuuk pyaar di ve oh vanjhli gayi guaach

Ranjhe de sab veer aj bhul gaye usdi jaach

Dharti te lahu vasiya, qabran payiyan chon

Preet diyan shaahazaadiiaa.N aj vich mazaaraa.N ron

Ve aj sab ‘qaido’ ban gaye, husn ishq de chor

Aj kitho.N liaaiie labbh ke waaris shah ik hor

Aj aakhan waaris shah noon kito.N qabra.N vicho.N bol!

Te aj kitab-e-ishq da koi agla varka phol!

Lyrics contribution: Pramod Varma and Manoj Sharma

Translation

I say to Waris Shah today, speak from your grave

And add a new page to your book of love

Once one daughter of Punjab wept, and you wrote your long saga;

Today thousands weep, calling to you Waris Shah:

Arise, o friend of the afflicted; arise and see the state of Punjab,

Corpses strewn on fields, and the Chenaab flowing with much blood.

Someone filled the five rivers with poison,

And this same water now irrigates our soil.

Where was lost the flute, where the songs of love sounded?

And all Ranjha’s brothers forgotten to play the flute.

Blood has rained on the soil, graves are oozing with blood,

The princesses of love cry their hearts out in the graveyards.

Today all the Quaido’ns have become the thieves of love and beauty,

Where can we find another one like Waris Shah?

Waris Shah! I say to you, speak from your grave

And add a new page to your book of love.