‘Waiting’ Uddeekan by Fauzia Rafique – Punjabi rendition Afzal Saahir

English Poem – Punjabi Translation

Waiting
Fauzia Rafique

Waiting
days afternoon nights
to be alone
to mourn
that the cactuses*
are growing
within my heart

they may bloom
the desert, sprinkle
sparks of colour atop
sifting slabs of sand

my heart
a suitable soil
to make the plants
happy

*cacti
From ‘Passion Fruit/Tahnget Phal’ (Uddari Books, 2011).

Uddeekan
Punjabi rendition of Fauzia Rafique’s ‘Waiting’
Afzal Saahir

Aklaapay de sik handdawan
aThay pehr uddeekan mainun
dil vich ugiyan thhoran utay
keekan wain kran

man rohi vich thhor khhirran de
rut aa pujji
raitarr utay rangan de
chingyarri chattay wajjay

thhoran noon khush rakhhan keetay
mere dil toon changi mitti
hor na honi

March 2, 2012
Surrey, BC

‘Passion Fruit/Tahnget Phal’ by Fauzia Rafique
A chapbook of English and Punjabi poems. Uddari Books 2011. 42 original poems, Punjabi in Gurumukhi and Shahmukhi scripts, 104 pages, $15.
To order, send an email: uddari@live.ca.
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Uddari’s Fauzia Rafique gets Canada’s Best 2012 ‘Distinguished Poet & Novelist Award’

Fauzia Rafique has received an honour award for her debut novel ‘Skeena’ (Libros Libertad 2011), and her first book of poems ‘Passion Fruit/Tahnget Phal’ (Uddari Books 2011).

Offered by Writers International Network (WIN), the award recognizes outstanding artistic/literary achievement and community-building efforts from across cultures. Fauzia is one of the 15 poets, writers, novelists, dancers, artists and citizens to have received ‘Canada’s Best 2012′ citation.

Fauzia says:
‘I am delighted to be recognized for my creative work, and, would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to my fellow winners Evelyn Lau, Poet Laureate of Vancouver (Distinguished Poet & Writer Award), Ashok Bhargava (Distinguished Poet & Writer Award), Ariadne Sawyer (People Laureate Award 2012), Bong Ja Ahn (Distinguished Poet & Essayist Award), Joanne Arnott (Distinguished Poet Award), Brajinder Dhillon (Distinguished Novelist Award), Janet Kvammen (Emerging Poet & Artist Award), Manga Basi (Distinguished Poet Award), Mahendra Kwatra (Outstanding Citizen Award), Alan Hill (Outstanding Citizen Award), Timothy Shay (Distinguished Poet Award), Reese McBeth (Host 2012 Award), Lucia Gorea (Host 2012 Award), and Arno Kamolika (Distinguished Dancer Award). Thanks to Ashok Bhargava and the wonderful team of volunteers for organizing this delightful event.’

 Gorea, Kvammen, Shay, McBeth, Basi, Dhillon, Bhargava, Rafique, Lau, Arnott, Hill, Ja Ahn.

The ceremony was held at the 1st Annual Literary Festival at Richmond Cultural Centre on Saturday, March 24 2012.

To order Fauzia’s novel ‘Skeena’ in English or Gurumukhi:
http://www.libroslibertad.ca/book.php?id=42

For her chapbook of English and Punjabi poems, and novel ‘Skeena’ in Shahmukhi, please send an email to:
uddari@live.ca

For more information on Skeena:
http://novelskeena.wordpress.com/
LIKE the Facebook Page-Get Skeena:
http://www.facebook.com/GETSKEENA

For Writers International Network (WIN), contact Ashok Bhargava at:
bhargava2000@yahoo.com
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