Congratulations Ms. Kaki: Afzal Sahir (Lost and) Found!

Our heartfelt congratulations to you Ms. Kaki, for helping us find our lost Punjabi Poet and FM 103 Radio Host Afzal Saahir in Lahore.

We had sent a message on the email address that you had supplied on Thursday Oct 16, to which we received a reply from Afzal Saher Himself on Wednesday Nov 12.

However, the message had to go through certain identification processes, and some took longer than anticipated. Our volunteer Judges were to find answers to three questions, and if the decision was too close to call, a Fourth Final question had to be answered as well:
1. Does the respondent praise the representative of Uddari at the outset?
2. Does the respondent, after doing that, enter into a prolonged monologue about himself?
3. Does the respondent send a new image of himself?
And then the Fourth Final…
4. Does the respondent send more than one image of himself?

Following are the findings submitted by the Judges:
1. Indeed, he does.
‘Tere jehi nighi, mithi tey roshan rooh ghat ghat e a duniya vich’

2. Indeed.
Unquotable due to space constraints.

3. Indeed! And FANS!
Here It Is!

Since the decision was unanimous there was no need to invoke the Fourth Final (but if you are curious, just click here: JUST CLICK HERE).

So, as you can see, this is not what took long. It was the acquisition and deliverance of the Award itself. Immediately upon receiving a reply from Afzal Saahir, we had called the executive offices of Sanjh Publications in Lahore to inquire about his collection of poetry. To our dismay, the person at the other end first refused knowledge of any such author or title, and then on our insistence, did further research into the matter and came back with this message from the publisher: ‘O Jee, aggae punj saal langh gae nain, punj duss hor lungh jan gae’.

I am afraid, Ms. kaki, that what seemed so easy to acquire, actually did not exist!

My suggestion to you would be to never lose hope, and toward this end, i present this new Kaafi poem from Afzal Saahir.

Mein JaaNoo AnjaaN
By Afzal Saahir
BaBa Nanank Ji noon BheNt

Mein jaaNoo anjaaN Ve Loka,
Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Dharat ghRoli sir te chaaeym,
peraaN heth asmaan
ve loka..Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Saaray denh di kaar usaari,
raateeN keetam dhaaN.
ve loka…Mein jaanoo anjaaN.

Mans, pakhi, rukh, dhor sbhohi,
jooNo jooN samaaN.
ve loka…Mein jaanoo anjaaN.

ApNi aap sehaaN bina hey,
kooRo kooR gyaan.
ve loka..Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Kull khudaai, Jo hey, OH hey,
meri JIND Nishaan.
ve loka..Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Mere saah de Shoh daryaaiN,
maut kare ashnaan.
ve loka..Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Na Allah, Na Raam kahaaNi,
Qudrat vich dheyaan.
ve loka..Mein jaaNoo anjaaN

Dharat ghRoli sir te chaaeym,
peraaN heth asmaan
ve loka..Mein jaanoo anjaaN.

Fauzia Rafique
gandholi.wordpress.com
frafique@gmail.com

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