Bought For Eleven Twenties Poem by Khadim Hussain

During the 1950’s and early 60’s, the largest currency note in Pakistan was the twenty rupees. The Baparyees, the traders especially those dealing in livestock always calculated the value of their livestock in twenties.

They all rushed from near and far,
The baparyees, the connoisseurs, the curious
The young and the old of both sexes,
To gaze upon the wondrous maj
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

They flocked from the Muhallah,
And the rest of the village,
The other villages from the bela,
And some from beyond the bela,
To gaze upon the wondrous maj
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

Most came alone
But some in groups.
Most had walked
But few on horse back,
All to gaze upon the wondrous maj
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

The women admired the magnificent beast
And quickly left.
The children played around,
But the men with trimmed beards and moustaches
Dressed in their finest
Toped with their finest pagris stayed.

Sat cross legged on charpoys, drinking lassi or sherbet
And smoking the lovely prepared hookahs.
Swapping stories about other majjah
And lauding the qualities of this wondrous maj
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

“It stands fives hands tall at the shoulders and
Inclines perfectly to four and half at hind quarters, ”
Praised one of the connoisseurs, It is
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

It has the classic small head,
Decorated with a white hair
In the shape of a crescent.
Large sherbety eyes
With curved small black horns,
Praised a village elder.
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

Broad at the barrel
Nicely rounding to the hearth girth and hind top,
Legs like tree trunks
Perfectly tapering down to white hoofs,
Marvelled a Baparyee.
Bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

Everyone’s forgotten about the kutti,
The miniature version of it mother!
Pronounced the wise village elder.
In eighteen months he’ll have two majjah.
I’ve always said, “Boota is shrewd baparyee.”
Not only has he bought this wondrous maj
For the princely sum of eleven twenties,
And made name of Lunger Pur and its
People shine brighter.

“I’ll give you fourteen twenties,
Cash right now! ” Said one elder of the visitors.
“I milk twenties gadiva’s, ” boomed the proud owner,
“Can anybody in this whole district match that? ”
Fourteen twenties? For this wondrous maj
I bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

“Cha-cha, I’ve trampled Kharri, Mirpur most of Kashmir and Punjab,
And been to all the local Mandies, Jhellum, Mirpur, Sarai
And the largest Rawalpindi.
I’ve even been to Chi–Cha Watan,
But never found an animal of this pedigree.
It’s not for sale!
This wondrous maj,
I bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.

“I want to see this maj at my kela,
I’ll give you sixteen twenties,
And in CASH! “Added the elder visitor.

You’ll see this wondrous maj
But on Mohammed Boota’s kela
It’s not for sale!
Not even for eighteen twenties
This wondrous maj,
I bought for the princely sum of eleven twenties.


Baparyee: trader, usually of livestock
Bela: an island in a river
Cha-cha: Uncle, a respectful terms any senior male.
Charpoy: very light bedstead.
Chi-cha Watan: Area renowned for the superior maj
Gadiva: Measure of milk, one gadiva equals four pints.
Kela: Stake driven into ground to tie a large animal
Kutti: Female calf of water buffalo
Maj: female water buffalo
Majjah: female water buffalos (plural)
Mandi: Water buffalo market
Muhallah: neighbourhood, part of a town or village
Pagri: a turban
Sherbet: homemade soft drink
Sherbety: The colour of homemade soft drink, usually pale orange.