Shiv Kumar Batalvi

Rating: 4.33
Rating: 4.33

Shiv Kumar Batalvi Poems

A girl whose name is love, is missing, is missing
Simple wisher, beautiful looking, is missing, is missing
...

Give me, O Lord
A few more songs.
My fire is dying,
Give me a spark.
...

Listen, O my life,
I will not be here tomorrow.
Tonight, let us clutch a song tightly,
And claim its kiss.
...

Bid me goodbye
Lord,
Bid me goodbye.
Gift me a warm tear,
...

People worship god.
I worship this separation from you.
It is worth Haj to a hundred Meccas,
This separation from you.
...

Today this poor man
Begs you once again,
For one more tragedy,
For the sake of his pen.
...

A girl whose name is Love
Is lost.
Simple, beautiful,
She is lost.
...

From this life-pond, o my song
Fill your beak
With the water of my existence.
It will not stay until tomorrow -
...

9.

Some trees look like sons to me.
Some like mothers.
Some are daughters, brides,
...

My friend, it is my own sorrow
That has destroyed me.
It is a lie to think
That your love had the strength to do it.
...

Why ask about the condition of fakirs like us?
We are water, separated from its river,
Emerged from a tear,
Melancholy, distressed.
...

If I walk on a moonlit night,
My shadow walks beside me,
O my life.
...

Listen, mother,
My songs are eyes
Stinging with grains of separation.
In the middle of the night,
...

I wish that I could be a bird
That I could fly, that I could sing,
That I could touch untouchable peaks,
...

Say a word, say something
O my dark beloved!
Stir spring into my life!
O my dark beloved!
...

Either this sorrowful night is long
Or my songs are interminable.
This dreadful night does not end,
Nor do my songs cease.
...

I will give you the grain of tears,
Roast my sorrows in your pan,
O, tender of the fire.
...

I catch butterflies,
I catch butterflies.
...

It has been a while
Since my self became displeased with me
And left.
What remains with me
...

The sun that you stole
Was mine.
The house that you threw into darkness,
Was mine.
...

Shiv Kumar Batalvi Biography

Shiv Kumar 'Batalvi' (Punjabi: ਸ਼ਿਵ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਬਟਾਲਵੀ) was a noted Punjabi language poet, who was most known for his romantic poetry, noted for its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lover's agony. He became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967, given by Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters), for his epic verse play based on the ancient legend of Puran Bhagat, Loona (1965), now considered a masterpiece in modern Punjabi literature, and which also created a new genre, of modern Punjabi kissa. Today, his poetry stands in equal footing, amongst that by stalwarts of modern Punjabi poetry, like Mohan Singh and Amrita Pritam, all of whom are popular on both sides of India-Pakistan border. Biography Shiv Kumar was born in a Saraswat Brahmin family on 23 July 1936 (though a few documents related to him state October 7th, 1937 as his DOB), in village Bara Pind Lohtian, Shakargarh Tehsil, Sialkot District (now in Punjab province, Pakistan), to Pandit Krishan Gopal, village tehsildar in the revenue department, and Shanti Devi, a housewife. In 1947, when he was just 11, his family moved to Batala Gurdaspur district after partition of India, where his father continued his work as a patwari and young Shiv received his primary education. Allegedly, he was a dreamy child, often vanishing for the duration of the day, to be found lying under trees by the riverbank close to the Mandir or Hindu temple outside the village, lost in a brown reverie. He appears to have been fascinated by local renditions of the Hindu Epic Ramayana, as well as wandering Minstrel singers, Snake Charmers & the like - which feature as metaphors in his poetry, giving it a uniquely rural flavor. Education He completed his matriculation in 1953, from Punjab University, and enrolled in the F.Sc. program at Baring Union Christian College, Batala, though before completing his degree he moved to S.N. College, Qadian, where he joined the Arts program more suited to his persona, though he left that too in the second year. Thereafter he joined a school at Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh to do a diploma in Civil Engineering, here again he left it in the middle. Next he studied for some time at Govt. Ripudaman College, Nabha. Struggles With Conventional Matrimony He fell in love with the daughter of the noted Punjabi writer Gurbaksh Singh Preetlari who was married off to a UK citizen because of caste differences between the two. It was during this time that he turned increasingly to alcohol for solace, allegedly writing the poem :"Ajj Din Chhadeya Tere Rang Varga" [ "Today dawned colored like your complexion..."] while standing outside a "Theka Sharab Desi" [Liquor Vend], waiting for it to open so he could buy his booze. He remained unlucky in love, and bereavement for love loss reflected intensely in his poetry.In early 1967, he got married, to a Brahmin girl, Aruna, of his parents & family's choosing. According to friends, he only agreed because she had a striking resemblance to his youthful love. Youngest Recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award Later in life, his father got a job as patwari at Qadian, it was during this period, that he produced some of his best work. His first anthology of poems was published in 1960, titled Piran da Paraga (The Scarf of Sorrows), which became an instant success. In 1965, he became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967, for his magnum opus, a verse play Loona (1965). His poetry recitations, and singing his own verse, made him and his work even more popular amongst the masses. Soon after his marriage, in 1968, he shifted to Chandigarh, where he joined the State Bank of India, as a PRO. In the following years, bad health plagued him, though he continued to write prolifically. Personal Life On 5 February 1967 he married, Aruna, a Brahmin girl, from Kirri Mangyal, Gurdaspur district, and later the couple had two children, Meharban (1968) and Puja (1969). Struggles With Conventional Life-Span His writings have always been open about his pronounced death wish, and he died at his father-in-law's residence, at Kirri Mangyal Pathankot, due to liver cirrhosis, a result of chronic alcoholism, at a young age of 35 years. Legacy One of his anthology, Alvida (Farewell) was published posthumously in 1974, by the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. 'Shiv Kumar Batalvi Award' for Best Writer, is given each year. In Media Many of his poems were sung by Deedar Singh Pardesi. Jagjit Singh-Chitra Singh, and Surinder Kaur, have also sung many of his poems. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition of one of his poem "Maye ni Maye" is known for its soulfulness and imagery. In a recent album, Rabbi (2004), by Rabbi Shergill features, his poem, "Ishtihar". Punjabi folk singer, Hans Raj Hans also did a popular album, ‘Gham’, on the poetry of Shiv Kumar. In 2005, a compilation album was released, titled, Ek Kudi Jida Naa Mohabbat... 'Shiv Kumar Batalvi, with numbers sung by Mahendra Kapoor, Jagjit Singh and Asa Singh Mastana. In 2004, Punjabi play titled Dardaan Da Darya based on the life of Shiv Kumar was performed at 'Punjab Kala Bhavan', Chandigarh.)

The Best Poem Of Shiv Kumar Batalvi

Leaflet

A girl whose name is love, is missing, is missing
Simple wisher, beautiful looking, is missing, is missing

Her looks are like that of fairies
Her nature is like that of Mariam
When she laughs, the flowers fall
When she walks, she looks like a gazal
She is tall like the sarroo tree
But her age is hardly like that of fire
But she can understand the talks of eyes
She is missing since ages
But it appears as yesterday's talk
It appears as today's talk
It appears as now's talk

Just now, she was standing with me
Just now, she is not with me
What is this deception, what is this stranding
My thinking is very much surprised
My eyes are searching the colour of
Face of everybody coming or going
And are searching that girl

At the dawn of evening when in market
On the turns, fragrance starts appearing
When idleness, lethargy and uneasiness
Starts accumulating on the four-way crossings
In this Noisy loneliness
The absence of that girl eats me up
The absence of that girl becomes apparent
Every moment it appears to me
Every day it appears to me
In the celebrations and in the crowds
In the accumulated fragrances
She will call me
I will recognize her
She will recognize me
But in this flood of noise
Nobody calls me
Nobody looks towards me

But I don't know why I get the feeling
But I don't know why I appear to see
Every day in every crowd
Her statue appears to be going
But only I am not able to see her
I remain lost in the face of
That lost girl
I keep on deteriorating in her sorrow
I keep on depleting in her sorrow

I bind that girl with my oath
I bind that girl with her oath
I bind that girl with everybody's oath
I bind that girl with world's oath
I bind that girl with God's oath
If she is somewhere reading or hearing
If she's living or dying
Once she should come and meet me
She should not put a blot on my sincerity
Otherwise I can not live
I can not write any song

A girl whose name is love, is missing, is missing
Simple wisher, beautiful looking, is missing, is missing.

Shiv Kumar Batalvi Comments

Sylvia Frances Chan 17 October 2021

The Great Punyabi Poet SHIV (Oct 1937 - 1972) became only 35 years young

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 16 October 2021

His writings have always been open about his pronounced death wish, and he died at his father-in-law's residence, at Kirri Mangyal Pathankot, due to liver cirrhosis, a result of chronic alcoholism, at a young age of 35 years.

0 0 Reply
Rajnish Manga 09 June 2019

Shiv Kumar 'Batalvi' (1936-1973) , A Punjabi poet of high calibre and repute, is known as 'The Sultan of Pain'. He is primarily remembered ' for his romantic poetry, noted for its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lover's agony'. His lyrics and songs are very popular among Punjabis living in all parts of the world. He will be remembered for his immense contribution to Punjabi literature.

1 0 Reply
Jagpreet Sidhu 30 September 2013

Birha da badshah. Tutte dila di marham da kam krdiya ne shiv diya kavitava

61 5 Reply
Gurbir Singh 15 July 2013

dardan ne jis to khud dard di dwa lai dunia ch esi yaro shiv hat chla gia.

54 4 Reply

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