“Seasons – A Play of Time”

9^th South Asian Folk Literature and Oral Poetry Festival

 Report by

Amandeep Singh

South Asia has been the land of folk literature from thousands of years, most of the world’s myths and legends may be tracked to literary speculation of the South Asia mystics.  Human life, pleasure and sorrow, family and living, nature as the teacher have been among themes of South Asian folk literature.  South Asian Poets of New England explores South Asian folk literature themes in its summer meet every year to celebrate this ancient tradition.  

The 9^th South Asian Folk Literature and Oral Poetry Festival was held on Sunday, August 31^st as a virtual video meeting.   Poets from different South Asian languages and regions presented poems that depicted the season's warmth.  Poems included imagery of the shining sun, colorful flowers and green plants, drenching rain, and themes of hope and prayers. A special highlight was the exploration of ghazal, a unique and celebrated form of poetry.   A newly published book of ghazals by a local poet, Mr. Nitin Patil, was presented.

Folk Literature segment

Sajed Kamal opened the program with his humorous English poem, “The Coolest Rascal, Fenway Bunny,” presenting an alternative seasonal perspective and experience from a fellow creature. A bunny, drenched in rain, as if asking the poet, “Enjoying the summer? Enjoying the rain?” Neena Wahi followed with her Hindi poem, “Grishm Ritu” (ग्रीष्म ऋतु - Summer Season), which reflected on how the beauty of summer can evoke both joy and poignant childhood memories, sometimes making us sad. However, she noted, we can relive those moments in our dreams.

Geetha Patil’s English poem, “Whispers of a Cool Summer Morning,” painted a velvety picture of a tranquil summer morning with pearls of dew and smiling flowers. As the Earth awakens from a gentle slumber, the sun slowly climbs the sky, showering it with soothing warmth. Summer days, she wrote, begin with a new start that offers peace and a mild melody.  Ramesh Razdan shared his late father Padmasri Motilal Saki’s Kashmiri poem, “Swaal.” The poem asks, "If all humans are born from a mother’s womb and nature doesn't discriminate, why do we narcissistic humans have bad thoughts and hate each other?"

Urdu poet Shahab Ahmad expressed the themes of waiting and patience in his ghazal. In each couplet, he illustrated various situations, seasons, and the complexities of life, conveying that he is awaiting a specific moment with hope and patience. Parmit Kumar Singh recited two Hindi poems. The first was about an old woman’s peaceful acceptance of death. She consoles her husband that they can still enjoy the changing seasons while she’s alive and, when nature brings a new season, she will kiss him goodbye. The second poem depicted a lover’s enduring feelings, who believes every meeting with his beloved is like a new spring season.

Shakuntla Gupta transported the audience to the 15th and 17th centuries by reciting pieces about the summer season from classical Odia folk songs and poems. She recited a few couplets from 15th-century poets Sarla Das and Markandadasa, 17th-century poet Upendra Bhanja, and contemporary poet Shankar Das. These pieces were about Ram Leela, Koyali (Cuckoo), Chandan Yatra, and Lord Ram’s mother Kaushalya's grief (biraha) during his exile in the summer. Arundhati Sarkhel depicted the bittersweet transition from summer to fall in her English poem, “Goodbye Summer.” As the days grow shorter, the grass turns brown, and smoke from Canada’s wildfires pollutes the air, causing health alerts. She emphasized these environmental challenges, noting that while roses still bloom, peonies are gone.

In his Punjabi poem, Preetpal Singh reminded us about the positive and negative aspects and unique flavors of every season. He said we should focus on the positive and enjoy every season, especially summer.  Amandeep Singh recited his Punjabi song, “Aye Bahar de Badala” (ਐ ਬਹਾਰ ਦੇ ਬੱਦਲਾ), in trannum, a plea to the clouds of the rainy season to shower his backyard and bring back hopes, dreams, and his lost friends.

Bijoy Misra closed the poetry portion of the event by reciting a few verses (shlokas) from the Atharva Veda called Bhoomi Sukta (भूमिसूक्तम् - अथर्ववेद १२।१) and their translation, a tribute to Mother Earth.

Hail to Mother Earth! Hail to life’s breath!

Hail to Planet Earth! Hail to Mother’s strength!

Truth and Order, Duties and Rigor, uphold this sweet Earth!

She is the Lord of all that exists, I pray to her to fill my hearth! 

Ghazal Exploration and Book Presentation

The second segment of the program included the presentation of Nitin Patil’s new book of ghazals, “Sukhan Ka Safar” (सुख़न का सफ़र), or “A Journey of Poetry.”

The program's special highlight was an insightful exploration of the ghazal, a lyrical form of poetry with roots in the Arabic language that was later adapted by Persian, Urdu, and other Indian poets. Before introducing Nitin and releasing his book, Shahab Ahmad provided a beautiful and pertinent introduction to the Urdu Ghazal and its history and structure, explaining key terms like Qafia, Radif, Matla, Maqta, and Baher. He emphasized that each couplet (sher) within a ghazal is a complete, self-contained thought. He further explained that ghazal poetry encapsulates the intensity of waiting, hope, despair, loss, romantic love, and the simplicity of life. He provided examples from master Urdu poets, including Ghalib, Meer, and Faiz.  He noted that a ghazal is not only romantic but can also portray political and other feelings, as penned by Hasrat Mohini in the following couplet from prison:

ہے مشقِ سخن جاری چکی کی مشقت بھی

اک طُرفہ تماشا ہے حسرت کی طبیعت بھی

(Oh “Hasrat” you got a unique soul, who can continue to recite romantic poetry,

while doing hard labor on stone mill!)

He then introduced Mr. Patil, his book, and his work. Nitin Patil, who writes under the pen name “Nadeem,” is also a filmmaker and writer.  Mr. Patil then recited several ghazals from his book, captivating the audience with verses that explored feelings of life, love, and self-reflection. Below are some couplets from his ghazals:

त'आरुफ़ में अपने क्या कहूँ ज़र्रा हूँ आफ़ताब नहीं

ना उसकी मिसाल है गर तो मेरा भी जवाब नहीं

(What should I say in my introduction? I am a speck, not the sun,

If there is no other example of him, then I'm unique, too.) 

मैंने हर पन्ना पलटा हर लफ़्ज़ को छू के देखा

सीखा सभी से पर ज़िंदगी सी तो कोई किताब नहीं

(I turned every page, touched every word,

I learned from everyone, but no book is like life.)

उन दिलों को ना ठुकराओ जो प्यार ही बरसाए फ़क़त

उन दिलों को सहलाओ जिन में कोई भी ख़्वाब नहीं

(Don't reject those hearts that shower love only,

Caress those hearts that don't have any dreams.)

इस दस्तूर-ए-हयात से ख़्वाब बहुत छोटे हैं

किताबें हैं बड़ीं मेरे हाथ बहुत छोटे हैं

(My dreams are tiny in front of the customs of life,

Books are big, but my hands are small.)

Nitin is a wonderful and humble poet, and the following couplet highlights his humble approach to poetry: "Whether I could write good poetry or not / But I have tested my luck!"

अब अच्छी सुख़न ‘नदीम’ मिले न मिले

हमने तो मुक़द्दर बस आज़मा लिया

This quarterly SAPNE meeting was meaningful and memorable. Neena Wahi, a participant poet, described it as fostering a supportive community, creativity, and emotional healing with its collective aura of all the wonderful poems, poets, and audience.

Prem Nagar helped with the logistics of the virtual meeting.

A recording of the program is at https://youtu.be/CgXuFBc1zow  

SAPNE  https://southasiapoets.wixsite.com/sapne  is a wing of India Discovery Center  https://www.indiadiscoverycenter.org, an educational initiative.  Poets can contact Amandeep Singh amanysingh@gmail.com or Bijoy Misra misra.bijoy@gmail.com to join the group.

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