A VIEW OF VITASTA AT BADYAAR BALA NEAR LAL DED SCHOOL AND AN EIGHT LINE POEM OF DINA NATH NAADIM

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                           

A NEW FORM FOR KASHMIRI POETRY CREATED BY DINA NATH NAADIM . POEM IN EIGHT LINES . . NOT A SONNET NOT A HAIKU AS SOME PEOPLE CALL IT .NAADIM AGAIN TOUCHES CHEKHOV'S THOUGHT LEVEL THROUGH THESE SIMPLE 8 LINES.THE

LINES BEAR ELEMENTS OF EXISTENTIALIST THOUGHT AS WELL.


Boota Khoraa Aukh Vateey Peuth Peyomutt
Aasaa vahaarith Chhaaraan Treish
Hoonaa Aukh Aav Lamnaa Karnuss
Fuchmaech Buthi Khanjee Deutnuss Feish
Daalaa Dith Neun Naali Akiss Munz
Treish Hatiss devaa Az Footee Treish
Seeraa Aukh Vutsch baddi hatee Kaenee Kunn
Tse Ti Ad khuraa Baaetti Mahaarein


With its mouth open . a shoe lay on the road ,
Desperately needing to quench its thirst.
A dog passed by , Pulled it out ,
turned its dirty face upside down.
Looking here and there ,
thinking possibly to give water to the thirsty ,
The dog carried the shoe to a nearby drain.
Behold ! A brick jumped at this scene and said loudly to the stone nearby:
"You are just a Part of the whole .
I happen to be complete and wholesome."
( Rendered to English from original kashmiri by Autar Mota )


These lines of naadim have a vast scope for interpretation. One that comes to my mind could be as under :-

Visited by circumstances and add to this the denial of freedom of choice , Who is not like a shoe thrown on the road needing support and help even for fundamental needs of existence ? The helplessness of the shoe is touching. In our society ,Such human beings live purely at the  mercy of  notice and attention by others . They need appropriate time and space to get this mercy translated to real action .

The support, at times may come from the unexpected quarters like the dog who carries the shoe to the drain. This support simultaneously provokes others around who feel a strange denial of attention to them .
See what the brick satirically says to the stone. Yes the brick though delicate appears to be complete . It is wholesome apparently. Something can be made a part of it . it is certainly not part of something.The stone , Even being stronger is part of the whole . Incomplete . This issue has also been touched by Jean Paul sartre . In simpler terms, i add that Stronger human beings can also be incomplete or part of the whole .
I might have bored some readers with my notes to these lines . Can't help .These eight lines, looking simple apparently ,are actually meant for a serious reader . I need to add some more poetry to conclude.These lines were composed by Naadim sahib for the opera VITASTA( JHELUM RIVER )

Sangaruvv gaash Heyot lolee lalvunn ye
Veuth aayee saaluss soan Ye
Thadee Thadee Heytoss Zeuooth Vanvunn ye
Veuth aayee saaluss soan Ye

( Dina Nath Naadim )

The Mountain tops are cuddling sunlight in their lap
Lo and behold ! Here comes Vitastaa for a feast to our land .
Come let us sing loudly in her praise and welfare ,
Here comes Vitastaa for a feast to our land .

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.