BUMBRO BUMBRO SHAAM RANG BUMBO

                                                                        

POET DINA NATH NAADIM (1916-1988 ) WITH STAFF OF LAL DED SCHOOL BADYAAR BALA SRINAGAR KASHMIR..

A steadfast  attachment to Kashmir

Aadunuk Badaam Hue,

Maaji Hundh Momm Daam Hue

Gaam Pyethaa Yetchkaael Vothhumut *Treil Hyaathh  Zunn Maam Hue,

Assi wattan Rut Gaam Hue.

( Dina Nath Naadim )

Like the  fresh Almond fruit of the season ,

Or a  mouthful of  milk  from mother’s breast  for a child,

Like the maternal uncle , After long time ,bringing Treil fruit

from his village Orchard ,

Our country is like a beautiful Village .

( *Treil is Small late  Autumn fruit  in Kashmir resembling an Apple. It is very small in size , juicy and tastes like an apple. )

                                                                    

                                      (Poet Dina Nath Naadim during his tour to china..)

 It is widely believed that Naadim  saw the Chinese Opera--’White Haired Girl’ and was highly impressed. He also wanted to do something similar  in kashmiri . This idea he shared with his friends like  Moti lal Kemmu ,Mohan Lal Aima, Pran Kishore, G R Santosh, Noor Mohd  Roshan, Pushkar Bhan, Aziz Haroon and many more. And so was the  Opera BOMBUR TA YEMBERZAL ( The Bumble Bee  and the Narcissus flower ) conceived , composed  and  delivered  by him.

Five words from this opera  spread  to the entire length and breadth of the country . From hills of   Arunachal Pradesh  to   the sand dunes of Jaisalmer or  from  of the  Cold desert of Ladakh   to the habitation on  the shores of  Arbian sea  , I found “  BOMBURO BUMBURO SHAAM  RANG BOMBURO ” popular thanks  to  Vidhu Vinod Chopra who  used it for a song sequence  in his movie Mission kashmir.  

Combined with music , these words created an enthusiasm that made people  dance  .  

Yemberzali Aavij Zaavij Thuff Dithh ,

Tsolmut Chhu Traet Toofaano .

Bomburuss Yemberzal Beyee Samkhaavon ,

Nerunn Prein Armaano ,

Toofaan Shaitaan Neri Zung Fatrith .

Saavon Munz madaano .

Bomburo Bomburo Shaam Rung Bomburo ,

Kyaazi Chhukh Yoot Naalano.

Haal Baav Panunuy Haa Shaam sondharo ,

Ais Karroy Jaan Qurbaano .

( Dina Nath Naadim )

 My simple english rendering of the above lines is as under ...

“ O Delicate Narcissus! uptil now ,

 You Have undergone  pain and suffering alone  .”

 And  now We shall ensure your meeting  Bummble Bee  ,

 To  fulfill all your pent up  desires  .

This Satanic tempest visiting our Garden at the moment ,

Shall disappear shortly to die down in some open field.

O Bumble Bee  !  Bumble Bee ! O Dusky  Bumble Bee  !

Why do thee lament so much  ?.

Tell us  your woes

O dusky soul,

We shall sacrifice this

Life for you.”

So sang Maswal ( Iris ) Gul e Laala ( Tulip ) and many other flowers in the  Opera  “Bombur Te Yemberzal “ of Dina Nath Naadim  depicting romance of Bumble Bee and Narcissus flower  …

                                                                          

                           ( Poet Naadim With Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah in srinagar  )

And then the Poems of Naadim have all the essential features of Great Poetry . To me these features appear as unique perspective ,original creativity ,images that ignite senses ,Direct Rhyme that flows like a river and Internal music. In almost all poems , the poet is using original ideas to put forth his creativity . No  rhetoric. The end stops used by the poet in some of the poems are Fantastic and so effective that the reader is compelled to stop and ponder . His method of creating indirect Rhyme is superb that creates subtle echo of the sound . Naadim has also made unique usage of the soothing sound words that target our senses . The sound of chirping birds . The sound of flowing streams. The sound of water falls. The sound of wind blowing. So many sounds words. The assonance and consonance created by the internal music of his poems goes deeper and deeper to the senses of the reader or listener ..

                                                                       

                                                   (  Poet Naadim in Moscow  )

Soann Siendh Sangar Roapp Koahh Maalai

Marg Ta Baal Tchhei  Poashei  Poash

Koall Raavaan Amrit Naett Naarey

Yuthh Reishi Vaarie Vitasta  Raatchh

              

(  Lines From kashmiri Opera Vitasta  by Dina nath naadim )

Golden are your Mountains And silvery are the peaks

The Hills and the valleys are nothing but flowers .

Pitcher loads  of Nectar  flows down your streams ,

 And here flows river  Vitasta, the   Guardian of  this land of Rishis..

                                                                      

In 1964, Naadim wrote a poem “.Radhee Vaalei Sunz Hakh ”. or “The call of the Waste   Buyer ( Kabaadi )” . The poem may sound ordinary to a casual reader.This is the story of the man who is supposed to overlook how some turned rich overnight . This common man trapped in the commodity market also requires him  to overlook someone selling short . And this  market  is  driven by utility and expediency concept alone . If  any one amongst us  has no utility and is  not expedient , he  should  prepare himself to be sold like the waste of old Newspapers . ………….

                                                                

Zeiv rehunn kariv Guftaar Kaeniev

Radhee kaagaz Akhbaar Kaeniev

Hoeumm Kaetee ounn Athh Kathhie Sannie Beqal

Yaemm Kunn Chhonn Yiss Kuthh Vannie Beqal

Khonvuth Khodd Kyaa Kyaa Khannie Beqal

Praethh Kaanh Kuthh Chhuvv Phir Phyaar Kaeniv

Radhee Kagaz akhbaar Kaeniv.

( Dina Nath Naadim )

 My simple english rendering of the above lines is as under ....

Mortgage your tongue and sell your speech ,

Sell this waste ! Sell it like Old newspapers or used Paper.

“How that man gained this wealth !”

Whosoever thinks this issue is a fool.. .

“This man sells short  in his Trade ! “

Only a fool shall say so .

O Yes that man who works hard unnecessarily is also a fool ?

All these words are foolish and are beyond our understanding ,

So why not sell now.

Sell this waste !

Sell it like Old newspapers or used Paper.

     
                                                                         

                                              ( Poet Dina Nath Naaadim )
Assi Gayee az taam subahheikk braaent

Yoat Taam nukhaa voat mandienien shaam..

( Dina Nath Naadim )

We kept thinking that it was A Dawn time for us

Till the evening knocked to declare Day end.

And  Naadim always  felt  that the march  of life   has to go on  ..

Assi chhu Vaeinee Kotaah Kotaah Pakunn

Assi Chhu Hutie Huthh Aasamaanus Juut Karuun…

( Dina Nath Naadim )

We have still to go   and  go   too far ,

There, That sky we aim  to touch  …..

                                                                         

( Poet Dina Nath Naadim with another kashmiri Poet Gh Nabi Firaq  on his right and Well known Painter G R Santosh on his left .In this photo  Pran Kishore ji , Rafiq Raaz and Shri M Y Teng as well )

.. If Hindi poet  Harivansh Rai Bachan calls the spectacle  of  morning as  “Aa Rahi Ravi Ki Savaari ”, see what Naadim has to say…

The darkness was attacked by the first beam of light  and away did it  move . Light started  pouring in from   all directions then  . The sun acted like *Kaam Deva  to defeat  the demon of darkness  paving way for the  morning  to arrive …

Siyaahi Guvv Vachhuss Zeuss Noor  Voatleuvv

Hupaaer khoat Kaamdeev Vulamaniey Pahaadus ..

( Dina Nath Naadim )

My simple English rendering of the lines is as under ..

The beams dug a well in the bosom of Darkness ,

 For  daylight  to  spread   all  around .

Behold ! There emerges Kaam Deva ( Sun ) climbing  the Mountain..

*  Kaamdeva can be traced in some verses of Rigveda , Atharveda and Puranas . Every kashmiri poet even from the  Sufi or Mystic  genre has used the word symbolically. Kaamdeva is a god of love and  desire . Its companions are a cuckoo, a parrot , soft breeze and spring season. Some scriptures also describe it as a god that intervened for  consummation of Shiva’s   union with Parvati for the birth of Kartiekya . Kartikeya killed the  demon Tarakasur . Tarkasur  had been troubling many Rishis and Brahma had advised Indra that only shiva’s son could kill the demon.

( Autar Mota 09.12.2013)

PS

Dr Ayaz rasool Nazki informs :

"Bombur yemberzal, opera by Dina Nath Nadim was translated into Persian by none other than celebrated Tajik author Mirza Tarsonzadeh. I have a copy of the translation. "

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