Punjabi Literature: From Baba Farid to Amrita Pritam
A short tour of Punjabi literature, including its sacred poetry, Sufi poets, the Heer epic and modern writers.
Punjabi has one of South Asia's richest literary traditions.
Early poetry: Baba Farid
ਬਾਬਾ ਫ਼ਰੀਦ (Sheikh Farid, 12th–13th century) is often regarded as one of the earliest major poets of Punjabi. Verses (ਸਲੋਕ) attributed to him are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Guru Granth Sahib
The ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, the Sikh scripture, is written in Gurmukhi and gathers hymns by the Sikh Gurus and by saints from different backgrounds. It is central to Punjabi religious and literary heritage.
Sufi poets
- ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ (Bulleh Shah, 1680–1757) wrote ਕਾਫ਼ੀਆਂ, mystical verses on love and the divine that remain widely sung.
- ਵਾਰਿਸ ਸ਼ਾਹ (18th century) is famous for his telling of the love story ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ.
Qissa and folk tales
The ਕਿੱਸਾ is a narrative poem. Besides Heer Ranjha, other well-known tales include ਸੱਸੀ ਪੁੰਨੂੰ and ਮਿਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ.
Modern writers
- ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ (1919–2005) wrote poetry and fiction, and is famous for her poem addressed to Waris Shah after the Partition of 1947.
- ਸ਼ਿਵ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਬਟਾਲਵੀ (1936–1973) was a celebrated lyric poet, known for songs of love and longing.
- ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ (1872–1957) was an influential writer and poet of the early modern period.
Words for reading
- ਕਵਿਤਾ — poem
- ਕਹਾਣੀ — story
- ਨਾਵਲ — novel
- ਕਵੀ — poet
Reading in the original
The Gurmukhi script is used for writing Punjabi in India, while Shahmukhi is used in Pakistan. A dictionary helps with older and poetic vocabulary.
Tips
- Start with short poems.
- Read with a dictionary.
- Try lyrics of songs you know.
English Punjabi Dictionary
Offline English–Punjabi dictionary with meanings in proper Gurmukhi script
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