Pashto literature and poetry


Pashto literature refers to literature and poetry in Pashto language.

History

The history of Pashto literature spreads over five thousands years having its roots in the oral tradition of Tappa. However, the first recorded period begins in 8th century with Amir Kror Suri. Later, Pir Roshan, who founded his own Sufi school of thoughts and began to preach his beliefs. He gave Pashto prose and poetry a new and powerful tone with a rich literary legacy. Khair-ul-Bayan, oft-quoted and bitterly criticized thesis, is most probably the first book on Sufism in Pashto literature. Among his disciples are some of the most distinguished poets, writers, scholars and sufis, like Arzani, Mukhlis, Mirza Khan Ansari, Daulat and Wasil, whose poetic works are well preserved. Akhund Darweza, a popular religious leader and scholar gave a powerful counterblast to Bayazid’s movement in the shape of Makhzanul Islam. He and his disciples have enriched the Pashto language and literature by writing several books of prose.

Number of writers

Among the bibliographies and biographical dictionaries of Pashtun writers, an important work is Hamish Khalil's Da Qalam Khawandaan containing the profiles of over 3,000 Pashto-language writers in both prose and poetry who lived between 1800 and 1975.

Literary magazines

As of 2009 there were more than 100 literary magazines in Pashto published in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Proverbs

Here is a list of Pashto Proverbs :
ProverbIn Roman PashtoMeaning in EnglishNotes
متل
matál		په رومي پښتو کښې
pə romí pәx̌to ke		انګرېزۍ کښې مانا
angrezә́i ke mānā́		Notes
مور په يولاس زانګو او په بل لاس نړۍ زانګويmor pə yaw lās zāngó aw pə bəl lās naṛә́i zāngawíA mother rocks the cradle with one hand and the world with the other
کار په کولو کیږيKār pə kəwəlo kiʒiWork is done by doing it
هر څه چې ډېر شي نو ګنډېر شيhar tsә če ḍér ši no ganḍér šiWhen anything becomes allot it becomes poisonousګنډېر
= a bitter poisonous plant
غوا که توره ده, شيدې يې سپينې ديğwā kә tóra da šidé ye spíne diAlthough a cow be black, her milk is white
واده اسان وي خو ټک ټوک يې ګران ويwādә́ asā́n wi xo ṭak-ṭúk ye grān wiA wedding is easy but its workings are hardټک ټوک
= the sound when two small things bang against each other; to denote working on small tasks
د وچو سره لامده هم سوځيdə wә́čo sәrá lāmdә́ ham swadzíThe wet too burn with the dry
ژرنده که د پلار ده هم په وار دهžránda kә dә plār da ham pә wār daEven if the mill is of father, it is by turn
تورې ته ګېنډې نيسه خبرو ته تندی نيسهtúre tə genḍé nisá, xabә́ro tə tandáy nisáHold the shield to the sword, the forehead to wordsګېنډه = rhino; as its skin is hard so shields would be made from it
پاړو د مار له لاسه مريpāṛú dә mār lə lā́sa mríThe snake charmer dies because of the snake
په ګوهار کښې به يې سخی نه وي
وايي به زموږ د کلي ګوهار هغه دی		pə gohā́r ke bə ye sxay nə wi. wā́yi bә zamuǵ də kalí gohā́r háğa dayIn the herd he will not have calf. But will keep on saying: that is the herd of our villageګوهار
=herd of cattle
پيشو زبرګه شوه منږک نه نيسيpišó zbә́rga šwa manǵák nә nisíThe cat has become holy/saintly, she does not catch mice.زبرګ
= saint
چېرته خوله چېرته څنګلčérta xwla čérta tsangә́lWhere the mouth where the elbow ?To point out contrast: as most people cannot touch the elbow with the mouth
چې اوګره سړېږي مېلمه ډېرېږيče ográ saṛéǵi melmә́ ḍeréǵiWhen the rice porridge cools the guests increaseاوګره
= a Pashtun dish made by boiling rice

Notable figures