“Ah ! Those days of Poverty.
How good they were!
How light was this heavy frame!
How good that was for us!
A family, A big dish pot and a hearth in the kitchen;
How good all that was!
We, hard workers, A labourer, a carpenter;
How good we were!”
Original Kashmiri
“Gareebi hundh zamaana ouss ru’t ouss
Seythaa loe’t Bhaar paa’na ouss ru’t ouss
Ayaala ,Degh , Dhaana ouss ru’t ouss
Mazoora ouss Chhaana ouss ru’t ouss..
About the poet
Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki (16th March 1910 – 16th April 1998) was a highly accomplished Kashmir poet, writer, broadcaster, and educator. He exhibited his literary prowess through a diverse range of books, encompassing poetry in regional and foreign languages such as Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and later in the Kashmiri language.
Recognized for his exceptional work, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his mesmerizing collection of Kashmiri poetry titled “Awaz-e-dost’.
Notably, he also holds the distinction of being the ‘first Kashmiri writer’ to contribute to the literature of the Republic of India. Furthermore, he revived the quatrain poetic form in Kashmiri literature, a tradition that originated during the thirteen and fourteenth centuries with notable poets like Lal Ded and Nand Reshi.
Mir Gulam Rasool Nazki’s compositions covered a wide array of subjects and poetic genres, including ruba’i, spiritualism, moral philosophy, gazals, aesthetics, and satire.