Pashto literature and poetry

Pashto literature () refers to literature and poetry in Pashto.

History The history of Pashto literature spreads over five thousands years having its roots in the oral tradition of Tappa (Pashto: ټپه/لنډۍ). However, the first recorded period begins in 8th century with Amir Kror Suri (a warrior poet). Later, Pir Roshan (1526–1574), 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 (1533–1615), 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 (A Directory of Pakhtoon Men of Letters) 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 EnglishNotesمتل matálپه رومي پښتو کښې pə romí pәx̌to keانګرېزۍ کښې مانا angrezә́i ke mānā́مور 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 otherکار په کولو کیږيKār pə kəwəlo kiʒiWork is done by doing itهر څه چې ډېر شي نو ګنډېر شيhar tsә če ḍér ši no ganḍér ši When anything becomes allot it becomes poisonousګنډېر [ganḍér]= a bitter poisonous plantغوا که توره ده, شيدې يې سپينې ديğwā kә tóra da šidé ye spíne diAlthough a cow be black, her milk is whiteواده 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 [ṭak-ṭúk] = the sound when two small things bang against each other; to denote working on small tasksد وچو سره لامده هم سوځيdə wә́čo sәrá lāmdә́ ham swadzíThe wet too burn with the dryژرنده 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 turnتورې ته ګېنډې نيسه خبرو ته تندی نيسهtúre tə genḍé nisá, xabә́ro tə tandáy nisáHold the shield to the sword, the forehead to wordsګېنډه [genḍá] = rhino; as its skin is hard so shields would be made from itپاړو د مار له لاسه مريpāṛú dә mār lə lā́sa mríThe snake charmer dies because of the snakeپه ګوهار کښې به يې سخی نه وي وايي به زموږ د کلي ګوهار هغه دیpə 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 [gohā́r] =herd of cattleپيشو زبرګه شوه منږک نه نيسيpišó zbә́rga šwa manǵák nә nisíThe cat has become holy/saintly, she does not catch mice.زبرګ [zbәrg] = saintچېرته خوله چېرته څنګلčérta xwla čérta tsangә́lWhere (be) the mouth (and) where (be) 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 [ográ] = a Pashtun dish made by boiling rice

Notable figures Amir Kror Suri, son of Amir Polad Suri, he was an 8th-century folk hero and king from the Ghor region of Afghanistan. Pir Roshan, Pashto poet known for assembling Pashtun armies to fight against the Mughal emperor Akbar; founded the 16th-century Roshanniya movement and wrote the Pashto book Khayr al-Bayān to present his philosophical ideas. Shaikh Mali, narrated the Yusufzai conquest of Swat, and devised rules for distribution of land and water rights which became known as da Shekh Mālī daftar. Khushal Khan Khattak, 17th-century warrior-poet who preached the unity of all Pashtuns. Rahman Baba (c. 1632 - c. 1706), one of the greatest Pashto poets of all time, whose works are as important to the Pashtun as William Shakespeare is to the English; his works are spiritual. Khan Abdul Ghani Khan, (c. 1914–1996), Pashtun philosopher and Pashto language poet, artist (painter and sculptor), writer and Pashtun nationalist politician of the 20th century. He was a son of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and older brother of Khan Abdul Wali Khan. Afzal Khan Khattak Ashraf Khan Khattak Ajmal Khattak Pareshan Khattak Khan Roshan Khan Nazoo Anaa Ghani Khan Hamza Baba Kabir Stori Raj Wali Shah Khattak Karwan Ahmad Shah Baba Shah Shuja Timur Shah Abaseen Yousafzai Hamza Shinwari Riaz Tasneem Sahib Shah Sabir

Pashto literature and poetry

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