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Songs of Love and War: Afghan Women's Poetry
The preeminent Afghan poet of the twentieth century, Sayd Bahodine Majrouh, has here collected the songs of anonymous Pashtun women from the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
These landays consist of two-line verses of nine and thirteen syllables. Their brevity and rhythm are meant to catch the ear. Village women improvise landays as they gather water from springs and when they dance and sing at weddings, with the most resonant of them claimed by their collective memory.
As part of an oral tradition, these poems avoid the complex, mystical, and abstract forms of their cultural canon. There is no aspiration whatsoever toward an unfathomable and incommunicable heaven, nor devotion to the lord, nor praise for an absolute master, nor any Adonis. To the contrary these poems are songs of the earth.
Here the active voice of the Afghan woman affirms simple pleasures and bemoans widespread suffering. The poems celebrate nature, mountains, rivers, dawn, and night's magnetic space. They are songs of war and honor, shame and love, death and beauty.
These landays consist of two-line verses of nine and thirteen syllables. Their brevity and rhythm are meant to catch the ear. Village women improvise landays as they gather water from springs and when they dance and sing at weddings, with the most resonant of them claimed by their collective memory.
As part of an oral tradition, these poems avoid the complex, mystical, and abstract forms of their cultural canon. There is no aspiration whatsoever toward an unfathomable and incommunicable heaven, nor devotion to the lord, nor praise for an absolute master, nor any Adonis. To the contrary these poems are songs of the earth.
Here the active voice of the Afghan woman affirms simple pleasures and bemoans widespread suffering. The poems celebrate nature, mountains, rivers, dawn, and night's magnetic space. They are songs of war and honor, shame and love, death and beauty.
- GenresPoetryAnthologies
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 23, 2012
غدا
الجياع من عشاقي سيشبعون
إذ أني سأعبر القرية
بوجه حسير
وبشَعر متروك للريح
***
في يدي وردة تذبل
فأنا لا أعرف لمن أعطيها في هذه الارض الغريبة
***
مرّر يدك بهدوء في تجويف يدي
ما إن أزهر رمان حتى نضج
***
خذنـي أولاً بــيـن ذراعـيـك واحـتـضــنّـي
بـعـدهــا يـمـكـنـك الارتـبـاط بـفـخذيّ الحـريـريـتيـن
***
ينزلق سروالي ذو اللون الناري عن ساقي
يقول قلبي لي أنك ستكون هنا هذه الليلة، ربما غدا
***
حبيبي عقد على عنقي
قد أسير عارية لكني لا أبقى لحظة بلا عقد
...
March 29, 2014
Já não me lembro onde comprei ou porque comprei este livro, mas ainda bem que o comprei.
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh, intelectual e poeta afegão, reúne neste pequeno livro um conjunto de landays ou cantos de natureza oral da autoria de mulheres pashtun, um grupo étnico afegão. Majrouh percorre, primeiro na companhia da irmã, aldeias pashtun onde esta poesia de transgressão lhe é finalmente revelada e por ele coligida; mais tarde, vagueia em campos de refugiados no Paquistão, dando continuidade ao trabalho interrompido graças à instabilidade política na região. E não se limita a revelar os landays, comenta-os, enquadrando o leitor naquele tão distante universo onde a mulher, aparentemente, não tem voz.
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh dá-nos a conhecer a identidade da mulher pashtun através do seu canto, da sua voz plena de vontade. Uma voz consciente do seu lugar no mundo. Do silêncio a que os maridos escolhidos pela família as votavam, emerge uma melodia breve mas intensa onde a mulher pashtun canta o verdadeiro amor e o verdadeiro amado, os encontros fortuitos, o desejo que a consome, a revolta contra o destino cruel, o sonho da revelação e da fuga, a ignomínia do cárcere em que vive.
Alguns exemplos:
“Em segredo ardo, em segredo choro
Sou a mulher pashtun que não pode revelar o seu amor”
Ou
“Vem depressa, amor, quero dar-te a minha boca!
Esta noite em sonhos vi-te morto e fiquei louca”
Ou ainda
“Tinha pulseiras, mas não as pus
Agora vou ter com o meu amante sem enfeites, de braços nus”
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh, voz incómoda que deu a conhecer ao mundo estas incómodas manifestações de individualidade feminina pashtun, foi assassinado no exílio em Peshawar no Paquistão em 1988.
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh, intelectual e poeta afegão, reúne neste pequeno livro um conjunto de landays ou cantos de natureza oral da autoria de mulheres pashtun, um grupo étnico afegão. Majrouh percorre, primeiro na companhia da irmã, aldeias pashtun onde esta poesia de transgressão lhe é finalmente revelada e por ele coligida; mais tarde, vagueia em campos de refugiados no Paquistão, dando continuidade ao trabalho interrompido graças à instabilidade política na região. E não se limita a revelar os landays, comenta-os, enquadrando o leitor naquele tão distante universo onde a mulher, aparentemente, não tem voz.
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh dá-nos a conhecer a identidade da mulher pashtun através do seu canto, da sua voz plena de vontade. Uma voz consciente do seu lugar no mundo. Do silêncio a que os maridos escolhidos pela família as votavam, emerge uma melodia breve mas intensa onde a mulher pashtun canta o verdadeiro amor e o verdadeiro amado, os encontros fortuitos, o desejo que a consome, a revolta contra o destino cruel, o sonho da revelação e da fuga, a ignomínia do cárcere em que vive.
Alguns exemplos:
“Em segredo ardo, em segredo choro
Sou a mulher pashtun que não pode revelar o seu amor”
Ou
“Vem depressa, amor, quero dar-te a minha boca!
Esta noite em sonhos vi-te morto e fiquei louca”
Ou ainda
“Tinha pulseiras, mas não as pus
Agora vou ter com o meu amante sem enfeites, de braços nus”
Sayd Bahodine Majrouh, voz incómoda que deu a conhecer ao mundo estas incómodas manifestações de individualidade feminina pashtun, foi assassinado no exílio em Peshawar no Paquistão em 1988.
October 15, 2014
عندما أقرأ شعر البشتونيّات، أشعر كأنّي وجدت نبتة حبَق بكامل عبقها تحت الرّدم، البشتونيّات هربن من واقع لئيم، متزمّت، و ممّا أعجَبني:
إمّا أن تكون على صدري دائمًا
وإلا فالأفضل أن تكون بين ذراعي الأرض المعتمتين.
...
خذنـي أولاً بــيـن ذراعـيـك واحـتـضــنّـي
بـعـدهــا يـمـكـنـك الارتـبـاط بـفـخذيّ الحـريـريـتيـن
...
مرّر يدك بهدوء في تجويف يديّ
ما إن أزهر رمَّان حتى نضج
...
أعطِني يدك
يا حبيبي
و لِنرحل إلى الحقول
لكي نتبادل الحب
أو نتهاوى معًا
تحت الطّعنات
...
يا حبيبي!
اذهب و اثأر،
أولًا،
لدماء الشُّهداء
قبل ان تستحق
اللُّجوء الى نهديّ
...
أيّتها الأرض ضريبتك كبيرة
تفترسين الشَّبيبة و تتركين الأسرّة قاحلة
...
ضع فمك على فمي
و لكن اترك لساني طليقًا ليحدّثك عن الحب
إمّا أن تكون على صدري دائمًا
وإلا فالأفضل أن تكون بين ذراعي الأرض المعتمتين.
...
خذنـي أولاً بــيـن ذراعـيـك واحـتـضــنّـي
بـعـدهــا يـمـكـنـك الارتـبـاط بـفـخذيّ الحـريـريـتيـن
...
مرّر يدك بهدوء في تجويف يديّ
ما إن أزهر رمَّان حتى نضج
...
أعطِني يدك
يا حبيبي
و لِنرحل إلى الحقول
لكي نتبادل الحب
أو نتهاوى معًا
تحت الطّعنات
...
يا حبيبي!
اذهب و اثأر،
أولًا،
لدماء الشُّهداء
قبل ان تستحق
اللُّجوء الى نهديّ
...
أيّتها الأرض ضريبتك كبيرة
تفترسين الشَّبيبة و تتركين الأسرّة قاحلة
...
ضع فمك على فمي
و لكن اترك لساني طليقًا ليحدّثك عن الحب
September 10, 2022
I can only bow in respect for the Pashtun women...
The book shed a lights on a unknown folk poetry that developed naturally with the least influence by any glorious poetry school in the region, the wisdom of the illiterate transferred and preserved through the echo of Nomads mountains shows a unique example of ( women's only ) literature، where a different concept of death, love, sex, war and many other life matters appears, addressing many issues as toxic masculinity and criticise men world, for once i see a literature where men are no heros, shamed and mocked, i was inspired by how after life -one of the most important honor code in every peotry school in the region - did not appear either mentioned in a 100% feminine literature, which makes me think.
The book is written by Dr Majrouh, a character that actually deserve a lot to say about, i choose not to, this is a book about women, i am personally thankful for all those who worked on the book, it is one of two books about Landay, i advice to read it, its good to see the perspective of east feminism, their are a lot to learn..
I would like to post one Landay i choose, one makes me smile and maybe laugh, first ( little horror ) is the arranged marriage husband charector name in Landay's, at least in this book, this Landay's says:
My love, jump into the bed with me and do not fear,
If should be break the " the little horror " is there for the repair.
The book shed a lights on a unknown folk poetry that developed naturally with the least influence by any glorious poetry school in the region, the wisdom of the illiterate transferred and preserved through the echo of Nomads mountains shows a unique example of ( women's only ) literature، where a different concept of death, love, sex, war and many other life matters appears, addressing many issues as toxic masculinity and criticise men world, for once i see a literature where men are no heros, shamed and mocked, i was inspired by how after life -one of the most important honor code in every peotry school in the region - did not appear either mentioned in a 100% feminine literature, which makes me think.
The book is written by Dr Majrouh, a character that actually deserve a lot to say about, i choose not to, this is a book about women, i am personally thankful for all those who worked on the book, it is one of two books about Landay, i advice to read it, its good to see the perspective of east feminism, their are a lot to learn..
I would like to post one Landay i choose, one makes me smile and maybe laugh, first ( little horror ) is the arranged marriage husband charector name in Landay's, at least in this book, this Landay's says:
My love, jump into the bed with me and do not fear,
If should be break the " the little horror " is there for the repair.
November 2, 2024
M'ha impressionat la claretat dels landais, el fet que siguin tant explícits.
És interessant llegir el poemari durant, abans i després d'haver escoltat 'El suïcidi i el cant' de Tarta Relena. El problema d'aquestes obres i de l'editorial Karwan és que és de difícil aproximació. T'hi han d'introduïr. Això sí, ho fa més especial. A mi em sembla meravellosa la forma en què m'han fet descobrir ambdues obres.
És interessant llegir el poemari durant, abans i després d'haver escoltat 'El suïcidi i el cant' de Tarta Relena. El problema d'aquestes obres i de l'editorial Karwan és que és de difícil aproximació. T'hi han d'introduïr. Això sí, ho fa més especial. A mi em sembla meravellosa la forma en què m'han fet descobrir ambdues obres.
April 27, 2023
Extra star for the poetry. The commentary was atrocious, read as distinctly male, imperialist. It made me wonder about the translations and interpretations of the actual landays.
September 22, 2023
Terrorífic, quin món més trist que l'home instaura arreu. A Occident ens sembla que vivim en una bombolla, il.lusos, però el masclisme defineix i guia el camí de la gran majoria de la humanitat. Ens hi arrosega...
Parafrasejant Majrouh:
Llavors ho va saber.
Dels fons dels horitzons, mai
no sorgiria l'errant profeta, el viatger
que assenyalaria amb l'índex vers l'infinit
l'objectiu, incandescent,
la veu, transparenta,
la llum, inaccesible.
Va saber llavors quin era
el camí únic,
el que havia de fer,
el que restava:
anar de cap a dins l'antre de les tenebres.
Parafrasejant Majrouh:
Llavors ho va saber.
Dels fons dels horitzons, mai
no sorgiria l'errant profeta, el viatger
que assenyalaria amb l'índex vers l'infinit
l'objectiu, incandescent,
la veu, transparenta,
la llum, inaccesible.
Va saber llavors quin era
el camí únic,
el que havia de fer,
el que restava:
anar de cap a dins l'antre de les tenebres.
September 13, 2022
Sat down, began to read, finished the whole book, hours were gone but they felt like seconds
October 8, 2023
Una realidad muy dura, a veces tomada con humor. El epílogo da sentido al recopilatorio y es muy necesario, cosa que no siempre pasa con los epílogos. Aunque yo no compararía al autor con Lorca.
Read
January 11, 2025Powerful and humbling
May 24, 2011
I enjoyed this book very much as an alternative collection of voices emerging from Afghanistan. Although there are a few criticism I would venture to articulate in more detail somewhere else, these are overshadowed by the simple fact that these poems are made accessible to me and many others who are interested in an alternative narrative to popular conceptions of Afghanistan as a weak and victimized populace, as in Khaled Hosseini's, The Kite Runner (2003) or Greg Mortenson's, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time (2006).
I think what is important when reading this collection of oral poems is to read them as powerful expressions of the self, not as a lament that often garners pity or sadness for the poet. Even the poems that allude to forced marriage and rape should not render pity for the poet, for they are written for the lover and the loved as a sign of strength.
I recommend this to anyone who is seeking an alternative voice to the media reports, popular narratives and political rhetoric surrounding Afghanistan.
I think what is important when reading this collection of oral poems is to read them as powerful expressions of the self, not as a lament that often garners pity or sadness for the poet. Even the poems that allude to forced marriage and rape should not render pity for the poet, for they are written for the lover and the loved as a sign of strength.
I recommend this to anyone who is seeking an alternative voice to the media reports, popular narratives and political rhetoric surrounding Afghanistan.
March 1, 2018
On the one hand, this is probably the most comprehensive landay collection in English, so if you're interested in regional poetic forms and women's narratives, this is a good resource. On the other, the editor's commentary is fairly atrocious, and a full quarter of the book is taken up with his extended obituary, written by a rather starstruck French poet. It reads a lot like literary dudes patting themselves on the back for being literary and progressive.
There isn't a scrap of irony present when Sayd Bahodine Majrouh writes things like "[the Pashtun woman] is simple and uncomplicated like the pattern of the bare plains." Because of stuff like that, I had to wonder at the translation, which at times felt overly romanticized (a translation of a translation in English, since these were originally translated from Pashto to French).
So, kind of a mixed bag. Imo, this article from The Poetry Foundation is a much better starting point for the context of Afghani women's poetry. Its translations, as well, have a more direct feel to them.
2.5, rounded up for hard to find material.
There isn't a scrap of irony present when Sayd Bahodine Majrouh writes things like "[the Pashtun woman] is simple and uncomplicated like the pattern of the bare plains." Because of stuff like that, I had to wonder at the translation, which at times felt overly romanticized (a translation of a translation in English, since these were originally translated from Pashto to French).
So, kind of a mixed bag. Imo, this article from The Poetry Foundation is a much better starting point for the context of Afghani women's poetry. Its translations, as well, have a more direct feel to them.
2.5, rounded up for hard to find material.
September 24, 2019
5* for the poems themselves, 1* for the commentary!! :(
June 8, 2022
I have been trying to get hold of a copy of this one since 2018. And finally I got one. A very unique form of poetry. They are called #landays in which each poem is like couplet but not necessarily rhyming pair of lines. The first line usually has 9 syllables and second line has 13. This style of poetry emerged in oral traditions of #Afghanistan which means it is not formally taught but have been practiced by native #Pashtuns for many decades (or even centuries!). Especially #PashtunWomen who sort of found "brief" refuge in these "landays" to express themselves which otherwise they are rarely allowed to be free or liberated in their community. Each landay is a simple expression but contains multitude of emotions that can be inferred by readers from different perspectives. This way each couplet becomes a story or a tale or an epic or a legend in itself!
I should not call it amazing as that would mean being insensitive to the circumstances that forced these women to compose such poems. However late #SaydBahoudineMajrouh's compilation and this translation is worth appreciating for enabling readers to know about such unique expressions of love and war!
I should not call it amazing as that would mean being insensitive to the circumstances that forced these women to compose such poems. However late #SaydBahoudineMajrouh's compilation and this translation is worth appreciating for enabling readers to know about such unique expressions of love and war!
October 15, 2026
غدا
الجياع من عشاقي سيشبعون
إذ أني سأعبر القرية
بوجه حسير
وبشَعر متروك للريح
***
في يدي وردة تذبل
فأنا لا أعرف لمن أعطيها في هذه الارض الغريبة
***
مرّر يدك بهدوء في تجويف يدي
ما إن أزهر رمان حتى نضج
***
خذنـي أولاً بــيـن ذراعـيـك واحـتـضــنّـي
بـعـدهــا يـمـكـنـك الارتـبـاط بـفـخذيّ الحـريـريـتيـن
***
ينزلق سروالي ذو اللون الناري عن ساقي
يقول قلبي لي أنك ستكون هنا هذه الليلة، ربما غدا
***
حبيبي عقد على عنقي
قد أسير عارية لكني لا أبقى لحظة بلا عقد
...
January 31, 2025
Sounds like a PsyOps and his bio checks out.
The book is either poorly translated or the poems are just bland. The most disconcerning trait is the authors constant commenting on everything on the book. The anthology is made, let the poetry speak for itself instead of wanting to explain every single word that the woman has said.
The book is either poorly translated or the poems are just bland. The most disconcerning trait is the authors constant commenting on everything on the book. The anthology is made, let the poetry speak for itself instead of wanting to explain every single word that the woman has said.
December 27, 2023
I LOVE this poetry collection… landay collections are so hard to find and whenever I am lucky enough to read one they always knock me off my feet. I recommend this book to all my friends interested in poetry, love, and women’s experiences and narration through the generations!
Read
October 12, 2023Increïble sentir tan llunyanes i tan properes les veus d'aquests versos.
May 9, 2025
Beautiful!! Felt like finding a rare historic treasure when reading the book. Though landays were translated by a man, and also the commentary made by men
April 8, 2026
The poems themselves are beautiful, and I loved the afterword, but the commentary in-between wasn't great.
Did Not Finish
September 13, 2026A tradução é péssima.
September 5, 2014
What a wonderful powerful collection and story of how it came to arrive in our hands. I’m very glad I read it. This is primarily a collection of landays (two line poems) by Afghan women. These powerful poems reveal a world of what life is really like in that fractured and beautiful land. The last quarter of the book is a beautiful story of the editor and his life and work which was cut short by a murderer back in February of 1988. But his work had been delivered and was published - to the great joy of all who read this book.
April 2, 2011
wow......intense and moving and sad!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews