My land: a story of gratitude for the natural, beautiful, but fading gift given to us, and of our failure to appreciate it fully.
Jandal Khan Zahid is a poet from Obaghn village of Shekay district in Badakhshan, who allows poetry to guide his reflections on his homeland. His story demonstrates a gratitude to the land he belongs to and was provided with, yet conveys his disappointment in its citizens, who have not done enough for it and who have failed to serve their land. The poem is in the form of ‘Mukhammas’ [a local poetic device] in the Dari language. Some of the verses are translated into English below:
The face of my land is fading
There is no more spring here
Autumn has come
Nightingales have left
I must seek revenge from your enemies
The homeland is a mother who gave us life
We have your special child, who gave us value
You have given us comfort, pride and glory
But we are ashamed of not serving you
We have failed your every exam
Homeland is a mother who gave us life
We have your special child, who gave us value
You have given us comfort, pride and glory
But we are ashamed of not serving you
We have failed your every exam
شعر جندل خان زاهد – ولایت بدخشان…
وطن
وطن بر چهره زرد و ضعیف و ناتوان تو
وطن بر این بهار نارسیده شد خزان تو
وطن رفت دسته دسته بلبلان از بوستان تو
وطن گر ما جسد باشیم برای ما جان تو
بگیرم انتقامت هر زمان از دشمنان تو
وطن تو مادر جاوید بر ما زنده‌گی دادی
که ما اولاد پر نازت به ما ارزنده‌گی دادی
به ما جاه و مکان و نعمت و فرخنده‌گی دادی
نکردیم خدمتت افسوس به ما شرمنده‌گی دادی
شدیم ناکام اندر پرسش هر امتحان تو
وطن از قطره هر آب پاکت شکرها دارم
وطن جز از نسیم با صفایت من بقا دارم
امید زیستن در خاک پاکت سال‌ها دارم
قسم بر چهره مایوس تو عهد و وفا دارم
جهان را گر به من بخشند منم در آستان تو
وطن هر تخته سنگت مهد آسایش برای ما
وطن هر گونه جبری را که می‌دارند روای ما
عدو افتاد در مرصاد تا سازد فنای ما
نمی‌توان گر کند این رشته مهر و وفای ما
تن آلوده در خونم فدای آرمان تو
