Waris Shah
Waris Shah was born in Jandiala Sher Khan, a small town in District Sheikhupura. He was educated in Qasoor. The story goes that he was Baba Bulleh Shah's classmate. He traveled to Pakattan to visit Baba Farid's mazar. On his way back he stayed in Malka Haans, a town near Sahiwal (ex Montogomery).
It is rumoured that he fell in love with a local girl that kept him there. However, the mosque where he stayed during the creation has been preserved still. Surprisingly, a house is also identified that is supposed be the residence of his beloved who was forced to get married with someone else.
Qissa Heer Ranjha:
Damodar Das is the first Punjabi poet who presented this story in verse. Heer and Ranjha were referred to as symbols of eternal love in mystic literature. Therefore, Damodar Das should be credited for presenting it in a social context. However, Damodas's Punjabi society of 16th century was entirely different. The Mughal feudalism had not been established yet and the society was predominantly tribal. Therefore, Damodar Das's treatment of is very different. Ahmad Gujar was the second poet while Shahjajan Muqbal was Waris Shah's contemporay. Incidently, it is said that that verse structure of Waris Shah's Heer was first used by Muqbal. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how two poets create same epic at the same time but portray the characters and institution opposite to each other.
As with all other epics, the story was well known before Waris recreated it. The following stanza shows that he was well aware of his predecessor's creations of Heer:
Yaran Assan noon Aan swal kita,
Qissa Heer da nawan bnaiay Ji,
Is prem di jhok da sabh qissa,
jibh sohnay nal sunaiy ji.
Yaran nal majalsan vich beh kay,
Maza Heer day ishq da paiy ji.
i.e. [Dear friends asked me to recreate the story of Heer. The story should be told with elegance and sweetness. The creation should be such that friends can commonly enjoy Heer's Ishaq].
Hukam man kay sajnan piaran da,
Qissa ajab bahar da jodia ay,
Fiqra jood kay khoob drust lita,
Nawan phul ghulab da toria ay.
sabha vinh kay zeb bana ditta,
Jivin atar ghulab nachoria ay
Buhat jeo day vuch tadbir kar kay,
Farhad phad noon phodua ay.
i.e. [Bowing to the wishes of my friends I have created a unique qissa. The verses were created carefully and scrutinized maticulously in such a way that came out like a newly flowered rose. The verses were woven with each other and synthesized in such a way like the fregrance has been sqeezed. I have done this work with immense deliberation like Farhad who dug a canal through the rocks].
These two stanzas indicate that Waris Shah is recreating the story to express his own social philosophy. The method is deliberative and thoughtful. He negates a common impression about the great poetry that it descends and is spontaneous. However, Waris Shah says that it was a work of technique of poetry, social philosophy and a passion.
He was a consummate artiste, deeply learned in Sufi and domestic cultural lore. His verse is a treasure-trove of Punjabi phrases, idioms and sayings. His minute and realistic depiction of each detail of Punjabi life and the political situation in the 1700s, remains unique.
Many verses of Waris Shah are widely used in Punjab in a moral context.One of the more popular is
"Waris Shah; Naa adataan jaandiyan ne, Bhavein katiye pora pora ji"
(O Waris Shah; A man never abandons his habits, even if he is cut to pieces)
Waris Shah is also called Shakespeare of the Punjabi language because of his great poetic love story, Heer Ranjha. Some critics say that through this story of romantic love, he tried to portray the love of man for God (the quintessential subject of Sufi literature).