The Lost Poet

Abandoned by her beloved at a very tender age, her young heart wept and her eyes longed for a a glare. But neither did he hear her nor did her  cries bore any fruits. She spent her life waiting for her husband coming to see her.

Eventually one the husband did come to see her, only to see his wife dead on the pyre, ready to be cremated.Such was the tragic life of an 18th century poetess popularly known as Arnimal.

Born and brought up in Palhalan village of Baramulla district, a disgruntled Arnimaal was married at a very young age to Munshi Bhawani Das Kachru, a renowned Persian poet, scholar and savant. He belonged to a respectable family settled in Rainawari, Srinagar and held a position of honour in the court of Jumma Khan, who was the Afghan governor of Kashmir from 1788 to 1792.

As time passed, the marriage appeared a failure and Das and deserted her. Arnimaal couldn’t bear this ill-treatment from her husband whom she considered as the object of worship (Devta). At last she got frustrated and was left alone by her in-laws. She returned to her parental home Palhalan and wrote these verses.

 When will they touch my courtyard?

I will place them on my head ‘O’ come

For love I left my home and hearth,

And tore the veil; ‘O’ come

I was famous beauty once and now

I have faded in my teens, ‘O’ come!

Disheartened and lonely Arnimal spent most of her life at her Father’s home and it was here where her work began to sprout and mature under the whirling sound of the Spinning wheel (Yander).

Devastated by the separation from her husband, Arnimal sought solace in poetry. Aware that her husband was an accomplished poet, she created her own to woo him back.In 18th Century Kashmir amidst the tyranny of Afghans and in the midst of bountiful Kashmir nature, life was hard and painful in her parent’s home. She sought solace in nature or mixed nature to create poetic effect.

Arnimal was not into philosophical teaching or inspired and complex religions as in the case of Lal Ded. She highlighted her condition with simplicity and charm. Her state is sad but creates powerful emotion to hide that sadness or creates poetry for solace.

 Kanda naabada aaradamtuy

 Phanda Karith tsolum kotuy

 Khanda Karinam Lookan thivey

 Kar yivey darshan diyey.

Arnimaal’s poetry is sort of given up poetry. It is poetry of disillusion told with beauty and simplicity. In that simplicity lies Arnimal’s talent. She highlights her condition in simplest terms and in the process gives glimpse of 18th century Kashmiri women.

Vuchhi Vesay Kahandi Bo Zaayas

 Baagani Aeyes Kahaanditam

 Doha Aki Mallmaaji Nagra Harshaayes

 Shaaharch Aesis Vastsis Gaam 

 Sati Dohy Phheerit Maatine Anayaages

 Baagani Auyes Kahandi Taam

 Doha Aki Shreha Saan Maalyungayaayes

 Deka Baji Kaakani Dsitnam Paam

 Deka Reach Zeranuy Kona Moyaagyes

 Baagam Aayes Kahandi Taam

In the above vatsun, Arnimal talks of embarrassment and taunts she had to undergo in her parent’s home. But disappointment is hidden under a cloak of poetic valour. She tells the story with degree of elan and thereby highlighting the tragic. It is not healthy to give translated version of her songs. As Voltaire has said don’t think you have grasped the poetry by reading translation. Separated from her husband after only seven days after the marriage, Arnimal mixes passion for her estranged husband with a poetic imagery 

 Raatas Osum Lava Zan Laerith 

 Subahs Pravi Ketha Traerith Gom.

 Babri Tsaman Ashi Saganavith 

 Aeshimot Kava Pashinaavitm Gom

Kashmiri writer Professor Naseem Shafie describes her one of the best female Kashmiri poetess after Habba Khatoon. “Though we have limited literature available on Arnimal, but we can’t ignore her contribution towards romantic poetry,” she says.

Professor Shafie describes Arnimal’s as one of the best romantic writers and said, “That her poetry rose from the heart, got welled up in the breast and out came the pathetic gems of Kashmiri literature. In all types of poetry, feelings get converted to thought and thoughts get converted to words. In Arin’s case spoken word with feeling produced still effect and impact is heard more than two centuries after her death,” Shafie said.

But the tragedy with the Arnimaal is that her poetry has disappeared and is not recorded as a written material. Even though there is a theatre named after her at Palhalan but they don’t know much about Arnimaal.

 A retired teacher from Palhalan Ghulam Qadri Tantray is the only person in the Village who has read some literature about Arnimal. 

Tantray again like others describe her poetry based on personal tragedy and trauma. “Arnimal dedicated her whole life for her husband who was himself a Persian poet. She thought one day her husband will mould and come back to her but that happened but it was too late,” Tantray said.

Arnimaal’s songs have come down to us through traditional singers/musicians (as is the case with other stalwarts of the medieval Kashmir) and eventually their renderings immortalized her songs especially among lovelorn womenfolk.

Some Muslim writers and critics do not subscribe to this story. In their opinion, Arinimaal never existed. Prominent among them, Amin Kamil has this to say (Kuliyat Habba Khatoon – Published 1995) : “Alongwith Habba Khatoon, the name of Arinimaal is often propped up. And comparing the (literary aspect of) both, Arinimaal is said to merit above Habba Khatoon. But the fact is that no ‘Gonmath’ with the name of Arinimaal ever existed. This, in fact, is the result of a wrong thinking, and so much has been said and conveyed of her, that her existence now becomes undoubtful.”