Tu Is Tarha Kyun Nahi Ban Jaandi | Avtar Pash | Poemix

Tu Is Tarha Kyun Nahi Ban Jaandi by Avtar Pash (Avtar Singh Sandhu) | Punjabi Poem Song | Musical Rendition by Poemix
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ਤੂੰ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੀ
ਜਿੱਦਾਂ ਮੂੰਹ-ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨੀ ਗੀਤ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ
ਹਰ ਵਾਰ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਫੱਟੀ ਵਾਂਗ ਲਿਖਣਾ ਕਿਉਂ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ

ਮੂੰਹ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਕਾਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਖੜਕੇ 'ਚੋਂ
ਤੇਰੇ ਬੋਲਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਤਾਰ ਸਕਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਔਖਾ ਹੈ
ਤੇਰੇ ਟੱਲੀ ਵਾਂਗ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ 'ਚ ਟੁਟਦੇ
ਸੰਖ ਦੀ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਵਾਂਗ ਮੈਂ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ
ਤੂੰ ਡੁੱਬਦੇ ਸੂਰਜ ਦਾ ਗ਼ਮ ਵੰਡਾਵੇਂ
ਤੇ ਰੱਬ ਦੇ ਨਾਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਮੇਰੀ ਰੂਹ ਵਿਚ ਤਰਦੀ ਫਿਰੇਂ

ਦੇਖ ਮੈਂ ਤਾਰਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੈ
ਜਿਵੇਂ ਹਾਰਨ ਬਾਅਦ ਕੋਈ ਅਣਖੀ
ਵੈਰੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ 'ਚ ਤੱਕਦਾ ਹੈ
ਮੈਂ ਨਿੱਕੀ ਨਿੱਕੀ ਲੋਅ ਵਿਚ
ਕਿਰ ਗਈ ਗਾਨੀ ਵਾਂਗ
ਟੋਹ ਟੋਹ ਕੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪ ਲੱਭਣਾ ਹੈ
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Tun is tarhan kiun nahin ban jandi
Jidan munh-zubani geet hunde han
Har var tainun phati vang likhna kiun painda hai
Munh zor trikalan de kharke 'chon
Tere bolan nun nitar sakna bahut aukha hai
Tere tali vang lehran 'ch tutde
Sankh di avaz vang main chaunda han
Tun dubde suraj da gham vandaven
Te rab de nan vang meri ruh vich tardi phiren
Dekh main tarian da sahamana karna hai
Jiven haran baad koi anakhi
Vairi dian akhan 'ch takda hai
Main niki niki lo vich
Kir gai gani vang
Toh toh ke aapna aap labhna hai
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Why don't you become
Like a song known by heart?
Why must I write you like a lesson on a slate every time?
From the loud clamor of twilight,
It is very difficult to distill your words.
Like the ripples of a bell, you break into waves.
I wish that like the sound of a conch,
You would share the sorrow of the setting sun,
And float in my soul like the name of God.
Look, I have to face the stars,
The way a self-respecting person, after defeat,
Looks into the eyes of the enemy.
In this faint, dim light,
Like a fallen strand of a beaded thread (gaani),
I must search and find myself bit by bit.
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"Why Don't You Become..." is a significant work by the influential Punjabi poet Avtar Singh Pash (1950-1988). Pash, who wrote during a period of great social change, was a vocal critic of injustice and extremism and is known for his direct and forceful poetry. This particular poem, however, reveals a more personal, lyrical, and vulnerable side to his writing.
Taken from his posthumously published collection Khilre Hoey Varkey (Scattered Pages), the poem contrasts the effortless, internalized truth of a "memorized song" with the laborious process of repeatedly writing on a "slate". The poet addresses an ambiguous "you"—which could be interpreted as a lover, his ideals, his art, or even a part of himself. He expresses a deep longing for this "you" to become a natural part of his being, rather than a rigid concept that requires constant effort. The poem is a powerful exploration of the internal cost of a life of conviction, depicting the struggle to integrate deeply held beliefs with personal, lived reality.  
"ਤੂੰ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੀ" is a masterwork of modern Punjabi literature, a poem that reveals the complex and often painful internal landscape of a revolutionary. It moves beyond the simple declarations of militant poetry to explore the immense difficulty of living one's ideology, of transforming the labor of belief into the grace of being. It is a testament to the spiritual and intellectual exhaustion that accompanies a life of relentless struggle, and a poignant expression of the universal human desire for a truth that is felt rather than merely thought.

The poem's final image—the unbroken gaze of the defeated warrior—is a chillingly prescient reflection of Pash's own final act. He was assassinated on March 23, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary hero he deeply revered. His refusal to be silenced by threats from religious fundamentalists, his decision to return to Punjab despite the clear and present danger, was the ultimate embodiment of "facing the enemy after defeat." He lived the final stanza of his own poem.  

Pash's legacy endures precisely because his work contains this synthesis of the militant and the lyrical, the political and the personal. His poetry continues to be a touchstone for new generations of activists, writers, and readers who find in his words not just a call to action, but also a profound exploration of the human cost of that action. His daughter's testimony that his poems still guide her most difficult life decisions and provide her with the strength to live on is a final, poignant confirmation of his achievement. In the end, Avtar Singh Pash succeeded in his quest. Through his art and his sacrifice, he transformed the scattered pages of his life into a single, unbreakable, and unforgettable song.  
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