Iqbal wrote it in Persian in the last years before his death, he said, and it is considered to be his seminal work. In 2012, Asad translated into Kashmiri Allama Iqbal’s Persian book Pas Che Bayad Kard ( What should then be done, O people of the East).
Kashmiri verse translation of Amir Khusrow’s Ghazaliyat. A year later, he came up with another book of poems in Kashmiri language, which was titled Dukh te daag (Miseries and scars), containing 100 Kashmiri ghazals which touched on the political and everyday life in the Valley. “But after work hours, I would write in my diary every day, hoping to write more after retirement.”Īfter he retired in 2008, Asad published his first book of poetry, titled Sozi Jigeer (Inner Voice), which was followed by another book of ghazals in Kashmiri, Laove heath gulale (Wet Tulips) in 2010. What drew him towards writing and translating Persian texts after his retirement? “My job at the planning and statistics department was laborious and somewhat boring, as I worked mostly with numbers and not words,” he said with a smile. In 1982, he was employed in the state’s planning and statistics department, where he worked as a statistical officer in Srinagar till his retirement in 2008. Later, he took up a job in the state’s revenue department, where he worked for nine years, from 1973 to 1982. Soon after his graduation, Asad began his career in the education department in the 1960s, and worked as a contractual teacher for three years. “It was a labour of love and I wanted to keep this book out there for those who wanted to read this holy book of Sikhs in Kashmiri language.” “I spent about Rs 70,000 on the Japji Sahib translation, so that some copies are made available in bookstalls,” he said.
“I was told that Manmohan Singh has also been sent a copy of my translation.”Īfter completing the translation, Asad spent his own money to get it published with a local publisher. “The Sikh community wants to release the book in the Golden temple in Amritsar,” he said.
“The Sikhs have always been like our brothers and they’ve always stood by our side here, even during difficult times in the past decades of conflict.”Īsad is the only Kashmiri writer who has translated the sacred verses of Guru Nanak into Kashmiri language in recent decades. “I found the teachings in the book and its message of peace relevant, and by translating it, I also wanted to strengthen the bond between Sikhs and Muslims of the Valley, which has stood the test of times,” he said. Last year, he carefully translated the scripture into Kashmiri verse. Credit: Majid MaqboolĪsad had read a 100-year-old Urdu translation of Japji Sahib a years ago.