Sharif Sabir
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Sharif Sabir شریف صابر | |
|---|---|
 Sharif Sabir in 2010 | |
| Born | 18 May 1928 Pakki Saraan (near Lahore), district Sheikhupura |
| Died | 1 October 2015 (age 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Philosopher, Poet, Punjabi Literature |
| Spouse | Zubaidah Akhter (died 2000) |
| Children | 6 |
| Website | http://msharifsabir.com |
Shaikh Muhammad Sharif Sabir (Urdu: شریف صابر; 18 May 1928 – 1 October 2015), better known as Sharif Sabir, was a Pakistani-Punjabi scholar, poet, researcher and educationist who is most known for editing a version of Heer Waris Shah published in 1985. It took him over ten years to complete this work.
Sabir had previously written a book of poetry and edited Puran Bhagat of Qadir Yar, and translated parts of Gulistan and Bustan of Saadi Shirazi into Punjabi. He edited Sultan Bahu’s poetry collection Abiat-e-Bahu, Mian Mohammad Bakhsh's Saiful Muluk, the poetry of Bulleh Shah and the poetry of Baba Farid. He also translated Ali Hajweri Gunj Bakhsh’s Kashf ul Mahjoob from Persian to Urdu. He was commissioned by the Punjab Auqaf Department.[1]
Early life
[edit]Sharif Sabir was born into a poor household in Pakki Saraan (near Lahore), Sheikhupura District, Pakistan. He spent most of his teenage years working and earning to pay for schooling. He started his career as an English language teacher in a government school. While teaching English to elementary classes, he completed a Masters in Persian and went on to teach Persian and Urdu at Lahore’s Central Model School. He was promoted to become a language specialist and taught at the Central Training College. He became a headmaster before the Punjab government and the Waris Shah Academy deputised him to complete his research on Heer Waris Shah. He officially retired in the 1980s, but continued researching and publishing.[2]
Life Long Research - Editing of Heer Waris Shah
[edit]Sharif Sabir was posted for two years at the Waris Shah Memorial Committee (WSMC), which was established by the cultural department of Punjab. Here, he was tasked to build Waris Shah’s Shrine in Jandiala Sher Khan and also publish an authentic Heer Waris Shah text. By the time his posting began, Sabir had already spent 12 years on his research. During his posting, apart from reviewing his previous work he was also able to access one 1821 hand-written manuscript that was found in Patiala, Punjab. He traveled all over Punjab, especially to places where the old dialect was still spoken. He went to see the traders and the craftsmen to understand the terms used by Waris Shah while describing their trades and professions and consulted books on mythology to understand the background of the myths and the stories alluded to by Waris Shah.
WSMC published Sabir’s edited Heer in 1985. Sabir later in 2006, printed a revised and updated edition with the help of Progressive Books, Lahore. In his Heer compilation, he has provided the meanings of difficult words and details about people and places that appear in Waris Shah’s epic.[3]
Marriage and children
[edit]Sharif Sabir was married to Zubaidah Akhter and had four sons and two daughters. One of his sons died as a teenager in an accident while playing with fire. His remaining children emigrated to the United States in 2008. He visited them in 2013 and stayed for two years. In 2015, he decided to go back to his village in Pakistan.[1]
Death and afterward
[edit]Sharif Sabir died in his village after he developed a chest infection. He was buried near a friendly saint’s tomb in Narang Mandi.[1]
Published works
[edit]All the books Sharif Sabir edited include: Heer Waris Shah, complete poetry of Bulleh Shah and Sultan Bahu and Saiful Malook of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh -- have one outstanding feature in common. All of them carry a glossary of difficult words. No other book in Punjabi Literature, other than those written on the Guru Granth Sahib, contain comprehensive glossaries like the ones found in the works he has edited. Following is a list of books he has authored, edited or translated:
| Book | Original Author | Sabir's Contribution | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalaam | Baba Farid | Edited (Due Publication) | |
| Saiful Malook | Mian Muhammad Bakhsh | Edited | |
| Heer Waris Shah | Waris Shah | Edited | |
| Abyat-e-Bahoo | Sultan Bahu | Edited | |
| Bulleh Shah | Bulleh Shah | Edited | |
| Farsi Kalam | Sufi Muhammad Afzal Faqeer | Translated | |
| Puran Bhagat | Qadir Yar | Translated | |
| Kashf ul Mahjoob | Ali Hujwiri | Translated | |
| Gulistan and Bustan | Saadi Shirazi | Translated | |
| Hatkoray | Sharif Sabir | Authored | |
| Baghawat | Sharif Sabir | Authored | |
| Punjabi Drama | Sharif Sabir | Authored | |
| Autobiography | Sharif Sabir | Authored |
Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions
[edit]He was given the Pride of Performance and a paltry sum of Rs 70,000 for his monumental work Heer Waris Shah.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Editor, T. N. S. (25 October 2015). "Portrait of a son of soil". TNS - The News on Sunday. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Report, Dawn (3 October 2015). "Punjabi poet, researcher Sharif Sabir laid to rest". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "250 years of Heer Waris Shah". apnaorg.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ "Victim of ignorance". apnaorg.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.