POETRY

Though perfect in rhyming and meter, this is less a poem and more a commentary in verse by Ghani Khan on the human nature, more specifically those of his own Pakhtun clansmen. Ghani Khan was an anthropologist through keen and meticulous observations of the human conduct and behaviour. Unlike us, poor folks, the Pashtun poet laureate bided his time in the world to good purpose. Pakhtuns are called simple people which has earned them the epithet of 'Gul Khans.' But Ghani Khan does not seem to agree with this assumption that his clansmen are simple people. He knows each and every flaw in the typical Pakhtun character and pinpoints it with his superb command of the verse. Here is an example:

Translation from Pashto: Nasser Yousaf

THIS AND THAT (HAGHA DAGHA)

Befriend a mule and pal around with a bull

Pat a donkey enough to carry your load around

Keep flattering a shabby old blacksmith

So that he sharpens your sword hard

When the state wants to rid itself of some folks

One is made a captain the other a Subedar

When a donkey finds himself unfit to frolic around 

In robes of piety he wraps himself around 

A fatal illness as it strikes one down

He becomes a Hajji and a puritan very fine 

When God gets angry with an ant

Wings it gets to its meager body parts 

When God gets angry with a Pakhtun 

He is made to serve as Malik to the state

Khan and the donkey are real brothers 

Both similarly work as they try to seduce 

A true Pakhtun is the one who when he dies

Invokes the curses both of his kin and all

No bigger fool in the world would be found 

Than the one who judges one by his beard

Fill your heart with evil, mouth sugary 

Come hither o donkey, and be shrewd

Sweet are the lips only of the beloved 

And delicious too is the meat gotten from game