Heritage: Sami

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

Hello!

        I have read the discussion regarding one of the three pillars of
Sindhi poetry "Sami" with great interest. This post is to explain the
confusion that exists about meaning of "Sami." I have read Shri Moolchand
Giani's writing in which he has given the biography of Sami based on the
accounts of Bhai Naraindas Shikarpuri who was from Sami's clan and friends to
Sami's son Ghanshamdas.

        The real name of Sami was Bhai Chainrai Ditaramani Londu. His
father's name was Bachoomal Ditaramani Londu. He hailed from Shikarpur,
Sindh. Although there is a lot of confusion about his dates of birth and
death. Many scholars, including Professor B.H. Nagrani, believe that he was
born in 1743 AD and died in 1850 AD. Therefore, his age was 107 years when he
passed away. Some say that he was 120 years old. His father's house was
located in the NanDHi Bazar in front of JuGal Piyaro THanu in Shikarpur. The
house was disposed of by Sami's son Ghanshamdas sometimes after Sami's death.
Sami spent most of his life in Amritsar. He worked as a Gumashita for Seth
Gangaram TindaRNu MalaRNi. His father was one of the very rich Shikarpuri
traders but Sami became a Chella of "Bhai Menghraj," who was also called
"Sami Menghraj." Menghraj was a Brahmin or BanBHaRNu, originally from
Bahawalpur. He had come to Shikarpur and lived at Haimandas Brahmin's MaRhee
at HaTHi Daru in Shikarpur. Due to immense  respect for his Guru "BanBHaRNu
Menghraj Sami," in his poetry he has used pen names of Mengho, BanBHaRNu, and
Sami. It is strongly possible that BanBHaRNu Menghraj was called 'Sami' in
the same way as learned people in Sanskrit are called 'Swami'. There are a
lot of Sanskrit words in Sindhi language that have become changed from their
root words in Sanskrit. This should be considered the beauty of our language
that it takes words from other languages and changes them as if they were its
own.

I cannot but end this post without citing from Sami:

"PaRhee Quranu kitabu, Kazi kohu Qaza karein,
milee waThu mahbooba saan, CHHaDay zoru jawabu,
mataan achay ochitee, karaee kalu kababu,
thendein poi khrabu, sija lathay Sami chaway."

Translation:

Why do you repent, when the Quran you read?
meet the beloved now, leave arguments aside
might it come sudden, fate bring you to the end
then you will feel bad,  says Sami when sun sets

Sadaeen Gadu

Altaf Memon