LOVE stories of Punjab and their narration by our Sufi poets lend a unique fragrance and intellectual depth to Punjabi literature and poetry. Tale of Heer Ranjha is largely believed to be a sixteenth century story. The tale had been written by several poets and writers before Syed Waris Shah wrote his famous “Heer Waris Shah”. Waris Shah‘s narration of this love story won an unparalleled acclaim. Besides being a rich reservoir of spiritual thought, it is also a masterpiece of literature which skilfully reflects the cultural norms and social attitudes of those times: No wonder Waris Shah is known as the Shakespeare of Punjab.
Though the tale itself is attributed to much older times, one would assume that the story as narrated by Waris Shah (Heer Waris Shah) would be a reflection of the culture of Waris Shah’s times. Heer Waris Shah was written in 1766, a time when Punjab was still under Mughal rule though the empire was declining fast, losing ground to East India Company and the regional powers which in case of Punjab were the Sikhs. Waris Shah’s contemporary thinkers included Bulleh Shah, Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai and Shah Wali Ullah Dehlavi.
Heer Waris Shah weaves several parallel layers of meanings in his narration. Its most superficial interpretation is that of a plain love story; then there is a mystic interpretation in which Waris Shah has used........