Ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. It is a poem that tells a story, mostly relying on a simple and easy-to-understand language,  which are often used in songs because of their rhyme. A ballad is a poetic story, often a love story. Stories about hardships, tragedies, love and romance are standard ingredients of ballads irrespective of geographical origins. Another conspicuous element of any ballad is the recurrence of certain lines at regular intervals. Ballads can also be in interrogative form with appropriate answers to every question they ask.

           Ballads, as stage performance, enjoyed the status of being one of the main sources of entertainment in ancient times. Legends and historical events were narrated in the form of a ballad which would comprise song and dance. Ballad was a perfect substitute for our current day technology-based entertainment, albeit with more emotional appeal.Ballads seldom offer a direct message about a certain event, character or situation. It is left to the audience to deduce the moral of the story from the whole narration.

The song “someone like you” by Adele is a perfect example of ballad from modern times.

“Someone Like You”

I heard that you’re settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married now.
I heard that your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things I didn’t give to you.

Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain’t like you to hold back or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it.
I had hoped you’d see my face and that you’d be reminded
That for me it isn’t over.

Never mind, I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don’t forget me, I beg
I’ll remember you said,
“Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead”

***

It is a beautiful composition by Adele and it is a delight to read. Here’s a link to the complete lyrics:-

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/adele/someonelikeyou.html

Here’s one from my own collection.

It is a poem (story that rhymes) dedicated to my first crush…my beloved wife which I wrote a few years back. And it also happens to be a Ballad, Here it is…

ख़यालों ने  उनके  सताया  है  इस  क़दर, के  राबता  हो  उनसे..तो  पूछेंगे  ज़रूर,

के तराशा  है  तुम्हें  खुद  उस  ख़ुदा  ने, या  हो  तुम  परी..या  कोई  हूर;

है  तुमसे  ही  धड़कन  इस  दिल  की, और  तुम्ही  से  इन  आँखों  का  नूर,

के  मर  ही  मिटा  तुमपर, तो  इस  दिल  का  क्या  क़सूर;

इस  दिल  ने  ही  दिखाई  अंधेरों  में , नज़रों  को  राहें  तमाम  हैं,

माना  हुई  है  इससे  ख़ता, पर  क़ुबूल  हमें  भी  ये  ख़ूबसूरत  इल्ज़ाम  है;

न  जाने  हुआ  ये कैसे , के  एक  ही  झलक  में  दिल-ओ-जान  गवाँ  बैठे,

अजनबी  हुए  ख़ुद  से, और  उन्हे  भगवान  बना  बैठे;

जादू  चला  उनका  कुछ  इस  तरह , के  हम…रहे  नहीं  हम,

मिल  जाए पर उनका  साथ अगर, तो ख़ुद को  खोने  का  भी  न  हो  ग़म;

उनकी  नज़रों  में छलकती अपनी तस्वीर  सा नशा, किसी  पैमाने में कहाँ,

के  मुहब्बत  की  इस  बेखुदी  सा   मज़ा, होश  में  आने  में  कहाँ;

बयाँ  कर पाना मुम्किन नहीं, के बीते  कैसे बरसों इन नज़रों  की तलाश में,

ज़िंदा  होने  के  इल्ज़ाम  तले, चल थी  रही  साँसें…ज़िंदगी  की  आस  में;

के  लौ  सी   तपती  धूप  में , राहत…शाम  में  हमने  पाई  है,

गुज़र  गये  झुलस्ते  मंज़र, के  जीवन  में  शब  लौट  आई  है;

सजदा  करूँ  मैं  पल-पल  उनका, जो  शख्सियत  ही  ख़ुदाया  है,

के   याकता  वो  हीर, जिसने  इस  दिल  को  सजाया  है;

इस  दिल  को  सजाया  है, हर पल को महकाया है ||

Here’s the link to the original post:

https://doc2poet.wordpress.com/2016/01/22/firstcrush/

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Baba farid

             Khwaja Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar popularly known as Baba Farid was born in 1173. He was a Sufi saint and a Muslim missionary from the Chishti order. He was the first Punjabi poet and his most important contributions to Punjabi literature was the development of this language for literary purposes.

             Baba Farid was given the title Shakar Ganj  ‘Treasure of Sugar’ when he was a few years old. There is a legend according to which the young Baba Farid asked her mother what was gained by prayers. His mother replied Sugar. Accordingly, she used to hide some sugar under his prayer-carpet, and, when he had finished his prayers, draw it forth, and give it to him as a reward of his devotion. One day his mother forgot to put the sugar but after prayers, there was sugar under the carpet. From that day on, Bibi Miriam started calling his son Shakar Ganj, or the treasury of Sugar.

          Baba Farid is still celebrated in India and Pakistan alike. There is a city named after him in Punjab and a 3 day festival of ‘Baba Sheikh Farid Āgman Purb Mela’ is celebrated each year in September to commemorate his arrival in the city.

            He has produced many great compositions but this couplet is my favorite (it has also been used in a song from the Bollywood movie ‘Rockstar’)

कागा रे कागा रे  मोरी इतनी अरज तोसे चुन चुन खाइयो मास

खाइयो न दो नैना मोहे पिया के मिलन की आस

O Raven, you have searched my skeleton, and eaten all my flesh.

But please do not touch these eyes as I hope to behold my Beloved.

***

Blazon

Meaning: Poetry which catalogues the virtues or attributes of women

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If you are reading this, thank you for stopping by. This post is second in a series of 26 posts that I will be writing as part of the A to Z challenge for April 2016. My theme for the challenge would be A to Z of poetry. Don’t feel shy to leave your feedback and visit again:-)