Landai and Tappa: The Voice of Pashto Folk Poetry

Landai is a word in Pashto meaning “short” (from land meaning “short” with the suffix -ai), and it refers to a traditional form of two-line folk poetry. Also known as Tappa, Tikai, or Misray, the Landai holds a unique and enduring place in Pashtun oral literature.

While some scholars and folklorists believe that Landai were originally composed exclusively by women—due to their focus on themes central to women’s lives—there is no concrete evidence to suggest that men did not also contribute to the genre. What is clear, however, is that Landai has long served as a poetic outlet for expressing raw emotion, personal reflection, and cultural identity.

The subjects of Landai range widely—from love and longing to revenge, war, grief, and the beauty of nature. Carried orally across generations, this form of poetry traveled from the plains of the Indus to the mountains of the Pamirs, evolving with the movements of nomadic tribes. It is common to find variations of the same Landai where the first line remains constant and the second line is slightly altered to reflect local dialects or sentiments.

Major Pashto literary academies in Kabul and Peshawar have collected and published thousands of Landai in multiple volumes, preserving this rich oral tradition for future generations.

Here is one of the oldest and most widely recognized Landai:

يار مې هندو، زه مسلمان يم
د يار لپاره درمسال جارو کومه

Translation:
My beloved is a Hindu, and I am a Muslim.
Yet I sweep the floor of his temple for love of him.

This simple couplet speaks volumes about love’s power to transcend religious and cultural boundaries—a common theme in Landai that continues to resonate with audiences today.

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