IMPACT OF PERSIAN POEM “SHEHR KHALI” ON URDU COMMUNICATION LITERATURE IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Literature provides significant insights into how people have dealt with the trauma of pandemics in the past. 
Just like the pandemic, which cannot differentiate the rich from poor and the black from yellow, literature has 
gained popularity beyond the boundaries of colour, creed, cast and code. In the covid-19 (corona virus) 
pandemic scenario of 2020-2021 there has been a sharp uptick in the popularity of literary works, dealing with 
crises, from around the world. Especially electronic media is blown with literary expressions to convey the 
feelings in the form of communication literature. Dari (Afghan Persian) song Shehr Khali gained extra ordinary 
popularity on Urdu electronic social media. Its reflection is evident in certain write-ups, news columns and its 
several Urdu translations are also available online.  
This paper deals with the analytical study of these translations and the electronic media literary Urdu 
Content influenced with this poem. Although in its nature this poem depicts the pandemic environment from 
human history, yet in actual it is a narration by an Afghan poet-singer Amir Jan Sabori, lamenting on socio
political environment of his city in Afghanistan, devastated as a result of decades of war. In its feel this song is 
no way less than the world in Covid-19 global lock down.