Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum (1899-1978) was a noted 20th century poet in three languages: Urdu, Punjabi, and Persian. Tabassum was the pen name by which he was universally known. [1]
He is best known for his many poems written for children, as the creator of the Tot Batot character, and as the translator of many poetical works from Urdu and Persian into Punjabi. Sufi Tabassum's style is in the classical tradition, informed by a deep awareness of the pain and suffering that afflicts modern life. [2] Sufi Tabassum was born in Amritsar, India, to parents of Kashmiri ancestry. He earned a Master's degree in Persian from Forman Christian College (FCC) in Lahore. He remained with Government College Lahore for his entire career, rising to head the department of Persian Studies. [1] For about fifty years he was a prominent speaker on radio and television. He wrote several songs which were sung by Nurjehan. He was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan. In 1966 he received the Tamgha-e-Nishan-e-Sipaas award of the Government of Iran. [1]
Works (partial list)
- Tot Batot Collection. Published by Ferozsons, (no date). ISBN 969-0-01118-9.
- Ab Sab Hain Tot Batot Mian. Published by Sufi Gulzar Ahmed, 2000.
