Dr. Harbhajan Singh was a renowned poet, critic, commentator, and translator in Punjabi literature. He was born on August 18, 1920, in Lumding (Assam) to S. Ganda Singh and Mata Ganga Dei. After the death of his parents and both sisters, he had to move to Lahore to live with his maternal aunt, where he began his formal education. Due to financial hardship, he had to discontinue his studies for a time and worked as a salesman at a homeopathic chemist’s shop. Later, he took up a job as a clerk in the government in New Delhi, and subsequently as an assistant librarian at Khalsa School, New Delhi.
Harbhajan Singh earned two degrees in English and Hindi literature from Delhi University and later pursued his Ph.D. on the topic of “Hindi Poetry in Gurmukhi Script.” He eventually became the head of the Department of Indian Languages at Delhi University and retired in 1980.
In 1955, he entered the world of Punjabi poetry with his debut collection titled "Laasaan". This was followed by several notable collections including Adhraeį¹Ä«, NÄ Dhuppe NÄ ChÄvÄį¹, Saį¹ak De Safe ÅŖtte, Main Jo BÄ«t GiyÄ, į¹¬ukkiÄį¹ JÄ«bÄį¹ VÄle, MahikÄį¹ NÅ«į¹ Jindare NÄ MÄrÄ«, and Rukh Te RishÄ«. Alongside poetry, he also contributed significantly through critical and translated works. For his collection "NÄ Dhuppe NÄ ChÄvÄį¹", he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award by the Government of India.
In addition to this, he received numerous honors such as the Kabir Samman, Saraswati Samman, and Soviet Land Nehru Award, among others. In the year 1974–75, the Punjab Government honored him with the title of Shiromani Sahitkar.
Dr. Harbhajan Singh's poetry brought revolutionary changes to Punjabi literature. He integrated Western literary thought, including structuralism and formalism, into Punjabi verse. His poetry made profound use of motifs and themes, offering a new direction to modern Punjabi poetry. His works sensitively depicted the complexities of life, social inequalities, and human emotions with remarkable depth and clarity.
Beyond poetry, Dr. Harbhajan Singh enriched Punjabi literature by translating selected works of Aristotle, Sophocles, Rabindranath Tagore, and even the Rigveda. These translations reflect his literary sensibility and scholarly acumen, and they played a crucial role in connecting Punjabi readers with world literature.
Dr. Harbhajan Singh passed away on October 21, 2002, but his poetry and literary contributions remain immortal in the world of Punjabi literature.