10 Sohar Caṭnī [van Drimmelanpolder, Nickerie, 1967]
I.
2calo tūṛ lā̈i rājā mehaniyā ke ḍār
II.
sone ke thārī mę jevanā parosyaų
[p. 57]
III.
jeonā ke jeväiyā base gangā pār
calo tūṛ...
IV.
sone ke geṛüā gaṅgā jal pānī
V.
geṛüā ke ghuṭäiyā base gangā pār
calo tūṛ...
VI.
pą̄ca hi pāna pą̄ca bīṛā juṛāyǫ
VII.
bīṛā ke kucäiyā base gaṅgā pār
calo tūṛ...
VIII.
phūl maį jhāṛ jhāṛ seja lagāyaų
IX.
sej ke suväiyā base gaṅgā pār
calo tūṛ...
II.
I dressed the meal in a gold plate -3
III.
He who should eat the meal is dwelling across the (river) Ganges.
Come...
IV.
(In the) gold pitcher (I filled) the water, the (sacred) water4 of the Ganges -
V.
He who should drink from the pitcher is dwelling across the (river) Ganges.
Come...
VI.
Just five betel leaves (made into) five bīṛās -
VII.
He who should chew the bīṛā is dwelling across the (river) Ganges.
Come...
VIII.
After (carefully) brushing (repeatedly) I made the bed with flowers -5
IX.
He who should sleep on the bed is dwelling across the (river) Ganges.
Come...
2The song is expressive of a woman's longing for her beloved who is absent and without whom all her food, water and bed etc. are meaningless. Perhaps to lessen her boredom she invites her friends to come along to pick męhadī leaves.
Cp. R. Tripāṭhī ('29: 421); D. Siṁha ('44: 184, 199, 212, 418 ff., 467 etc.) K. Upādhyāya, ('54: 392-393; '57: 150; '60: 333).
Cp. R. Tripāṭhī ('29: 421); D. Siṁha ('44: 184, 199, 212, 418 ff., 467 etc.) K. Upādhyāya, ('54: 392-393; '57: 150; '60: 333).
1A plant the twigs and leaves of which are kneaded to make reddish patterns on hands and feet especially during the rainy season as a sort of cosmetic.
2A general term of affection. It is not clear who is being addressed here.
3Thālī. An Indian metal plate with upturned corners.
4‘Gaṅgā jal pānī’. The Hindi word ‘pānī’ is simply water but to express sanctity the Sanskrit term ‘jala’ is often used.
5It used to be customary to spread flowers on the marital bed; often the flowers had to be examined carefully for fear of worms etc.
