DBNL . Usharbudh Arya, Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

13 Janëū i [Nieuw Nickerie, 1967]

I.
cäitahi barüā teja cale bäisākha mę pahųcäi ho
II.
bhikṣā dëo e maiyā1 bhikṣā dëo maį to barüā barāhmana ho
III.
jau maį jānatyų ai barüā hamare ghare äihäu ho
IV.
osara maį jutā̈i ke ghana motiyā bovāvatïų ho
V.
motiyana thāra bharā̈i ke maį barüā ke detiyäų ho

The boy candidate2 walks fast in (the month of) caitra3 and arrives in (the month of) vaiśākha³ (and begs on the way).

[p. 61]

II.
- Give alms, O mother;1 give alms. I am but a young Brāhmaṇa candidate.
III.
- If I had known, O young candidate, that you would come to my home,
IV.
I would have ploughed the top storey (of my home)2 and would have got a thick (crop of) pearls sown.
V.
I would have (then) filled a plate3 with the pearls and given to (you), the young candidate.

1The song continues while the initiate is going round the gathering receiving alms. The same lines are repeated, replacing the word maiyā (mother) with other lady relatives, e.g. dādī (paternal grandmother), nānī (maternal grandmother) etc.

2Barüā (S. vaṭu), a young boy who has not yet been initiated into the study of the Veda.

3Caitra: February-March. Vaiśākha: March-April. The two months of the spring season are the time enjoined for the upanayana ceremony of a Brāhmaṇa child. Vasante brāhmaṇam upanayīta (ApDS. 1.1.19).

1Not necessarily one's own mother. Any lady may be addressed in this way.

2Perhaps she means that she would have ploughed down even the land where her house stands.

3Thālī. A variant is kañcana thāra: a plate made of gold.