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176
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1925
A VERSION OF HIR AND RANJHA. BY ASA SINGH OF MAGĦIANA, JHANG DISTRICT, PUNJAB. RECORDED BY H. A. ROSE, I.C.S. (Retireil).
Prefatory Note.
BY SIR RICHARD C. TEMPLE, Br. This rough Panjabi ballad is of interest to show how deeply the tale of Hir and Ranjha has eaten into the minds of the people. It is not a high class poem or even a well-told tale, but its main interest is that it was composed by one Åsa Singh, keeper of a "sweets" shop in the Sadar Bazaar in Jhang, who was a native of Maghiana, a village in that district. This we learn from the last stanza.
Text.
Alif.1
Åke Rabb nûn yâd kariye: Devi Mata de sâhita loriye, jî, Mere andaron uthya Chår-yáron :"Kissa Hîr te Ranjha joriye, ji, Waris Shah da hai bayan jelrå, Phog-satte 'atar na choriye, ji, Asa, Singhanan hal kuchh gum howe, Apo-Ap matlab s&r& phoriye, ji."
Translation Come and celebrate the praises of the Lord, And ask the help of Mother Devi, Within me have arisen the Four Friends (saying) - "Construct the tale of Hir and Ranjha As Waris Shah has told it. Do not leave out the sprinkling of the scents; And if any point is missed by Asa Singh Disclose the meaning of it thyself.”
Alif 2. Awwal da e bâyân, yåro. Ranjhihân bhire zamindår lokon. Manjů Takht-Hazare då Chaudhri si ;
-- Bete ath, jainde våkif kår lokon, Satan nål oh rakhie anjor bot: Dhido nål si usdå pyår lokon. Aså Singhå, jeda Manjû faut hoià,
Bhái nal Ranjha karan khår lokon • 1 The poem is arranged in 34 stanza3 numbered by letters of the Araba-Persian Alphabet generally in the order of the letters. Each stanza commences with the letter indicating it.
9 Author of the most celebrated version of the story, translated by G. C. Usborne, and published ante, Vol. L, as a Supplement.
3 The present author.
