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NOVEMBER, 1875.)
MISCELLANEA.
351
all but unintelligible, and fragmentary at that. Re- the gig's crew of the Political Agent at Jinjira. spect prevents natives from singing in the pre- The following is the translation - sence of Europeans, except at a ndch, where the "Oh! Bhoki Bâbâ, why did you catch me so? song is generally a mere repetition of the glories Oh! Bhoki Bâbâ, pray let me go !" of the principal guest, or an importation from "You have an arm of silver and gola" (this is Hindustan or Haidaråbåd.
a compliment, alluding to her bracelets). It is probable that the kathás or semidramatic "Oh! Bhoki Bâbå, pray let me go! recitations, and nátaks or plays, would afford "Bhoki Baba, see, there is my husband coming a field for any inquirer who had health and patience (lit. that my husband has come)! Oh, Bhoki to endure their "linked sweetness long drawn Bâbâ !" &c. out" at impossible hours, and subject to the con- "Bhoki Baba, where is my little girl P" (a curious ditions of crowd and heat which are inevitable; use of port, which usually means one's daughter). but as yet no one has been found to try it. One "Oh! Bhoki Baba!" &c. class of compositions, however, are an exception | Another similar song is a dialogue between # in this respect, I mean the boat-songs of the Koli woman who has gone into a garden to steal coast, which perhaps owe some of their undoubted flowers to deck herself with, and the gardener, charm to their surroundings of fresh air and who has discovered her. He shuts the gate to beautiful scenery, and to the pleasant leisure prevent her escape, and answers all her petitions which the passenger enjoys, sitting
for release with the refrain"Above the oars
"Tulå hai re phulacha galya," i.e. "You have The while on even keel, between low shores, got a necklace of flowers"-evidence of her theft. Our long ship breasts the Thames' flood or the The following war-song is a great favourite • Scine".
with the Musalman boatmen; it has some resemthat is, mutatis mutandis, the tide-wave that blance in language, and much in vigour and power, sweeps the palm-fringed shores and castellated to the Marseillaise, and was to be heard in every islands of the Kulába coast, or the moonlit streams Musalman boat during the last Bombay riots, the of the beautiful Kondulika and Ulâs.
singers getting much excited :The following fragments were mostly picked up "Husain ne bola, Karbalamen Akar, upon such expeditions; and I can only regret Aj bakhat aya ladai ka. that my want of musical science prevents me Kasimi! bola, bade khijmati karekar, from giving the tunes, and hope that some more Aj bakhat ayå ladai ka. scientific traveller may be induced to contribute Ija ka din aya, khijmati karekar, to our knowledge of the subject.
Âj bakhat ayâ ladai ka," &c. The first is a song much in favour with the Here is a more harmless fragment from the coast Kolis; the hero, “Bhoki Baba," is a sportive Mahid river :Koli, who has pushed a lady into his house and
"Jhor-jhori kuttre, Mogalya, shut the door. Her plaintive entreaty for release
Sassa palâlâ, dongaryâ; forms the refrein, and is given with great expres.
Jevhân sassane kuttr'yanla pahila, sion, a suppressed grin of appreciation.
Jevhånchen tevhan, lapanhi basalA." She speaks :
Are, Bhoki Bâbâ, mala kashâlâ dharala? "Two Moghal dogs in a leash were they, Bhoki Bâbâ, are, malâ soqûn de!
And a mountain hare that ran away; He answers :
When the hare those dogs espied, . Talâ âhe sonechå wa rupaicha dândå.
At once he squatted down to hide." She repeats :
And the next, "Musalmani" from Thána, is al. Bhoki Baba, are malâ sodun de!
most a nursery rhyme, and not a bad one either :She speaks, seeing her husband approach:
Marghâ murghi shadi kya, Are, Bhoki Bâbâ, paha te ale navara!
Baidå dyå sola, Bhoki Baba, are mala soqun de!
Jaldi bachha paida huâ, The husband speaks :
Kukura ! krkura! kukurd ! bola. Bhoki Baba, kothen dhe majhi pori? The lady interrupts Bhoki's answer with
“Cock and hen a wedding made, Bhoki Bâbâ, are malê sodún de!
Sixteen eggs (the lady) laid, and so on for several stanzas, or rather distichs, Out came a little chick speedilie, in the same style. I learnt this and the next from Cock-a-doodle-doo! quoth he."
UlA'-rejoicing,' with an idea of motion ; "Nadi ulasa na chAlall" is a line of a Thakur song in praise of the monsoon.
