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MARCH, 1906.)
THE CHUHRAS.
93
The girls sing. Téréan laungán da lá kariya.
What are we to do for your cloves (jewels) P Térf man ná gahna dhariya,
Let us mortgage your mother, Utôn laung vi pard kariye.
And so obtain cloves. Ukh lavd re, bábul,
Get a mortar made, father, Ukhli ladd.
Get a mortar made. Avégå dâmád térd,
When your son-in-law comes, Dháin chharega.
He will clean rice. They then take a tray and put it on a cup (katord). This they call tiskan. All the girls press down the tray on the cup with their hands one above another, telling the bridegroom to lift it up. He tries to do so bat cannot, and the sarbáhlá with his foot overturns it. This is the signal for the girls to give gali (abuse) to the serbahla: they pull his hair, slap him, push him about, and generally ill-treat him until the bridegroom at his cries for help asks them to desist.
The girls sing:
Lara aya kamman na. Sarbáhlá dyd amma na.
| The bridegroom bas come for his wife.
The bridegroom's friend for his mother,
They deny having bestan him, and treat them both to sweets (laddd and parakrián) and sugar, which they call bējwárí or hájiri. The bride is now admitted and seated. They throw bits of cotton wool on her, which he picks off. He takes off her tropbles, as it were. They throw them on him also.
The girls sing. Khád, malla, gur rôridni.
Play, beloved, with balle of sugar, Téri mán dian gallan marorián.
We will pinch your mother's cheeks. Khad, malla, khudalond,
Play, dear, with your toys, Teri mi de bhanne chalend.
We will break your mother's lega. Khádega, khadalga,
He will play, he will cause to play, Salian paroháidinga.
And please his sisters-in-law. Kaudi kaudi churandon de
You should have stolen cowries. Salidn parchands ud.
And given something to your sisters-in-law. Raudi di taufiq nahia.
You haven't even a cowry. Kanjrian di rit nahin.
We do not allow the custom of dancing girls here. He walks seven times round the bride, and the bride seven times round him. He lays his head on bers, and she hers on him, after which she kioks him on the back. The others follow suit. It goes hard with the unhappy bridegroom then. They seize his chadar (shawl), and tie two pice in it. The bride then fastens it tightly round his neck, meaning by this that he is captured and is hallan jóga nahin (unable to move).
The bridegroom singe.
Main khatángd, tun tháin, Mérf galón pat & lahin.
| I will earn money, and feed you.
Remove the shawl from my neck.
She takes it off, but they tie it to the bride's shawl (gand chattraod), meaning that they are now one.
The girl is bathed, the barber's wife, náin, braids her hair, then she sits on a tokra, basket, under which is a light. Two pice are placed under her feet. The one that gives the bath gets the pice.
