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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY,
A JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH
VOLUME XLIV–1915.
GAZETTEER GLEANINGS IN CENTRAL INDIA, BÝ MAJOR O. ECKFORD LUARD, M.A., I.A.
WOMEN'S SONGS. These songs were collected in the country round Gwalior where the Braj dialoot is common.
1. A girl bride's lament. JA chadh mora baithie.
The peacock perched on the tree. Utar, re morâ, main chadhga;
Come down, Oh peacock, I would olimb Já chadh heron apno mâeko.
And see my mother's house from your seat Aggam dekho, pacham dekho;
I looked south, and I looked west, Kâhân na dikhe mâeko.
But nowhere could my bome be seen. Pärab dekho, uttar dekho;
I looked east and I looked north N'ek na dikhe mâeko.
But not one glance fell on my home. Nauâ dai pardes ;
The barber1 gave me away to a foreign land, Nauâ bioharo, kya kare?
But the barber is not to blame. Bâmhná dai pardes :
The priest consigned me to a foreign lana, Bâmhná bicharo, kya kare!
But the priest is nowise to blame. Babulâ dai pardes;
My dear father gave me to a foreign land, Babulâ bicharo, kya kare?
But my dear father is not to blame. Tahûi na dihon tori je re bijania.
Yet will I not give thee thy fan Ghudla chadhe, bhaujai, kâkul âwei,
If thy uncle come on his horse, sister-in-law, Tahĝi ne dihor tori je re bijanie.
Yet will I not give thee thy fan. Palki chadhe, tori mâia jo âwe,
If thy mother come in a palla Tahûí na dikon, bhaujai, tori je re bijania
Yet, sister-in-law, will I not give thee thy fan. Päen piâde torî lahori bendul âwe,
But if thy young sister come, even on foot, Tori dihoi, bhaujai, bijní :
I will give up thy fan : Hâns deuigo, bhaujai, tori bijania.
Laughingly will I then give thee thy fan,
sister-in-law !
· The barber acts as go-betwoon in arranging marriages, the priest, father and uncle also bring concerned.