Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

6 Sohar Ulārā i [Paramaribo, 1962]
Duties of some castes and professions

jasodrā ke bhaye nandalāla bajā̈o re gvāliniyā
mālin lāye phūl tamolin cūnariyā
bhalā äisan resamavā cīr le āye paṭahāriniyā

jasodrā ke...

bhalā mālin lāye phūla tamolin bīrauvā
bhalā äise äise bandha lagāy ke le āve paṭahāriniyā

jasodrā ke...

bhalā mālin kai rąg rąge tamolin kaise calī
bhalā juga juga jiye tore lāla kahata paṭahāriniyā

jasodrā ke...

[p. 53]

I.

To Yaśodā is born Kṛṣṇa; play (the musical instruments), cowherdess!

II.

The mālin¹ brings the flowers and the tamolin² brings cūnā;³

III.

And,⁴ oh, such silken garments does the paṭahāriniyā⁵ bring along.⁶ To Yaśodā...

IV.

Ah,⁴ the mālin brings flowers and the tamolin the bīṛā;³

V.

And, oh⁴ the paṭahāriniyā has sewed on such (beautiful) flowery pieces and brings them along.

 

To Yaśodā...

VI.

Well,⁴ in how many colours is coloured the mālin, and how does the tamolin walk?

VII.

May the darling child live for many aeons - says the paṭahāriniyā.

 

To Yaśodā...

1 A gardener's wife or a lady gardener.

2 A woman tamolī or a tamolī's wife. Tamolīs deal with betel-leaf and such other mouth-fresheners. Tamolins in India often carried out their trade in association with courtesans, serving the customers and often acting as go-betweens. Their coquettish walk is proverbial.

3 Bīṛā, a wrapped up betel-leaf with many spices and mouth-fresheners inside; one of these is cūnā, edible white lime.

4 We have included bhalā as an example, but it cannot be accurately translated. See p. 5.

5 Wife of a paṭahār, or a woman of such profession. They deal in colourful flowery and other objects and small pieces including of clothing for children.

6 Throughout it may be translated as ‘has brought along.’ In these songs a general tense is often used to denote past, present or future according to the context.