Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

[p. 63]

15 Tilak [Paramaribo, 1967]
Fixing the marriage, the amount of Tilak gift and the dowry.¹

purubahi desavā āye nauvā brāhmana ho
ṭhāṛha bhäile rājā ke duvāre ho
kiyā tuhų brāhmana bhicchā leväu ho
kiyā piyabo ṭhanḍā pānī ho
nāhį maį rājā ho bhicchā lebai ho
nāhį o piyabe ṭhaṇḍā pānī ho
tore ghare he rājā rāma kųvāre haį
more ghare sītā kųvārī ho
kahū to he rājā tilaka caṛhāvaų ho
nāhį re ghumari ghara jā̈ų ho
dvāre se rājā mahali bhītara gäile ho
rānī rājā eka mati kīnha ho
käi lakha he brāhmaṇa tilaka caṛhā̈iba ho
käi lakha daheja deba ho
nau lakha he rājā tilaka caṛhäibe ho
dasa lakha daheja debai ho

The barber (and the) Brāhmaṇa² came to the eastern country,
(They) stood at the king's gates.
- O Brāhmaṇa, do you (wish to) take alms or -
would you drink cool water?
- O king, I would take neither alms -
Nor would I drink cool water.
O king in your home (there) is Rāma (who is) unmarried;
In my home (there) is Sītā³ (who also is) unmarried.

1 Cp. R. Tripāṭhī ('29: 202).

2 Or the barber brāhmaṇa (vide note on p. 20).

3 Not necessarily the legendary person but the title of any marriageable girl. The same applies to other figures in the wedding songs (see p. 35).

[p. 64]

IX.

If you say, O king, (then) I would make the tilak offering;

X.

If not, I would return and go home.

XI.

The king went inside from the gates;

XII.

The queen and the king (consulted and) became of one mind.¹

XIII.

- O Brāhmaṇa, how many hundred thousands would you make as the tilak offering,

XIV.

How many hundred thousands would you give as the dowry?

XV.

- O king, I shall make nine hundred thousand the tilak offering;

XVI.

I shall give ten hundred thousand (i.e. a million) as the dowry.

1 That is, agreed between themselves.