Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

[p. 76]

27 Hardī and Cumāvan¹ [Leiding 8A, 1962]

köirini köirini tųha baṛī rānī re, kahavą̄ ke haradī
są̄cāreyu āju re kahavą̄ ke haradī
hamare dulahini bhäī äisī sukųvāra re
haradī ke jhāra sahā nahį jā̈i re, haradī ke jhāra
hamarī dulahini bhäī äisi sukųvāra re
telavā ke jhāra sahā nahį jā̈i re, telavā ke jhāra

kahavą̄ ke haradī, kahą̄ re sącārī re kahavą̄ ke haradī
köirini köirini tųha baṛī rānī re, kahavą̄ ke haradī
³ jaune dulahe rāmā khelata dekhyaų re
tavane dulahe rāmā cauke jo bäiṭhe re
cūmana bäiṭhī ją̄gha sunnarī bappavā kavana rāmā dhe
ika bāra cumalī dulahini mukha bhara dehu asīs
cūmana baiṭhe ją̄gha sunnare mappavā kavana rāmā re
ika bāra cumalī dulahina dëī mukha bhara dehu asīs

O oilwoman,⁴ oilwoman, you are a great queen; from where is the turmeric?
The turmeric from which place has been gathered (here) today?
Our bride has grown so tender -
The smell⁵ of the turmeric cannot be borne (by her).⁶
Our bride has grown so tender -
The smell of the oil cannot be borne (by her).

1 Lines I and II ‘...... telini rānī; kahavą̄ kā telu sącāryo āj’ (H.S.B.I. Avadhī: 216).

3 The lines III and IV are for the bridegroom's ceremony, and V and VI are for the bride's.

4 Köirin, the wife of a man who is kolī by caste - one of whose professions is to press oil.

5 The smell of its vapour; jhār.

6 Is unbearable for her.

[p. 77]

B

I.

From where is the turmeric? Where has been gathered the turmeric (and) from where?

II.

O oilwoman, oilwoman, you are a great queen; from where is the turmeric?

III.

The bridegroom Rāma whom I had seen playing (as a child),

IV.

The same bridegroom Rāma is (now) sitting on the board¹ (being anointed in this ceremony).

V.

The beautiful (bride) is sitting in the lap to kiss;² N.N. Rāma (is the) father (whose) daughter (she is).

VI.

(She the) bride has been kissed once; do give her a mouthful of blessings.³

VII.

The handsome (bridegroom) is sitting in the lap to kiss; N.N. Rāma (is) his mother.⁴

VIII.

The bride, the goddess, has been kissed once; give her a mouthful of blessings.

1 Caukā, a wooden seat only a few inches from the ground, also known as caukī.

2 This has been translated here too literally. For the details of the cumāvan ceremony see de Klerk ('51: 145).

3 This line may be wrong; it should probably refer to the bridegroom; ika bāra cumale dulahe rāmā mukha bhara dehu asīs. The singers often make such mistakes while singing.

4 The term mappavā is new; it may mean mother and father. The singers stated it to mean only mother.

2 The A is for haradī; B is for cumāvan.