Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

38 Bhą̄var⁴ [Nieuw Nickerie, 1967]

bābā hī bābā pukāräile bābā na boläį ho
bābā pahalī bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį bābā ke ho
dādā hī dādā pukāräile dādā na boläį ho
dādā dusarī bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį dādā ke ho
nānā hī nānā pukāräile nānā na boläį ho
nānā tisarī bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį nānā ke ho
bhaiyā hī bhaiyā pukāräile bhaiyā na boläį ho
bhaiyā cäuthī bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį bhaiyā ke ho

4 Since ‘walking round the fire, the bhą̄var, is the Hindu wedding par excellence, the importance of this song cannot be overemphasized. H.S.B.I. alone gives versions in seven North Indian languages and dialects: Avadhī (p. 219); Baghelī (p. 255), Bundelī (p. 341), Braj (p. 378), Gaṛhvālī (p. 612), a shorter version in Cambiālī (p. 721), and a Rājasthānī version (p. 445) with only four circumambulations because in Rājasthān that is the customary number instead of the seven which are usual elsewhere.

[p. 89]

IX.

mausā hī mausā pukāräile mausā na boläį ho

X.

mausā pącavį̄ bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį mausā ke ho

XI.

kākā hī kākā pukāräile kākā na boläį ho

XII.

kākā chaṭhavį bhąvariyā ke ghumale abahį maį kākā ke ho

XIII.

māmā hī māmā pukāräile māmā na boläį ho

XIV.

satahį bhąvariyā ke ghumale to bhäilī parā̈ī ho

I call only ‘father’ ‘father’, but father does not answer.
Father, having made the first circumambulation I am still father's own.
¹
I call only ‘māmā’ ‘māmā’, but māmā does not answer.
Having made the seventh circumambulation I have now become another's.

1 The second to the sixth circumambulations, referring to paternal grandfather, maternal grandfather, brother, mausā (husband of mother's sister), kākā (father's younger brother), māmā (mother's brother). It is not necessary that the same order should be followed. Other relatives may also be mentioned instead of these.