Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

75 The tattoo song⁴ [Nieuw Nickerie, 1967]

galiyā ke galiyā phirale naṭovavā; kohi są̄vara godanā godäihaį re są̄valiyā
apane mahaliyā se nanadī pukāre; more bhaujī godanā godäihaį re są̄valiyā
kiyā liho natüavā sauvą̄ kodauvā; kiyā līho nanadī hamāra re są̄valiyā
agiyā lagāvaų są̄vara sauvą̄ kodauvā; hama lebai nanadī tuhāra re są̄valiyā
hara joti ā̈ile kudariyā goṛi ā̈ile; baiṭhele mathavā nivāy re są̄valiyā

4 The song may be summarised thus: the tattoo artist is making his round of the neighbourhood when he is called to render his services. A married woman has herself tattooed and then offers her husband's sister as a fee. When the husband returns home from his daily work, not finding his sister at home, he goes out looking for her. He finds the tattoo artist and asks him to give his sister back in return for a basketful of gold but he is rebuffed, for the girl is now the tattooer's properly wedded wife and was, at the first place, given as his proper fee. It is probable that this was the bhaujā̈ī's way of getting rid of her nanad. On the real purpose of the song see p. 26.
Cp. Archer and Prasād ('43: 208) with the stobha-refrain: more hari ke lāl, also our recording from Guyana.

[p. 132]

VI.

maiyā maį dekhyaų dhaniyā maį dekhyaų; nāhį dekhyaų re bahini hamāra re są̄valiyā

VII.

tohare bahinī prabhu naṭuvā ke bhūkhala; ū to gäile naṭuvā ke sātha re są̄valiyā

VIII.

lāvo na dhaniyā re hāthe ke chariyavā; bahinī khojana hama jāba re są̄valiyā

IX.

eka bana gäile dusara bana gäile; tisare me neṭuvā bhįṭāna re są̄valiyā

X.

levo na natüā re ḍāla bhari sonavā; choṛi devo bahinī hamāra re są̄valiyā

XI.

agiyā lagā̈ǫ tore ḍala bhari sonavā; ī to bāṭį̄ biyahī hamāra re są̄valiyā

XII.

tore dhaniyā re godanā godäilę hama to lelī godanā ke dāna re są̄valiyā

The naṭa¹ made (his) round (from) street to street (shouting:) is there a beautiful one² who would have a design tattooed?³
A nanad calls from her palace: my bhäujī will have a design tattooed.
- Would you take, O naṭa, (some) sauvą̄⁴ or kodǫ⁵ or would you (rather) take my nanad⁶ (as your fee)?
- Beautiful one, I would put fire to sauvą̄ and kodǫ; I would take your nanad.⁶
(The man of the house) returned after ploughing (with a) plough; he returned after digging (with a) shovel; he sat down with his forehead bowed.
- I have seen mother, I have seen (my) precious one; I have not seen my sister.
- Your sister, lord, was hungry for a naṭa; she has gone with the naṭa.
- Bring (me, won't you?) the stick (which I carry in my) hand; I shall go to search for (my) sister.

1 Naṭuā, a caste who do tattooing by going round the villages and towns.

2 Są̄var (S. śyāmā), a young beauty.

3 Są̄valiyā at the end of the line is merely a stobha or an aid to rhyme, addressing the listener as ‘beloved’.

4 A coarse grain (S. śyāmāka).

5 A coarse grain.

6 In another version: nanadī javān (youthful nanad).

[p. 133]

IX.

He went (through) one wilderness¹ (and) went through the second wilderness; in the third the naṭa was met.

X.

- Take, oh naṭa, a basketful of gold; leave my sister (and) give (her back to me).

XI.

- I would set fire to your basketful of gold; she is my wedded one.

XII.

Your precious one had a design tattooed and I took (your sister as) (my) fees.²

1 Ban, in the folksongs, a wilderness between two villages. S. vana means simply a forest.

2 Dān, in this case not a donation.