Paichhmahi
Imagine – a young married woman goes to her husband's house, she feels like visiting her parents but is not allowed to leave the place. I captured the feelings of a lass like her in the Paichhamahi sung by Bauwa Lal Thakur. Paichhamahi is a folk song sung during the night time by the Tharus and others in the Eastern Nepal districts. It is also sung during the Dhumra Naach shows.
In Nepal and many South Asian countries, a bride has to leave her parents' house forever after marriage. She becomes a permanent part of the groom's house. The couple visit the bride's house once or twice a year.
When I urged Bauwa Lal, in his late sixties, to sing the song, he enthusiastically started singing. Though I could not make out the meaning of most of the singing at the beginning, rewinding the recording several times, I was able to translate it into English.
The young lady requests to let her visit her parents, laments and sings.
Taihiya se piya mora ho
Ho daiba re delakai re sinurawa ho Ram
Taihaya se yaba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa nahira ho sapanama
Abe jaihaya se aba ho piyawa
She says, "Since you put sinur (vermillion), visiting my parents' house has turned into a dream." While marrying, the groom applies vermillion to the bride's forehead.
Are goraha ma lagiyo daiba re
Ho daiba re nanadi ke bhaiyaba ho din chari aba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa jaye de ho naiharawa abe din chari aba ho piyawa
"O my sister-in-law's brother, let me visit my parents' house for four days only," she adds.
Hai sawan bhadob ke daiba re
Ho dhani he umarlai Jamunawaba abe kaise didi aba he dhani
He dhani he jayeba he naiharawa abe kone didi aba he dhani
The groom says, "It's rainy season (August) and the river (Jamuna) is flooded. How will you be able to reach there?"
Abe sikiya me kirikiri
Ho daiba re bunalaho bakhariya wahi chari aba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa ho jaye deho naiharawa abe wohi chari aba ho piyawa
The bride replies, "I will weave a boat of siki (a wild grass used to weave baskets) and cross the river, please let me go."
Ha tuti jeto berawa saraki jeto batiya
Ha dhani he dubi marabau wohi majhadar abe dubi maraba he dhani
The groom says, "The boat will capsize and you will get drowned, you will die."
Ha abe Chaitaname tikala girahe
Paradesename piya baithi rahe
Paradesename piya baithi rahe
Hiya amuwa majare jamuwa gujare
Amuwa majare jamuwa gujare
Us baganame koiliya kuke
Us baganame koiliya kuke
Ha piyawa jaye deho naiharawa din chari aba ho piyawa
The bride then talks about the green mangoes in April, mango flowers, blackberries and the cuckoo singing in the orchard. She insists to let her visit her parents' home for at least four days.
Now listen to the song in Bauwa Lal's voice.
Birhain
Like Paichhmahi, Birhain is another folk song sung by Tharus during the day time. Though it is sung during the day time, I requested Bauwa Lal to sing it after he sang the Paichhmahi. This song also talks about the feelings of the bride. While the Paichhmahi is about her laments to visit the parents' house, this song is more about how she feels at the groom's house during the day time.
Re khopawa ye banhala chikan dhani ho
Aba barahe jatan san
Ye wohi khopa lubu dal rasilba ho
Aa khopa ba re bayari bhelai
She talks about doing her hair, making a bun. She says that the same bun has turned into an outsider to her.
Ha re ye sinur
Ha ye pinhala chikan san ho
Aa barahe jatana san
He laye darapan surati niharbai ho
Amurukhi ye murukhi kahatai
She has applied vermillion carefully. Married women wear vermillion in their forehead as a part of make-up and letting people know that they are married. She talks about bringing a mirror and see how she looks so that others don't consider her as a fool.
Ha re ye sasura ke ya yelai ka hutiya ho
Aa dina mare sudin bhelai
Ye maye baap bhelai hai re nirmohiya ho
Aa dina mare firaye gelakai
Her days have changed. Her mother and father have been like outsiders since she came to her husband's house.
Ha re yada gam lage mora leke naihar ho
Aa yada gam ye sasura
Ye kaise kerakhabai duwo kula apan ho
Apa he sare umata bhelai
She remembers her parents' house and ponders how she will be able to keep relations with both the homes.
Hira ek samay ek phoola ke karan
Mai to gaye nandalal ke bari
Hira abe kach kali phoola toraliyai
Us phoola ke karan lakhan gari
Reminiscing the daily happenings, she talks about an incident when she went to her neighbour's garden to pick flowers. She picked a flower bud and had to listen to thousands of bad words for that.
Now listen to Bauwa Lal rendering his voice to the lady's cause.
Imagine – a young married woman goes to her husband's house, she feels like visiting her parents but is not allowed to leave the place. I captured the feelings of a lass like her in the Paichhamahi sung by Bauwa Lal Thakur. Paichhamahi is a folk song sung during the night time by the Tharus and others in the Eastern Nepal districts. It is also sung during the Dhumra Naach shows.
In Nepal and many South Asian countries, a bride has to leave her parents' house forever after marriage. She becomes a permanent part of the groom's house. The couple visit the bride's house once or twice a year.
When I urged Bauwa Lal, in his late sixties, to sing the song, he enthusiastically started singing. Though I could not make out the meaning of most of the singing at the beginning, rewinding the recording several times, I was able to translate it into English.
The young lady requests to let her visit her parents, laments and sings.
Taihiya se piya mora ho
Ho daiba re delakai re sinurawa ho Ram
Taihaya se yaba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa nahira ho sapanama
Abe jaihaya se aba ho piyawa
She says, "Since you put sinur (vermillion), visiting my parents' house has turned into a dream." While marrying, the groom applies vermillion to the bride's forehead.
Are goraha ma lagiyo daiba re
Ho daiba re nanadi ke bhaiyaba ho din chari aba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa jaye de ho naiharawa abe din chari aba ho piyawa
"O my sister-in-law's brother, let me visit my parents' house for four days only," she adds.
Hai sawan bhadob ke daiba re
Ho dhani he umarlai Jamunawaba abe kaise didi aba he dhani
He dhani he jayeba he naiharawa abe kone didi aba he dhani
The groom says, "It's rainy season (August) and the river (Jamuna) is flooded. How will you be able to reach there?"
Abe sikiya me kirikiri
Ho daiba re bunalaho bakhariya wahi chari aba ho piyawa
Ho piyawa ho jaye deho naiharawa abe wohi chari aba ho piyawa
The bride replies, "I will weave a boat of siki (a wild grass used to weave baskets) and cross the river, please let me go."
Ha tuti jeto berawa saraki jeto batiya
Ha dhani he dubi marabau wohi majhadar abe dubi maraba he dhani
The groom says, "The boat will capsize and you will get drowned, you will die."
Ha abe Chaitaname tikala girahe
Paradesename piya baithi rahe
Paradesename piya baithi rahe
Hiya amuwa majare jamuwa gujare
Amuwa majare jamuwa gujare
Us baganame koiliya kuke
Us baganame koiliya kuke
Ha piyawa jaye deho naiharawa din chari aba ho piyawa
The bride then talks about the green mangoes in April, mango flowers, blackberries and the cuckoo singing in the orchard. She insists to let her visit her parents' home for at least four days.
Now listen to the song in Bauwa Lal's voice.
Birhain
Like Paichhmahi, Birhain is another folk song sung by Tharus during the day time. Though it is sung during the day time, I requested Bauwa Lal to sing it after he sang the Paichhmahi. This song also talks about the feelings of the bride. While the Paichhmahi is about her laments to visit the parents' house, this song is more about how she feels at the groom's house during the day time.
Re khopawa ye banhala chikan dhani ho
Aba barahe jatan san
Ye wohi khopa lubu dal rasilba ho
Aa khopa ba re bayari bhelai
She talks about doing her hair, making a bun. She says that the same bun has turned into an outsider to her.
Ha re ye sinur
Ha ye pinhala chikan san ho
Aa barahe jatana san
He laye darapan surati niharbai ho
Amurukhi ye murukhi kahatai
She has applied vermillion carefully. Married women wear vermillion in their forehead as a part of make-up and letting people know that they are married. She talks about bringing a mirror and see how she looks so that others don't consider her as a fool.
Ha re ye sasura ke ya yelai ka hutiya ho
Aa dina mare sudin bhelai
Ye maye baap bhelai hai re nirmohiya ho
Aa dina mare firaye gelakai
Her days have changed. Her mother and father have been like outsiders since she came to her husband's house.
Ha re yada gam lage mora leke naihar ho
Aa yada gam ye sasura
Ye kaise kerakhabai duwo kula apan ho
Apa he sare umata bhelai
She remembers her parents' house and ponders how she will be able to keep relations with both the homes.
Hira ek samay ek phoola ke karan
Mai to gaye nandalal ke bari
Hira abe kach kali phoola toraliyai
Us phoola ke karan lakhan gari
Reminiscing the daily happenings, she talks about an incident when she went to her neighbour's garden to pick flowers. She picked a flower bud and had to listen to thousands of bad words for that.
Now listen to Bauwa Lal rendering his voice to the lady's cause.
I am fascinated with soulful plaintive songs capturing the moods and feelings of a married young woman. I requested Bauwa Lal to sing a Parati which is sung in the morning time. But he said that he can't sing that song during the night as the feel and mood of the song can be captured only in the morning.
Till I catch up with him and record another beautiful song, listen to the Paichhmahi and Birhain, and spread the word.
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