She is away from her loved one but in heart, willing to cross the seas for him, she longs to be by his side. The song is a plea:
T
Kachchh, Gujarat
|SUN, MAR 24, 2024
A pair of kunjal birds
A folk song of love and longing from Kutch, a song of migratory winter birds
Illustration
Series Curator
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર , હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please, don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
She does not want him to forget her. That would be equivalent of killing the kunjal, a local name for the demoiselle crane, that flies to the arid grasslands in Kutch every winter from faraway Siberia. The kunj bird that she identifies with is a familiar, much loved and revered one in Kachchhi folk culture. It effortlessly enters the world of women characters, as a friend, confidante and counsel, even a metaphor of her identity and aspirations.
What he can do instead, she says, is to get her some jewellery pieces: a nose ring, a necklace, a pair of anklets, ornaments for the forehead and fingers. And get a pair of kunjal birds carved on each of them in a way celebrating their union. This song beautifully rendered by Juma Vagher of Mundra taluka is another beautiful one among the number of ‘ornithological folksongs’ found in this series.Listen to the folk song sung by Juma Vagher from Bhadresar
કરછી
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
કડલાર રે ઘડાય દે વીરા કડલા ઘડાય દે, કાભીયે જે જોડ તે કુંજ કે વીરાય
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
મુઠીયા રે ઘડાય દે વીરા મુઠીયા રે ઘડાય, બગલીયે જે જોડ તે કુંજ કે વીરાય
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
હારલો ઘડાય દે વીરા હારલો ઘડાય, દાણીએ જે જોડ તે કુંજ કે વીરાય
ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
નથડી ઘડાય દે વીરા નથડી ઘડાય, ટીલડી જી જોડ તે કુંજ કે વીરાય
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
કુંજલ ન માર વીરા કુંજલ ન માર, હી કુંજલ વેધી દરિયા પાર
English
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Make me a couple of kadalas, please, a pair of anklets for my feet,
and get two kunj birds carved on each
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Make me muthiyas, please, muthiyas for my fingers,
and couple of bangles with a pair of kunj birds carved on each.
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Make me a haar, please, a haar adorning my neck,
and get a pair of kunj birds carved on it.
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Make me a nathani, please, a nathani to adorn my nose,
and a tiladi for my forehead, with a pair of kunj birds carved on those.
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Do not kill the kunjal. Oh please,don’t! The kunjal will go across the seas
Priyanka Borar
Type of song: Traditional folk song
Cluster: Songs of love and longing
Song: 12
Title of the song: Kunjal na maar veer kunjal na maar
Composer: Deval Mehta
Singer: Juma Vagher from Bhadresar village of Mundra taluka
Instruments used: drum, harmonium, banjo
Recording year: 2012, KMVS studio
English translation: Pratishtha Pandya
These songs, 341 recorded by a community-run radio Soorvani, have come to PARI through the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS). For more of these songs visit this page: Songs of the Rann: archive of Kutchi folk songs
A special thanks to Preeti Soni, Aruna Dholakia, secretary, KMVS, Amad Sameja, project coordinator KMVS for their support and to Bhartiben Gor for her invaluable help.
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