Am going far away, am going to a foreign land
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away.
The song sung by a newly married girl is addressed to the demoiselle cranes, known as the kunj bird. The new bride about to leave her family for her in-law’s house sees her journey as similar to that of the bird.
Every year thousands of these delicate, grey-feathered birds make their way from their breeding grounds in central Asia to the arid planes of western India, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan. They travel more than 5,000 kilometres and stay here from around November to March, before migrating back.
Andrew Millham in his book, Singing like Larks says, “ornithological folk songs are a threatened species – out of place in today’s fast-paced technological world.” He remarks that the birds and the folksongs have this in common – their ability to carry us on their wings to worlds beyond our doorsteps.
We live in an age where folksongs are fast becoming an endangered genre, rarely passed on, very rarely sung. But the people who created, learnt, and sang these songs looked at the sky, the world around them, and their own people for entertainment, for creative inspiration, for life lessons.
It is not surprising then that these birds have flown into the Kutchi songs and stories that come from the region. The rendition of the song by Juma Vagher, from Bhadresar village of Mundra taluka adds to its beauty and effect.
કરછી
ડૂર તી વિના પરડેસ તી વિના, ડૂર તી વિના પરડેસ તી વિના.
લમી સફર કૂંજ મિઠા ડૂર તી વિના,(૨)
કડલા ગડાય ડયો ,વલા મૂંજા ડાડા મિલણ ડયો.
ડાડી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાય, ડાડી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાય
વલા ડૂર તી વિના.
લમી સફર કૂંજ વલા ડૂર તી વિના (૨)
મુઠીયા ઘડાઈ ડયો વલા મૂંજા બાવા મિલણ ડયો.
માડી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી, જીજલ મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી
વલા ડૂર તી વિના.
લમી સફર કૂંજ વલા ડૂર તી વિના (૨)
હારલો ઘડાય ડયો વલા મૂંજા કાકા મિલણ ડયો,
કાકી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી, કાકી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી
વલા ડૂર તી વિના.
લમી સફર કૂંજ વલા ડૂર તી વિના (૨)
નથડી ઘડાય ડયો વલા મૂંજા મામા મિલણ ડયો.
મામી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી, મામી મૂંજી મૂકે હોરાઈધી
વલા ડૂર તી વિના.
English
Am going far away, am going to a foreign land (2)
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away. (2)
Make me kadalas, adorn my feet;
let me meet my dada, my grandpa I must see.
My dadi will see me off, my grandma will see me off.
Dear, I am going far away from here.
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away. (2)
Make me
bangadis
, adorn my hands;
let me meet my bapa, my father I must see.
My mata will see me off. My sweet mother will see me off.
Dear, I am going far away from here.
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away. (2)
Make me a
haralo
, a necklace to wear;
let me meet my kaka, my paternal uncle I must see.
My kaki will see me off. My paternal aunt will see me off.
Dear, I am going far away from here.
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away. (2)
Make me a nathani, a nose-ring for me;
let me meet my mama, my maternal uncle I must see.
My mami will see me off, my maternal aunt will see me off.
Dear, I am going far away from here.
This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away. (2)
Type of song:
Traditional folk song
Cluster: Songs of wedding
Song: 9
Title of the song: Door ti vina, pardes ti vina
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.
