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:

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

PHOTO • 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.

Series Curator : Pratishtha Pandya

பிரதிஷ்தா பாண்டியா பாரியின் மூத்த ஆசிரியர் ஆவார். இலக்கிய எழுத்துப் பிரிவுக்கு அவர் தலைமை தாங்குகிறார். பாரிபாஷா குழுவில் இருக்கும் அவர், குஜராத்தி மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளராக இருக்கிறார். கவிதை புத்தகம் பிரசுரித்திருக்கும் பிரதிஷ்தா குஜராத்தி மற்றும் ஆங்கில மொழிகளில் பணியாற்றுகிறார்.

Other stories by Pratishtha Pandya
Illustration : Priyanka Borar

ப்ரியங்கா போரர், தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் பல விதமான முயற்சிகள் செய்வதன் மூலம் புதிய அர்த்தங்களையும் வெளிப்பாடுகளையும் கண்டடையும் நவீன ஊடக கலைஞர். கற்றுக் கொள்ளும் நோக்கிலும் விளையாட்டாகவும் அவர் அனுபவங்களை வடிவங்களாக்குகிறார், அதே நேரம் பாரம்பரியமான தாள்களிலும் பேனாவிலும் அவரால் எளிதாக செயல்பட முடியும்.

Other stories by Priyanka Borar