[Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song

[Inder Salim]

Dear All
Freedom means different for different people.
For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands.
The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively
sensitizes the soul.
the song is:

Athe travtohan janavar
Athe travtohan janavar
Phare bagas te kari guftar
Athe travtohan janavar
Chavi yavun te vure shehjar
Athe travtohan janavar
Ye chu nagman hund tandar
Athe travtohan janavar
Janavar chu vanan zaar
Athe travtohan janavar
Mate haitav ami sund baar
Athe travtohan janavar

( below: a word to word translation )

Release the bird from your hands
Release the bird from your hands,
It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart.
Release the bird from your hands
It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees.
Release the bird from your hands
It is a conglomeration of songs,
Release the bird from your hands.
This bird is singing a sad number,
Release the bird from your hands.
Dont take the responsibility of his captivity,
Release the bird from your hands.
………………………….
In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps,
who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’:
Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small
yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ).

Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo
Zaar mein totas van te lo lo

What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a
Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India.

This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the
complexities of
Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist,
poet, or a bird is not defined.
The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning
inside the heart,
 but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird,
 if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird.

With love and regards
Inder salim












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