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Tales Of The Punjab

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HOW RAJA RASÂLU WENT OUT INTO THE WORLD

_Bhaunr' Irâqi_.--The name of Rasâlu's horse; but the name
probably should be Bhaunri Rakhi, kept in the underground cellar.
'Irâqi means Arabian.

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Main âiâ thâ salâm nûn, tûn baithâ pîth maror!
Main nahîn terâ râj wandânundâ; main nûn nahîn râj te lor._

I came to salute thee, and thou hast turned thy back on me!
I have no wish to share thy kingdom! I have no desire for empire.

_Mahlân de vich baithîe, tûn ro ro na sunâ! Je tûn merî mâtâ
hain, koî mat batlâ! Matte dendî hai mân tain nûn, putar: gin
gin jholî ghat! Châre Khûntân tûn râj kare, par changâ rakhîn
sat!_

O sitting in the palace, let me not hear thee weeping!
If thou be my mother give me some advice!
Thy mother doth advise thee, son: stow it carefully away in thy
wallet!
Thou wilt reign in the Four Quarters, but keep thyself good and
pure.

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Thorâ thorâ, betâ, tûn disîn, aur bahotî disî dhûr:
Putr jinân de tur chale, aur mâwân chiknâ chûr._

It is little I see of thee, my son, but I see much dust.
The mother, whose son goes away on a journey, becomes as a powder
(reduced to great misery).



HOW RAJA RASÂLU'S FRIENDS FORSOOK HIM

_Verses_.--Originals are--

_Agge sowen lef nihâlîân, ajj sutâ suthrâ ghâs!
Sukh wasse yeh des, jâhan âeajj dî rât!_

Before thou didst sleep on quilts, to-day thou has slept on clean
grass!
Mayest thou live happy in this land whither thou hast come this
night!

_Snake_--Most probably represents a man of the 'Serpent Race' a
Nâga, Taka, or Takshak.

_Unspeakable horror_--The undefined word _âfat_, horror,
terror, was used throughout.

_Verses_--Originals are--

_Sadâ na phûlan torîân, nafrâ: sadâ na Sâwan hoe:
Sadâ na joban thir rahe: sadâ na jive koe:
Sadâ na râjiân hâkimî: sâda na râjiân des:
Sadâ na hove ghar apnâ, nafrâ, bhath piâ pardes_.

_Tcrîs_ (a mustard plant) do not always flower, my servant: it
is not always the rainy season (time of joy).
Youth does not always last: no one lives for ever:
Kings are not always rulers: kings have not always lands:
They have not always homes, my servant: they fall into great
troubles in strange lands.

These verses of rustic philosophy are universal favourites, and have
been thus rendered in the _Calcutta Review_, No. clvi. pp. 281,
282--

Youth will not always stay with us:
We shall not always live:
Rain doth not always fall for us:
Nor flowers blossoms give.

Great kings not always rulers are:
They have not always lands:
Nor have they always homes, but know
Sharp grief at strangers' hands.



HOW RAJA RASÂLU KILLED THE GIANTS

_Giants_--_Râkshasa_, for which see previous notes.

_Nîlâ city_--Most probably Bâgh Nîlâb on the Indus to the south
of Atak.

_Verses_--In the original these are--

_Na ro, mata bholîe: na aswân dhalkâe: Tere bete ki 'îvaz main
sir desân châe. Nîle-ghorewâlîd Râjâ, munh dhârî, sir pag, Woh
jo dekhte âunde, jin khâiâ sârâ jag_.

Weep not, foolish mother, drop no tears:
I will give my head for thy son.
Gray-horsed Raja: bearded face and turban on head,
He whom you see coming is he who has destroyed my life!

_Verses_--In original--

_Nasso, bhajo, bhâîo! Dekho koî gali! Tehrî agg dhonkaî, so
sir te ân balî! Sûjhanhârî sûjh gae; hun laihndî charhdî jâe!
Jithe sânûn sûkh mile, so jhatpat kare upâe!

Fly, fly, brethren! look out for some road!
Such a fire is burning that it will come and burn our heads!
Our fate has come, we shall now be destroyed!
Make some plan at once for our relief._

_Gandgari Mountains_--Gandgarh Hills, to the north of Atak; for a
detailed account of this legend see _Journal Asiatic Society of
Bengal_ for 1854, p. 150 ff.



HOW RAJA RASÂLU BECAME A JOGI

_Hodînagarî_--A veritable will-o'-the-wisp in the ancient Panjâb
geography: Hodînagarî, Udenagar, Udaynagar, is the name of
innumerable ruins all over the northern Panjâb, from Siâlkot to
Jalâlâbâd in Afghânistân beyond the Khaibar Pass. Here it is more
than probably some place in the Rawâl Pindi or Hazârâ Districts along
the Indus.

_Rânî Sundrân_--The daughter of Hari Chand.

_Alakh_--'In the Imperishable Name,' the cry of religious
mendicants when begging.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Jâe bûhe te kilkiâ: lîa nâm Khudâ:
Dûron chalke, Rânî Sundrân, terâ nâ:
Je, Rânî, tû sakhî hain, kharî faqîrân pâ:_

Coming to the threshold I called out: I took the name of God:
Coming from afar, Rânî Sundrân, on account of thy name.
If thou art generous, Rânî, the beggar will obtain alms.

The _Musalmân_ word _Khudâ_, God, here is noticeable, as
Rasâlû was personating a _Hindu jôgi_.

_Verses_.

_Kab kî pâî mundran? Kab kâ hûâ faqîr? Kis ghatâ mânion? Kis
kâ lâgâ tîr! Kete mâen mangiâ? Mere ghar kî mangî bhîkh? Kal
kî pâî mundrân! Kal kâ hûâ faqîr! Na ghat, mâîân, mâniân: kal
kâ lagâ tîr. Kuchh nahîn munh mangî: Kewal tere ghar ke
bhîkh._

When didst thou get thy earring? When wast thou made a _faqîr?_
What is thy pretence? Whose arrow of love hath struck thee?
From how many women hast thou begged? What alms dost thou beg from me?
Yesterday I got my earring: yesterday I became a _faqîr_.
I make no pretence, mother: yesterday the arrow struck me.
I begged nothing: only from thy house do I beg.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Tarqas jariâ tîr motîân; lâlân jarî kumân; Pinde bhasham
lagâiâ: yeh mainân aur rang; Jis bhikhiâ kâ lâbhî hain tû wohî
bhikhiâ mang. Tarqas jariâ merâ motîân: lâlân jarî kumân. Lâl
na jânâ bechke, motî be-wattî. Motî apne phir lai; sânûn pakkâ
tâm diwâ._

Thy quiver is full of pearly arrows: thy bow is set with rubies:
Thy body is covered with ashes: thy eyes and thy colour thus:
Ask for the alms thou dost desire.
My quiver is set with pearls: my bow is set with rubies.
I know not how to sell pearls and rubies without loss.
Take back thy pearls: give me some cooked food.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Kahân tumhârî nagari? kahân tumhârâ thâon? Kis râjâ kâ betrâ
jôgî? kyâ tumhârâ nâon? Siâlkot hamârî nagarî; wohî hamârâ
thâon. Râjâ Sâlivâhan kâ main betrâ: Lonâ parî merâ mâon.
Pinde bhasam lagâe, dekhan terî jâon. Tainûn dekhke chaliâ: Râjâ
Rasâlu merâ nâon._

Where is thy city? Where is thy home?
What king's son art thou, _jôgi?_ What is thy name?
Sialkot is my city: that is my home.
I am Râjâ Sâlivâhan's son: the fairy Lonâ is my mother.
Ashes are on my body: (my desire was) to see thy abode.
Having seen thee I go away: Râjâ Rasâlû is my name.

_Sati_.--The rite by which widows burn themselves with their
husbands.



HOW RAJA RASÂLU JOURNEYED TO THE CITY OF KING SARKAP

_Raja Sarkap_.--_Lit_. King Beheader is a universal hero of
fable, who has left many places behind him connected with his memory,
but who he was has not yet been ascertained.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Bâre andar piâ karanglâ, na is sâs, na pâs. Je Maullâ is nûn
zindâ kare, do bâtân kare hamâre sâth. Laihndion charhî badalî,
hâthân pâiâ zor: Kehe 'amal kamâio, je jhaldi nahîn ghor?_

The corpse has fallen under the hedge, no breath in him, nor any one
near.
If God grant him life he may talk a little with me.
The clouds rose in the west and the storm was very fierce;
What hast thou done that the grave doth not hold thee?

_Verses_.--In original--

Asîn bhî kadîn duniyân te inhân the;
Râjâ nal degrîân pagân banhde,
Turde pabhân bhâr.
Âunde tara, nachâunde tara,
Hânke sawâr.
Zara na mitthî jhaldî Râjâ
Hun sau manân dâ bhâr.

I, too, was once on the earth thus;
Fastening my turban like a king,
Walking erect.
Coming proudly, taunting proudly,
I drove off the horsemen.
The grave does not hold me at all, Raja:
Now I am a great sinner.

_Chaupur_, p. 256.--_Chaupur_ is a game played by two
players with 8 men each on a board in the shape of a cross, 4 men to
each cross covered with squares. The moves of the men are decided by
the throws of a long form of dice. The object of the game is to see
which of the players can move all his men into the black centre square
of the cross first. A detailed description of the game is given in
_The Legends of the Panjâb_, vol. i. pp. 243, 245.



HOW RAJA RASÂLU SWUNG THE SEVENTY FAIR MAIDENS, DAUGHTERS OF THE KING


_The daughters of Raja Sarkap_.--The scene of this and the
following legend is probably meant to be Kot Bithaur on the Indus
near Atak.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Nîle-ghorewâliâ Râjâ, niven neze âh!
Agge Râjâ Sarkap hai, sir laisî ulâh!
Bhâla châhen jo apnâ, tân pichhe hî mur jâh!
Dûron bîrâ chukiâ ithe pahutâ âh:
Sarkap dâ sir katke tote kassân châr.
Tainûn banâsân wohtrî, main bansân mihrâj!_

Grey-horsed Râjâ, come with lowered lance!
Before thee is Râjâ Sarkap, he will take thy head!
If thou seek thy own good, then turn thee back!
I have come from afar under a vow of victory:
I will cut off Sarkap's head and cut it into four pieces.
I will make thee my little bride, and will become thy bridegroom!

_Hundredweight_--_Man_ in the original, or a little over 80
lbs.

_Verses_--In original--

_Ik jo aia Rajpût katdâ mâromâr, Paske lârhân kapiân sittîâ
sîne bhâr. Dharîn dharin bheren bhanîân aur bhane ghariâl! Taîn
nûn, Râjâ, marsî ate sânûn kharsî hâl._

A prince has come and is making havoc;
He cut the long strings and threw us out headlong.
The drums placed are broken and broken are the gongs.
He will kill thee, Raja, and take me with him!

_Verses_--In original--

_Chhotî nagarî dâ waskîn, Rânî wadî karî pukâr.
Jân main niklân bâhar, tân merî tan nachâve dhâl.
Fajre rotî tân khâsân, sir laisân utâr._

Princess, thou hast brought a great complaint about a dweller in a
small city.
When I come out his shield will dance for fear of my valour.
In the morning I will eat my bread and cut off their heads.



HOW RAJA RASÂLU PLAYED _CHAUPUR_ WITH RAJA SARKAP

_Dhol Râjâ_--It is not known why the rat was so called. The hero
of a well-known popular love-tale bears the same name. Dhol or Dhaul
(from Sanskrit _dhavala_, white) is in popular story the
_cow_ that supports the earth on its horns.

_Verses_--In original--

_Sakhî samundar jamiân, Râjâ lîo rud gar thâe: Âo to charho
merî pîth te, kot tudh kharân tarpâe. Urde pankhî main na desân,
jo dauran lakh karor. Je tudh, Râjâ, pârâ khelsiâ, jeb hâth to
pâe._

O my beloved, I was born in the ocean, and the Râjâ
bought me with much gold.
Come and jump on my back and I will take thee off
with thousands of bounds.
Wings of birds shall not catch me, though they go
thousands of miles.
If thou wouldst gamble, Raja, keep thy hand on thy pocket.

_Verses_--In original--

_Na ro, Râjiâ bholiâ; nâ main charsân ghâh,
Na main tursân râh.
Dahnâ dast uthâeke jeb de vich pâh!_

Weep not, foolish Râjâ, I shall not eat their grass,
Nor shall I go away.
Take thy right hand and put it in thy pocket!

_Verses_.--In original--

_Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwin ithe basante lok! Sarân dharân han
bâziân, jehrî Sarkap kare so ho! Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwen, ithe
basanlâ lok! Sarân dharân te bâzian! Jehrî Allah kare so ho!_

O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!
Heads and bodies are at stake! as Sarkap does so let it be.
O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!
Heads and bodies are at stake! as God does so let it be!

_Verses_.--In original--

_Hor râje murghâbîân, tu râjâ shâhbâz!
Bandî bânân âe band khalâs kar! umar terî drâz._

Other kings are wild-fowl, thou art a royal hawk!
Unbind the chains of the chain-bound and live for ever!

_Mûrtî Hills_.--Near Râwal Pindî to the south-west.

_Kokilân_.--Means 'a darling': she was unfaithful and most
dreadfully punished by being made to eat her lover's heart.



THE KING WHO WAS FRIED

_The king who was fried_.--The story is told of the hill temple
(_marhî_) on the top of Pindî Point at the Murree (_Marhî_)
Hill Sanitarium. Full details of the surroundings are given in the
_Calcutta Review_, No. cl. p. 270 ff.

_King Karan,_.--This is for Karna, the half-brother of Pându, and
a great hero in the _Mahâbhârata_ legends. Usually he appears in
the very different character of a typical tyrant, like Herod among
Christians, and for the same reason, _viz_. the slaughter of
innocents.

_Hundredweight_.--A man and a quarter in the original, or about
100 lbs.

_Mânsarobar Lake_.--The Mânasasarovara Lake (=Tsho-Mâphan) in the
Kailâsa Range of the Himâlayas, for ages a centre of Indian fable.
For descriptions see Cunningham's _Ladâk_, pp. 128-136.

_Swan_.--_Hansa_ in the original: a fabulous bird that lives
on pearls only. Swan translates it better than any other word.

_King Bikramâjît_.--The great Vikramâditya of Ujjayinî,
popularly the founder of the present Sarhvat era in B.C. 57. Bikrû is
a legitimately-formed diminutive of the name. Vikrâmaditya figures
constantly in folklore as Bikram, Vikram, and Vichram, and also by a
false analogy as Bik Râm and Vich Râm. He also goes by the name of
Bîr Bikramâjît or Vîr Vikram, i.e. Vikramâditya, the warrior. In
some tales, probably by the error of the translator, he then becomes
two brothers, Vir and Vikram. See Postans' _Cutch_, p. 18 ff.



PRINCE HALF-A-SON

_Half-a-son_--_Adhiâ_ in the original form; _âdhâ_, a
half. The natives, however, give the tale the title of '_Sat
Bachiân diân Mâwân,_' _i.e_. the Mothers of Seven Sons.



THE MOTHER OF SEVEN SONS

_Broken-down old bed_.--This, with scratching the ground with the
fore-finger, is a recognised form of expressing grief in the Panjâb.
The object is to attract _faqîrs_ to help the sufferer.



THE RUBY PRINCE

_Prince Ruby_.--_La'ljî_, Mr. Ruby, a common name: it can
also mean 'beloved son' or 'cherished son.'

_Snake-stone_.--_Mani_ the fabulous jewel in the
cobra's hood, according to folklore all over India. See _Panjâb
Notes and Queries_, vol. i. for 1883-84.

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