Jind Mahi

This song is sung to Jind Mahi, which literally means love of my life. Each boli is a little narrative told by the singer to his darling, and always follows the same structure : Oh Jind Mahi is followed by some object/words that determines the rhyme - the next set of lines is a narrative of some sort where each line ends with a rhyming word. The end is always the chorus (Ek pal bahi jana..).

This song is a very old traditional song and is simply a basis for improvisation. The structure makes it perfect for improvisation. The following are some boliyan that I knew as a kid and are also in a current popular version of the song.

SONG Jind Mahi bajre diyan, aha Jind Mahi bajre diyan kaliyan Ki mela vekhan aiyan, aha Ki mela vekhan aiyan jattiyan Ki hath vich sheesha, hoy Hath vich sheesha savaran pattiyan. Ek pal behi jana, aha Ve ek pal behi jana mere kol Ve tere mithrde ni, hoy Ve tere mithrde ni lagde bol oho oho oho hai Jind Mahi, baj tere kumlaiyan Ki teriyan ladiyan Parjaiyan Ki baji phir kade na aiyan Ek pal... Jind Mahi ambiyan te a gaya boor Ki jattiyan de mukhrde te varda noor Jinno vekh ke charde saroor Ek pal.... Jind Mahi je turiyo patiale Othon liyavi reshmi naale Ade chitte oye, ade kale Ek pal..

TRANSLATION Jind Mahi, the buds (kaliyan) of bajara (grain) are here (spring has arrived) The jattiyan have come (aiyan) to see (vekhan) the mela In one hand (hath) is a mirror (sheesha), with which she fixes (svaran) her hair (pattiyan) Chorus For one moment (ek pal), sit down (behi jana) near me (mere kol) I find your words (bol) so sweet (mithrde) Your spoilt (ladli) sister-in-laws (parjai) They will never come back into your hands (baji = control) Jind Mahi, the leaf buds (boor) have come on the ambi tree The faces (mukhrde) of the jattiyan are beginning to glow Seeing that (jinnu vekh ke) fills me with intoxication Jind Mahi, if you go (turiyo) to Patiala From there (othon) bring (liyavi) silki (reshmi) tassles (naale) Half (ade) white (chitte) half black (kale)