Anjur’s Pain / आँजुर के दुख

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis
Transcription and Translation by Pranav Prakash

Teller: Raksha Suman
Location: Madhubani
Date: 9/11/16

September 11, 2016: Session 2
Maithili Folklore Story 16_09_11_2

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा राजा रहै । ओकरा सात-ता बेटा रहै और एकटा बेटी । तऽ ओ बेटी के बड्ड माने छलैय । तो ओकर बेटी कहलके, एक दिन, जखन पैग भेलै, त कहलके कि, “पप्पा, हमरा ओ चाँद चाही ।” त कहलके, “बऊआ, ओ चाँद त हम ने दॅ सकेछियौ, लेकिन जे लोग हाथ पर, अथि करेछै, गढ़बेछै नऽ, से कॅ सकेछियौ ।”

There once was a king. He had seven sons and one daughter. He adored his daughter very much. Once his daughter spoke to him. That is, when she had grown up, she asked her father, “Pappā, I want that moon.” He replied, “O dear, I cannot give that moon to you, but I can do what people do…that is…what people get tattooed on their palms…I can get it tattooed on your palm.

– [ सोना के ]

– [ …made of gold… ]

हाँ, सोना के ।

yes, it’s made of gold

– [ …moon…she said I want the moon. ]

– [ …moon…she said I want the moon. ]

“सोना के…हाथ पे गढ़वा…गढ़वा सकेछियौ ।” त ओ कहलके…जे…लड़की, “ठीक छै, हम गढ़वाएब ।” तऽ ओ आधा चाँद गढ़ेलक, आधा, त ओकर माए मेर गेलै । और पूरा चाँद गढ़ेलके, त ओकर बाप मेर गेले । त फेर, ओ असगॅरे पेर गेले, अ ओकरा…

“…made of gold…engraved on the hand….I can get it tattooed on your hands.” Then she said…that girl…said, “Okay, I will get it tattooed.” When she got half of a moon tattooed on her hand – just half – then her mother passed away. And when she got the full moon tattooed on her hand, her father died. Now she was left alone, and she…

– [ …घर आनलक, त भाय बिदेश चल गेल । ]

– [ …was brought home, then her brothers went abroad… ]

…हँ, घर एले, त ओकर भाय बिदेश चल गेले, सातो भाय ।

…yes, when she came home, then her brothers – all seven brothers – went away.

– [ अच्छा । ]

– [ I see! ]

…ओकरा छोइर कॅ । और घॅर में जे ओकर अथि सब रहे, चाची सब…

…they left her alone. And she stayed back along with those who were in the house, her aunts…

– [ भौज सब ]

– [ sisters-in-law and all]

– [ भौजी सब ]

– [ all sisters-in-law ]

भौजी सब, चाची सब – से सबक…ओकरा बड्ड दुख देलके । कहलके जे, कहलके जे…अथि…”धान में से चौड़ निकाल कॅ आने लॅ ।” त ओ…

all her sisters-in-law, all her aunties – they all treated her…her very badly. They said, they said…that…”separate grains of rice from their chaff.” Then she…

– [ कारण कहे के ]

– [ explain how so ]

ओ तऽ लास्ट में…धान में से चौड़ निकाले लॅ, त ओ लॅ क गेले । और निकालेत रहै ओकरा, एक-एकटा कॅ, त एकटा रहै…अथि…कथि छीयै ?…

That I will tell at the end…”separate rice grains and husks from the paddy,” so she collected the paddy and went away. While she was removing chaff from the grain, one by one, then there was a…what is it…what is that called?…

– [ बगड़ा ]

Sparrow

…बगड़ा । बगड़ा रहै, त ओकरा नऽ…ओ ओकरा देख कॅ बहूत दुख भेलै । ओ कहेछै,

…sparrow. There was a sparrow, that was…that was deeply saddened by her plight. It said,

“आधा चाँद गढ़ेलक,
त बाप मेर गेल…अ…माय मेर गेल,
पूरा चाँद गढ़ेलक
त बाप मेर गेल ।
आँजुर के दुख देनै गेल ।”

“When one half of a moon was tattooed,
her father passed away…er….mother passed away,
when the full moon was tattooed,
her father passed away.
As they passed away,
they left behind a suffering Ãjur.

– [ सातो भइया गेल बिदेश ]

– [ …her seven brothers went broad… ]

…हाँ, सातो भाय बिदेश चेल गेल, आँजुर कॅ दुख देने गेल । तो…ओ ओकर मदद करेछे । ओ…

…yes, her seven brothers went abroad; they left behind a tormented Ãjur. So….it helped her. It…

– [ बगड़ा ? बगड़ा ? ]

The sparrow? The sparrow?

…ओ ओय में स..

…it separated them…

– [ हाँ, बगड़ा । ]

– [ yes, sparrow. ]

– [ What is bagḍā? ]

– [ What is bagḍā? ]

– [ …a…a sparrow ]

– [ …a…a sparrow ]

…ओय में स….हाँ…सबटा निकाएल दैयछे ।

…the sparrow separated rice grains from…from their husks

– [ अहाँ, एक-एकटा कॅ निकाएल देयछै । ]

– [ I see, it separated each grain from its chaff]

…ओय में से चौड़ निकाएल देयछे, और फिर लौ कॅ जायेछे । त ओकरा सबके आश्चर्ज लगेछे, कहेछे, “ए…एह…एते देलिये हम धान अ ओ केना निकाएल लेलक ? ठीक छै । आब दोसर दीन ।”

…the sparrow separated the rice grains from their husks, and she carried the rice to her home. Then everyone was surprised, wondering, “O my…o gosh, we gave her so much rice to thresh, how did she separate all of them? That’s fine. Now we’ll teach her a lesson another day.

त ओकरा फेर दोसर दिन कहेछे जे “चालेन में अथि आने लॅ ?”

On the next day, they ask her again that “Bring…that thing…in a strainer.”

– [ पैन ]

– [ water ]

…हाँ, पैन । त फेर ओ जायेछै, चालन में पैन भरैत रहेछै, ओकरा नै होयेछै, चालेन में पैन भरल । त फेर एकटा…की होयेछै ?…

…yes, water. She again went out to fill the strainer with water. She was not able to do it, that is, to fill the strainer with water. Then again…what happens?…

– [ सरसों कहेछै एक दिन… ]

– [ the mustard spoke one day ]

तऽ एकटा जाएत रहेछै केउ…अ…मतलब…अ…[ पण्डित ]…पण्डित । त ओकरा लग रहेछै बहुत धान – तान…से सब । त ओकरा…उहो देख कॅ ओकरा बहुत दुख होएछे । कहेछे जे, कहेछे जे, “आधा चाँद गढ़ेलक…”…मतलब….वैह कहेछै…”

Someone was passing by…um…meaning…[ a paṇḍit ]…a paṇḍit. He was carrying a lot of paddy and other agricultural products. He too…after seeing her…was very pained. He said, he said that, “When one half of a moon was tattooed…”…that is…he recited the same verse…”

“आधा चाँद गढ़ेलक,
त माए मेर गेल,
पूरा चाँद गढ़ेलक
त बाप मेर गेल ।
सातो भाइ बिदेश गेल
आँजुर के दुख देनै गेल ।”

“When one half of a moon was tattooed,
her mother passed away.
When the full moon was tattooed,
her father passed away.
All seven brothers have gone abroad,
they left behind a tormented Ãjūr.”

….त ओ धान निकाल कॅ ओय में घुसा देयछे पूरा । ओय में पैन भर लैय छै और चल जायेछे

…so he pulled out the husk that remained after she threshed paddy and placed it inside the strainer. He placed the husk inside the strainer. She filled the strainer with water, and she left.

– [ पैन लै क चल जायेछै । ]

– [ She left after getting water in a strainer. ]

– [ याद आ रहा है वो बोलो नऽ । कोइ बात नहीँ । सबटा बात कहूँ । ]

– [ Tell whatever you remember. Don ‘t worry. Say all that you know. ]

…हाँ, ओय के बाद फेर, उ कहैछे, “बाह, एय में पैन भर कॅ आन लॅलक ।” त फेर जे कहेछै…ओ काड़ी कमल कॅ कहेछै…उज्जर कॅ क आने लॅ । त फेर ओ केना आएन्ते ? ओ…बहुत्ते धुलबै छे ओकरा रगेड़ रगेड़ कॅ, लेकिन उ उज्जड़ ने होयेछै त । एक दिन जेहना उ फिर धोये लॅ जायेछै, त सातो भाइ आबेछै बिदेश सॅ । त जखन ओकर छोटका भाइ रहेछै नऽ…सब देखैछे, लेकिन किछ नै कहेछै, लेकिन ओकर छोटका भाइ कॅ देखकर बड्ड दया आबेछै । त ओ फेर ओकरा लॅ के चल जायेछै ।

…Yes, after that incident, her in-laws said, “Wow, you could fill water in this strainer and bring it here!” Then they ask her to go out to wash a black lotus…and bring it back when it appears white. How could she bring back a white lotus? She…washed it a lot, she scrubbed its petals again and again, but it would not turn white. One day, when she was going out to wash it, her seven brothers returned from abroad. As soon as her youngest brother saw all this, he could not constrain himself. The other brothers also saw her, but they remained quiet. But the youngest brother was very saddened by her plight, and he was kind to her. He accompanied her to their home.

– [ खतम ? ]

– [ Is that all? ]

….ओ फिर…खिसीयाएछै ओकर घर पे जा कॅ । अ अपन बहीन के रक्षा करैछे ।

…later he…he returned to his home, and he scolded his in-laws. He protected his sister.