Phooldai’s Agony / फूलदाई

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar

Teller: Diksha Suman
Location: Madhubani
Date: 9/15/16

September 15, 2016: Session 7
Maithili Folklore 16_09_15_7

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा लड़की रहै| हुनकर नाम रहैन फूल दाई|

Once upon a time there was a girl whose name was Phooldai.

त उनकर भाई गेलखिन खेत में काज करा आ कहलखिन जे फूल दाई के कहबै जे हमरा लै जलखए नेने आयत|

One day, her brother went out to work in the fields, leaving the instruction , “Ask Phooldai to bring breakfast to the fields for me”.

फूल दाई के भाई के उनकर कनिया कहने रहथिन जे फूल दाई के जे गहना सब छै से हमरा चाही|

His wife had once told him that she wanted to have all the jewelry that belonged to Phooldai.

 त फूल दाई गेलखिन जलखए ल क अपना भाई लै| त हुनकर भाई कि केलखिन जे खेत में जइ स कटैत रहैत धान ओहि ल क अपन बहिन के मारि देलखिन, आ ओते गारि देलखिन खेत में, आर ओइ पर एकटा फूल के गाछ रोपि देलखिन|

So, Phooldai took breakfast for her brother who was working in the fields. Her brother saw a chance there and killed her with the tool he had been using to cut paddy within the field and buried her right there. And then he planted a flower seedling there.

आर उनकर गहना सब ल लेलैन आ घर आइब क अपन कनिया के द देलखिन जे अहाँ लै हम फूल दाई के गहना सब ल क आइब गेलऊँ|

And then he took all her jewelry and gave it to his wife, telling her, “I have brought all of Phooldai’s jewelry for you.”

हुनकर कनिया बहुत खुश भेलखिन| कनी दिन के बाद, जता ओ अपना बहिन के गारने रहथिन, फूल दाई के ओइ जगह पर फूल के गाछ निकल गेलय|

Upon hearing this, his wife became very happy. After some days, where he had buried his sister, Phooldai, the seedling turned into a full-fledged flower plant.

त कनी दिन के बाद सब सब ताका लागलेन जे फूल दाई कता गेलय, कतउ नइ भेटलैन उनका| तहैन फेर एक दिन, लोक सब ओइ द क चले त देखलकय बहुत सुंदर फूल, त सबके मोन होइ जे फूल तोड़ि ली|

Then villagers also started looking for her; where Phooldai disappeared, after all. She couldn’t be found. Then one day, as some villagers were passing by that place, they saw a very beautiful flower plant. They were all tempted to pluck a flower from there.

फूल जहाँ  की कोई छुआ जाए त कहे, ” बटोही बटोही,  फूल जूनी तोडू, डारि जूनी पकरु, भैये मारल, चुनरी रंगाउल, हमरा देल वनवास कि डारि पात लाइग जाओे आकाश|” जे जाए ओइ द क सब के यै बात कहथिन|  

But the moment one touched the flower, her voice could be heard saying,, “Hey passer-by, hey passer-by, don’t pluck the flower, don’t hold the stem of the plant. (he) dyed her [his wife’s] shawl [in blood], gave me a life to spend in the forest, such that I would become a plant growing up to  the sky.” To  whomsoever passed by that site, she told the same thing.

सबके पूरा गांव में हल्ला भ गेलय जे इ फूल के जे छुए छै से त  इ फूल में स आवाज आबइ छै| त इ बात उनका घर तक पहुँचलन| तहन फेर उनका सब के पता चललैन आखिर हमरे सब के खेत स आवाज आइब रहल अछि| त इ सब गेलखिन गाछ के छुआ|

The entire village came to know that once touched, this voice was heard at the plant. When this news reached Phooldai’s home herer family members finally realized that this voice was coming out from their own property. So these people went there themselves to touch the plant.

उनका घर स उनकर बाप गेलखिन| ओ छुलखिन फूल के त फेर वै बात कहलखिन, ” बाबूजी , बाबूजी, फूल जूनी तोडू, डारि जूनी पकरु, भैये मारल, चुनरी रंगाउल, हमरा देल वनवास कि डारि पात लाइग जाओे आकाश|” त उनका भेलन जे इ त हमरे बेटी अछि| 

Of her family, her father visited first. When he touched the plant, she told him the same thing: “Father, Father, don’t pluck the flower, don’t hold the stem. Brother himself killed me, dyed her [his wife’s] shawl [in blood], and gave me this life in the forest, such that I would plant and rise up to the sky.” Her father then realised that it was actually his daughter.

फेर उनकर मै गेलखिन| त ओहो फूल छुलखिन त फेर वै बात कहलकय, “माँ,माँ, फूल जूनी तोडू, डारि जूनी पकरु, भैये मारल, चुनरी रंगाउल, हमरा देल वनवास कि डारि पात लाइग जाओे आकाश|”

Next her mother visited. She also touched the flower, and Phooldai told her the same thing, “Mother, Mother, don’t pluck the flower, don’t hold the stem, brother himself killed me, dyed her [his wife’s] shawl [in blood], and gave me this life in the forest, so that I would become a plant and rise up to the sky.”

फेर हुनका सासुर तक इ बात गेलन| त हुनकर सासुर स सब एलैन| हुनकर ससुर एलखिन, सास एलखिन| सब छुथिन त यै बात कहे ओ गाछ| फेर अंतिम में हुनकर बर एलखिन त ओ गेलखिन छुआ त फेर कहलकय, ” फूल जूनी तोडू, डारि जूनी पकरु, भैये मारल, चुनरी रंगाउल, हमरा देल वनवास कि डारि पात लाइग जाओे आकाश|”

Next the news reached her in-laws’ house. Members from her in-laws’ family came to visit. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law came. All of them touched it, and were told the same thing by her. Then at last her husband came to visit. As he went to touch the plant, she told him, “Don’t pluck the flower, don’t hold the stem, brother himself killed me, dyed her [his wife’s] shawl [in blood], and gave me this life in the forest, so that I would become a plant and rise up to the sky.”

ओ कि केलखिन त ओ त कहलखिन जे इ गाछ के कटवा दय लै| गाछ के तहैन फेर एलय लोक सब, गाछ कटलकय, ओताउका माटि कोरलकय त ओइ में स एकदम सुंदर फूल दाई जेहन रहथिन ओइ स और सुंदर भ क ओइ में स निकललखिन| 

Her husband instructed some people to pull out the entire plant from there. So they did that. As the soil was removed, there emerged an even more beautiful Phooldai, alive.  

फेर उनका अपना घर ओ ल गेलखिन और तकर बाद  कहियो आबा नइ देलखिन नइहर|

Her husband took her back with him to his home. And never again let her go to visit her natal home.