December 24, 2016: Session A1

Maithili Folklore 16_12_24_A_1

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

Teller: Mithilesh Devi
Location: Nazirpur
Date: 12/24/16

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा बुढ़ी रहैथ आ, एकटा साउस पुतऔह, दुनु रहैथ l  छठि पावनि रहय l  छठि पावनि दिन पुतऔह के कहलखिन जे अहाँ लोहा केडंटा  लिआ आ घोन्गा के हार लिआ, अहाँ खेत में चलि जाउ l

There once were both an old woman and her daughter-in-law. It was the time of Chhaith festival. On the festival day, the old woman told her daughter-in-law, “Take an iron rod and a garland of snails and go to the field.” 

कुशियार लोग सब तोड़त से कुशियार तोड़ा नइ देबय l जे कुशियार तोड़त तकरा अइ लोहा के डांग स मारब आ घोन्गा के हार स मारब l आ भरि दिन चरखा काटब आ गोबर बिछब l

“People will cut down sugarcane; don’t let them. If anybody cuts down sugarcane, hit them with the iron rod and garland of snails. And, spin thread and pick up cow dung the entire day.”

त पुतऔह जे खेत गेलखिन त ओ भरि दिन चरखा कटथिन, आ जते लोग कुशियार माँगा आबय, सब के कुशियार देथिन l

So when the daughter-in-law went to the field, she spinned thread the entire day and gave sugarcane to all the people who came asking for it.

आ ककरो मारथिन नइ l त साँझ में जे राणा माई घुमलखिन, छठि क क, त ओ कहलखिन कि हय तू के छिया ? दैत्य छिया, कि भूत छिया, कि कि छिय तू ? त हम ने दैत्य छी, ना भूत छी l  हम किछ नइ छी l हम मनुष्य छी l

And she did not hit anybody. In the evening, when the goddess Rana Mai walked around after performing Chhaith festival, she asked her, “Hey. Who are you? A demon, or a ghost, or what?” She replied, “I am neither a demon nor a ghost. I am nothing at all. I am a human being.”   

त एते सांझ क तू कि करइ छै ? हमरा साउस कहलखिन हैं जे कुशियार ओगरा लै, चरखा काटा लै, गोबर बिछा लै, आ जे कुशियार तोड़त तकरा डंटा स मारा लै, आ घोन्गा के हार स मारा लै l

“What are you doing so late in the evening?” “My mother-in-law has asked me to look after the sugarcane, spin thread, pick up cow dung, and hit anybody who cuts down sugarcane with an iron rod and garland of snails.”

त तू कि केलैं है ? त हम सब के जे मंगलकय यै कुशियार सब के कुशियार देलियय यै l गोबर बिछलौं हैं, चरखा कटइ छी l त ओ कहलखिन तू मांग कि मंगय छै, लाल लेबै कि उजर? त ओ कहलखिन कि जे हम लाल लेब l

“So what have you done?” “I have given sugarcane to all who asked me for it. Have gathered the cow dung and am spinning the thread.” Then she offered, “Ask what you want. Will you take the red or the white?” She replied, “I will take the red.”

त हुनका सउन्से देह सोना सुवर्ण स भरि गेलन l घर जै लगलैथ त हुनका पथिया में जे गोबर रहैन से पूरा पथिया सोना भ गेलन l अंगना गेली त साउस हुनका देखलकन, त साउस हुनका मारा लगलैन जे, तू चोर छै, अपकर्मी छै, कुकर्मी छै, तू इ सब कता स अनलै है ?

Then her entire body became laden with gold ornaments. As she took it home, all of the cow dung in her basket turned to gold. When she reached home, her mother-in-law saw her and then started to beat her. “You are a thief, a slut, a sinner; where have you brought these from?”    

त कहलखिन हम किछ नइ छी, से हम भरि दिन कुशियार ओगरए छलऊँ है, चरखा कटइ छलऊँ है, आ लोक के कुशियार दइ छलियय l त एकटा बुढ़ी जे जाइ छलखिन है से हुनका पूरा सिंदूर छलन है पीपा, आ पीयर सारी l

She answered, “I am nothing of the sort. I was looking after the sugarcane the entire day, spinning thread and was giving sugarcane to people. Then an old woman passed by, donning orange-coloured vermillion and a yellow saree.” 

हमरा कहलैथ है तू एते कि करइ छै ? त हम कहलियन हम किछ नइ करइ छी l हम कुशियार ओगरइ छी, सब के दइ छियय, आ हम गोबर बिछय छी, चरखा कटइ छी l त हमरा कहलैथ है मांग कि मंगय छै ?

“She asked me, ‘What are you doing here?’ I told her, ‘I am not doing anything. I am looking after the sugarcane, picking up cow dung, and spinning thread.’ Then she said to  me, ‘Ask me for what you want.’   

त हम कहलियन है लाल लेब, त हमरा से….

“So I told her, ‘I will take the red.’ Then…”  

साउस कहलियन कि भिनसर के अर्ग बेर में जे तू अंगना में जो छठि करइ लै, हम जैब कुशियारक खेत l

Her mother-in-law told her then, “Go to the house courtyard for the morning ceremony of Chhaith, and I will go to the sugarcane field.”

कुशियारक खेत जे ओ गेलैथ त ओ अपन भरि दिन ओ बैसल l पारण दिन त कियो नइ कुशियार मांगा जाइ छै आ कियो बच्चा घाट छोड़ि क नइ जाइ छै l

She went to the sugarcane field and sat there the entire day. As you know, nobody goes to ask for sugarcane on the last day of the festival, nor does any child leave the water’s edge.  

त ओ भरि दिन चरखा कटैत रहत, त राणा माइ जे छठि क क जे घुरलखिन, त उ आइर पर देखलिन त कहलखिन, तू के छिया ? दैत्य, कि भूत, कि कि छिया ? त हम किछ नइ छी, से हम कुशियार ओगरइ छी l

So she was spinning thread the entire day, and as Rana Mai was returning after performing Chhaith she saw her at the edge of the field and asked, “Who are you, a demon or ghost, or what?” “I am nothing of the sort. I am just looking after the sugarcane.”

त एतअ कि केलै है ?  त एतअ कुशियार मांगा लै कियो एबय नइ करय छै त हम देबय कथी l से कहलखिन जे मांग त कहलखिन लाल लेबै कि उजर ? त हम उजर लेब l त हुनका सउन्से देह चरक फूटि गेलन l

“So what have you been doing here?” “No one has come to ask for sugarcane, so how could I possibly have given anything?” Then she said, “Ask, will you take the red or the white?” “I will take the white.” Then her entire body got afflicted with vitiligo.