Dalkhai, Rasarkeli and other traditional sambalpuri songs

Rasarkeli song (savour of erotic taste), Jaiphula (a flower), Bhamara song (black bee song), Gua-nadia geet (betel nut-coconut song), Nialmalli (a combination of two flowers), Dalkhai song (leaf eater song) are the songs sung by both the young boys and girls. Rasarkeli song represents the intense love and attraction of a male towards a female. The male addresses a female as ‘Rasarkeli’ which literally means the store of erotic savour Jaipuhula (one petalled Jasmine) and Nialimalli are the names of the flowers. The combination of Niali flower with Malli (Jasmine) symbolizes the close and undivided friendship in between the companions. So one friend addresses the other as Jaipuhula or Nialimalli. All the songs, thus, represent the deep love and relationship between the companions. Bhamara geet is especially sung by the females only to tease and disrepute the males. The eternal relationship of a black bee with the flower is a well known allegory in Indian aesthetics. The lustful character of a black bee indulged with many of flowers is the symbol of a lustful adulterer. The Bhamara song of Kalahandi represents the above sense of poetic expression.

The gua-nadia geet is also an interesting song found in this locality. Gua means betel nut and ‘nadia’ means coconut. These two fruits hard on the surface and juicy within represent the hard and strong surface of the woman’s behaviour with a hidden softness in her brace. If one can manage to penetrate into the heart of the woman by overcoming her rude behaviour he can only enjoy her savour. The theme of the Gua-nadia song of this region is, thus, symbolic with poetic taste. Dalkhai is a song well distributed in Western Orissa. In Sambalpur district this song is used at the time of rituals. But in this area, the song is used at the time of entertainment. Sajani (addressed by one girl to her companion) is a song of conversation in between two girl companions.

All these songs are based on eternal love. The joys and sorrows of human feelings have been reflected in it. The sweet and emotive feelings of the lovers of both the sexes, are portrayed in the above songs in a simple and lucid manner. The love and hatred, the attraction towards each other, the thirst for union, the social bond as an obstacle in their free unity, the arrogance of a female to her beloved male, the presumption and pretension of the young lady to her lover, the desire for elopement by the couple, the social hindrances standing against their way and will, the strong emotional desire to die and dedicate for each other are portrayed in the said songs. The exultant feelings of lovers flows down from their heart like a wild stream in the form of oral tradition. The eternal love and beauty and the symbol of human feelings have been picturized in it. The greatness of this song is that it is ever-living as oral tradition and it is the song through which a young man expresses his secret desire before a beloved to choose his life partner in which the society also gives its full recognition. To get the vivid taste of some songs are given below :

Rasarkeli Song :

Malifula phutikari maha maha basu

Kala bhamarake dekhi gaha gaha hasu

Tara tara hele nani alge jai basu

Kie toke kain kahela sangata

Alge jai basu nani de kahide re.

(You bloom and smell like jasmine,

You smile at the sight of black bee,

when I approach, you keep aloof,

who did say you, what o mate,

you sit alone, O’ maid, tell me)

Rasarkelire

Nandi tene pare kire gurjiphula dhoba,

Amemane chaluthile naikara lobha,

Nandi tene pare kire pakhanara gadi,

Chhane para jugithiba sangata

Sange jima gadhi kia Dagadia re.

Maa bua nani baile sangata,

Jima udlia, kia Dagadia re.

(O Rasarkli, Across the river, there are while flowers.

Don’t avarice on us during our walk,

Across the river, there’s the stone seat

O compeer wait me a while

we shall go to bathe together

O how imposter he is,

if parents deny O comanion, we

will elope.)

Jaiphula Song :

Jaiphulare

Sahaja patara hate,

Bana luga dei anichhe tote

Jaiphulare

Ghaita balibu mote.

(O jaiphula, saj leaf in my hand.

I have brought you instead of woven

Clothes, you will call me husband.)

Jaiphulare, panigala sagaraku

mana karithili sunagoriku

Jaiphulare,

Chora buhinela taku.

(O jaiphula, water glided down to

the sea, I desired the golden fairy,

O jaiphula, the thief stole her.)

Bhamara Song :

Khaili rasa gulgula,

Tora nai babu maheji pila,

Maheji pila ho sate,

Mora sange mana bhula bhamarare.

(I ate juicy sweets

You have no wife nor children.

Really, you come to me,

O black bee.)

Duare ghantilu dhana,

Ame tukilamane khailu pana

Khailu pana ho sate

Pilamane hinamana bhamara re.

(Dried paddy on the corridor

We girls chewed betel,

The boys are deprived;

O black bee.)

Gua-nadia Song :

Barike dogila hansa,

Muhuke dekhile ho sate,

Budhi bayase,

Sate, kusari rakhichhu rasa re

Guanadia

Sate dindiri ase bhendia re

Guanadia.

(Swan corssed the boundary

Your visage looks old in age

You are the stock of sugarcane

O guanadia, the young lad moves around you.)

Ahare ukiabati !

Tui nai heluga sate amara jati

Sate kole dhari chuma detire guanadia,

Sate kindiri ase bhendia re guanadia.

(O brighrty ! were you my caste,

Really, I’d kiss you putting on my lap,

O guanadia, the young lad moves around you.)

Nialimalli :

Tena pati base Bandu

Machha nai bali kainje kandu

Sate bhaluchama tike bandhu re

Nialimalli, Nialimallike paimi bali

Kede asha Karithili.

(The Bandu [1] bird sat on the

‘Tenda pati’ [2] (water lifting crane)

Why do you cry, that you have no

moustache tie a bear skin on it

O Nialimalli

to get you, how great hope I had !)

Dalkhaire,

Suru suru bhaji mulapatara

khaibake nanai hela batara

Dasata anguthi panchata mundi,

Ame naijanu dalkhai, Khechada budhi.

(The little greens and raddish leaf,

O leaf-eater became worthy of eating

there are ten fingers for five rings

O dalkhai we don’t know how to tease.)

1. Bandu pati : A bird like owl

2. Tenda pati : Water lifting wooden crane.

Dalkhaire, chala tukilemane nadike jima,

Rupara thaline lau katima

Sunara thaline jogara [1] nema,

Khaibake dema juna puruna

Suibake seja palanka uchhaidame ki dalkhaire,

(O leaf-eater, let us all the girls, go to the

river, Cut the gourd in silver plate,

take the ‘jogara’ in golden plate

we will feed them opening new and old

fetch them quit and palanquin to sleep.)

1. Jogara : Fooding and clothing provided to the host by their relatives for the guest as the part of the ritual.

Sajani Song :

Sajani, kahin jaithila jane,

Khata paridele basiba chhane,

Katha charipada bane sajanire.

(O companion, where had you been alone ?

You will sit for sometime when offered cot,

to have four good words gossip, O companion.)

X X X X

Sajani, alua chaula jhain,

Tumara mana katha kahila nai

Sajani, aja janigali muhin.

(O companion, the white rice is bright,You did not tell me your heart today I found it.)