Why is it that India's most famous love stories, they all happened in one small region of Punjab? I mean, was rest of India sleeping or what? What kept love from happening? Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, & Sassi Punnu. No, I haven't forgotten the most important one. But hey! Do you really know about it?
Mirza Sehban, is the most beloved of all the love fables from my dear land Punjab. The shear tragedy touches my heart. Every single time I come across a song with references to the story, I feel their pain as my own. However, I have discovered that most people still do not know of this most beautiful love lorn tale. The story goes as follows...
Mirza and Saihbaan were both in love with each other. Saihbaan was being forced by her parents to marry someone else. So she sends out a message through the kaazi to Mirza, "You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna". Mirza could not control his young blood, and set out to bring her home. He rode to her village and brought her back on his horse. On the way back, they decided to take rest under the a tree before continuing further. It was summers and they were both tired, and thus easily fell asleep under the tree. Somewhile later Saihbaan woke up and she spotted her brothers coming at a distance. Mirza was known for his archery and Saihbaan didn't want him to kill her brothers. So she breaks his arrows, and then wakes him up. She had thought that once her brothers were closer and they see the two of them together; they would cool down and hug her. However, they attacked Mirza upon reaching closer. Mirza fought with his sword but he was no match for 4 people and was eventually slayed. Saihbaan's brothers left her with his dead body, and in the end she kills herself with a sword. (Ref: Wikipedia)
Most Punjabi literature talks about what all Mirza's soul would have said to Saihbaan's soul in heaven. It all gets too touchy. Bellow is a song by Harbhajan Mann based on the same story,
(Ref: Youtube)
Mirza Sehban, is the most beloved of all the love fables from my dear land Punjab. The shear tragedy touches my heart. Every single time I come across a song with references to the story, I feel their pain as my own. However, I have discovered that most people still do not know of this most beautiful love lorn tale. The story goes as follows...
Mirza and Saihbaan were both in love with each other. Saihbaan was being forced by her parents to marry someone else. So she sends out a message through the kaazi to Mirza, "You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna". Mirza could not control his young blood, and set out to bring her home. He rode to her village and brought her back on his horse. On the way back, they decided to take rest under the a tree before continuing further. It was summers and they were both tired, and thus easily fell asleep under the tree. Somewhile later Saihbaan woke up and she spotted her brothers coming at a distance. Mirza was known for his archery and Saihbaan didn't want him to kill her brothers. So she breaks his arrows, and then wakes him up. She had thought that once her brothers were closer and they see the two of them together; they would cool down and hug her. However, they attacked Mirza upon reaching closer. Mirza fought with his sword but he was no match for 4 people and was eventually slayed. Saihbaan's brothers left her with his dead body, and in the end she kills herself with a sword. (Ref: Wikipedia)
Most Punjabi literature talks about what all Mirza's soul would have said to Saihbaan's soul in heaven. It all gets too touchy. Bellow is a song by Harbhajan Mann based on the same story,
(Ref: Youtube)
Jadd teer tod tae Saihbaan nae
Marda hoya mirza kee kainda
Vaidyaan ch rondeean manva nu
Tauleyaan chon pajiyaan banwaan nu
Saihbaan tain madee kitee nee
Saihbaan tain madee kitee nee
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Nee main lyonda naal bhrawaan nu
Ek pasae todae teer kurae
Ek pasae tere veer kurae
Jatt kalam kalae Mirzae nu
Nee tokha dae gayee taqdeer kudae
Jae teer salamat hundae taan
Ni mien tinda bind hawawa nu
Marda hoya mirza bol peya
Jatt kalam kala reh geya nee
Kalae nu ghera pae geya ni
Jhall da reya vaar gandeseyan dae ni
Ni mere siron malasa lae geya ni
Ni mere gall vich paindi chanj kurae
Koi na mirza dae sang kudae
Jae hundae bhai bhand kudae
Ni mere laindae dukhade vand kurae
Koi Mirza jag tae ni jamna
Putt jamdae rain gae maanvaan nu
Marda hoya Mirza bol pyea
Saihbaan tae madee kitee ni
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Ni main lyonda naal bharava nu
Mere bhen vastae paundi rayee
Mainu mintaan naal manundi rahee
Syalan dian nara buree yae na ni
Oh kunj waang kar laundi rahee
Naa pae Syalan dae raah vera
Khodi to kaathi la vera
Na ja vera na ja vera
Ni mera aaj di raat nikah vira
Kadd veer mera karr aayega
Mere bhain udaeke raawa nu
Saihbaan tain madee kitee ni
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Ni mien lyonda naal bharawa nu
Marda hoya mirza kee kainda
Vaidyaan ch rondeean manva nu
Tauleyaan chon pajiyaan banwaan nu
Saihbaan tain madee kitee nee
Saihbaan tain madee kitee nee
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Nee main lyonda naal bhrawaan nu
Ek pasae todae teer kurae
Ek pasae tere veer kurae
Jatt kalam kalae Mirzae nu
Nee tokha dae gayee taqdeer kudae
Jae teer salamat hundae taan
Ni mien tinda bind hawawa nu
Marda hoya mirza bol peya
Jatt kalam kala reh geya nee
Kalae nu ghera pae geya ni
Jhall da reya vaar gandeseyan dae ni
Ni mere siron malasa lae geya ni
Ni mere gall vich paindi chanj kurae
Koi na mirza dae sang kudae
Jae hundae bhai bhand kudae
Ni mere laindae dukhade vand kurae
Koi Mirza jag tae ni jamna
Putt jamdae rain gae maanvaan nu
Marda hoya Mirza bol pyea
Saihbaan tae madee kitee ni
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Ni main lyonda naal bharava nu
Mere bhen vastae paundi rayee
Mainu mintaan naal manundi rahee
Syalan dian nara buree yae na ni
Oh kunj waang kar laundi rahee
Naa pae Syalan dae raah vera
Khodi to kaathi la vera
Na ja vera na ja vera
Ni mera aaj di raat nikah vira
Kadd veer mera karr aayega
Mere bhain udaeke raawa nu
Saihbaan tain madee kitee ni
Jae pata hunda tain inj karnee
Ni mien lyonda naal bharawa nu
Well now a feeble attempt at trying to translate the above...
Upon finding his arrows broken by Saihbaan
What did the dying Mirza say
Of the mothers crying in the corridors
Of the arms that had run to hug him
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known that you would do this
I would have brought my brothers with me
On one side you have broken my arrows, girl
And on the other side are you brothers, girl
The lonely Jatt Mirza has
Been deceived by his destiny
Had my arrows been alright
I would have shattered the winds
The dying Mirza uttered
I have been left alone and abandoned
I'm alone and I have been surrounded
I kept on taking blows from their axes
My turban has fallen from my head
There is uneasiness in my throat
There is no one with Mirza, oh girl
Had my brothers been here
They would have distributed by grief amongst themselves
Another Mirza shall never take birth in this world
Though mothers will keep giving birth to sons
The dying Mirza uttered
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known you would do this
I would have brought my brothers with me
My sister kept on insisting
She kept pleading me
The women of Sial are bad
She kept insisting
Don't go on the path to Sial
Please remove the saddle from the horse brother
Please dont go brother, please dont
It is my marriage tonite
When will my brother return
My sister awaits on my path
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known you would do this
I would have brought my brother with me
What did the dying Mirza say
Of the mothers crying in the corridors
Of the arms that had run to hug him
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known that you would do this
I would have brought my brothers with me
On one side you have broken my arrows, girl
And on the other side are you brothers, girl
The lonely Jatt Mirza has
Been deceived by his destiny
Had my arrows been alright
I would have shattered the winds
The dying Mirza uttered
I have been left alone and abandoned
I'm alone and I have been surrounded
I kept on taking blows from their axes
My turban has fallen from my head
There is uneasiness in my throat
There is no one with Mirza, oh girl
Had my brothers been here
They would have distributed by grief amongst themselves
Another Mirza shall never take birth in this world
Though mothers will keep giving birth to sons
The dying Mirza uttered
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known you would do this
I would have brought my brothers with me
My sister kept on insisting
She kept pleading me
The women of Sial are bad
She kept insisting
Don't go on the path to Sial
Please remove the saddle from the horse brother
Please dont go brother, please dont
It is my marriage tonite
When will my brother return
My sister awaits on my path
Saihbaan you have deceived me
Had I known you would do this
I would have brought my brother with me
Touchy touchy. Ya I know the translation sucked, but I'm a bit busy with things these days. Couldn't give it anymore time, but it did deserve more time. Anywayz, there is much reasoning behind what ever Saihbaan did. You have to read the whole story for that. Do read the story on the link provided in the references.
For the amazing part! In all such love stories from punjab, we always take the name of the girl first. Sassi Punnu, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal. See, the name of the girl is always taken first. However, this is the only one in which the name of the male is taken first. Mirza Saihbaan. That is so, because what ever the reason might have been, she did deceive her lover. So we take Mirza's name first. Sad part is, Mirza is seen as the greatest lover of all times, while Saihbaan is looked down upon. Hope I have brought you people something new this time. Just see it as my tribute to the couple. What made me write it? Well I remembered this one party I had once. There was this guy who didn't understand a word of Punjabi. He was Chinki. I showed him this video and told him about the story. Damn, he got glued to this thing. For the rest of the party, he kept on listening to it again and again. In the end, he wept. Anywayz, my translation sucked, and at last I found some words in Punjabi that I might not have understood, or failed to translate into English. Kindly forgive me for such mistakes if any, and do let me know if so. And in the end, last but not the least, Dunia ch vasdae nae log batharae, Punjabian dee shaan vakhree, Buraaaaah
Bibliography:
1. Mirza Sahiba. (2007, October 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:00, November 2, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mirza_Sahiba&oldid=166023335
2. Mirza Sahiba (2006, June 11). In Youtube, Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved 14:00, November 2, 2007, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtn7BK7L7p4
For the amazing part! In all such love stories from punjab, we always take the name of the girl first. Sassi Punnu, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal. See, the name of the girl is always taken first. However, this is the only one in which the name of the male is taken first. Mirza Saihbaan. That is so, because what ever the reason might have been, she did deceive her lover. So we take Mirza's name first. Sad part is, Mirza is seen as the greatest lover of all times, while Saihbaan is looked down upon. Hope I have brought you people something new this time. Just see it as my tribute to the couple. What made me write it? Well I remembered this one party I had once. There was this guy who didn't understand a word of Punjabi. He was Chinki. I showed him this video and told him about the story. Damn, he got glued to this thing. For the rest of the party, he kept on listening to it again and again. In the end, he wept. Anywayz, my translation sucked, and at last I found some words in Punjabi that I might not have understood, or failed to translate into English. Kindly forgive me for such mistakes if any, and do let me know if so. And in the end, last but not the least, Dunia ch vasdae nae log batharae, Punjabian dee shaan vakhree, Buraaaaah
Bibliography:
1. Mirza Sahiba. (2007, October 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:00, November 2, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mirza_Sahiba&oldid=166023335
2. Mirza Sahiba (2006, June 11). In Youtube, Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved 14:00, November 2, 2007, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtn7BK7L7p4
Very touchy story. Never heard of the couple. Was just wondering... Had I been in her place, I wouldn't have done what Saihbaan did. I would have been with my Mirza. :-)
ReplyDeleteWill read the links fursat se.
Many thanks for this post. Loved it. And yes, translations are never going to be the same as original.
"Dunia ch vasdae nae log batharae, Punjabian dee shaan vakhree, Buraaaaah" Aahoji. Very true. :)
hehehehe chandigarh waleyo Australia jaaky v Mirza Sahiba nu yaad kardey hon ... othey taan opera dekheya karo te Romeo Juliet nu yaad kareya karo ...
ReplyDelete@Cuckoo,
ReplyDeleteSeems you are the only regular commentor on my posts now :D, Thanks for that.
Yes the story is indeed very touching but it is hard not to get judgemental. The thing is, that there are many angles of view to what Saihbaan did. Had she let Mirza kill her brothers, wouldnt she have been defamed then as well? Betraying one's family for a stranger? It gets much complicated!
What matters is that in the end she gave up her life for her love. Youhave to read teh whole story to understand the dilemma which she faced.
@Harpreet,
Kee kariyae bhaaji, cant help it. The heart still beats to the tune of punjab da dhol. Also, Romeo Juliet are fictional. Not real. Well as far as my knowledge of it is concerned :D