Friday Feature-Urdu(or Hindi) Nursery Rhymes

Asalamu alaikum,

Learning Urdu is difficult for me, but one thing that helps a bit in practicing speaking is to learn little nursery rhymes. Practicing the sound of the words in little silly poems help me be less nervous when actually speaking.

This is the first one that I learned, and the one I know best-

Machli jal ki rani hai
Jeevan uska pani hai
Haath lagaoge to dar jayegi,
Pani se nikalo to mer jayegi,
Machli ko pani men reynedo,
Jeevan uska pani hai.

The fish is the queen of the water,
The water is her life,
If you touch her she will be afraid,
If you take her out she will die,
So put the fish back in the water,
The water is her life.

I like this one, it is a little sad, but very pretty. When my nephew(he is one year older than Saad) was learning this one, he refused to say "mer jayegi". He didn't want to say that the fish will die, but he would substitute another word, like the fish will fall down or something. Saad doesn't mind, and will very happily talk about how he squished a bug and "now it's die". We all die eventually, I prefer not to hide death from him.---(oh, how heavy, can we move on?)

Another poem that is a bit longer is this one-
cham cham cham---
aath aaney ki chalia
aath aaney ka paan
chal mere ghorey Hindustan
hindustan ki pehli gali
pehli gali main liaqat ali
liaqat ali ko goli lagi
sari dunya roney lagi
rotey rotey bhook lagi
khalo beta moongphali
moongphali main dana nahin
hum tumharey nana nahin
nana gaye dehli
dehli sey laye billi
billi ne diye do bachey
Allah mian sachey
sachey sachey jaingey
bhai ki dulhan laaingey
bhai ki dulhan kali
sau nakhron wali
ek nakhra tuut gaya
bhai ka mun sooj gaya!

Cham cham cham
50 cents for one chalia
50 cents for one paan
Lets go, my horse, to India
First street in India,
in the first street lives Liaqat Ali
Shoot Liaqat Ali with a bullet,
all the world is crying
Crying and crying, I am hungry
eat my child, peanuts
there are no seed in the peanuts
I am not your grandfather
grandfather went to Delhi
From Delhi he brought a cat
and the cat gave two children
Allah is truth
go on the truthful way
brother brought a bride
brother’s bride is black
she is very prideful(stuck up)
her pride is broken
Brother is upset.

This one is a favorite of my niece, she can say almost the whole poem in one breath! Saad doesn't know this one yet, it is a bit long, and I am only just learning it. Please excuse any weird bits in translation(totally my fault), I am not very good at that bit, so I had to ask my SIL for some help.

Friday Feature-A very specific name game

Asalamu alaikum,

Urdu is a very specific language when it comes to words for family members. Uncles and aunties are never just that, they have different "titles" depending on if they are maternal or paternal relatives, and also if they are older or younger. To make it even more confusing nicknames are commonly thrown in to the mix!

For example, your paternal grandfather and grandmother are"dada"and "dadi", but your maternal grandfather and grandmother are "nana" and "nani" Your maternal uncles would all be "mama(or mamu)", and maternal aunts would be "khala", but your paternal uncles older than your father would be "tai abu" and the uncles younger than your father are "chacha(or chachu)", your paternal aunts would be "pupo".

Daughters in law are "Bahu", and are called "babhi" by all brothers and sisters, but other bahus may refer to each other differently. If the other bahu is married to your husband's older brother than she is your "jaytani"(and your husband's elder brother would be your "jayt"), if she is married to your younger brother then she is your devarani(and your husband's younger brother would be your "devar").

It can be a bit confusing having so many names for people, but it does save time when referring to someone you can just say for example- "she is my jaytani", instead of saying "she is the wife of my husband's elder brother" or "he is my chachu", instead of "he is my paternal uncle who is younger than my father". It did take a while to memorize all the different words, but it does help when the family is talking about extended family, I know who's who!

Nicknames are also common in our family. Actual names are only used by people older than you, and a lot of the time even then a nick name is used. Tariq has five sisters, each has a nickname, the oldest is "baji"(respectful title for your older sister), the second is "appi"(another respectful term for an older sister) then there is billi(cat), janu(like sweetheart, all the children call her this), and chanda(moon). The eldest son(my jayt-BIL older than Tariq), is called "Bhai" by everyone except my father in law who uses his name. Tariq is called "Tariq Bhai"(never just his name, for respect), by all except his father and older brother, and I. I call him something totally different. If we are alone I might call him by his name or an endearment like "honey", or "babe". If we're in front of his younger family I might still use his name, but no endearments! If we are out of the house or in the presence of older relatives I use what a lot of women call their husband "soon-yeh", which just means "listen". The Gori Wife had a great post on this whole topic(the names/titles and the not saying the husband's name thing) awhile ago-here it is.

I have my actual name as is listed on my IDs(only my own family and some friends use this, and Tariq when he is trying to be funny), and then the name I used after my reversion, Aishah which is used by all my in laws and some friends. But there is a distinction- all the people older than me in the family(Father in law, brother in law, his wife and two older sisters in law) call me Aishah, but the younger ones(three sisters in law and other younger cousins) never say just my name but always-"Aishah Babhi". One of Tariq's cousin's wives calls me the "dulhan"(bride), I think it is very sweet.

The nicknames and different titles are an interesting way of showing respect within the family.

For reference if any one is interested
Maternal grandparents-Nana, and Nani
Paternal grandparents-Dada and Dadi
Maternal uncles, and their wives-Mamu and Mami
Maternal aunts and their husbands-Khala and Khalu
Paternal uncles older than your father and their wives-tye abu and tya
Paternal uncles younger than your father and their wives-chachu and chachi
Father-Abu(there is another word, but it is not common-baap)
Mother-Ami(less commonly-maan)
Brothers-Bhai
Sisters-Bahen
Nephews and Nieces(brother's side)-Bateeja and bateeji
Nephews and Nieces(sister's side)Bahenja and bahenji
Brother's wife-Babhi
Husband's sister and her husband-Nund and Nundoy(although this one is really old fashioned and no one actually uses it)
Husband's brother and his wife(older than your husband)-Jayt and jaytani
Husband's brother and his wife(younger than your husband)-Devar and devarani
Father in law and Mother in Law-Sussar and Saas(most people just use the title their husband/wife uses-like ami and papa)