23/02/2025
PART 3 - What DO the words to this classic Punjabi folk song actually mean??
I heard this song growing up and have sung it over and over again - can't help it - it's a classic! BUT, I've never had the guts to admit that I didn't exactly know the meaning of ALL of the words. I'm sure I'm not the only one. And there's no issue with that.
Even for me, with my fluent grasp of Punjabi, when I'd sing this, I wasn't saying some of the words properly.
So, I've gone on a mission to find out the meaning of some of the words to this song. The Punjabi in this song isn't really your everyday modern day Punjabi language, so I've been asking my elders - Punjab city elders, Punjab village elders and above all, my Ustaad Ji. I'm grateful to each of them for taking the time to help me LEARN our language, heritage and culture through music.
And if I can help use this to explain to others, so that they can understand these amazing folk Punjabi songs that we all know and love, then hey, I've achieved a huge thing.
I may not have described it in the best way, but I'm still learning about delivering / educating others, so please bear with me. But this is my early attempt. Forgive me for any mistakes/inaccuracies.