Harmukh BarTal
“Harmukh bar tal praraey madano” is a beautiful Kashmiri folk song that has been popular for centuries. Many Kashmiris attribute it to Habba Khatoon and her tragic love story with the king of Kashmir, Yousuf Shah Chak. However, historically it is unclear who authored it as well as who the original composer is.
It is a passionate love song which speaks of the joy and pain of love, a recurring theme in Kashmiri poetry. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and yearning, a lover’s expression of a painful separation, her leaving her tribe for him, or her fear of losing him.
Muslims attribute it as a romantic song of a woman for her beloved, while Kashmiri Pandits evoke it as Parvati’s love-hymn for Lord Shiva. The song also has minor variations of the lyrics, e.g. in some versions, zaagai (Muslim version) is used instead of praraey (Kashmiri pandit version).
There are similarly many Kashmiri songs, that can be attributed either to a beloved or to God and have a spiritual tone. Arjun Dhar provides further context on this:
“Kashmiri poetry, like Persian poetry, blurs the distinction between romantic love and spiritual love, quite unlike the Greco-Christian tradition. The Greco-Christian tradition distinguishes between Agape love (spiritual, pure love) and Eros love (romantic, passionate love). We, on the other hand, use words like “madano”: generic beloved, which can either refer to a romantic attraction, or to God”
Harmukh Bar Tal Videos
Couple of versions of the song are shared here. First one is a more recent version by Sniti Mishra and Jaan Nissar Lone.
The second version is a live version by Adil and Imran
Song Lyrics with English translation
Harmukh bar tal praraey madano
yee dapham tee laagyoo
posh dapham, golab laagaey madano
yee dapham tee laagyoo
My love, I will eagerly wait for you at the gates of Harmukh
Whatever you ask me, I am ready to offer you
Ask for a flower from me, I will offer you a Rose
Whatever you ask me, I will offer you.
Phambas ti naaras mil goum
wallah mei tche path dil goum
be’tei no ye dooryer tchalay madano
yee dapham tee laagyoo
Cotton yarn and fire got intermixed
By God, my heart fell for you.
I can’t bear the distance between us two anymore.
Whatever you ask me, I will offer you.
Kabeele drayas praanay
kyah osum diak laane
tabeebe ath kyah mane madano
yee dapham tee laagyoo
I left my tribe and people for good
What a destiny for me
What can a preacher do about it, my love,
Whatever you ask me, I will offer you.
Kongas karmay chaman
maenz ho laagaie naman
mushtakh goham kaman madano
yee dapham tee laagyoo
I am planting the saffron beds
Henna is fresh on my nails
My love, whom are you yearning?
Whatever you ask me, I will offer you.
Yaawan miyane thazro
t’chekor dejyo Nazro
kaaei we’tce hangai zazur madano,
yee dapham tee laagyo
My youth is at its zenith
Where are your eyes lost?
It is wrecked, blotched and decaying, my love
Whatever you ask me, I will offer you.