Song of a Teenage Girl 1/2

PRELUDE The song expresses the feelings of an Indian village girl. Her parents have fixed her marriage (It generally happens in the rural areas of India, even to-day). She is about to leave for the first time for her in-law’s place. She do not want to go to her father in law’s place leaving her parents, her soul mates friends the animals and birds. The song sketches the tender feelings of her heart for her Mother, Father and Brother & for the animals and birds, whom she used to look after until now as her most precious friends and who taught her how to sing a sweet song. Song of a Teenage Girl 1/2 Why you are sending me to an alien place, the place of my in laws, O Mother dear and Father, I played and enjoyed my child hood and youth, in your courtyard O dear Mother & Father, You always kept me on your eyelids like a pearl of tears, O Mother, you always kept me close to your bosom, like the beatings of heart, where I laughed and bloomed. O Father, after quarrelling with my brother, I used to weep for hours, Whenever you call my name, I used to be so proud of you, O my dear Father. O Father, by seeing a smile on your face, we used to bloom like a flower. Then, why you are sending me to an alien place* O My Mother and Father *, Please listen to me, O dear Father & Mother, if you have already decided to send me to my in-laws, -Now you have to give food and water to the Parrots on the Tree. -O, Mother you have to give now fodder and water to our Cow in our courtyard. -And do not forget to give grains to our oxen Chun Mun, whom I look after in our fields. -My melody singing Koyal* would be sitting and waiting for me on the Mango tree. O Mother, it is Koyal, who taught me how to sing a sweet song, Please do not forget to look after that lovely singing bird. Listen to me, O My dear Father & Mother, if you have already decided to send me to my in laws, All my birds, animals and my childhood friends would be waiting for me with tearful eyes, O Mother, Please tell them your daughter has left this place forever and has gone, To her in laws, a place so alien to her. .... concluded in part 2 Ravindra Kanpur India. 17th October 2010