Assamese Lullabies (Nisukòni Git)

Assamese Lullabies (Nisukòni Git)

Rajen Barua

Lullabies (lull-a-bye) are often sung by parents to calm down children, to put them to sleep, or simply to spend time with them in playing. The simple lyrics, nature, and storyline of lullabies are usually intended for children, and are therefore suitable for them.

In Assamese we have a rich treasure of such Lullabies, which are called Nisukòni Git. Such Nisukòni Git in Assamese consist of collections from different songs, stories, wedding songs, play songs etc, in fact any song which arouses the child’s imagination or curiosity, which are used by the mother to calm the child or to just to play with the child. Sometime the song may not have any apparent meaning but may be remembered just for the rhyme or funny words. Like other folk songs, these Nisukòni Gits also reflect the folk cultural life of the Assamese people.

The following is a preliminary collection of such Assamese Nisukoni Git. These songs are written in Roman Script.Assamese words in Roman Script are written phonetically. That is to say, one will have to pronounce each and every letter as per the following guidelines. Guide in pronunciation of the Roman Script in Assamese are noted below:

Consonants do not need any special guideline except the following:

j is pronounced not as j as in John but a z as in zoo.

x sounds like kh and is pronounced as ch as in the Scottish word Loch, or German word Bach, 

Assamese Vowel sounds need to be learned carefully to correctly speak Assamese..words. These are:

a = as in the word father or art

è = as in the word met or end

e = as a in the word map or act

i = as in the word hit or pill

ò = as on the word bone or over

o = as in the word boy or order

u = as in the word put or foot

w = as in the word war or wall (w is used as a full vowel here)

ä  = a nasal etc (two dots on top of the vowel denote nasal sound)

(1)

ama.rè moina, xubò,

bari.te bògòri, rubò;

bari.re bògòri, pòki xòribò,

ama.re monai butòli khabo.

(2)

xiali è nahibi rati

twre kane kati loga.me bäti

kan-katir murò.te mòura phul

kan-kati pale.gòi roton.pur

(3)

i bwle kan-kota xi bwle kan-kota

kan-kotai nw ki kam kore

kanot ronga sati aru hatot lòi jathi-da

kankotai lòrar kan kati phure

(4)

ròdali è ròd de

ali kati jali dim

samor pira pari dim

tate bòhi bòhi ròd de

ròdalir makor tini.dal suli

ròdali pale.gòi biri.nar guri

(5)

jwnbai è bèji èti dia

bèji.nw kèlòi? mwna xibo.lòi,

mwna.nw kèlòi? dhon bhora.bolòi,

dhon.nw kèlòi? hati kini.bolòi,

hati.nw kèlòi? ut.hi phuri.bolòi,

hatit ut.hi pani.ram ghoro.lòi jai

alibator manuh bwre ghuri ghuri sai.

(6)

bògòli è xoba.hòlòi nògòli kio?

gòi.sïlw goi.sïlw batot bòrò.xune pale

rong.dòir gho.rote xw.mabo khwjw.te

seng.dòi kukure khale

sèi kukur sèi, nahibi, jopona dèi

bähor mürha bògòrir gura

kòr pora ahile sòku sel.wa bur.ha

(7)

xalikie kore ròtòu tòu

bhat hòl xak hòl xaliki kòlòi gòl?

ei khini.te asile gwbor khu.sòri

kwnw.bai lòi gòl dingi musòri

(8)

ò phul ò phul nup.hulo kio?

Goru.eje äg  khai moi.nw phulim kio?

ò gòru ò gòru äg khäwo kio?

Gòrò.khiai je gòru nerakhe moi.nw nek.ham kio?

ò gòròkhia ò gòròkhia gòru nerak.ho kio?

rand.honi.eje bhat nerand.he moi.nw rak.him kio?

ò rand.honi ò rand.honi bhat nerand.ho kio?

khòri-kòtiai je khori nekate moi.nw rand.him kio?

ò khòri-kòtia ò khòri-kòtia khòri nekato kio?

komare je da nogor.he moi.nw katim kio?

ò komar ò komar da nogor.ho kio?

meg.he je bòròxun die moi.nw gor.him kio?

ò megh ò megh bòròxun dio kio?

bhekulie je twr.twrai moi.nw nidim kio?

ò bhekuli ò bhekuli twr twrao kio?

bwpa kokar brit.titw moi.nw erim kio?

(9)

èitw kar dòl ? …. rojar

bhangi.bòlòi dibane? …. nidïw

kòlik matim ne? … nema.tiba.

bògik matim ne? … nema.tiba.

kòli  òus, bògi òus, thekes!

(10)

tai mai lwne mase bhat khai

bor ghoror mèkuri xòru ghorolòi jai

dhakwn pelai poita bhat khai

èitw toi kha, èitw moi khäw

èitw ghor-ròkhia burha.lòi thöw.

(11)

dhwl bai kòt? … roton.puròt

khwl bai kot? …. roton.puròt

ka.uri kele.kelai, ban.dòri nòsuai

bäh-bäri bäh-bäri gwxäi ghorot

(12)

kaurie kore ka ka

jïlie mate ja ja

kauri gòl,  gòd.huli hòl

amar saul ekot.ha mukòli hòl

(13)

hur hur böta sorai

mwr dhan nek.habi

twk dim gwta korai

dhan.w kham potan.w kham

twk biya kòri ghoro.lòi jam

(14)

agòli kola.pat lore ki sore

siloni ai mwr agote pore

(15)

bur.hi ai è nahili xuk.hor kalot

xat joni nigòni khirai khai.silw

gerela bai.silw halot

(16)

ram ram bhekulir bia.lòi

ram ram ahe indro.debe

ram ram botah bòròxunot titi hè

ram ram sor.gor opes.sori

ram ram nami ahi.se

ram ram bhekulir bia xuni hè

(17)

(First Bird)

hoï.ë koli, hoï.ë koli

oto.bwr dhan sal ki koli?

(Second Bird)

wo.ë khale pw.ë khale

thwk thwk thak thak.