Let me introduce you to two wonderful pieces of Punjabi music, one of them is a song by a singer named Simran Dhadhli, where she advocates for and expresses the perspective of Sahiba from the Mirza-Sahiba story. For those who are not familiar with this tale, here is an introduction:
The story of Mirza-Sahiban is a famous tragic romance from Punjab, often narrated in folk tales and poetry. It tells the tale of childhood sweethearts Mirza and Sahiba, who face opposition from their families. Defying warnings, Sahiba and Mirza elope, but Sahiba’s brothers pursue them. Fearing that fighting back would only worsen the conflict, Sahiba secretly hides Mirza’s arrows in a tree.
As predicted, her brothers catch up with them and launch a surprise attack. Mirza, unaware of Sahiba’s actions, finds himself defenseless without his arrows. In the ensuing struggle, he is fatally wounded by Sahiba’s brothers.
Overwhelmed with grief and guilt for her unwitting betrayal, Sahiba embraces Mirza’s lifeless body and mourns bitterly. Unable to bear the pain of losing Mirza and feeling responsible for his death, Sahiba eventually takes her own life, choosing to join Mirza in death rather than live without him.
This story is celebrated for its depiction of love, loyalty, and the tragic consequences of societal and familial conflict. It has been retold in various forms across different cultures, particularly in Punjabi and other South Asian literary traditions.
Simran’s song, “Sahiba,” gives voice to Sahiba’s side of the story, conveying her emotions and perspective through powerful lyrics.
The song’s lyrics are translated below in simple English:
People say,
First, I killed my beloved,
Then they say, I destroyed love.
They call me the queen of betrayal.
Tell me, O Mirza, what crime have I committed?
See, I too couldn’t live without you,
I ended my life and came to you.
Yet people blame me even today.
Tell me, O Mirza, what crime have I committed?
I prayed and begged my brothers for your life,
How could I bear to see arrows pierce my kin,
With whom I shared my mother’s womb?
Seeing them, I felt I was wronging them,
How could I bear to see you kill my brothers?
I loved them too,
But see, I too couldn’t live without you,
I ended my life and came to you.
Yet people blame me, they still do today.
In the first attack on you,
I too became lifeless in that moment.
My soul left my body when I saw your eyes closed,
My love was spiritual, not physical.
Why should I bear the world’s blame?
You see, I too couldn’t live without you,
I ended my life and came to you.
Yet people blame me, they still do today.
They associate your name with friendship,
They associate my name with betrayal.
Tell me, how am I a disappointment in the name of love?
Tell me, what more should I do for you?
You died, and I too died for you.
I ended my life and came to you.
Yet people blame me, they still do today.
Even today, they call me the queen of betrayal.
Tell me, O Mirza, what crime have I committed?
Following that song, another singer, BOB.B Randhawa, stepped forward and expressed himself through his song “Mirza Bolda,” speaking on behalf of Mirza. Below is his song.
The song’s lyrics are translated below in simple English:
O Sahiba, what have you done?
You let the kite of love soar high,
Only to cut its string and watch it fall.
Barrel Music!
You were neither true to your brothers,
Nor loyal to your beloved.
You betrayed Mirza,
Stabbing him in the back by hiding and breaking his arrows.
You broke the arrows,
You broke hearts too,
And still, you ask, “What was my fault?”
People will forever call you unfaithful,
For you were the reason Mirza was killed.
That’s why they blame you,
That’s why they call you unfaithful,
That’s why they call you unfaithful.
Had they faced me one-on-one,
I would have defeated them all.
Had I been armed,
I would have torn them apart.
If I had known earlier
About your deceit,
I would have brought my brothers,
It would have been a fair fight.
They took advantage of the situation,
Ruining their own sister’s wedding.
People will forever call you unfaithful,
For you were the reason Mirza was killed.
That’s why they blame you,
That’s why they call you unfaithful,
That’s why they call you unfaithful.
A Jatt never earns by deceit,
But you forgot his love.
Those you thought you supported
Were the ones who killed your love.
If you were so emotionally weak,
Why did you agree to run away with me?
Even the aunt who arranged our meetings,
You had her killed too.
People will forever call you unfaithful,
For you were the reason Mirza was killed.
That’s why they blame you,
That’s why they call you unfaithful,
That’s why they call you unfaithful.
They say Sahiba was flying around,
Spilling all our secrets.
Now, I have written and you endure,
My pen speaks from the grave,
My pen speaks from the grave.
So in this way, expressing through art, especially through music, is incredibly beautiful. It transforms disagreements into something profoundly meaningful. There are countless pieces of music and art on platforms like YouTube and throughout the world that embody this beauty.
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