Tana Khan Metheri Mana
Khan Metheri
Metheri Muhenji Boli,
Kiyan Vesariyan-Kiyan Visariyan,
Amare Deni Ja Loli.
Na
Rahi is a wonderful verse by a
Sindhi poet. It literally means:
"How
can I forget the language in which my mother sang me a lullaby
as I lay in the cradle? A tune so soothing, it would put me
into slumber, and it still rings in my ears.
Where
have those days gone? Where are those mothers, who held their
babies to their chest and sang these sweet lullabies?
Are
we women different form our mothers? What has happened to the
mothers of today?"
We
Sindhi women, in particular, have forgotten the roles we play
in our life. It is the mother who utters the first words to
her child: "Man Thuhenji Mau Ahiyan Man Tosan Behad
piyar kariyan thi , Toon Muhenje Jaan Jo Tukero Aheen",
which means, "I am your mother. I love you immensely. You
are a piece of my heart."
The
mother conveys her feelings not in Sindhi, but in English as
she says, "I love you. You are my sweetheart".
When
such is the communication between the mother and her child,
would the child then be expected o know the mother tongue? We
must not blame the children for it is we the mothers who are
to be blamed.
Talking
of mothers, I fondly recollect mine. In the morning, my mother
would sit beside my head and run her loving hands through my
hair, kissing my forehead tenderly, and say saying: " Uth
Munhenji rani uth munheji methi subuhe thiyo aahe "
– "get up my queen, get up sweetheart, it is morning…"
Then, I would cradle my head into her lap, begging to be
allowed to sleep some more.
She
would then recount this popular saying: "Jo Soya so Khoya,
Jo Jaga so paya", which meant "The one who sleeps
loses, the one who wakes gains." It is to the sound of
these words of advice that we the children would jump out of
our beds touch her feet and get moving. The days then, would
start on a good note like this.
Nowadays,
though, things have reversed. The mothers themselves sleep
till late in the morning. They will howl at the children, but
in English: "Come on, wake up and get ready for
school." If the child does not wake up even then, she
will pull the blanket repeat the scolding to which the child
will promptly reply, "Leave me alone and I shall get up.
Why are you bothered?" The day, so often now, starts on a
sour note like this, for both mother and child.
I
pledge that I am not here to preach. Being a grandmother
myself, I feel I am past my time. But what I did in my time
was what I learnt from my mother, which, by the grace of god
and my children turned out to be the best. My children can
speak in Sindhi reasonably well, if not perfectly so.
Today's
generation is more intelligent and more knowledgeable. If they
wish to, they can do wonders. All they need is some initial
momentum; a push that should come from us mothers and
grandmothers.
My
beautiful grandson, Tanishq, has been with me from the day he
was born. I speak to him in Sindhi. I even put him to sleep
with lullabies, which I have specially written for him. And I
can vow confidently that when I sing to him he is off to sleep
in no time at all. Now he is four and whenever he comes to
sleep in my room, he requests his dadi to sing for him.
He puts his little arms around my neck and puts his small feet
on my lap while I sing him a lullaby. The two of us share
these tender, blissful moments with each other.
I
would like to share this song with all mothers and children:
Makhia Khan bhi Methero--Muhenjo Mesiria
khan Bhi Methero
Muhenjo Nandero Nandero Baar Muhenjo Methero Baar
Suheni Surat Tuhenji Bholi--Metheri Metheri Tuhenji
Boli
Tuhenji Mushk ta Motiun Har Munhenjo Nandero Nandero
Bar
Achu Ta Lode Diyan Tokhe Loli--Kismat Banebi Tuhenji
Goli
Koi Dukh Na Ache Tuhenje Duwar Muhenjo Nandero Nadero
Baar
Shaal Juwani Sadayin Mani--Satugur Tuhenjo Thendo Sani
Koyee Dukh Na Ache Tuhenje Duwar Muhenjo Nandero
Nander Baar.
With
this, I request all you mothers around the world to not
deprive your children from their sweet mother tongue and their
sanskruti. That will be the biggest crime you could
commit against our culture.
