Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The rain-birds and the peacocks sing, day and night, as they hear the thunder rolling in the clouds.
The rain-bird and the peacock call out when the thunder rolls, longing for the rain.
This is the heart of Raag Malaar, the raag of the rainy season. Chaatrik mor bolat din raatee means the rain-bird and the peacock call out day and night. The chaatrik is a bird said to drink only raindrops, so it longs for rain. Sun ghanihar kee ghor: they hear the thunder of the heavy clouds. In India, that rumble means the monsoon is coming.
Think of kids hearing the ice-cream truck's song down the street. They start cheering before it even arrives. The monsoon here stands for the Beloved coming near. The birds' cry is longing, called viraha, turning into joy. They can already feel the rain.
What sound or sign fills you with happy anticipation that something good is coming?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI