The Song of a Boatman from Dal Lake
by Dina Nath 'Nadim'

I got these crisp and fresh from the Dal
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!
These are tiny eggplants, and these are round gourds,
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

These are peppers, and these are brinjals.
The brinjals are like pitchers of wine
banging their heads in this boat of mine.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

The crisp bundles of radishes are glittering
in the shade of weeds,
The red marsh turnip is blushing like a blushing beauty
as if the dawn has blossomed into flowers.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

May dust fall on you! Stop it!
You have taken enough now.
I know, dear lady, I cannot blame you,
for the high prices are crushing us all now.
Let me go!
Come on, lend me a hand with this basket
I really must go now.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

What can I tell you, dear lady,
My child was born only last Thursday.
Though I didn't feel up to it, I dragged myself out
and left my little one behind.
It was painful to leave him away from me.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

My little one!
My little one is pale like a radish,
My little one is pale like jasmine,
My little one is naked and nude, shivering and cold
like a lump of ice.
My little one is crying and crying,
the tears roll down from his eyes
like drops rolling down from lotus leaves.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

My little one's nose is like a lotus seed,
Just like his father's nose;
My little one's face is tiny,
just like his mother's face.
To us both he is like a lotus,
sprung from the mud of dalay hay.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

Lo! I seem to hear a baby cry;
Lo! I seem to feel a sensation in my breast.
My heart doesn't seem to be here now,
Dear lady, I must really go now.
hay valay, come and buy! hay valay, come and buy!

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