1875.] 389 



Popular Songs of the Hamirpur District in BundelJchand, N. W. P. — By 

 Vincent A. Smith, B. A., B. C. S. 



In the belief that any contribution which serves to add to our know- 

 ledge of the languages and customs of India, will be welcome to the Socie- 

 ty, I now submit a sample of the popular songs of the Hamirpur District 

 in the local dialect. Nowhere can the real popular language be better 

 studied than in the songs which are constantly in the mouths of the people, 

 and these compositions further illustrate vividly the domestic customs and 

 manners of the masses. 



Should the specimen now submitted prove acceptable, I propose to 

 continue the series from time to time. I have already collected a large 

 number of songs of various kinds, but at present I have not leisure to work 

 up my materials. So far as I am aware, none of these songs has ever be- 

 fore been reduced to writing. They have now been taken down by my 

 pandit, who is a native of this district, from the lips of persons who learned 

 them by tradition. The pandit was instructed to record accurately, with- 

 out alteration or correction of any kind, the sounds which he heard, and I 

 believe that my instructions have been carried out. At some future time, 

 I hope to analyze the dialectic peculiarities of the songs which I am now 

 collecting. In order to render the following set of ditties intelligible, I 

 prefix an abstract of the 



Legend of Hardaul. 

 Hardaul, a son of the famous Bir Singh Deo Bundela of Orchha, was 

 born at Datiya.* His brother Jhajhar Singh suspected him of undue 

 intimacy with his wife, and at a feast poisoned him with all his followers. 

 After this tragedy, it happened that the daughter of Kunjavati, the sister 

 of Jhajhar and Hardaul, was about to be married. Kunjavati accordingly 

 sent an invitation to Jhajhar Singh, requesting him to attend the wedding. 

 He refused and mockingly replied that she had better invite her favourite 

 brother Hardaul. Thereupon she went in despair to his tomb and lament- 

 ed aloud. Hardaul from below answered her cries, and said that he would 

 come to the wedding and make all arrangements. The ghost kept his pro- 

 mise and arranged the nuptials as befitted the honour of his house. Subse- 

 quently, he visited at night the bedside of Akbar, and besought the emperor 

 to command chabutras to be erected and honour paid to him in every vil- 

 lage throughout the empire, promising that if he were duly honoured, a 

 wedding should never be marred by storm or rain, and that no one who 



* Bir Singh Deo died in 1627 A. D. For some account of him, see Gazetteer, 

 N. "W. P., Vol, I, article Orchha ; Ain translation, I, pp. XXV, 488. 



