ON THE FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE OF GILGIT. 101 



Translation : — 



(i) Grow heavy, O stone, grow heavy! 



(2) A blessed day has come to-day. 

 Grow heavy, O stone, grow heavy ! 



(3) This stone will be weighted with gold. 

 Grow heavy, O stone, grow heavy ! 



At evening, when the party approaches their destination, a merry shout makes known 

 their arrival and is echoed from the opposite party. Both parties, on entering the bride's 

 house, compete with each other in reciting songs boasting of the noble and heroic 

 deeds of their ancestors and their chiefs ; and then, having taken their food, they 

 continue dancing till late in the night. The next morning a mullah, who always 

 accompanies the procession with the bridegroom, reads the marriage service. The girl's 

 father then brings the ornaments, clothes and utensils, etc., for his daughter. If he is a 

 well-to-do man he presents the above things without charging their price to her husband. 

 If this be done, his son-in-law cannot, through all his life, lay any claim to the pro- 

 perty, which is always considered to be that of his wife, and she can marry anyone she 

 pleases on her husband's death. But if the girl's father, being in straitened circum- 

 stances, cannot afford to give the things without recovering their cost, the boy's father 

 has to pay their equivalent at the time, in cattle or clothes, etc., or whatever amount 

 the arbitrators may decide, and in this case the bridegroom has full control over the 

 property ; on his death his wife cannot marry anyone without obtaining the consent of his 

 relatives. This custom is called kalak malak. 



When the ceremonies are over, the bridegroom's party makes its preparations to 

 return. To entice the damsel out of her home the people recite the following song : — 



(1) Nikha mal ai bilili to ke khiaranini. 



(2) Nikha char ai barai to ke khiaranini. 



(3) Nikha sonelo jako to ke khiaranini. 



(4) Nikha garo achiai to ke khiaranini. 



(5) Nikha mukhailo doni to ke khiaranini. 



Translation : — 



(1) Come out, O beloved of your mother, why are you delaying? 



(2) Come out, O water sprite, why are you delaying? 



(3) Come out, O possessor of golden locks, why are you delaying? 



(4) Come out, O mistress of charming eyes, why are you delaying ? 



(5) Come out, O owner of pearly teeth, why are you delaying? 



On this she is brought out. She weeps bitterly at the separation from her relatives, 

 and the assembly sings the following song : — 



(1) Phonar ai molai ae nai ro Thhy rong bujai. 



(2) Hun khin ajeh bujai molai ae Thhy rong bujai. 



(3) Thy hiyo dija ae na'ro molai ae Thhy rong bujai. 



Mem. A.S.B. 



