1880.] 



BALOCIII LANGUAC4E. 



14.7 



good. Away! sit far off ! Let my face and earrings be uncleaned, my red 

 and blue clothes unwashed, my locks tangled and dusty ; I do not want 

 you for friends. He who was the friend of my heart, for whose sake I 

 should adorn myself, I saw carried off from Iiis native land by evil cursed 

 Turks, shut up in the wealthy city of Harraud, witliin an empty stable. 



The daughters of the Rinds form a hand, (and wander) following in 

 the track of the sliowers. The vultures come croaking, invoking good 

 fortune. Breaking the Maur-flowers from their stems, and plucking the 

 red gwaragh flowers, some place them in their boddices and breasts, some 

 in their earrings, lower and upper, and some (keep them) for their true 

 love's sake. Pluck one for my good luck, and keep it in your closed iiand ; 

 and, secretly from my bitter foes, my own sister and love says, with hands 

 raised up to God. "May God bring back Malik Dosten, according to his 

 true promise, not this one, but the old one. Swiftly, tiger-like chestnut 

 mare, bear him soutliwards, come by long stages, bring home my noble lord 

 to dwell with his father and mother and the assembly of his beloved brethren. 

 May Malik Dosten appear, may he appear to my sight. 



NOTES ON THE TEXT. 



The text of this poem is taken from two versions, one recited by a 

 Shambani, the other by a Marri. There are some variations which are 

 noted below, the Shambani version being marked («), the Marri version (b). 

 The Shambani version is the base of the text. A fragment marked (c) 

 from a Gurciiani Dom supplies a line or two. 



Lines 10 and 15 are supplied from (c). 



Line 11 is on]j found in (h) and (c). 



Line 18. For rot/Zianani (b) reads mehlavani ' spices.' 



Line 27. Larzant is from (b). (a) reads drafshant. 



Line 32. For banukha?? (b) reads godiyaw, with tiie same meaning. 



Lines 40 — 44 appear to be interpolated. They only occur in («), wliieh 

 contains several passages not in the other version. 



Lines 46—48 are from (b). The whole passage from line 45 to line 57 

 is almost identical with one in the poem of Laili and Majnun. Lines 5G 

 and 57 ai'e from (b). 



(a) reads : ' Phulle« zan sara er-khant 

 Gindi azh wixth o gonafa 



Line 62 is from (b). (a) reads ' Hirth jediri chliil o chyar ' 



Line 68. For da«zena (b) reads be-zaunk-an, ' unornamented.' 



Line 69. For gro^y/* hUh ' weeps' {b) reads zahr girth * is angry. 



