Sohni Mahiwal – Paar Chanaa De

Folklore has always occupied a sacred corner of my heart, a realm where stories traverse cultures, touching lives with its timeless tales, is nothing short of being magical. It never ceases to fascinate me. More so, when folklore is told in other forms of expression like music, than in writings. Paar Chanaa De is one of my all time favorites from Coke Studio that references the Sohni Mahiwal tale and expresses the pain of separation and longing for one’s beloved. In the spirit of preserving this tradition of retelling folklore, this is an attempt to relive the tragic Sohni Mahiwal and touch the very ache of separation. Delicately sieving through myriad accounts, skimming over a few, I present to you, in fleeting elegance, the essence I could glean from this timeless tale:

The Tragic Tale of Sohni Mahiwal

During the Mughal period in the 18th century, on the banks of the river Chenab, resided a skilled potter named Tulla. Renowned far and wide for his exquisite creations, Tulla’s craftsmanship was revered not only in Punjab but also in distant realms. A daughter was born to Tulla and his wife – a daughter of such surpassing loveliness that she was aptly named Sohni, which means “Beautiful”.

Sohni’s childhood was woven amidst the pottery shop’s earthy scent, where she imbibed the art of adorning pitchers and pots with intricate, mesmerizing designs. Her innate talent as a painter proved attract merchants along the trade route. Trading caravans would often make a stopover at Tulla’s shop. Among them was a young and wealthy merchant from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, named Izzat Baig. As Sohni was painting floral designs on her father’s pots, he couldn’t take his eyes of her captivating beauty. Since he was rich, young, and handsome himself, I imagine he caught her eye as well.

Day after day, Izzat Baig returned to the shop, lingering longer than necessary, buying more pottery just to catch a glimpse of Sohni. His return, his lingering, each transaction adding more layers to this unspoken connection. Yet, when the caravan’s call of departure rang, he remained, not for his ware but for her. As fortunes waned, and wealth dwindled, he exchanged his noble birth for a humble life as a buffalo herder (Mahiwal) at Tulla’s. Mahiwal, they named him – a soul unshackled, herding beasts yet bound by an unseen tether to Sohni. Sohni and Mahiwal’s love continued to blossom. However, when Sohni and Mahiwal’s clandestine meetings became the talk of the town, her father ignored Sohni’s protests and arranged her marriage with one of her cousins, who was also a potter. An affair between a Kumhar (potter caste) and a Mahiwal (buffalo herder) was unacceptable. Considering he was a foreigner too, it was impossible. Sohni felt helpless and devastated by the thought of being married to someone other than Izzat Baig.

The day of separation arrived, a day that cast a shadow over their love. The baraat, a procession celebrating Sohni’s impending marriage, arrived at her house. Amist the festive colors and joyful songs, Sohni was sent off to her husband’s house in a Doli, a palanquin — a procession that carried her away from Mahiwal and their dreams. It was a moment of unbearable pain for both Sohni and Mahiwal, a searing ache that etched itself into their souls.

The marriage was a dagger to Mahiwal’s heart, driving him into the depths of desolation. Heartbroken and shattered, he renounced the world and started living as a faqeer (saint). He wandered from one village to another in search of Sohni. Eventually, he found her and understood that her heart still remained with him. Unaware of Sohni’s undying love for Mahiwal, her husband great efforts to please Sohni were always in vain. Therefore, he started spending more time away from home on business trips.

Izzat Baig lived in a small hut across the Chenab river, where he patiently waited for his beloved Sohni. In the cover of darkness, Sohni would steal away from her marital dwelling, drawn irresistibly to the waiting arms of Mahiwal. Defying all odds, Sohni would swim across the river with the help of a large pitcher (gharra).

Beside the Chenab’s tranquil waters, Mahiwal would kindle a fire, and the aroma of roasting fish would waft through the night air. Both would feast on the fish caught and cooked by Izzat Baig. However, one day, due to high tide, Izzat could not catch a fish. He cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. Sohni didn’t realize this while she was savoring it, but understood when she put her hands on his thigh. This simple act, a union of food and fervor, became a poignant embodiment of their love’s intensity. She told him that it was the tastiest meat she ever tasted. It symbolized their lust and passion to exist in within each others bodies and souls. They’d spend the night in each others arms, talk of their dreams of togetherness, of a future where they have a family. Sohni would swim back home before the crack of dawn. On reaching her side of the river, she would hide the pitcher in a bush to be used for her next trip the following night.

Paar chanaa de disse kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya
Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye

The conversation between Sohni and the Gharra.

Their love story veered toward tragedy when Sohni’s sister-in-law, a specter of envy, uncovered their clandestine escapades. She reported this to her mother (Sohni’s mother-in-law). Instead of involving Sohni’s husband in this matter, they decided to get rid of Sohni, believing that that it was the only way to save their famiy’s honor. They replaced Sohni’s gharra with a half-baked counterpart, one destined to crumble under the river’s unyielding embrace.

Kacchiyaan te rakkhiye na umeed paar di

Unbeknownst to Sohni, she embarked on her fateful journey across the Chenab, propelled by an unbaked vessel’s fleeting promise. Midstream, as the vessel began to disintegrate, a chilling realization washed over Sohni. Determined to reach Mahiwal one last time, she pressed forward even as her vessel dissolved, succumbing to the river’s embrace.

Yaar noon milegi ajj laash yaar di

In a poignant crescendo of devotion and tragedy, Sohni met her watery grave. Horrified yet resolute, Mahiwal beheld the unfolding catastrophe from the opposite shore. In an act of unyielding devotion, he cast himself into the turbulent embrace of the Chenab, driven by an unwavering desire to save his beloved. The river, an unwilling witness to their final act of love, enshrouded them both in its unforgiving depths.

Thus, Sohni and Mahiwal, their souls eternally entwined, found an everlasting abode beneath the surface of the Chenab’s restless waters. Their story, an epitome of unbridled love and irrevocable sacrifice, continued to echo through the annals of time. A testament to the resilience of human emotion and the enduring power of love, it served as a poignant reminder of the pain borne by star-crossed lovers whose passion defied the boundaries of their world.

X———————-The End———————-X

PS: If you’ve not yet listened to Paar Chanaa De from Coke Studio Season 9, let me gift you this magical masterpiece. If you love Shilpa Rao’s voice, I’m sure you’ll get addicted to this song even more!

Another beautiful piece is Kande Utte Meherman Ve. I love Diljaan’s rendition of the same from Surkshetra. Old but still gold.

Here’s the full lyrics of song Paar Chanaa De from Coke Studio Season:

Paar chanaa de disse kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya

Right there across the chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going

Paar chanaa de disse kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya
Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye

Right there across the chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going
The night is deathly dark, the river waves surge high around us
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn

Kacchi meri miṭṭi
Kaccha mera naam ni
Haan main na-kaam ni
Ho main naakaam ni
Haan main na-kaam ni

I am a pot made of unbaked clay
Bound to melt away in the river
Being unsound and unsteady,
I cannot but fail in carrying you across

Kacchi meri miṭṭi kaccha mera naam ni
Haan main na-kaam ni
Kacchiyaan da hunda kaccha anjaam ni
Eh gal ‘aam ni

I am a pot made of unbaked clay, bound to melt away in the river
Being unsound and unsteady, I cannot but fail in carrying you across
The unsound can only reach an unsound end
This is a truth known to all

Kacchiyaan te rakkhiye na umeed paar di
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye
Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye
Paar chanaa de disse kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya
Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye

Don’t rely on the unsound to help you reach the shore
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn
The night is deathly dark, the river waves surge high around us
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn
Right there across the Chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going
The night is deathly dark, the river waves surge high around us
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn

Vekh chhalla paindiya na chhaddin dil ve
Vekh chhalla paindiya na chhaddin dil ve
Ajj Mahiwaal noon main jaana mil ve
Ajj Mahiwaal noon main jaana mil ve

Look, the waves are splashing higher and higher, but don’t lose heart
I must go to meet Mahiwal this night at any cost

Vekh chhalla paindiya na chhaddin dil ve
Haan lai ke khillh ve
Ajj Mahiwaal noon main jaana mil ve
Haan aiho dil ve

Look, the waves are splashing higher and higher, but don’t lose heart
So help transport me there
I must go to meet Mahiwal this night at any cost
Yes, my heart insists on going

Yaar noon milegi ajj laash yaar di
Yaar noon milegi ajj laash yaar di
Yaar noon milegi ajj laash yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya
Paar chanaa de disse kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya

Tonight, a lover will be greeted with the corpse of his beloved
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going
Right there across the Chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going

Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye
Paar chanaa de disse kulli
Paar chanaa de disse kulli
Haan kulli
Ve kulli yaar di
Ghadiya ghadiya aa ve ghadiya
Raat haneri nadi ṭhaaṭhaan maardi
Adiye adiye haan ni adiye

The night is deathly dark, the river waves surge high around us
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn
Right there across the Chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
…across the Chenab river lies my beloved’s hut
Yes, my beloved’s hut
… lies my beloved’s hut
Come on, clay-pot, let’s keep going
The night is deathly dark, the river waves surge high around us
Oh listen, girl, don’t be stubborn

Phaṛ pallaṛa
Phaṛ pallaṛa pakke murshad da
Jehṛa tainu paar lagaawe
Jehṛa tainu paar lagaawe

Hold firmly to…
Hold firmly to the sound guide who will take you safely to the shore
… who will take you safely to the shore

Ghadiya… Ghadiya…

O clay-pot… O clay-pot…

Tainoon paar lagaawe…

Take you safely to the shore..

Ghadiya… Ghadiya…

O clay-pot… O clay-pot…

Translated by Zahra Sabri