Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 6.djvu/268

LANGHANS. popular airs approach nearer to the Persian style than the interminable recitative of India. They have no means of writing down a musical phrase, and learn everything by oral instruction. Their voices are tolerable in the lower notes ; but the use of the falsetto being unknown, and the higher the key the more admired the music, the upper tones are strained and disagreeable. The words sung to music are, generally speaking, the kind of poetry called Baita, Wai, and Dohra, in the Jatki and Sindee languages."

The official memorandum accompanying the Photograph states "there are some charming Sindee poems, which may be styled the only true literature of the country. Shah Abdool Luteef is the greatest poet; but perhaps no piece has greater success than the 'Sasani and Punha,' whose author is anonymous. It is one of the staple nationalities, well worthy of preservation." From the preface, in a late edition of the work, published by the Educational Department in Sind, the following outline of the tale is extracted:—

"Sasani was the daughter of a Brahmin of Tattah. Owing to the statement of one of the astrologers, that she would forsake her religion, her parents placed her, when a babe, in a coffer, and committed her to the waters of the Indus. She was found by a washerwoman, taken to Bhamboorah, and brought up there.

"Some years afterwards, Punha Khan, a young Beloch chief of Mekran, heard of the charms of the foundling, then verging on womanhood; obtained admittance to her house in disguise, wooed, won, and married her. His indignant father, hearing of the match, had him seized and forcibly carried off to Mekran. Sasani, wild at the separation, started off on foot in quest of her lord. On her journey, after various mishaps, she came in the way of a hill barbarian, who attempted to gain possession of her. She prayed for relief, and was swallowed up by the earth! A similar fate awaited Punha, who soon after arrived at the same spot; like Romeo found his Juliet departed, and courted death as the only remedy for his woe."

An extract from an English metrical translation of the poem follows, but it is too long for quotation. The following lines may serve as a specimen of Sindee poetry.

 40.

The fairest of the Altan she, by no mean rival crost,

Sasani was like the moon, a pearl of countless cost;

By her the straying Peri passed, unrecognised, and lost.

Her walk observed, tlie fawn retired to wait the shades of night;

Yet darkness ne'er was night to her, whose eyes were constant light.

41. Yes, Mahmood's lovely daughter now, a child of light did move,

Adorned, mid her companions all, a very queen of love;