We all know that its impolite to teach someone to do his/her job because
each one knows his/her job best. However, we sometimes forget this simple
rule and try to interfere in others business - the result: An insult! The
fisher folks, especially fisherwomen, are very friendly people and they know
their job better than anybody else. It is very common in Goa when a
nistekarn (fisherwoman) brings fish at home or while you buy fish in a
market to say: ek bopxem subeij uddoi ghe (give me an extra fish) to which
they usually oblige. But, some people are so greedy that they are never
satisfied; they want more. So, they take the liberty and put their hand
directly in the panttli (basket) and take another extra fish. The
fisherwoman exercises patience and keeps quiet, but when the person places
his/her hand again in the panttli to collect yet another fish, she does not
like it at all; she immediately catches his/her hand wrist and makes him/her
drop the fish in the basket just as one catches the neck of a cat or a dog
and makes it leave something held in its mouth. Fisherwomens hands are
always full of fish stink; so, the stink gets transferred to customers hand
and obviously he/she does not like it, but then whose fault is it? Thats
the treatment one gets for acting too smart! Therefore, if you care for
your reputation never put your hand in a nistekarns basket, especially in
the open market, and dont you dare provoke a nistekarn; for, she will make
you run away just with her vocabulary of bad words!
Minguel Rod was not only a genius and one of the legends of the Konkani
stage but he was also one of the tiatrists who fought against the Bhattkar
Shaii (Landlord Rule) in Goa during the Portuguese regime. He humiliated
the bhattkars through his songs and tiatros. Here are the lyrics of one of
his oldest songs in which he humiliates a bhattkar through ordinary
nustekaram (fisherwomen). The lyrics are in Salcete dialect; I did my
best to present them in their original form:
HELMET MOCHE by the late Minguel Rod
Sung by Star of Arossim (bhattkar), Minguel Rod and group
Legend: N = Nustekaram; B = Bhattkar
I
N: Danv-danvon einu, gele paiem zornu
Bhuken pottam antkolleo geleo mornu
Etai titu motram voitai aiz bhornu
Ekloi amkam soddnam Moddgonv ornu
Chorus
B: Cheddvando, kosso nustea
N: Barik doddiea koche
B: Ek chear anneam diai
N: Aje te dinaim toxe
B: Abba, polletom inga panttuli tumi votlim koxe
N: Ege onddea marun foddtto dissot helmet moche
II
B: Sangai gho poixeank nam mugea moro
N: Nam ami dinaim tujean zat tem koro
B: Kharuttam heam duddvam uzu mal boro
N: Borean daddaich fuddem poilean soro
Chorus
B: Massolli maddak purtolom, ex uloicheai suberbai
N: Purun dakoinam zalear zait dog tuge pai
B: Nustea ghann iet mhaka hatt enge rotani boddoichea zai
N: Agha hench mullo bhakar eller sarem punzaitai
III
B: Cholai atam dogaim eiai kes kornu
N: Kutem amgem khail gha tor tuvem chornu
B: Nustea bhair mal mhunn vorai mak dhornu
N: Te duddu gha tuko getlim bhornu
Chorus
B: Ek poiso magot
N: Te poix pinzun soddtolim
B: Dit mungo
N: Tis rupoi, nam tor dant moddttolim
B: Ghe
N: Haroili texi panttli voilean bhorch poddtoli
B: Bhortu mungo
N: Heo bhor, nam tor kochi hoddtolim
IV
B: Besto enge mizgotik, saiba gelom xi
N: Zap tuge nak siris kor dil ti
B: Konnui mhaka dekot, kossoli loz hi
N: Chol tor panttuli ubarn mathear dhi
Chorus
B: Dha-dha rupia dile ditam nustea moddu annu
N: Atam ghar vochon xitako bazun kha tonnu
B: Hanv kitu girest to tumi mhak vollkon nonno
N: Dekun kharieam paim pondak kusoil gha bhattkarponnu
From Doms antique shelf!
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
