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Gaana Veer Nu DeNi AaN

His sisters and their friends tease the groom as he is getting ready for the marriage ceremony. He puts impediments in the way, tossing aside the various ceremonial accessories that he has to wear.

I give my brother the colored cord, he tosses the shells aside!
Retun them, return them my friends,
Return them o daughters of the king,
My brother is sulking!
A pomegranate leaf, a beautiful rose is he,
Blossomed in our garden.

I give my brother the turban, he tosses the crest aside!
Bring it back, bring it back, my friends,
Bring it back o daughters of the king,
My brother is sulking!
A pomegranate leaf, a beautiful rose is he,
Blossomed in our garden.

I give my brother the sehra, he tosses the petals aside!
Return them, return them my friends,
Return them o daughters of the king,
My brother is sulking.
A pomegranate leaf, a beautiful rose is he,
Blossomed in our garden.

I give my brother his suit, he tosses the buttons aside!
Return them, return them my friends,
Return them o daughters of the king,
My brother is sulking.
A pomegranate leaf, a beautiful rose is he,
Blossomed in our garden.

Russna: Literally, to sulk or to pout. But it is practically impossible to translate the content –emotional or cultural- of this word. Firstly, it is a loving word, there is some pretense of sulking, there is expectation that you will be won over. This is not a serious sulk but a bit of a game. Imagine a mother bringing laughter back to the face of a child who is pretending to be angry, and you have an idea of the meaning of ‘russna’.

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