I wrote the first version of "Dhean" after listening to Noor Jahan's beautiful rendition of the popular Pakistani war song "Eh Puttar Hattan te Nahi Wikde" meaning "Our sons cannot be bought in the marketplace." But as melodic as Noor Jehan's voice was, or how much I loved its tune, the tone always irked me because of what was left unsaid. If sons cannot be bought at the marketplace, what is being implied about daughters?
lyrics
=====TRANSLATION====
Dheeaan
by Pashaura Singh Dhillon
http://www.pashaurasinghdhillon.com
http://www.FaceBook.com/PashauraSinghDhillon
If our sons cannot be bought in the market
If our sons cannot be bought in the market
What makes us think our daughters are for sale?
This truest of nature's gifts . . .
This truest of nature's gifts. . .
. . . is not a commodity that can be bought or sold
If our sons cannot be bought in the market . . .
This is a gift from the Creator
This is a gift from the Creator
Whether it is a son or a daughter . . .
. . . welcome them both with open arms.
You will be surprised by who they turn out to be.
Both are equally essential . . .
. . . for life to keep moving.
If our sons cannot be bought in the market . . .
Our sons are the pride of the family
Our sons are the pride of the family
Daughters are the honor of the community
She means the world to her father. . .
. . . and prays for the well-being of mothers everywhere
So why are we killing our daughters?
What are we saying about our own mothers?
If our sons cannot be purchased in the market . . .
If legacy grows on the vine with sons
If legacy grows on the vine with sons
Only our daughters can make it blossom
She cradles her little brother . . .
. . . and spreads her fragrance like a flower
But how long can a garden survive . . .
. . . whose own thorns ravage its tender buds?
If our sons cannot be bought in the market . . .
Our daughters are never weak
Our daughters are never weak
She is Bhago
She is Bhani
She has mothered a long line of rulers and kings
This is her eternal story
She was the leader of Jhansi
She is the astronaut in space
If our sons cannot be bought in the market . . .
Daughter, have the courage to revolutionize the system
Daughter, have the courage to revolutionize the system
Change its outdated customs
Customs that weigh our daughters down
And chain them up with dowry
It is a sweet poison for their mothers
And an unbearable burden for their fathers
If our sons cannot be bought in the market
If our sons cannot be bought in the market
What makes us think our daughters are for sale?
This truest of nature's gifts . . .
This truest of nature's gifts. . .
. . . is not a commodity that can be bought or sold
If our sons cannot be bought in the market . . .
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