Babal tere da dil kare dheeye meriye ni

Listen to it here

Babal tere da dil kare dheeye meriye ni
Doli tenu kadde naa bithawaan
Sada rawein gudiyaan patole ni tu khedadi
Chuk chuk godi ch khidaawaan

Rabb kare hor na tu vadhe sukhaan ladiye
Hoyin na jawaan kade bhul ke
Tere budhhe baap kolon torya ni jaana tenu
Roya vi ni jaana maithon khul ke
Babul de vehre vich dheeyan ikk phull aisa
Lokaan diyaan jeehde te nigaahvaan

Totli zubaan vich gallan guddo teriyaan main
Baani de shlokaan vaangu sunaa ni
Khushiyaan zamaane diyaan karaan qurbaan taithon
Dukh tere phullan vaangu chunnan ni
Modhe naal laa ke tere rabb jehe mukhde nu
Saari raat loriyaan sunaavaan

Pairaan ch panjebaan tere hatthaan vich choodiyaan
Vehde vich rehan chhankaundiyaan
Jivein kisse devte di aarti uttaare koi
Subaho shaam rehan sadaa gaundiyaan
Saariyaan dheeyaan de dukh mainu lag jaan rabba
Ehna nu na laggan hawaawaan

Dhee ghar jamme khaure bura kyon manaunde loki
Putraan lai mangde duaavaan kyon
Dheeyaan hathon maavaan puttan nu khwaundiyan ne
Dheeyan nu paraaya kehan maavaan kyon
Dheeyan hoke dheeyaan nu hi paun fitkaaran dheeyan
Lath jaan buriyaan balaawaan

Maa kade dhee kade bhain kade beewi dhee e
Tere bina duniya adhoori e
Teri iss kukh vich duniya de sukh dheeye
Teri doli torni zaruri e
Marjaana Mann te gunahaan da maarya ee
Doli wala punn te kamaavaan

Gurdas Mann

I've always felt so sentimental about this song. Today, I heard it after many many years, and now again...it is songs like these, the soothing words of tenderness, love and emotions like these, that make me so fiercely proud of my language, and culture. This is the Punjab I feel proud of. This is the Punjabi I identify with- the man who sings this tender song. Not the hideous people who kill brides or kill unborn girl children, or the people who accept all that with a shrug. That is not Punjab. That is not 'my' state. My state is the one where emotions, values, and people are respected.

Some say Punjabi is the rudest language they've heard.

I know that it is one of the sweetest languages. Hearing it sometimes evokes overwhelming images of cool shade (thandiyaan chhawaan), or cold water (sheetal paani)or honey dripping off the tongue of the speaker.

There is sheer poetry, sheer beauty in Punjabi.

That's my language, my state for you.