BoliyanNanka mel boliyan · ਨਾਨਕੇ ਮੇਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਬੋਲੀਆਂ
New boliyan for the moment the mother's family (the nanka mel) arrives at a wedding, and for the friendly giddha contest between the nanke and the dadke. Warm teasing only: every verse ends in welcome.
6 new verses on this page. Each has the Punjabi text, the same words in Roman letters and the meaning.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
The nanka mel has arrived
ਨਾਨਕਾ ਮੇਲ ਆ ਗਿਆ ਨੀ, ਵਿਹੜੇ ਰੌਣਕ ਲੱਗੀ। ਮਾਮੇ ਮਾਮੀਆਂ ਨੱਚਦੇ ਆਏ, ਢੋਲਕੀ ਵੀ ਵੱਜੀ।
Naanka mel aa gaya ni, vehde raunak laggi. Maame maamiyan nachde aaye, dholki vi vajji.
The mother's family has arrived, and the courtyard has come alive. The uncles and aunts came in dancing, and the dholki has begun to play.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
Our turn now (sung by the nanke)
ਨਾਨਕਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਮੇਲ ਨੀ ਆਇਆ, ਭਰ ਕੇ ਆਈ ਲਾਰੀ। ਦਾਦਕੀਓ ਹੁਣ ਗਿੱਧਾ ਪਾ ਲਓ, ਆ ਗਈ ਸਾਡੀ ਵਾਰੀ।
Naankeyan da mel ni aaya, bhar ke aayi laari. Daadkiyo hun giddha paa lao, aa gayi saadi vaari.
The mother's side has come, a whole bus full of us. Women of the father's side, start your giddha: now it is our turn to answer.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
Our doors are open (the dadke reply)
ਦਾਦਕੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਮੰਜੇ ਡਾਹੇ, ਚਾਹ ਧਰੀ ਆ ਚੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ। ਨਾਨਕੀਓ ਜੀ ਆਇਆਂ ਨੂੰ, ਬੂਹੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ।
Daadkiyan ne manje daahe, chaah dhari aa chullhe. Naankiyo ji aayan nu, boohe saade khullhe.
The women of the father's side have laid out the cots, and tea is on the stove. Welcome, women of the mother's side: our doors are open to you.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
A contest among our own
ਨਾਨਕੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਦਾਦਕੀਆਂ ਦਾ, ਗਿੱਧੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ। ਜਿੱਤੇ ਕੋਈ ਹਾਰੇ ਕੋਈ, ਸਾਂਝਾ ਸਾਡਾ ਕਾਫ਼ਲਾ।
Naankiyan te daadkiyan da, giddhe vich mukaabla. Jitte koi haare koi, saanjha saada kaafla.
The two sides of the family are having a contest in the giddha. Whoever wins and whoever loses, we are all one caravan.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
Grandmother's blessings
ਨਾਨੀ ਆਈ ਦੋਹਤੇ ਦੇ ਵਿਆਹ, ਦੇਵੇ ਲੱਖ ਅਸੀਸਾਂ। ਨਾਨੀ ਵਰਗਾ ਪਿਆਰ ਨਾ ਲੱਭੇ, ਕਰ ਲਓ ਲੱਖ ਰੀਸਾਂ।
Naani aayi dohte de viah, deve lakh aseesan. Naani varga pyaar na labbhe, kar lao lakh reesan.
Grandmother has come to her grandson's wedding with a lakh of blessings. Try as you may, nobody can match a nani's love.
- ਨਵੀਂ · New, written for this site
What the uncle brings
ਮਾਮਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਸ਼ੱਕ ਲਿਆਇਆ, ਨਾਲ ਲਿਆਇਆ ਪਿਆਰ। ਨਾਨਕਿਆਂ ਬਿਨ ਸੋਂਹਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ, ਭੈਣ ਦਾ ਘਰ ਬਾਰ।
Maama mera shakk lyaaya, naal lyaaya pyaar. Naankeyan bin sohnda nahin, bhain da ghar baar.
My maternal uncle has brought the nanki shak, the gifts from the mother's family, and his love along with them. Without her own people, a sister's home does not look complete.
Who the nanke and the dadke are
A child's ਨਾਨਕੇ (nanke) are the mother's family: nana and nani, the maame and maamiyan, the maasiyan. The ਦਾਦਕੇ (dadke) are the father's family: dada and dadi, the chache, taye and bhuas. At a Punjabi wedding, the arrival of the mother's side is an event of its own. The group is called the ਨਾਨਕਾ ਮੇਲ (nanka mel), and it traditionally comes with gifts for the family, known as the nanki shak. The maternal uncle has duties of honour in several ceremonies; in many families, for example, it is he who brings the bride's choora.
The friendly contest
When the nanka mel enters, the women of the two sides face each other in the giddha and trade boliyan. The nanke boast that the wedding could not begin without them; the dadke answer that the house, the tea and the hospitality are theirs. In older times some of these verses were sharp. The fun today is in the quick reply, not in the insult, and the best exchanges end with both sides dancing in one circle. The boliyan on this page are written in that spirit: each side gets its boast, and every verse ends in welcome.
How to use them
- Split the verses between the sides before the function, so that each boli gets its answer.
- Let an elder of each side sing the first verse; it sets a tone of respect before the teasing starts.
- Never tease about money, gifts, looks or anything that has really caused bad feeling between the families. A wedding is not the place to settle it.
- End with "A contest among our own", and pull the other side into the circle.
For the night before, see the jaago boliyan, which the nanke lead.
Traditional verses are old folk verses with no known author, given as commonly sung; your village may sing them a little differently. New verses were written for this site in the old patterns.
More boliyan
New to boliyan? Read what a boli is, how to put a boli in the giddha and the meanings of words in boliyan.