These are some of my favourite Punjabi weddings songs from a collection I've compiled over the years with the help of my mum (will add more in time). These are the songs that our mothers and grandmothers heard as young women and their mothers and grandmothers before them. No matter how conventional and modern society becomes these songs will never lose their place, because they are evergreen.
I will add a translation at some point so that you can understand the meaning of the songs and appreciate them more. (I find that Punjabi songs lose their real essence when they're translated into English and just don't have the same effect so I'm going to take my time do them justice).In the mean time, I've added a link to youtube so you can hear some of the originals as our parents and grandparents would have heard them when they were growing up.
These are a selection of songs that can be defined as 'punjabi banter' because they're all about having a laugh and poking fun at one another. Sometimes the words don't even make sense and are purely there to provide the constant rhyming pattern.
Kala Shah
Kaala shah kaala.
ni kaala shah kaala
mera kaala e sardaar goriaa nu daffaa karo
ni goriaa nu daffa karo mai aap tille di taar
kaala shah kaala.
Kaala gur desi
mai khaasa tikre naal rasaa liyaaee desi
peengh paasa pipple naal
hulaara ta laina je kaala chareyaa naal
kaala shah kaala
Sassree e tere punj puttar
do aibee do sharabee
jehra mere haan da o khiriyaa phul gulabi
Sassree e tere punj puttar
do devar te do jetth
jehra mere haan da o chalaa gayaa pardes
Sassree e tere punj puttar
do teen do kanastar
jehra mere haan da o chalaa gayaa e daftar
Sassree e tere punj puttar
do leeraa do kateeraa
jehra mere haan da o chalaa gayaa kashmeera
Lathhe Di Chaadar
Lathhe di chaadar uthe saletee rang mahiyaa
Aavo saamne kolo di ruske naa lang mahiya
Saadi kandaa da morcha moreya
Ni kehri gal to tu inj kar chhoreya
Saadi kandaa to suteeya raseeya
Na tu puccheeya te na ma daseeya
Saadi kandaa to maareya e akh ve
Mera aate de vich see hath ve
Teri maa ne pakaayee kheer ve
Asaa mangeeya te pai gayee peer ve
Teri maa ne pakaayeea rotiyaa
Asaa mangeeya te pai gayeea sotiyaa
Teri maa ne pakaye aande
Asaa mangeeya te pai gaye dande
Chittaa Kukkar
Chittaa kukkar banere te
kaasnee dupatte vaaleeye
munda sadke tere te
Saaree khed lakeera dee
gadee aayee station te
akh bhij gayee veera dee
Piplee diyaa chhava nee
aape hathee doli tor ke
maape karan duaava nee
Kunda lagg gayaa thaalee nu
hathaa utte mehndi lagg gayee
ik kismat vaalee nu
Heera lakh savaa lakh daa e
dhiyaa vaaleya diyaa
rabb iztaa rakh da e
Aasmaa vich punj taare
asaa munda o lehna
jehra saare vich akh maare
Baage vich aayaa karo
jado asee so jaayee
tusi makhiya udaaeya karo
Bicycle chalaee jaanda hai
naale nak vagda e
naale kulfi khaaee jaanda hai
Baage vich pippal piyaa
mahi sanu akh maaree
saada haasaa nikkal gaya
Kala Doriya
Kaala doriya kunde naal aree aaye oi
ke chhota devra bhabi naal laree aaye oi
Chhote devra teri door bhalaayee ve
ke naa larr soneya teri ik bharjaaye ve
Chhanna choori da naal makhan aanda nee
ke laija pataa e mera pohla khaanda nee
Kukree oh lainee jehree kurr kurr kardi e
ke sohre nai jaanaa sass burr burr kardi e
Kukree oh lainee jehree aande dindi e
sohra de jhirkaa meri juthi sehndi e
O suthna sheet deeya multaano aayeea ne
ke maava aapneeya jinaa reejha laayea ne
Kameeza silk diyaa e dehlio aayeea ne
sassaa begaanareeya jinaa galloh lahaayaae ne
Note: There are many versions to these songs. Some will have more verses, others will have different words altogether and this is because of regional differences in Punjab. So some of the verses and words from my personal collection might not be found in the songs above but that's not to say they are wrong. People all over Punjab (both Pakistan and India) sing the songs differently and these are how I have learnt the songs.
