There is something about Punjabi songs. The beats, they say, make up for the most atrocious lyrics. For others, a lot of times, raw carnality lights their fire (pun intended, of course). A lot of them don't understand what is being said, but oh! The way them groove to the tune. Fantastic!
Having stayed in the north of the country for a long time now, I can muster the courage to recognize some words. And also, a few phrases which would make any denizen of the Punjab to shame. But then again, I try!
I am proud to say that there was a time when I was multilingual. Five languages, with proficiency, made for a good conversationalist anywhere in the world. And then, yours truly lost touch. Sometimes when I listen to a song a francais, I feel terrible that I can understand words in singularity. And then, there was a time when I loathed myself for not understanding what chokher bali meant when I used to think that Bangla is pretty simple.
Language, after all, gives a sense of who you are, where you belong to, and what you stand for. It makes you communicate with the people you want to, and shuts out the unwarranted junta. Language is a powerful tool, and also the most hurtful. A very few times, things need to be said in a particular way so as to have the desired effect. At other times, verbiage does the trick.
So the next time you speak or listen to someone, put some intent. Be careful of the words, and wary of the pauses. After all, one has to be mindful of the language.
No comments:
Post a Comment