Sakhi mori rum-jhum
Lyrics, meaning and notation.
About this composition
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Raga | Durga |
| Form | Chhota khayal |
| Tala | Jhaptal · 10 beats |
| Tempo | Madhya |
Complete lyrics, transliteration and meanings
| Section | Original script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi | सखि मोरी रुमझुम | Sakhi mori rum-jhum | My friend—the pattering sound… |
| Sthayi | बादल गरजे बरसे | Baadal garje barse | The clouds thunder and pour rain. |
| Antara | रैन अँधेरी कारी | Raina andheri kaari | The night is dark and black. |
| Antara | बिजुरी चमके | Bijuri chamke | Lightning flashes. |
| Antara | कैसे जाऊँ पिय पास | Kaise jaaun piya paas | How can I go to my beloved? |
| Antara | बादल गरजे बरसे | Baadal garje barse | The clouds thunder and pour rain. |
Word notes
Rum-jhum is sound imagery whose association is clarified here by clouds and rain; the translation does not invent anklets when the text does not name them. Sakhi is a female companion. Rain means night, not the English word rain; kaari intensifies its darkness. Bijuri is lightning. The speaker asks how she can reach the beloved in this storm. The poetic voice is a dramatic situation, not a biographical claim about the singer.
Complete beat-aligned score
Jhaptal has claps at 1, 3 and 8 and a wave at 6. Every row below retains ten beat positions in 2 + 3 + 2 + 3. The separate syllable row shows where the words fit; it is not an additional melodic row.
How to read this notation
Sa is the chosen reference pitch. Note signs used in this score:
P = Pa; R = shuddha Re; M = shuddha Ma; D = shuddha Dha; S = Sa.
↑ marks the upper octave and ↓ the lower octave; an unmarked note is in the middle octave.
Each separate beat position is one matra. Joined notes fall within that beat. — continues the previous sound; · is an unsung position. Padding before an entry or after a close does not add another cycle.
Parentheses mark a grace leading into the next principal note, without adding a beat.
¦ marks a phrase separation, not an octave change or extra beat.
Within-beat durations are exact only where specified. Learn the execution of glides, graces and inflection by listening.
Within a grouped column, spaces separate beats; letters joined without spaces share a beat. The column heading states the beat numbers.
In lyric rows, · inside a syllable string separates sung syllable fragments; a standalone · is an unsung position. In headings it is only a text separator.
| Section / layer | 1–2 · sam | 3–5 · clap | 6–7 · wave | 8–10 · clap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi 1 | P P |
RMPD MPD— D—(MP)¦ |
(S↑)D M |
MR RS S |
| Syllables | sa khi |
mo·o·o·o o·o·o— ri—·i·i |
ru ma |
jhu·u u·u ma |
| Sthayi 2 | P P |
M—PD MPS↑— D—(MP)¦ |
(S↑)D M |
MR RS S |
| Syllables | sa khi |
mo—·o·o o·o·o— ri—·i·i |
ru ma |
jhu·u u·u ma |
| Sthayi 3 | S↑D S |
MR P (D)P |
M(D)P— D |
PD S↑S↑DP MMRS |
| Syllables | baa·a aa |
da·a a la |
ga·a·ra— je |
bara se·e·e·e e·e·e·e |
| Sthayi fragment | P P |
· · · |
· · |
· · · |
| Syllables | sa khi |
· · · |
· · |
· · · |
| Antara 1 | M (MD)P— |
(PS↑)D— — ——(S↑)D |
S↑ — |
S↑ S↑ S↑ |
| Syllables | re e·e·e— |
na·a·aa— — ——a·an |
dhe — |
ri kaa ri |
| Antara 2 | M MDPS↑ |
D — ——(S↑)D |
S↑ — |
S↑ S↑ S↑ |
| Syllables | re e·e·e·e |
naa — ——a·an |
dhe — |
ri kaa ri |
| Antara 3 | D S↑ |
R↑ — S↑R↑S↑R↑ |
M↑ R↑ |
S↑——(S↑) D——(P) M—(M)R |
| Syllables | bi ju |
ri — cha·a·a·a |
a ma |
ke——e e——e e—·e·e |
| Antara 4 | P P |
RMPD MPD— D—(MP)¦ |
(S↑)D M |
MR RS S |
| Syllables | ke se |
ja·a·a·a a·a·aa— u—u·u |
pi yaa |
paa·a a·aa sa |
| Antara 5 | P P |
M—PD MPS↑— D—(MP)¦ |
(S↑)D M |
MR RS S |
| Syllables | ke se |
jaa—·a·a a·a·aa— u—·u·u |
pi yaa |
paa·a a·aa sa |
| Antara 6 | S↑D S |
MR P (DP)P |
M(D)P— D |
P—(D)R↑ S↑—DP MMRS |
| Syllables | baa·a aa |
da·a a la |
ga·a·ra— je |
ba—ra·a se—·e·e e·e·e·e |
Pickups, sam and section joins
The main sthayi and antara rows begin on sam. The score inserts a two-beat sa-khi fragment after the third sthayi row; it is a written restart cue, not an instruction to sing an extra full silent cycle. To repeat the sthayi, follow that fragment with beat 3 of the first or second row. For a simple section-to-section traversal, omit the restart fragment and enter the antara on the next sam after sthayi 3. The final antara row occupies all ten beats and can return to sthayi 1 on the next sam. Keep the two different written variants of each long phrase.
Learning sequence
Count Jhaptal’s unequal divisions first. Learn the opening’s two variants, retaining the difference between RMPD and M—PD at beat 3. Read the tiny ornaments within the existing cells; four letters do not mean four additional beats. Learn the antara’s upper-register passage, then its two kaise-jaun variants. Finally choose the declared sectional traversal and return on sam.
Common pitfalls
This composition is in ten-beat Jhaptal. M(D)P places a Dha grace between Ma and Pa, while ——(S↑)D approaches Dha after a held sound. Dots inside lyric syllables separate them; dot-only padding in the short restart fragment does not add eight rests.