Rashmeet Kaur’s latest track, Bajre Da Sitta, has literally taken over Instagram with almost every reel and/or TikTok playing this track in the background.
Considering the song’s fun vibe, it’s understandable why the track has emerged as everyone’s go-to song.
Instagram is back. Missed Bajre Da Sitta reels for full 14 minutes & 47 seconds.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) March 19, 2021
Will someone please tell me that “bajre da sitta talli te kisne maroda”??
— Shyymemer (@shyymemer) March 13, 2021
Insta couldn't bear another bajre da sitta 😩
— Meet. (@tanmeet_11) March 19, 2021
Bajre da sitta is stuck in my head. It was better when Instagram was down 😣
— Sritika Dhar ♌ (@Sritika_) March 19, 2021
Life becomes tough when u start watching reels. Htf so many ppls enjoying their life and see me… watching them on bajre da sitta every day…..yes life ka sitta bajre hai.😢
— Rajannnn____⚡ (@yeerajan_) March 15, 2021
While the song has been written by Rashmeet Kaur and Deep Kalsi, with rap by Ikka, the chorus that has actually taken over social media, is from an old Punjabi folk song, sung by Surinder and Prakash Kaur.
Like most folk songs, Punjabi folk songs were either a representation of people’s daily lives or supposed to highlight a particular event (often marriage and/or childbirth), and usually involved light-hearted teasing, and/or slight exaggeration of events to add to the drama.
In Bajre Da Sitta, a woman talks about how she is trying to win over her angry lover and compares the process to her job at the millet (bajra) farms. This is what the chorus of the song actually means:
Bajre da sitta ve assan talli te maroreyaRuthra janda mahiyaRuthra janda mahiya ve assan galli vichon moreyaTranslation:I twist and turn this cob of millet (or pod of millet) on my palmsAs my lover walks away angry(But) I’ve made my angry lover turn from his path
And this is what the stanzas refer to:
Stanza 1
Kale kale baddal aaye, chukki jaan haneriAjj na sathon russi dhola, saun he tenu meriChhama chham mii peya vasse, jawani khir khir hasseAes rut te sohnaAes rut te sohna gharon kise na vichhoreyaBajre da sittaTranslation:The black clouds have gathered, like the storm in my spirits(signifying her unrest at his anger)Don’t get angry with me today lover, you have my swear(Like) the pitter-patter of rain, my youth laughs with abandonIn this beautiful weather, no one leaves the house.
Stanza 2
Murr murr terian bahva phardi, mintan karan main lakhanJe pichhon si akh phawani, kyon laiyan si akhanVe laggi tor ve dhola, shawa. Mera dil mor ve dholaGhari ghari de roseGhari ghari de rose ve sada lahu ve nachoreyaTranslation:I keep grabbing onto your arms, I’ve pleaded a thousand timesIf you had to turn away your eyes, then why did you gaze at me in the first place?Why don’t just you break this bond, return my heartThese constant fights have squeezed my blood/sucked me dry
Stanza 3
Raah jaan de se cher gaya jad oh din bhullaMeri roop jawani utte dil tera si dullaJadon sain nain milaunda, bade sain tarle paundaTor gaya sain wanganTor gaya sain wangan, naale hath machkoreyaTranslation:You’ve forgotten the day when you stopped me on my wayAnd your heart was lost to my beauty and youthYou would exchange glances, plead with meYou even broke the bangles on my hand, when you twisted my arm
Stanza 4
Bin tere meri sunni duniya jyon bhawran bin kalliyanRah utte main nain vichha ke khalli rahwan vich gallianVe tu na aaven dhola, shawa. Bada tarpaven dhola.Nitt de vichoreNitt de vichore ve mahiya dil sada toreyaTransalation:Without you, my world is empty, like flowers without beesMy eyes are fixed (literal translation: laid) on the road, I wait on this pathBut you don’t appear, you torment meAnd this separation has broken my heart
The remixed track has a slightly similar theme. Here, the song is about a girl who is wary of meeting her partner, because she is scared of the possible fight that may ensue between him and her brother.
Ve gali wich khade veer mere,Aidan gehda na tu katti, Na tu yar leke aayi ve,Vekhna te tainu main ve chauhndi se ve,Hoje na koi panga tan hi segi ghabrayi ve,Jind meri teri hi te mahiya ve,Sara sama tere layi batoreya,Translation:My brothers are standing in the lane,It would be best if you didn’t drive around, or show up with your friends.I, too, wished to meet you,But you guys might end up fighting, so I feel scared.My life belongs to you, I have set the mood for you.
Yar bely naal si bathere, tan vi shad sareya nu main ta teri gali aaya ve,Vekhne da chah siga todeya ve,Gali wicho mod mainu bada tadpaya ve,Oh ishqe di peed badi lagi,Kahton sohniye ni mukh sathon modeya,Translation:I had many friends with me, I left them all to be with you.I so wanted to see you.You torment me by turning me away from the laneI’m here to meet you.The pain of love is strongWhy are you turning me away?
Yes, it’s kinda, sorta patriarchal, but also, catchy AF. Basically, just your average new-age Punjabi track, but finally, you actually know what it means.