BoliyanWhat is a boli?
A ਬੋਲੀ (boli) is a short folk verse of Punjab that is sung, not recited, while people dance. The plural is ਬੋਲੀਆਂ (boliyan). Boliyan are the heart of the giddha, the women's folk dance, and they are also sung in bhangra. Nobody knows who made the old ones. They have passed from mouth to mouth for generations, and every village sings them a little differently.
How a boli works
- One person leads. She steps into the circle and sings the lines of the boli, while the others clap in time.
- The last line is the "tod". When the leader reaches the last line, everybody joins in and repeats it, the clapping gets faster, and two or three dancers come into the middle and dance.
- Then the next person takes a turn. A good giddha is a friendly contest: each boli answers or tops the one before it.
A boli can be two lines long or twenty. Long boliyan tell a small story; short ones make a single, sharp point, and are the easiest to learn.
Three famous ways to begin
| Opening | Roman | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| ਬਾਰੀ ਬਰਸੀ ਖੱਟਣ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ, ਖੱਟ ਕੇ ਲਿਆਂਦਾ ... | Baari barsi khattan gaya si, khatt ke lyaanda ... | "He went away to earn for twelve years and brought back ...". The thing he brought is chosen only for its rhyme. The second line carries the real message. |
| ਆਰੀ ਆਰੀ ਆਰੀ ... | Aari aari aari ... | Three rhyming sounds set the rhyme for the lines that follow, which all end in "-aari". |
| ਪਿੰਡਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਪਿੰਡ ਸੁਣੀਂਦਾ, ਪਿੰਡ ਸੁਣੀਂਦਾ ... | Pindan vichon pind suninda, pind suninda ... | "Of all villages, one village is famous ...", followed by the name of a village and what it is known for. |
How to make your own boli
- Decide whom or what the boli is for: your brother's wedding, your grandmother, your school.
- Write the message first, as one line that ends in a strong word: "ਭਾਬੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਲੱਖਾਂ ਵਰਗੀ, ਵੀਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਨਾ ਕੋਈ ਘਾਟਾ" ends in "ghaata".
- Find an everyday thing that rhymes with that word: "aata" (flour).
- Put it in the opening: "ਬਾਰੀ ਬਰਸੀ ਖੱਟਣ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ, ਖੱਟ ਕੇ ਲਿਆਂਦਾ ਆਟਾ".
- Sing it. If the claps fall easily on the words, it works.
Words you will meet
| Word | Roman | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਗਿੱਧਾ | Giddha | The folk dance of Punjabi women, danced in a circle with clapping and boliyan. |
| ਭੰਗੜਾ | Bhangra | The energetic folk dance linked with the harvest and Vaisakhi, danced to the dhol. |
| ਟੱਪਾ, ਮਾਹੀਆ | Tappa, mahia | Very short folk songs of two or three lines, usually about love and longing. |
| ਜਾਗੋ | Jaago | "Wake up!" The night before a wedding, the mother's relatives carry a decorated pot with lamps through the lanes, singing and dancing. |
| ਘੋੜੀ | Ghodi | A wedding song of the groom's side, named after the mare he rides. |
| ਸੁਹਾਗ | Suhag | A wedding song of the bride's side, often about leaving her parents' home. |
| ਛੰਦ | Chhand | A short verse the groom recites when the bride's sisters and friends ask him to. |
| ਕਿੱਕਲੀ | Kikli | A spinning game of young girls, with its own rhymes. |
| ਲੋਰੀ | Lori | A lullaby. |
| ਨਾਨਕੇ, ਪੇਕੇ, ਸਹੁਰੇ | Naanke, peke, sahure | The mother's family; a married woman's parents' home; her in-laws' home. |
| ਤੀਆਂ | Teeyan | The women's festival of the rainy month of Sawan, with swings and giddha. |
Keep it kind
Old giddha also had teasing verses aimed at in-laws and wedding guests. Teasing that everybody enjoys is part of the fun, but a boli that hurts someone in front of a crowd is not. The new boliyan on this site praise people and laugh at situations, and we suggest you do the same when you write your own.