Of Lathe Di Chadar: Lyrics
(Verse 4 - often omitted but powerful) Eh chadar na mere baap di, Na eh chadar mere bhai di. Eh chadar mere sajjna nu, Main apne seeney laa ke vaddi.
(Chorus) Latthe di chadar, tapke na, Tapke na ve, tapke na. Mera hath na aave sajjna, Taithon keh ke mangdi aan. lyrics of lathe di chadar
She weaves a thick blanket ( chadar ) on a handloom ( latthe ). As she weaves, she pours her longing into every thread. She sends the blanket with a messenger (usually a jogi or a family friend), with a stern warning: Do not let the blanket get wet, for it carries the warmth of her bosom. She also sends a verbal message of devotion and complaint. The lyrics are in a rustic, highly emotional dialect of Punjabi. Let’s analyze the most famous stanzas. (Verse 4 - often omitted but powerful) Eh
Eh chadar maine ode lai vaddi, jihde sir utte saavan Ode hath jado paani lage, mera kaleja thar-thar kambda Translation: I have stretched this blanket for the one on whose head it may rain (the migrant). When water touches his hands, my liver (heart/soul) shivers uncontrollably. Meaning: In Punjabi and Sufi poetry, the kaleja (liver) is the seat of raw emotion, even more than the heart. She feels his physical cold as a phantom shiver inside her own body. The blanket is an umbilical cord across miles. Cultural & Literary Significance 1. The Symbol of the Loom ( Latthe ): The handloom is not just a tool; it is a metaphor for the woman’s own body and patience. The back-and-forth motion of the shuttle is like her restless heart. Each thread she passes is a day she waits. The final chadar is her complete sacrifice—her skin woven into a protective layer. Mera hath na aave sajjna, Taithon keh ke mangdi aan
(Verse 3) Jihde sir utte saavan pai gaya, Main ohnu latthe di chadar vaddi. Jad us hath nu paani lage, Mera kaleja thar-thar kambda.
(Verse 1) Aaja ve, karam da data, Bhej de ik latthe di chadar. Mainu roz na maar changiyan, Mainu ik latthe di chadar.
Tere bina ve main raatan nu, kahton wichon langdi aan Latthe di chadar tapke na, taithon keh ke mangdi aan Translation: Without you, O man, how do I pass the nights? The blanket from the loom—don’t let it drip (get wet). That’s why I ask you. Meaning: She explains her desperation. The nights are endless. The blanket she is sending is so precious that it cannot be allowed to get wet from rain or snow, because the water would wash away her body heat and the scent of her love that clings to the fibers.
