Poetry at Sangam
Poetry at Sangam showcases poetry in English and translations as well as essays on poetics and news of new releases.
Of the many love songs, some of the most memorable are from the tragic tale of the most famous lovers in Ao folklore, Jina and Itiben.
This is a classic story of love between a rich girl and a poor boy, between a famous beauty of her time and a dark and ugly boy. Itiben’s father, who was totally against this match, did everything in his power to keep his daughter away from her poor ugly suitor by keeping her a virtual prisoner in the house.
But one day, Itiben managed to slip out to the field alone in the hope of meeting Jina there. But she had no means of communicating this to her lover. In desperation, she sang a song to the wind:
O wind
Please tell Jina that I
Itiben am going to the field alone.
And O wind
You won’t forget
Will you?
These four simple lines capture all the longing and anguish of Itiben who had been long separated from her lover.