Basant

COUNTRY: Nepal
LANGUAGE: Nepali

A Nepali wedding song found on the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Music from South Asia. The original is called “Nepali Marital Song” and it references basant, a South Asian festival celebrating spring.

(though not everyone in Pakistan is quite so happy about the holiday.)

Lyrics of All Around This World’s version:

Fedima feedim basant aayo (4x)
Kites in the spring, basant aayo, kites in the spring, basant aayo
Yellow in spring, basant aayo

Song in Nepali words
हा……
फेदीमा फीदिम बसंत आयो
फेदीमा फे.. मायाले मार्यो
एउटा देवता आयो
हो नी लजायो

Transliteration
Ha…
Fedima feedim basant aayo,
fedima fe.. maayaale maaryo.
Euta Debataa ayo,
ho nee lajaayo.

Translation
The season of basant arrived at the bottom of the hill again, love has killed again at the bottom of the hill. A god arrived. Then, he felt shameful.