[Goanet]Deknni

[Jose Pereira]

The recent interest shown on Goanet about traditional mandos and dulpods is 
heartening for the researcher into  Goan Song, which also includes the 
Deknni. Lovers of Goan Song might be interested in the history of the most 
popular of deknnis, “Aum saiba peltorhi voitam,” which is the song of a 
temple dancer at the ferry of Shiroda [“Mannke’ tary,” the ferry at 
Mannkem], on her way to a wedding  somewhere in Salcete  (presumably 
Curtorim) of a man named Damodar, “Damu.” She is pleading with the a 
philanderer or flirtatious ferryman to help her get to the wedding.
The credit for popularizing “Aum saiba”  goes to Mestre Lourenço 
(Lourencinho) Henrique L. Dias, leader of the Banda Nacional de Salcete, who 
died around 1930. His band was in great demand at upper class weddings, 
especially for the “contredanses ‘de honra’”. “Aum saiba” was introduced as 
one of these “contredanses” at a wedding, probably that of Prazeres da Costa 
(“Musmbikar””the Mozambican”), in the early years of the 20th century, under 
the title “Bailados do Concão” (Dances of the Konkan). It was later 
published under that title by the composer Carlos Eugénio Ferreira at the 
Casa Rangel, Bastora, in 1926. The deknni’s probable date is therefore the 
last decades of the 19th century.  Though the temple dancer was from 
Shiroda, the composer was evidently from Salcete, and hence the song is in 
the dialect of that province (as are most deknnis). The following is the 
text and translation of “Aum saiba” and the related deknni “Ge, ge, ge, 
ge,ge”:

1.      Aum saiba peltorhi voitam
        Damulea lognank voitam
2.      Paiantulim painzonn'm ditam
        Tariry voichi vatto dakoi

3.      Atantuleo pattuleo ditam
        Tariry voichi vatto dakoi

4.      Golleantuly' gollsory' ditam
        Tariry voichi vatto dakoi

5.      Nakantuli noti ditam
        Tariry voichi vatto dakoi

                Maka saiba vatto dakoi
                Maka saiba vatto kollonam

                Damulea mattvant kolvontantso fell/mell vo
                Damulea mattvant kolvontantso fellu/mellu

1. I am going to the other bank, sir, I am going to Damu’s wedding.
2. I will give you the anklets from my feet. Please show me the way to the 
ferry.
3. I will give you the bracelets from my wrists. Please show me the way to 
the ferry.
4. I will give you the necklace from my neck. Please show me the way to the 
ferry.
5. I will give you the ring from my nose. Please show me the way to the 
ferry.
Show me the way to the ferry, please. I do not know the way.
In Damu’s pavilion, there is a dance/meeting of the dancing girls.


COR 1:       Ge ge ge ge ge
                Ge ga saiba

                Maka naka go
                Maka naka go

1.      E muja fulants' pormollu
        Ge ga saiba

2.      E muja nakatso notu
        Ge ga saiba

3.      E muja golleantuli gollxiri
        Ge ga saiba

4.      E muja  atanchim kanknnam
        Ge ga saiba

5.      E muja paianchim painzonnam
        Ge ga saiba

COR 2:       Maka naka go
                Maka naka go

6.      E muja poleatso beiju
        Ge ga saiba

COR 3:       Maka zai-i go
                Maka zai-i go

CHORUS 1
DANCER:     Take it, do please take it, sir!

FERRYMAN:  I don’t want it, no, I don’t want it!

DANCER:  1.This my flower chaplet, Take it, please sir!

CHORUS 2
FERRYMAN: I don’t want it. No, I don’t want it (I don’t want them)!

DANCER: 2.This nose ring of mine, do please take it, sir!
            3. This necklace of mine, do please take it, sir!
            4. These my bangles, do please take them, sir!
            5. These my anklets, do please take them, sir!
            6. A kiss from my cheek, do please take it, sir!

FERRYMAN:       Yes, I want it, yes I do!