DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16243#0356
322
PEOPLE OF INDIA
Chamars quarrel and the Raja's saddle is torn. The Mochi's knife does not ask
where the leather comes from (i.e., whether it is clean or unclean). May you die
at a Mochi's door! (So that he may tan your skin.) The Mochi grieves at the
sight of his own skin. (Because he can make no use of it.) The Mochi's wife runs
away, but the Mochi goes on sewing. The good-looking Chamarin prides herself on
her complexion. A Chamar's daughter and her name is Raja Rani! The Chamar's
daughter does begar (compulsory unpaid labour) even in heaven. The Mochi's
aunt has smart clothes given to her, but his wife and mother go bare. (A reflexion
on the morals of the aunt.) If sandal-wood fell into the hands of a Chamar and
he used it to pound leather, what could the poor sandal-wood do ? (Unwilling
association with low people.) The Chamar said to the village headman : " How is
that buffalo of yours ? " (The skins of dead cattle are the perquisite of the village
Chamar, who is supposed to resort to poison to secure his rights.) Even a Chakkali
girl and the ear of the millet are beautiful when ripe (i.e., when the girl has
attained puberty). The spoiled child of the shoemaker made her dinner off shoes :
though she did not digest them they did her no harm. To buy leather from a
shoemaker. (Proverb of the inappropriate, as the shoemaker keeps leather to
make up into shoes.) A shoemaker's wife and a blacksmith's mare are always
the worst shod. She is a shoemaker's wife, but her feet burn for want of shoes.
My affairs are like Nandan's kingdom. (Nandan was a Chamar, who became a
king for three hours, and issued leather coin.) Now that Chamars may drink from
the Ganges the righteous die and the wicked live. (Formerly Chamars were
not allowed to touch the Ganges.) There is no hiding the belly from the midwife.
(Said of people who make a mystery of what is well known.)
DOM.
(Scavenger.)
The Dom is the lord of death. (He provides the wood for cremating a
corpse.) Doms, Brahmans, goats—no good in time of need. Carts, boats and
Doms—all three run crooked. A Dom is a bad servant and a fiddle-bow a bad
weapon. A Dom met a barber ; one beat his drum, the other held up his mirror.
(Demanding their fees.) A Dom made friends with a barber and got shaved for
nothing. A Dom made friends with a weaver and got clothed for nothing. A
Dom made friends with a Baniya ; he borrowed ten and repaid a hundred. A
Dom sang for a Jat and got as much milk as he could drink. A Dom made
friends with a Ranghar and found no worse thief than he. A Dom made friends
with a Gujar ; the Gujar looted his house. A Dom made friends with a Kanjar ; '
the Kanjar stole his dog. (Kanjars are gipsies and professional thieves and are
said to be fond of dogs.) A Dom his father and a Dom his grandfather, yet he
boasts of his noble birth. (After conversion to Islam.) Behind your back, the
Dom is a king. Encourage a Domni and she will bring her whole family and sing
out of tune. If donkeys could excrete sugar, Doms would not be beggars. A
Dom in a palanquin and a Brahman on foot. (Society upside down.) If a Dom
strips himself naked, what can you do to him ? (Shamelessness.) The fool of a
Domni put the antimony on her nose (Instead of on her eyelids.) A Domni's
slave. (Expression of contempt.) The fisherman Dom has seven wives and
never a bed for one. The Domni lifted the load without polluting it. The absent-
minded Domni took a net for a basket and called her husband kdkai (elder
brother) in the dark. At the Dom's wedding the Dom may call the tune. The
Domni's son betrays his caste by drinking from an earthen pot. The Chandal
licks the platter, he leaves neither hair nor flies.
PEOPLE OF INDIA
Chamars quarrel and the Raja's saddle is torn. The Mochi's knife does not ask
where the leather comes from (i.e., whether it is clean or unclean). May you die
at a Mochi's door! (So that he may tan your skin.) The Mochi grieves at the
sight of his own skin. (Because he can make no use of it.) The Mochi's wife runs
away, but the Mochi goes on sewing. The good-looking Chamarin prides herself on
her complexion. A Chamar's daughter and her name is Raja Rani! The Chamar's
daughter does begar (compulsory unpaid labour) even in heaven. The Mochi's
aunt has smart clothes given to her, but his wife and mother go bare. (A reflexion
on the morals of the aunt.) If sandal-wood fell into the hands of a Chamar and
he used it to pound leather, what could the poor sandal-wood do ? (Unwilling
association with low people.) The Chamar said to the village headman : " How is
that buffalo of yours ? " (The skins of dead cattle are the perquisite of the village
Chamar, who is supposed to resort to poison to secure his rights.) Even a Chakkali
girl and the ear of the millet are beautiful when ripe (i.e., when the girl has
attained puberty). The spoiled child of the shoemaker made her dinner off shoes :
though she did not digest them they did her no harm. To buy leather from a
shoemaker. (Proverb of the inappropriate, as the shoemaker keeps leather to
make up into shoes.) A shoemaker's wife and a blacksmith's mare are always
the worst shod. She is a shoemaker's wife, but her feet burn for want of shoes.
My affairs are like Nandan's kingdom. (Nandan was a Chamar, who became a
king for three hours, and issued leather coin.) Now that Chamars may drink from
the Ganges the righteous die and the wicked live. (Formerly Chamars were
not allowed to touch the Ganges.) There is no hiding the belly from the midwife.
(Said of people who make a mystery of what is well known.)
DOM.
(Scavenger.)
The Dom is the lord of death. (He provides the wood for cremating a
corpse.) Doms, Brahmans, goats—no good in time of need. Carts, boats and
Doms—all three run crooked. A Dom is a bad servant and a fiddle-bow a bad
weapon. A Dom met a barber ; one beat his drum, the other held up his mirror.
(Demanding their fees.) A Dom made friends with a barber and got shaved for
nothing. A Dom made friends with a weaver and got clothed for nothing. A
Dom made friends with a Baniya ; he borrowed ten and repaid a hundred. A
Dom sang for a Jat and got as much milk as he could drink. A Dom made
friends with a Ranghar and found no worse thief than he. A Dom made friends
with a Gujar ; the Gujar looted his house. A Dom made friends with a Kanjar ; '
the Kanjar stole his dog. (Kanjars are gipsies and professional thieves and are
said to be fond of dogs.) A Dom his father and a Dom his grandfather, yet he
boasts of his noble birth. (After conversion to Islam.) Behind your back, the
Dom is a king. Encourage a Domni and she will bring her whole family and sing
out of tune. If donkeys could excrete sugar, Doms would not be beggars. A
Dom in a palanquin and a Brahman on foot. (Society upside down.) If a Dom
strips himself naked, what can you do to him ? (Shamelessness.) The fool of a
Domni put the antimony on her nose (Instead of on her eyelids.) A Domni's
slave. (Expression of contempt.) The fisherman Dom has seven wives and
never a bed for one. The Domni lifted the load without polluting it. The absent-
minded Domni took a net for a basket and called her husband kdkai (elder
brother) in the dark. At the Dom's wedding the Dom may call the tune. The
Domni's son betrays his caste by drinking from an earthen pot. The Chandal
licks the platter, he leaves neither hair nor flies.