A MONGOLIAN MOTHER’S FEELING

A MONGOLIAN MOTHER’S FEELING

            

 Mongolians have numerous songs about Mothers, poetic renditions from many years past. Mongolian people talk about how strong the connection between a mother and child is; it’s dominated by maternal love from birth until the grave. Mothers all over the world care for their children and share a special bond, yet the traditional Mongolian culture seems to forge a stronger link than those of other cultures. The answer lies within how the Mongolian culture nurtures such strong bonds between a mother and child; you need to understand that it was based on a matriarchal society that revered women and mothers holding them above all others.

Most Mongolian mothers breast feed their children until they are at least two years old, some continue until the child is almost five years old – this depends on the child’s needs and the mother’s ability to produce milk. This connection between mother and child builds a strong bond that follows them throughout their life. As the child grows up the mother educates them indirectly by the child watching what she does and mimicking her – the mother encourages this behavior and the bond grows stronger still. At night time from the time the child is an infant the mother hums and sings traditional lullaby’s  – the child falls to sleep hearing their mother’s voice which quickly relaxes them into slumber. Most Mongolian mothers pray to God every morning by sprinkling milk or milk tea to the four directions and asking for their child’s health and happiness.  

P. Badarch is a famous Mongolian Poet – one of his most important and famous works was a poem about his Mother – in an interview about this poem he expressed how strongly he understood the connection with his mother and how it was part of his soul.

He wrote the poem“ Mother’s Emotion“ . That poem is very popular with the Mongolian people because of how it touches and pulls their heart strings.  Most people upon hearing or reading the poem have silent tears coursing down their cheeks as it pulls up memories of their mother.  

                 P. Badarch ; -“ My poem was about my mother’s feeling , she was a Mongolian herder’s wife.   I will never forget my childhood, I remember going with my mother to pick up dried cow droppings called “Argal” which is a natural fuel that people living on the steppes use as there is almost no wood to be used for fuel.

P. Badarch

 

Mother’s emotion

Your Mom, dreamt that her son died

In 80 years never before had dreamt that nightmare  

While milking the cows, worry is in my mind

My heart and mind throb

Fretful thoughts replay in my mind, thinking about my son

Charming poetry written by my son, reportedly, people reading

Clever songs written by my son, reportedly, I hear from the radio

My son is living good, reportedly told to me

My son is in trouble; I am told by people’s gossip
Doesn’t matter to me

You’re alive that makes mom proud

Mom is missing you very much

I became distracted by thinking of you; I switched my basket and scooper

Making the mistake of picking up the rocks for fuel instead of dry manure

Due to my son’s absence

Looking in the distance, I see a camel sized cloud, in my mind maybe it will freeze

Pink horizon sky, maybe night will crack from day

Still he does not come to Mom    

I hear of other people’s son coming to their Mom

They are celebrating in the village

My son is in jail

This heart breaking news is told to me

Oh, so why can’t I defend my son’s side

Is he hungry? I worry and discreetly cry inside

In youth my son was bright like an ember

This single life of mine, my son was like a leaf breaking free

Treasure in my arms, my wishes came to true when he was born

I imagined it like absorbing luck from the ground

Dreaming about finding my only son  

If you’re in trouble my son, don’t to mess around come to Mom

If you’re just hanging around my son, don’t be there just come to Mom

In somebody’s eye my son is like mold on a rock, Old & gray is my son

In your mom’s eye you are still wrapped in a blanket, my baby

Come to Mom

Calling out for you

Scaring you with soon I will die

Please come to Mom my son

Smart is my baby hurai hurai hurai * - to make exclamations of pity

Like a baby colt come to Mom gurii gurii * -to make exclamations of pity

 This poem is about a Mother missing her son very much and worrying about her son’s life; she looks into distance, waiting for son for a long time. This poem is short synopsis of the mother’s feelings throughout time, from her heart. Her son lives in the capital city and he wrote this poem to express how his mother must have felt.

 “...Араг, савар хоёрыг зөрүүлэн байж би хүүгээ бодлоо

Аргал чулуу хоёрыг андууран байж хүүгээ саналаа...”

“I became distracted by thinking of you; I switched my basket and scooper

Making the mistake of picking up the rocks for fuel instead of dry manure”

Mongolian herders often had to pick up manure to fuel the fire in their homes. She missed her son, Badarch, and was busy thinking of him so she accidently mixed up her basket and her scooper; she also mistakenly picked up rocks instead of dry manure due to not paying attention because she was thinking about her son.

Badarch said that you can translate poetry word for words, and that you could also explain the poem’s meaning. But you can’t translate the Mongolian people’s feelings in their heart. I agree with him on that; everybody’s mind and imagination is different. How one person understands and the way their brain pictures it differs from how other people’s minds will.       

Also Badarch said; He always remembers the famous Demchigdorj’s  book   “Royalty thesaurus  dictionary”. In the dictionary it stated “If a child is living far away the Mother’s heart sometimes goes with her child. If the child is feeling bad, in the long distant the Mother can feel it; and the mother will feel sick from worry. If the child living well, the mother feels has energy and feels well. A mother and her child’s heart can never disconnect. When born the umbilical cord is cut but an emotional umbilical cord can never be cut.  An intrinsic gold cord is connected between their hearts.  The mothers spirit  will also look over the child from Heaven.” 

Badarch also said: I always miss my mom very much.  True from my heart I wrote this poem so it will also touch other people’s hearts.  This poem was in my mind and in my heart I felt my Mother.  I got awards and had proud days, but I also lost my job and had sad days.  I always believe my Mother is looking over me; this makes me feel good. I remember at the President’s office I received the best author award; at that time I felt my mom was with me. If my mom was here she would be so proud of me. When I think of her I can’t hold back my tears and I instantly cry.

Authors Note: I also remember my mom; she birthed me into this world and she helped me with my life. My mom was a very talented and handy woman. She sewed and designed clothes; I started to help her with that when I was in the 4^th grade. She sewed coats, dresses, hats, costumes and was very good at knitting; also at embroidery.   She is why I also became a handy woman. I always miss my mom;  I also believe my lovely mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and my brothers are looking over me from Heaven.  

By.S.Uzmee3.30.2014