ambvaa tale

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ambvaa tale

Under the mango tree

e rii sakhii

more saiyaaN ghar aae [ x2 ]

[ several repetitions ]

Oh, my friend,

my beloved has come home [x2]

[several repetitions]

bhaag lage more aaNgan ko

apne piyaa kii maiN dekh suurtiyaa

haar gaii maiN tan man ko [ x2 ]

Good fortune has entered my courtyard,

when I saw my beloved’s face,

I surrendered, body and soul [x2]

ambvaa tale Dolaa rakh de nihrvaa [ x2 ]

aaii saavan kii bahaar re

[ several repetitions ]

Set down the palanquin beneath the mango, my dear [x2]

The blooming of Sawan has arrived!

[several repetitions]

apne maHalvaa maaN guRiyaa khelat thii

saiyaaN ke aae kahaar re

[ both lines x2 ]

he rii sakhii guRiyaa khilne na paaii [ x2 ]

saiyaaN ne bheje kahaar re

In my palace quarters, I was playing with dolls,

when the bridal bearers arrived

[both lines x2]

Oh, my friend, the doll never got to bloom [x2]

my beloved sent his wedding procession

maiN daasii huuN priit kii pyaasii [ x2 ]

saiyaaN ke guNR gaauuN

maiN to sakhiyo bal bal jaauuN [ x3 ]

I am a servant, thirsty for love [x2]

I sing my beloved’s virtues,

oh friends, I would give myself for him again and again [x3]

apne maHalvaa maaN jhuulaa jhuulat thii

saiyaaN ke aae kahaar re

[ both lines x2 ]

he rii sakhii jhuulaa jhuulne na paaii

nanhii nanhii buuNd phuhaar re

In my palace quarters, I was swinging on the swing,

when my beloved’s bearers arrived

[both lines x2]

Oh, my friend, I couldn’t keep swinging,

(there was) a fine drizzle

About this song

Singers: Javed Bashir, Humera Channa
Music: Strings
Show: Coke Studio (2014)

ambvaa tale (Hindi: अम्बवा तले, Urdu: اَمْبوا تَلے), *"Under the Mango Tree"*, is a song featured in Season 7 (2014) of the Pakistani musical show Coke Studio.

Written in the Braj language, the lyrics and melody draw from a variety of traditional sources. However, the composition and arrangement for this Coke Studio version were crafted by the band Strings. The song is performed by Javed Bashir and Humera Channa.

Interpreted with a tone that is both romantic and melancholic, the song gives voice to a young bride as she departs from her paternal home in a ceremonial palanquin. She is devoted to her new husband and holds him in reverence, yet her heart mourns the loss of childhood and innocence. There are poignant hints that she may not yet be fully mature, emotionally or physically.

At one point during her symbolic journey to her husband's home, she asks for the palanquin to stop *under the mango tree*, so she may watch the blossoming of spring—or of Sawan, the monsoon season. This gesture may symbolize her own coming of age, the moment of her inner and outer "flowering."

Humera Channa delivers most of the female narration in soft, tender tones. Javed Bashir, meanwhile, offers a rich counterpoint with traditional vocal improvisations. His warm, deep voice does not feel out of place—on the contrary, it aligns well with the tradition of Braj poetry, which often adopts a feminine perspective, even when sung by men. In fact, much of Braj devotional literature reframes romantic longing as a metaphor for divine love, with the devotee imagining themselves as a woman yearning for union with the beloved or the spiritual master.