আইকম বাইকম তাড়াতাড়ি
"This poem goes back to the days of British colonization in the Indian subcontinent when people often mixed English and Bangla (Bengali) while speaking. Here, 'aikom' is a transliteration for 'I come' and 'baikom' is probably 'by come'." -Prama Neogi
আইকম বাইকম তাড়াতাড়ি
Hurry Aaikom Baikom
Rhyme
Rhyme
(Bengali)
(English)
আইকম বাইকম তাড়াতাড়ি
যদু মাস্টার শ্বশুরবাড়ি
রেল কাম ঝমাঝম
পা পিছলে আলুর দম
I was coming by hurriedly
To teacher Jodu's in-law's house
Rain came splish-splash
I slipped and fell like potato mash!
Notes
"Teacher Jodu" is literally, "Jodu teacher"... Purabi wrote from Bangladesh: "The 2nd line 'Jodu master' means 'Jodu teacher' - once people used to be called by their names along with their professions." So it's like saying Teacher Jodu.
Transliteration
Aaikom baikom taratari,
Jodu master shoshur bari.
Rail gari jhomajhhom,
Pa pichhle aalur dom.
Prama Neogi wrote from Bangladesh, "about 'Aikom Baikom Taratari'...'Jodu master shoshurbari' literally means 'Jodu master in-law's house', so people can make different sense of the sentence. The third line appears on your site as 'Rel (for rail) kaam (for come) jhomajhom'/'Rail-gari (train) jhomajhom', translated as 'Train comes, chug-a-chug'. But 'jhomajhom' is always used in Bangla as an onomatopoeia for rain, not train. So it is clearly, 'Ren (for rain) kaam jhomajhom'. [Note by Mama Lisa - we changed the translation based on this knowledge.] These mistakes are commonly made by children and even adults these days. But I did a lot of thinking after my father pointed out the 'Ren kaam' part, and came up with this explanation!
Overall, the rhyme means - 'I was coming by hurriedly to Jodu master's in-law's house. Comes rain, I slip and fall and become like alur dom (a cooked dish made from slightly mashed potato).'
Finally, I present the whole thing..."
I was coming by hurriedly
To teacher Jodu's in-law's house
Rain came splish-splash
I slipped and fell like potato mash!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Prama Neogi for the translation and explanation of this song. Thanks to Purabi Khisa for help with the translation and transliteration.
Dhonnobad!