Vidai

Emotion: Sad

Occasion: Wedding Song

Setting: The bride expresses her sadness about leaving her family and her home for marriage.

Interpretation: In village life, a Punjabi bride feels bittersweet emotions about her upcoming wedding. Her feelings of excitement and joy were mixed with sadness. This song expresses her feelings of fear and sorrow as she anticipates leaving her family, as well as her home and village. The song laments, “My Babal (father) arranged my marriage. I’ll become a pardesi (stranger) to my family [after I move to my in-laws’ home in another village.’]”