The poem ’kukhuri ka’ (कुखुरी काँ) is a famous Nursery Grade rhyme. Everyone knows it, because it is so famous (of course).
‘Kukhuri ka’ means ’Cock-a-doodle do’.
Also, the rooster is asking the question while a person is answering it. (Except in the first line, the person is calling out for the rooster).
ORIGINAL
कुखुरी काँ! बासी भात खा!
खै मेरो बासी भात? बिरालोले खायो!
खै बिरालो? मुसा मार्न गयो!
खै मुसा? दुलो भित्र छिर्यो!
खै दुलो? गाईँले किच्यो!
खै गाईँ? खोलाले बगायो!
खै खोला? सप्प सुक्यो।
___
MEANING
कुखुरी काँ! बासी भात खा! (kukuri ka! basi bhat kha!)
= Cock a doodle do! Eat stale rice!
.
खै मेरो बासी भात? बिरालोले खायो! (khai mero basi bhat? biralo le khayo!)
= Where is my stale rice? The cat ate it!
.
खै बिरालो? मुसा मार्न गयो! (khai biralo? musa marna gayo!)
= Where is the cat? It went to kill a mouse!
.
खै मुसा? दुलो भित्र छिर्यो! (khai musa? dulo bhitra chiryo!)
= Where is the mouse? It went inside a hole!
.
खै दुलो? गाईँले किच्यो! (khai dulo? gai le kichyo)
= Where is the hole? A cow stepped on it!
.
खै गाईँ? खोलाले बगायो! (khai gai? khola le bagayo!)
= Where is the cow? The river swept her away!
.
खै खोला? सप्प सुक्यो। (khai khola? sappa sukyo!)
= Where is the river? It dried up!
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VOCABULARY
बासी (baasi) = stale
बिरालो (biraalo) = cat
दुलो (dulo) = hole; opening
किच्यो (kichyo) = simple past tense of ’kichnu’ which means ’to step on something’
खोला (khola) = river
बगायो (bagaayo) = simple past tense of ’bagaunu’ which means to ’to get swept away by a river’
सुक्यो (sukyo) = simple past tense of ’suknu’ which means ’to dry up’