The Language of Vidyapati's Songs

Level 6Sounds Like vidyāpatika bhāṣā

Vidyapati's songs use older Maithili that today's readers can follow with some help.

How It Works

Vidyapati is the best-known poet of Mithila. He lived about 600 years ago and wrote songs on love and devotion. The songs are still sung at weddings and festivals, so many people know them by heart.

In his writingTodayMeaning
मोरहमरmy
तोरतोहरyour (familiar)
सबसभall
मिट्ठामीठsweet
  • Many endings and words are older than modern Maithili, so expect to need help.
  • Many words are from Sanskrit, so they look formal.
  • Spelling varies between editions.

A famous line from his Kirtilata, a work in the older literary language Avahatta, says that the local speech is sweet to everyone: देसिल बयना सब जन मिट्ठा. It praises the language of the people. When you read a song, look for words you already know and guess the rest from the singing.

Examples (4)

  1. देसिल बयना सब जन मिट्ठा।

    Our own speech is sweet to everyone.

    This line is from Vidyapati's Kirtilata, in the older literary language Avahatta; some editions print देसिल बअना.

  2. विवाह मे विद्यापतिक गीत गाओल जाइत अछि।

    Vidyapati's songs are sung at weddings.

    गाओल जाइत अछि is the passive of गाब.

  3. मिथिलाक लोक आइयो विद्यापतिक गीत गबैत छथि।

    The people of Mithila still sing Vidyapati's songs today.

    गबैत छथि is the present for a respected plural subject.

  4. विद्यापतिक गीत सँ मोर मन भरि जाइत अछि।

    Vidyapati's songs fill my heart.

    मोर here is the old word for my.

How It Connects

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The Language of Vidyapati's SongsLevel 6

Learn This First

Vidyapati's songs use many Sanskrit words, so the formal vocabulary comes first.

Words in This Pattern

मोरहमरतोहरसभमीठ