26. Ādhāra Pĕtti (The Document Box)

A lively and humorous song composed in Kochi by Daniel Haim (d. 1935) for the holiday of Purim, recounting a story from Midrash about the humiliation and death of Haman's daughter. When the good deed of Mordecai was recalled, the king ordered Haman to bring Mordecai on a horse to the palace. But mistaking her father for Mordecai, Haman's daughter emptied a chamber pot on his head, then fell from the window and died. The phrase "tāne tāne" - meaning "by himself", "by itself" or "quite alone" - serves to emphasize each development in the story and adds to the rhythm and spirit of the song. Each line is repeated.

Text

The document box, the document box!
Tāne tāne, it was untied and opened.

"Who was the one who saved the life?
Tāne tāne, who was he, that one?"

"The one sitting now at the gate of the fort.
Tāne tāne, it is Mordecai the Jew."

"Go and bring him now with haste."
Tāne tāne, then the horse was brought.

"And also bring the royal crown."
Tāne tāne, the crown was brought and given.

***

Then he mounted on the horse,
Tāne tāne, Mordecai Tzaddik, the Righteous.

And who walked in front of him? 
Tāne tāne. Haman went holding the reins.

As Haman went along the road,
Tāne tāne, as he went holding the reins,

The night pot was emptied on his head-
Tāne tāne, by the daughter of Haman!

When she saw it was her father,
Tāne tāne, then she hit her head and died.

Haman it was who built the gallows there,
Tāne tāne, Haman built them there himself.

So he was taken there and hung,
Tāne tāne, hung upon the gallows there.