Attan thread

[Manzareh]

All forms of dancing is feminine.

[Traveller]

which part don't you understand? khat means dress/shirt in pashto.

I know that. But what does Zanzeeri mean? Some people in the comments were saying that it meant chains and that the song was talk about a woman who couldn't reach her lover. The song in general makes sense but I couldn't understand the line after "khat me zanzeeri"

[Traveller]

All forms of dancing is feminine.

Attan is a war dance, that is as masculine as it gets.

[maneatinglizard]

All forms of dancing is feminine.

Attan is far from feminine lol.

I know that. But what does Zanzeeri mean? Some people in the comments were saying that it meant chains and that the song was talk about a woman who couldn't reach her lover. The song in general makes sense but I couldn't understand the line after "khat me zanzeeri"

Zinzeer is chains. Also used for zippers, but I think the original meaning was chain.

[Traveller]

Attan is far from feminine lol.



Zinzeer is chains. Also used for zippers, but I think the original meaning was chain.

Oh. So the author is saying that their shirt is chained?

[Farahshah]

Attan is a war dance, that is as masculine as it gets.

I would not call attanr a feminine dance but I do say that this specific song in its essence is entirely a feminine song. So, I think only girls should attanr on it. This song is all about a woman's emotions and her sentiments on parting with her lover. The poetry in the song itself is very feminine. I don't think guys would ever do attanr on it after realizing the true meaning of the song's lyrics. LOL

This song is known as a 'bride's attanr song' in our region. On their wedding's day, brides do attanr on this song.

[Farahshah]

The 'zanzeeri' here actually refers to heaviness of khat (shirt/dress). A Pashtun woman's dress is full of embroidery. The mirrors, pearls and coins embroidered on it makes the dress heavy and moving around in it is really wearisome. (in my opinion a Pastun bride's dress is the heaviest dress in this whole world which is three times heavier than ordinary Afghan (Pashtun) dress, no kidding). There's no such thing as 'carrying yourself freely' in it. It's like a heavy chain around a person's body. In a sence it imprisons the person wearing it. It kind of confines you to one place.

The poet is using that zanzeeri khat as a metaphor for this woman's past and her ex lover. The song is first person narration. So all these sentiments are directly related to poet/ess him/herself. The song is about a woman who is going through a sad phase of her life. She's parted with her lover, she's wallowing in the misery of it. She can't get rid of the pain and the memories of her past. It clings to her like a zanzeeri (heavy as chain) khat. And she can't go on with her life. Her past and the loss of her love and lover is not letting her move on. The pain of loss is too much for her and is weighing her down.That's why the poet/songwriter is saying 'za qadam akhistai nasama'.

Well, this is just my interpretation of the song. So, mind you, my exposition of the real conception of the song is not necessarily exact. But.... this is how understand and what I understand this song is all about.

[Farahshah]

I know that. But what does Zanzeeri mean? Some people in the comments were saying that it meant chains and that the song was talk about a woman who couldn't reach her lover. The song in general makes sense but I couldn't understand the line after "khat me zanzeeri"

I understand why you guys can't understand it. Well, the line after 'khat me zantzeeri' goes like 'zantzeeri dowra ye nasama'. The word 'Dowra' is used for 'length, flow, expanse, flare' of something and the twirling motion too. And this word women use for the thick embroidered borders done all around the borders of shirt and parhunai as well. haven't you seen girls holding the dawra and twirling it around while doing attanr. but in the song the girl is holding it to lessen heaviness of dowra.
I hope the meaning of the line is clear to you now.

[Manzareh]

Attan is far from feminine lol.



Zinzeer is chains. Also used for zippers, but I think the original meaning was chain.

The foot flick, hand clapping, skipping and l'oreal hair toss is not feminine? Masculine men don't dance..

[Manzareh]

Attan is a war dance, that is as masculine as it gets.

War dance? War dance is the Haka that New Zealanders do, not this. Just imagine the Haka on one side and this spinning in circles on the other.

[Shapur]

The foot flick, hand clapping, skipping and l'oreal hair toss is not feminine? Masculine men don't dance..

Once you see females perform attan like men do then you will realize how masculine it makes them look. Some forms of Attan look more feminine than others but overall, it is definitely a masculine dance and requires loads of Stamina.

[salman47]

War dance? War dance is the Haka that New Zealanders do, not this. Just imagine the Haka on one side and this spinning in circles on the other.

Have you seen Khattak attan? Klashinkov attan?

[Traveller]

I would not call attanr a feminine dance but I do say that this specific song in its essence is entirely a feminine song. So, I think only girls should attanr on it. This song is all about a woman's emotions and her sentiments on parting with her lover. The poetry in the song itself is very feminine. I don't think guys would ever do attanr on it after realizing the true meaning of the song's lyrics. LOL

This song is known as a 'bride's attanr song' in our region. On their wedding's day, brides do attanr on this song.

I didn't think of it like that until you said it(especially since a man is singing the song). Sucks because I love this song. Wish I could do attan to it without embarassing myselfx

[Traveller]

The 'zanzeeri' here actually refers to heaviness of khat (shirt/dress). A Pashtun woman's dress is full of embroidery. The mirrors, pearls and coins embroidered on it makes the dress heavy and moving around in it is really wearisome. (in my opinion a Pastun bride's dress is the heaviest dress in this whole world which is three times heavier than ordinary Afghan (Pashtun) dress, no kidding). There's no such thing as 'carrying yourself freely' in it. It's like a heavy chain around a person's body. In a sence it imprisons the person wearing it. It kind of confines you to one place.

The poet is using that zanzeeri khat as a metaphor for this woman's past and her ex lover. The song is first person narration. So all these sentiments are directly related to poet/ess him/herself. The song is about a woman who is going through a sad phase of her life. She's parted with her lover, she's wallowing in the misery of it. She can't get rid of the pain and the memories of her past. It clings to her like a zanzeeri (heavy as chain) khat. And she can't go on with her life. Her past and the loss of her love and lover is not letting her move on. The pain of loss is too much for her and is weighing her down.That's why the poet/songwriter is saying 'za qadam akhistai nasama'.

Well, this is just my interpretation of the song. So, mind you, my exposition of the real conception of the song is not necessarily exact. But.... this is how understand and what I understand this song is all about.

I've always been curious about those dresses. The women in my family never wear them(I can't think of a time where I've seen anyone from my family wearing one) them and instead wear Pakistani designer clothes. It seems to me that the tradition has largely died out among many Pakistani Pashtun women(which is a shame because I think they look really elegant). Afghans still frequently wear them.You are from Pishin, right? It seems it might be more common in your area as you know a lot about this stuff.

Also what exactly is the Pashtun bridal dress? In our family women wear the red dress other Pakistanis wear.

[Traveller]

I understand why you guys can't understand it. Well, the line after 'khat me zantzeeri' goes like 'zantzeeri dowra ye nasama'. The word 'Dowra' is used for 'length, flow, expanse, flare' of something and the twirling motion too. And this word women use for the thick embroidered borders done all around the borders of shirt and parhunai as well. haven't you seen girls holding the dawra and twirling it around while doing attanr. but in the song the girl is holding it to lessen heaviness of dowra.
I hope the meaning of the line is clear to you now.

Thank you, I didn't know what dowra meant.