Nani Teri Morni
Hindi Nursery Rhyme
Original Lyrics
Hindi script
नानी तेरी मोरनी को मोर ले गए,बाकी जो बचा था काले चोर ले गए।
Romanized (pronunciation)
Nani teri morni ko mor le gaye,Baaki jo bacha tha kaale chor le gaye.
English Translation
Grandma, peacocks took your peahen away,Whatever was left, the black thieves took away.
Translation Notes
Vocabulary
nani - grandmother (maternal) morni - peahen mor - peacock chor - thief kaale - black or dark le gaye - took away baaki - remaining or left
Grammar Notes
The possessive "teri": teri means "your," in its informal, affectionate form, the one you use with family. It ends in -i to match morni (peahen), which is feminine, since Hindi possessives shift to agree with what is owned.
The marker "ko": in morni ko mor le gaye (the peacocks took the peahen), the little word ko tags the peahen as the thing being acted on. It marks the object of the verb, work that English handles just by word order.
Compound verbs: le gaye pairs le (take) with gaye (went) to mean "carried off, took away for good." Hindi loves these two-verb teams, where the second verb colours the first, here adding the sense that the peahen is gone for good.
History and Meaning
"Nani Teri Morni" is built on a tall tale a child spins for their grandmother: a peacock has run off with her peahen, and thieves made off with whatever was left. The title means "Grandma, Your Peahen," and the song delivers its little catalogue of mischief to a bright, skipping tune.
It comes from the 1960 film Masoom, and Indian children have used it ever since to learn their first bird and animal words.
Origins
The song was originally written for the 1960 Bollywood film Masoom. The lyrics were written by the noted songwriter Shailendra, and the music was composed by Hemant Kumar. It was sung by Ranu Mukherjee, who was Kumar's daughter. Unlike many nursery rhymes that emerge from old oral traditions, this song has a documented origin in mid-20th-century Indian cinema, though it has since entered the broader oral folk repertoire.
Meaning & Interpretation
The lyrics tell a playful story of loss and mischief. The narrator tells their grandmother that a peacock took her peahen, and thieves stole the rest. The narrative goes on to describe the thieves getting caught and sent to prison, offering a gentle moral lesson about the consequences of stealing. The reference to peacocks and peahens reflects the cultural prominence of these birds in India, where the peacock is celebrated as the national bird.
What movie is Nani Teri Morni from?
The song comes from the 1960 Hindi film Masoom, directed by Satyen Bose. It became the most famous track from the film and remains a staple of children's media in India.
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info