Notes
Shalini Rosa Kurian Palackal and Joseph J. Palackal, CMI

A unique melody from the Syriac era of the Syro Malabar Church. It is part of the Holy Thursday services in the Syro Malabar Church. The choir sings this chant in a call-response format during the ceremony of washing feet. The chant text consists of 42 couplets. The melody and text, which may be of Kerala origin, has been forgotten since the 1960s. There are 42 couplets in the chant. The melody is simple, strophic, somber yet solemn, and is suitable for the sacred and sentimental context of the Holy Thursday liturgy. It can be employed as a model melody to create new song texts for different liturgical contexts. We hope the new generation of lyricists will use this melody to create chants in Malayalam. This chant came to the attention of the Aramaic Project- audience during an interview with Sebastian Menachery. See
Aramaic Project-52 D,

Recorded during a zoom meeting with Shalini Rosa Kurian Palackal, on 5 April 2023

The first 13 couplets of the Chant:

1. Puqdān handes yāhēwnā l’hōn, r’hem lahdādē, r’hem lahdādē

2. Ăhew laqsān appeq l’hemsān, Ō mallālē , Ō mallālē

3. Humbāwu rambā sāyēm nawšē , methōl rāhmē, methōl rāhmē

4. M’daqē thērthā wamrīm lembā, l’dargē rāmē, l’dargē rāmē

5. Tuwaihōn lailēn d’dlāmūm ennōn burahā wamhalkīn b’nāmmōsē d’maryā

6. Puqdān handes yāhēwnā l’hōn, r’hem lahdādē, r’hem lahdādē

7. Ăhew laqsān appeq l’hemsān, Ō mallālē , Ō mallālē

8. Humbāwu rambā sāyēm nawšē , methōl rāhmē, methōl rāhmē

9. M’daqē thērthā wamrīm lembā, l’dargē rāmē, l’dargē rāmē

10. Bāsar dahšem māran īšō am talmīdāw, am talmīdāw

11. Šārī m’šāgū b’makkīkkūsā, reglē d’awdāw, reglē d’awdāw

12. Weskkēm mūkkāk d’lā sāk mesdrek, yaw lašlīhāk, yaw lašlīhāk

13. Tūwsā nīhā d’wassīmūsā l’kōl kandīšāw, l’kōl kandīšāw

• AP 52D - "Puqdan handes". Sebastian Menachery