Bride's father

Excellent potrayal of a bride's father's feelings. This is basically from the folk song collection on Kamat's potpourri website. The irony is, even now the situation has not changed much.
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Can't describe the agony
Can't describe the hardships
of the bride's daddy.

Visited every home of fellow caste [1]
and distributed the horoscope
His shoes are worn out by wandering pillar to post
to find a suitable match
His bank account is dwindling fast
to find a suitable match
for his girl

Meanwhile ticking away is bride's biological clock
worried is the bride's sister [2] and rest of the flock
All the powerful Gods are offered a bribe
in prayer for a suitable groom for the bride

Hurray, there's a match of the horoscope
Even though it means settling for less.

Accompanied by four men, he went to negotiate.
News is that groom's friend doesn't like the girl apparently
The groom's father will decide after hearing about the dowry
Grapevine has that the groom's mom is keen
Groom's sister is sitting on the fence

It's time to spend the money for the wedding
Grooms family wants lavish spending
Chiroti [3] for the friends
sarees [4] for thirty relatives

It's a time to bear the humiliation
of washing the in-law's feet
of bearing insults
of putting on a courteous mask and pleasing the groom's side
of waiting of approval which will never come

Raising the girl for eighteen years with all the skills to be a good housewife
and a good mother
is not enough.
Worrying if she will be cared or loved after marriage
is not enough.

By the time the girl is married,
have no words to describe the agony
Can't describe the hardships
of the bride's daddy.
Lord is his only hope.
Frustration is his only friend.