Okus Bokus is actually a Kashmiri Lullaby. The word
Okus Bokus over the centuries got corrupted from Hukus Bukus which means
who is he and who is me OR Tchekus BeKus again maining who are you and who are
me.
The translation is done here.
Tse Kus Be Kus Teli Wan su Kus
Who are you and who am I then tell us who is he the
creator that permeates through both you and I
Moh Batuk Logum Deg
Each day I feed my senses/body with the food of
worldly attachment and material love (Moh = attachment)
Shwas Khich Khich Wang-mayam
For when the breath that I take in reaches the
point of complete purification (Shwas = Breath)
Bhruman daras Poyun chokum
It feels like my mind is bathing in the water of
divine love (Bhruman = nerve center in the human brain, poyun = water)
Tekis Takya bane Tyuk
Then I know I am like that sandal wood which is
pasted for divine fragrance symbolic of universal divinity. I realize that I
am, indeed, divine (Tyuk = Tika applied on the forehead).
The message of this poem is rooted in Kashmiri
spiritual tradition. The poem itself is ageless. Some say it came up during Lal
Ded’s time, other’s say it dates back to the origin of Kashmir and Kashmiri
culture itself. The poem, in later years, was made a song for children. For
years it served as a poetic medium to pass down the essence of Kashmiri culture
to little ones.
It is said that the tones produced by the
arrangement of words in this poem as well as its rhythm has a calming effect
for infants and toddlers of all times.