Ala Baal Alee Mulai
Nadia Fatima and team
Ala Baal Alee Mulai is a joyful children’s song written and sung in Shina, a language from the high mountains of northern Pakistan, celebrating the moment winter ends and spring begins.
Through images of melting snow, sprouting seeds, butterflies, birdsong, and kids playing together in the garden, it invites every child—“O boy, O girl”—to “laugh and bloom openly.”
The original Shina song “Ala Baal Alee Mulai” was written in 2006 by the legendary Gilgiti poet Zafar Waqar Taj and was later sung by Sajjad ur Rehman. The song is a long poetic composition of around ten stanzas that describes the beautiful landscapes, seasons, and everyday life of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. The original version is approximately fourteen minutes long and is widely appreciated for its expressive lyrics and melodic performance. In this recreated (with permission) version, selected stanzas from the original composition are presented in a shorter format while preserving the original essence of the song. Through its lyrics and melody, the song reflects the beauty of the Shina language and serves as an important representation of the region’s cultural heritage.
Located among the Himalayan, Hindukush, and Karakoram mountain ranges, Gilgit-Baltistan is known for its natural beauty, rich culture, and linguistic diversity. Among its indigenous languages, Shina serves as the lingua franca of the region and holds strong cultural significance.