Lyrical Translation
The sun and the moon kaNNammA
are they the light of your eyes?
Dark round eyes kaNNammA
Are they the dark of the skies?
In the violet silk sari
The dainty diamonds embower1
They are the stars seen
In night's darkest hour
The light of the garden flower
Is it your beautiful smiling art*?
The blue sea's waves
Are they the waves in your heart?
The graceful koel's sound
Is it your voice's sweet?
I've fallen in love kaNNammA
with you a virgin so sweet*
Rules you speak to me kaNNammA
wherefore do we need rules?
Those who are impatient kaNNammA
What do they have as rules?
If the elders agree kaNNammA
Later we will rites marriage seek*
Shall I wait more? Look
Here,a kiss on your cheek
[1] - The actual word must be embed. Embower has been taken for the sake of rhyme.
* These words are not present in the original.
Adaptation
(This doesn't confirm to the orignal completely)
Is that sparkle of the eyes the dual light?
Is that black sphere the dark night?
Your indigo saree with diamonds sown
Are they the stars that night has shown?
The halo from the wild flower
Is that thy smile my lover?
The waves that the sea does hold
Are they thy bosom's sweet fold?
The cuckoo's sound of soulful note
In thy voice sweet does it float?
A maiden like a budding grove
Kannamma I have fallen in thy love.
Of rules do thee to me speak
Do rules stand for passion's peak?
Later I shall do the laws elders seek.
How shall I wait? Here, a kiss on thy cheek.
Download entire translation of this poem as a PDF from here.
Read another version of the translation here.
Showing posts with label காதல் Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label காதல் Love. Show all posts
Friday, December 15, 2006
சுட்டும் விழிச் சுடர் தான் - Part III
சாத்திரம் பேசுகிறாய் கண்ணம்மா சாத்திரம் ஏதுக்கடீ
ஆத்திரம் கொண்டவர்க்கே கண்ணம்மா சாத்திரமுண்டோடீ
மூத்தவர் சம்மதியில் வதுவை முறைகள் பின்பு செய்வோம்
காத்திருப்பேனோடீ இது பார் கன்னத்து முத்தமொன்று
Transliteration
sAththiram pEsugiRAy kaNNammA sAththiram EthukkadI
Aththiram koNdavarkkE kaNNammA sAththiramuNdOdI
mUththavar sammathiyil vathuvai muRaigaL pinbu seyvOm
kAththiruppEnOdI ithu pAr kannaththu muththamonRu
Meaning per word
rules/(you)speak/kaNNammA/rules/wherefore
impatience/(those who)have it/kaNNammA/(do) rules exists
elders/if agree/marriage/rituals/later/(we shall) do
will I be waiting?/here/look/of cheek/kiss/one
Word by word translation
sAththiram - Rules. The word is a vadamozi col (வடமொழி சொல்) taken from the Sanskrit word shAshthram. The word has other meanings such as Science or any work of authority.
pEsugiRay - you speak. The root word is the verb pEsuthal (பேசுதல்). The word should be differentiated from the word solgiRAy (சொல்கிறாய்) which means talk. This word has a more conversation related connotation.
kaNNammA - The name
sAththiram - Rules
EthukkadI - Wherefore. This word is a distorted version of ethaRku (எதற்கு) meaning wherefore or 'for what'. The actual distorted word is ethukku (எதுக்கு) in which the initial 'e' (எ) gets elongated as 'E' (ஏ) for the sake of metre.
Aththiram - Impatience The word has two meanings - Anger and impatience. The first meaning is the more often used one. One other place where the meaning of impatience occurs is in the proverb 'AththirakkAranukku puththi mattu' (ஆத்திரக்காரனுக்கு புத்தி மட்டு) meaning The impatient have little brains.
koNdavarkkE - This is the third person form of the verb koLLal (கொள்ளல்) explained in the previous stanza.
kaNNammA - The name
sAththiram - RulesuNdOdI - This word comes from the root uNdu (உண்டு) a verb meaning existence. The O (ஓ) suffix makes the word a question and the dI (டீ) is a intensifier used to refer to the second person female.
mUththavar - Elders. This word comes from the adjective mUttha (மூத்த) which in terms derives from the noun mUppu (மூப்பு) meaning aging.
sammathiyil - If agree. This comes from the verb sammathi (சம்மதி) meaning to agree. The il (இல்) suffix brings about the if in English. With the previous word this will read as 'If elders agree'.
vathuvai - Marriage. A rather chaste tamil word that is not used anymore. The word has many more meanings all related to marriage - bride, conjugal union, etc.
muRaigaL - Procedures. The root word is muRai (முறை) of which this is the plural form. The actual meaning of the word is order/arrangement from which the meaning procedure stems.
pinbu - Later
seyvOm - First person plural form of the verb 'to do'. The exact meaning of this word in English is 'We shall do' (Perhaps that'll hint at the natural brevity of Tamil). The root verb is seythal (செய்தல்).
kAththiruppEnOdI - This is another compound word which means 'Will I be waiting?' The word splits as kAththu (காத்து) meaning wait + iruppEnO (இருப்பேனோ) meaning 'Will I be?'. ithu pAr - Look here. Literal translation would be 'this look'. However, the two words together, as a phrase mean 'Look here'.
kannaththu - of cheek. The root word is kannam (கன்னம்) to which the suffix athu (அது) is added to get kannaththu. The meaning comes out with the next word as 'kiss of the cheek' rather than 'kiss on the cheek'.
muththam - kiss
onRu - one
Appreciation
My dear reader, I wish I could explain this part to you sitting on an easy-chair in the lanes of a thanjAvUr street with the evening breeze and moon for company. These last few lines seductively push the kaNNammA in our minds into a complete acquiescence. Here She is sitting opposite to our Barathi. She is already enchanted by his sweet words describing Her beauty and Her smile. Her face sports a gentle blush as Barathi says vAlaik kumariyadI kaNNammA maruva kAthal koNdEn. And then, Barathi springs this. Yet, Her heart protests feebly. And that is when Barathi speaks.
'Who needs rules?', he asks. Observe how the question comes in the poem. He speaks to his beloved kaNNammA like a mother very gently reasoning with her kid. 'Yes', he says, 'You speak of rules, but why rules? Do we, who have been driven to madness by passion, have to worry about rules?' The word he uses for impatience is an excellent choice. Besides bringing out a rare usage of the word Aththiram, he also manages the perfect rhyming with sAththiram and Aththiram. Also, notice how he repeats the name kaNNammA kaNNammA in both these lines to completely thrall the attention of his beloved. Do you notice his subtle guile? Do you notice how like saying to a kid 'My dear child, yes you think so. But my dear child it is not so.' he entices kaNNammA into his arguement?
And then comes the promise. The heart of a man longs for union above everything else. It is blindly led by desire into action, like a mad river hurtling towards the sea. The woman comes here as the guiding light. She harnesses and leads man into better action and better desire, like tha banks of the river. Hence, when it comes to the soft drama of love, men always desire union while women always desire the rules of tradition be met. Barathi here promises his lover that he shall marry Her. But he adds an 'if elders agree'. To understand this addition we need to understand the age in which Barathi lived. This was an age when the Tamil community, especially the brahmins had coiled up themselves in meaningless tradition. It is perhaps surprising to believe that a community that once laid down separate rules for love poetry had gone through a period when they considered love between a man and woman sacrilege. Hence, Barathi says 'if the elders agree'. But what if they don't agree? Barathi provides no answer for that. Because kaNNammA, already enchanted by his words, does not ask such questions.
Besides Barathi does not say he will marry kaNNammA. Rather he says he shall do the rites, the rituals and the procedures of marriage. He does not say vathuvai seyvOm. Instead he says vathuvai muRaigaL seyvOm. Why? Because marriage, which is the union of two loving hearts, is already over between Barathi and kaNNammA. It happened the day their eyes met; the day their hearts met. All that is left is now mere procedures and rituals - external actions to be done for the sake of the society.
Enough of words Barathi says now. Observe those last lines, savour them completely. First comes the rhetorical question - 'Will I be waiting?' This is very different from the question 'Will I wait?' The former is more assertive and clearly suggests our Barathi is not the man who shall wait. And then a gentle pause. And then Barathi brings out supreme magic by saying ithu pAr. Close your eyes and read through again; visualize the lines. 'Will I wait?', he asks and then with his hand turns her face to present her cheeks as he says 'Look here' and then comes the kiss. The 'Look here' takes kaNNammA by surprise as does Barathi's turning of Her cheek. The kiss then completes the magic for the lovers that evening as a blushing kaNNammA folds into Barathi's arms.
ஆத்திரம் கொண்டவர்க்கே கண்ணம்மா சாத்திரமுண்டோடீ
மூத்தவர் சம்மதியில் வதுவை முறைகள் பின்பு செய்வோம்
காத்திருப்பேனோடீ இது பார் கன்னத்து முத்தமொன்று
Transliteration
sAththiram pEsugiRAy kaNNammA sAththiram EthukkadI
Aththiram koNdavarkkE kaNNammA sAththiramuNdOdI
mUththavar sammathiyil vathuvai muRaigaL pinbu seyvOm
kAththiruppEnOdI ithu pAr kannaththu muththamonRu
Meaning per word
rules/(you)speak/kaNNammA/rules/wherefore
impatience/(those who)have it/kaNNammA/(do) rules exists
elders/if agree/marriage/rituals/later/(we shall) do
will I be waiting?/here/look/of cheek/kiss/one
Word by word translation
sAththiram - Rules. The word is a vadamozi col (வடமொழி சொல்) taken from the Sanskrit word shAshthram. The word has other meanings such as Science or any work of authority.
pEsugiRay - you speak. The root word is the verb pEsuthal (பேசுதல்). The word should be differentiated from the word solgiRAy (சொல்கிறாய்) which means talk. This word has a more conversation related connotation.
kaNNammA - The name
sAththiram - Rules
EthukkadI - Wherefore. This word is a distorted version of ethaRku (எதற்கு) meaning wherefore or 'for what'. The actual distorted word is ethukku (எதுக்கு) in which the initial 'e' (எ) gets elongated as 'E' (ஏ) for the sake of metre.
Aththiram - Impatience The word has two meanings - Anger and impatience. The first meaning is the more often used one. One other place where the meaning of impatience occurs is in the proverb 'AththirakkAranukku puththi mattu' (ஆத்திரக்காரனுக்கு புத்தி மட்டு) meaning The impatient have little brains.
koNdavarkkE - This is the third person form of the verb koLLal (கொள்ளல்) explained in the previous stanza.
kaNNammA - The name
sAththiram - RulesuNdOdI - This word comes from the root uNdu (உண்டு) a verb meaning existence. The O (ஓ) suffix makes the word a question and the dI (டீ) is a intensifier used to refer to the second person female.
mUththavar - Elders. This word comes from the adjective mUttha (மூத்த) which in terms derives from the noun mUppu (மூப்பு) meaning aging.
sammathiyil - If agree. This comes from the verb sammathi (சம்மதி) meaning to agree. The il (இல்) suffix brings about the if in English. With the previous word this will read as 'If elders agree'.
vathuvai - Marriage. A rather chaste tamil word that is not used anymore. The word has many more meanings all related to marriage - bride, conjugal union, etc.
muRaigaL - Procedures. The root word is muRai (முறை) of which this is the plural form. The actual meaning of the word is order/arrangement from which the meaning procedure stems.
pinbu - Later
seyvOm - First person plural form of the verb 'to do'. The exact meaning of this word in English is 'We shall do' (Perhaps that'll hint at the natural brevity of Tamil). The root verb is seythal (செய்தல்).
kAththiruppEnOdI - This is another compound word which means 'Will I be waiting?' The word splits as kAththu (காத்து) meaning wait + iruppEnO (இருப்பேனோ) meaning 'Will I be?'. ithu pAr - Look here. Literal translation would be 'this look'. However, the two words together, as a phrase mean 'Look here'.
kannaththu - of cheek. The root word is kannam (கன்னம்) to which the suffix athu (அது) is added to get kannaththu. The meaning comes out with the next word as 'kiss of the cheek' rather than 'kiss on the cheek'.
muththam - kiss
onRu - one
Appreciation
My dear reader, I wish I could explain this part to you sitting on an easy-chair in the lanes of a thanjAvUr street with the evening breeze and moon for company. These last few lines seductively push the kaNNammA in our minds into a complete acquiescence. Here She is sitting opposite to our Barathi. She is already enchanted by his sweet words describing Her beauty and Her smile. Her face sports a gentle blush as Barathi says vAlaik kumariyadI kaNNammA maruva kAthal koNdEn. And then, Barathi springs this. Yet, Her heart protests feebly. And that is when Barathi speaks.
'Who needs rules?', he asks. Observe how the question comes in the poem. He speaks to his beloved kaNNammA like a mother very gently reasoning with her kid. 'Yes', he says, 'You speak of rules, but why rules? Do we, who have been driven to madness by passion, have to worry about rules?' The word he uses for impatience is an excellent choice. Besides bringing out a rare usage of the word Aththiram, he also manages the perfect rhyming with sAththiram and Aththiram. Also, notice how he repeats the name kaNNammA kaNNammA in both these lines to completely thrall the attention of his beloved. Do you notice his subtle guile? Do you notice how like saying to a kid 'My dear child, yes you think so. But my dear child it is not so.' he entices kaNNammA into his arguement?
And then comes the promise. The heart of a man longs for union above everything else. It is blindly led by desire into action, like a mad river hurtling towards the sea. The woman comes here as the guiding light. She harnesses and leads man into better action and better desire, like tha banks of the river. Hence, when it comes to the soft drama of love, men always desire union while women always desire the rules of tradition be met. Barathi here promises his lover that he shall marry Her. But he adds an 'if elders agree'. To understand this addition we need to understand the age in which Barathi lived. This was an age when the Tamil community, especially the brahmins had coiled up themselves in meaningless tradition. It is perhaps surprising to believe that a community that once laid down separate rules for love poetry had gone through a period when they considered love between a man and woman sacrilege. Hence, Barathi says 'if the elders agree'. But what if they don't agree? Barathi provides no answer for that. Because kaNNammA, already enchanted by his words, does not ask such questions.
Besides Barathi does not say he will marry kaNNammA. Rather he says he shall do the rites, the rituals and the procedures of marriage. He does not say vathuvai seyvOm. Instead he says vathuvai muRaigaL seyvOm. Why? Because marriage, which is the union of two loving hearts, is already over between Barathi and kaNNammA. It happened the day their eyes met; the day their hearts met. All that is left is now mere procedures and rituals - external actions to be done for the sake of the society.
Enough of words Barathi says now. Observe those last lines, savour them completely. First comes the rhetorical question - 'Will I be waiting?' This is very different from the question 'Will I wait?' The former is more assertive and clearly suggests our Barathi is not the man who shall wait. And then a gentle pause. And then Barathi brings out supreme magic by saying ithu pAr. Close your eyes and read through again; visualize the lines. 'Will I wait?', he asks and then with his hand turns her face to present her cheeks as he says 'Look here' and then comes the kiss. The 'Look here' takes kaNNammA by surprise as does Barathi's turning of Her cheek. The kiss then completes the magic for the lovers that evening as a blushing kaNNammA folds into Barathi's arms.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
சுட்டும் விழிச் சுடர் தான் - Part II
சோலை மலரொளியோ நினது சுந்தரப் புன்னகை தான்
நீலக் கடலலையே நினது நெஞ்சின் அலைகளடீ
கோலக் குயிலோசை உனது குரலின் இனிமையடீ
வாலைக் குமரியடீ கண்ணம்மா மருவக்காதல் கொண்டேன்
Transliteration
sOlai malaroLiyO ninathu sunththarap punnagai thAn
nIlak kadalalaiyE ninathu nenjcin alaigaLadI
kOlak kuyilOsai unathu kural inimaiyadI
vAlaik kumariyadI kaNNammA maruvak kAthal koNdEn
Meaning per word
Garden/flower's light/your/beautiful smile?
blue sea's waves/your/heart's waves
Graceful koel/sound/your voice/sweetness
young virgin/kaNNammA/charmed love I got
Word by word translation
sOlai - A flower garden. This has to be contrasted with the word thOttam (தோட்டம்) that can mean a garden, an orchard or a grove.
malar - Flower. Rather a full blown blossom.
oLiyO - Light? The root word is oLi. An interesting aspect of the Tamil language is that the word oLi (ஒளி) meaning light also means hiding as in the verb oLiththal (ஒளித்தல்).
ninathu - your. The root is the word nin (நின்) to which the expletive athu (அது) is added for metrical purposes. This meaning of athu is not to be confused with the pronoun meaning 'that'.
sunththarap - Beautiful. The actual word is sunththaram (சுந்தரம்) which with the suffix lost becomes a qualifier.
punnagai - Gentle smile. The root of this word is nagai (நகை) meaning smile. The word nagai also means a jewel possibly hinting that the best adornment in this world is a smile.
thAn - Intensifier. Not to be confused with the first person pronoun spelt the same way.
nIlak - Blue. This word come from nIlam (நீலம்) meaning the blue colour. The loss fo the final 'm' (ம்) makes it an adjective.
kadalalaiyE - Waves of the sea. This is formed from the two words kadal (கடல்) and alai (அலை). The actual word should be kadalinalai (கடலினலை) with the 'in' (இன்) acting as the vERRumai urubu (வேற்றுமை உருபு). The non-appearance of the 'in' (இன்) conjunction is called as vERRumaith thogai (வேற்றுமைத் தொகை). The yE (யே) suffix at the end is an intensifier.
ninathu - your. As explained above.
nenjcinalaigaLadI - Heart's waves. The word nenjcu (நெஞ்சு) refers both to the heart and the bosom. The conjunction 'in' appears clearly in this word.
kOlak - Graceful. kOlam (கோலம்) has multiple meanings like form, appearance, the geometrical patterns drawn in front of a Tami house (referred to as rangOli in North India), graceful, beautiful, etc. The meaning graceful appears most suited here.
kuyil - Koel or the Indian cuckoo. The koel is to Indian poets what the nightingale is to English poets.
Osai - Sound.
unathu - Your. This is another form of the second person possessive pronoun.
kuralinimaiyadI - Sweetness of your voice. Another example of vERRumaith thogai with kural (குரல்) and inimai (இனிமை) joined by the absent 'in' conjunction.
vAlaikkumariyadI - A combination of the words vAlai (வாலை) and kumari (குமரி). vAlai refers to a girl who is very young, one who has possibly not attained puberty yet. Kumari means a vrigin.
kaNNammA - The name of the lover as explained in the previous section.
maruvakkAthal - Charmed love. This is a combination of maruva (மருவ) and kAthal (காதல்). maruva has many meanings like confused, modified, etc. It comes from the root maru (மரு) which means to change in form. The word is used here in similar connotation with maynggu (மயங்கு) meaning to be allured.
koNdEn - I had. This word comes from the root verb koLLal (கொள்ளல்) meaning to have.
Appreciation
The very first line of this stanza presents Barathi to us as a perceptive poet. A flower like lotus, dahlia, chrysanthemum or marigold brings to our mind the idea of colours. Other flowers like rose or jasmine suggest fragrance. But to see light in a flower is just amazing. மலரிலே மணமல்ல, நிறமல்ல, ஒளி கண்டவன் பாரதி. But why light in a flower especially here? That comes when we see the complete simile. The light of a flower he asks is it your beautiful smile kaNNammA? Close your eyes and imagine how kaNNammA's smile would be. Radiant? Perhaps. But if Her smile had a glow would it be like that of a thousand resplendent suns? Nay, says Barathi, it is that of a flower, so subtel that you wouldn't notice it. Also observe the change in the subject as well. The first stanza spoke of kaNNammA's physical beauty in terms of Her eyes, Her sari. But here Barathi gently moves into more subtle aspects of Her beauty.
Now from the wonderous exclamations made in the previous lines, Barathi changes into a more assertive tone. He says the waves of kaNNammA's heart are that of the seas. The nenjcin alaigaL can refer to the waves in kaNNammA's heart (thoughts) and also to the waves of Her bosom. However, since Barathi has finished Her physical beauty in the previous stanza, the first interpretation seems more appropriate.
The next line shows how exact Barathi is in the usage of words. Why does Barathi say the sound of the cuckoo (kOlak kuyilOsai) and not the song of the cuckoo (kOlak kuyilisai)? One of his famous poem anthologies is kuyil pAttu (குயில் பாட்டு) meaning the Song of the Koel. He does not even say it is the voice of the cuckoo here. It is plain sound. So why does he say the sound of the koel here? Because however sweet it maybe, when compared to kaNNammA's voice, that is what it is, a sound.
The last lines are a declaration of love. The love declared here is not the spiritually supreme love of ninnai saraNadainththEn (நின்னை சரணடைந்தேன்) or the highly mature love of kARRu veLiyidai (காற்று வெளியிடை). It is the fresh and virgin love of one young heart with another. This is all the more emphasized by the detail of kaNNammA's attractiveness. This is the love that is the result of gAndhdham (காந்தம்). The entire poem shows a fever, a burning passion that is characteristic of the mad first love that strikes a young heart, somewhere between the age of fifteen and seventeen. The fever that burns the tender heart like flames swallowing spring's blossoms. This love is the love of youth towards itself.
When the young man stands in front of the mirror and sees his tender moustache, the arumbu mIsai (அரும்பு மீசை) there is a gentle admiration that blooms along with the moustache. So too with the maiden who sees her first pimples. Now, when this young man and maiden see each other, their own hearts act as a mirror reflecting the budding youth in each other's body and mind. Their minds leap with the joy of mutual recognition. This is the love that helps the bees and the buds of spring recognize each other. This is the love that is primal to the very universe, the simple nascent love that springs from seeing your own self reflected in the other person. This is the love that sustains the very universe, for when God sees His creation He sees His own youth reflected in Her. And in Her nenjcin alaigaL, in the waves of Her heart sees Her youth and beauty reflected in Her Creator. And thus does life become immortal.
(To be contd.,)
நீலக் கடலலையே நினது நெஞ்சின் அலைகளடீ
கோலக் குயிலோசை உனது குரலின் இனிமையடீ
வாலைக் குமரியடீ கண்ணம்மா மருவக்காதல் கொண்டேன்
Transliteration
sOlai malaroLiyO ninathu sunththarap punnagai thAn
nIlak kadalalaiyE ninathu nenjcin alaigaLadI
kOlak kuyilOsai unathu kural inimaiyadI
vAlaik kumariyadI kaNNammA maruvak kAthal koNdEn
Meaning per word
Garden/flower's light/your/beautiful smile?
blue sea's waves/your/heart's waves
Graceful koel/sound/your voice/sweetness
young virgin/kaNNammA/charmed love I got
Word by word translation
sOlai - A flower garden. This has to be contrasted with the word thOttam (தோட்டம்) that can mean a garden, an orchard or a grove.
malar - Flower. Rather a full blown blossom.
oLiyO - Light? The root word is oLi. An interesting aspect of the Tamil language is that the word oLi (ஒளி) meaning light also means hiding as in the verb oLiththal (ஒளித்தல்).
ninathu - your. The root is the word nin (நின்) to which the expletive athu (அது) is added for metrical purposes. This meaning of athu is not to be confused with the pronoun meaning 'that'.
sunththarap - Beautiful. The actual word is sunththaram (சுந்தரம்) which with the suffix lost becomes a qualifier.
punnagai - Gentle smile. The root of this word is nagai (நகை) meaning smile. The word nagai also means a jewel possibly hinting that the best adornment in this world is a smile.
thAn - Intensifier. Not to be confused with the first person pronoun spelt the same way.
nIlak - Blue. This word come from nIlam (நீலம்) meaning the blue colour. The loss fo the final 'm' (ம்) makes it an adjective.
kadalalaiyE - Waves of the sea. This is formed from the two words kadal (கடல்) and alai (அலை). The actual word should be kadalinalai (கடலினலை) with the 'in' (இன்) acting as the vERRumai urubu (வேற்றுமை உருபு). The non-appearance of the 'in' (இன்) conjunction is called as vERRumaith thogai (வேற்றுமைத் தொகை). The yE (யே) suffix at the end is an intensifier.
ninathu - your. As explained above.
nenjcinalaigaLadI - Heart's waves. The word nenjcu (நெஞ்சு) refers both to the heart and the bosom. The conjunction 'in' appears clearly in this word.
kOlak - Graceful. kOlam (கோலம்) has multiple meanings like form, appearance, the geometrical patterns drawn in front of a Tami house (referred to as rangOli in North India), graceful, beautiful, etc. The meaning graceful appears most suited here.
kuyil - Koel or the Indian cuckoo. The koel is to Indian poets what the nightingale is to English poets.
Osai - Sound.
unathu - Your. This is another form of the second person possessive pronoun.
kuralinimaiyadI - Sweetness of your voice. Another example of vERRumaith thogai with kural (குரல்) and inimai (இனிமை) joined by the absent 'in' conjunction.
vAlaikkumariyadI - A combination of the words vAlai (வாலை) and kumari (குமரி). vAlai refers to a girl who is very young, one who has possibly not attained puberty yet. Kumari means a vrigin.
kaNNammA - The name of the lover as explained in the previous section.
maruvakkAthal - Charmed love. This is a combination of maruva (மருவ) and kAthal (காதல்). maruva has many meanings like confused, modified, etc. It comes from the root maru (மரு) which means to change in form. The word is used here in similar connotation with maynggu (மயங்கு) meaning to be allured.
koNdEn - I had. This word comes from the root verb koLLal (கொள்ளல்) meaning to have.
Appreciation
The very first line of this stanza presents Barathi to us as a perceptive poet. A flower like lotus, dahlia, chrysanthemum or marigold brings to our mind the idea of colours. Other flowers like rose or jasmine suggest fragrance. But to see light in a flower is just amazing. மலரிலே மணமல்ல, நிறமல்ல, ஒளி கண்டவன் பாரதி. But why light in a flower especially here? That comes when we see the complete simile. The light of a flower he asks is it your beautiful smile kaNNammA? Close your eyes and imagine how kaNNammA's smile would be. Radiant? Perhaps. But if Her smile had a glow would it be like that of a thousand resplendent suns? Nay, says Barathi, it is that of a flower, so subtel that you wouldn't notice it. Also observe the change in the subject as well. The first stanza spoke of kaNNammA's physical beauty in terms of Her eyes, Her sari. But here Barathi gently moves into more subtle aspects of Her beauty.
Now from the wonderous exclamations made in the previous lines, Barathi changes into a more assertive tone. He says the waves of kaNNammA's heart are that of the seas. The nenjcin alaigaL can refer to the waves in kaNNammA's heart (thoughts) and also to the waves of Her bosom. However, since Barathi has finished Her physical beauty in the previous stanza, the first interpretation seems more appropriate.
The next line shows how exact Barathi is in the usage of words. Why does Barathi say the sound of the cuckoo (kOlak kuyilOsai) and not the song of the cuckoo (kOlak kuyilisai)? One of his famous poem anthologies is kuyil pAttu (குயில் பாட்டு) meaning the Song of the Koel. He does not even say it is the voice of the cuckoo here. It is plain sound. So why does he say the sound of the koel here? Because however sweet it maybe, when compared to kaNNammA's voice, that is what it is, a sound.
The last lines are a declaration of love. The love declared here is not the spiritually supreme love of ninnai saraNadainththEn (நின்னை சரணடைந்தேன்) or the highly mature love of kARRu veLiyidai (காற்று வெளியிடை). It is the fresh and virgin love of one young heart with another. This is all the more emphasized by the detail of kaNNammA's attractiveness. This is the love that is the result of gAndhdham (காந்தம்). The entire poem shows a fever, a burning passion that is characteristic of the mad first love that strikes a young heart, somewhere between the age of fifteen and seventeen. The fever that burns the tender heart like flames swallowing spring's blossoms. This love is the love of youth towards itself.
When the young man stands in front of the mirror and sees his tender moustache, the arumbu mIsai (அரும்பு மீசை) there is a gentle admiration that blooms along with the moustache. So too with the maiden who sees her first pimples. Now, when this young man and maiden see each other, their own hearts act as a mirror reflecting the budding youth in each other's body and mind. Their minds leap with the joy of mutual recognition. This is the love that helps the bees and the buds of spring recognize each other. This is the love that is primal to the very universe, the simple nascent love that springs from seeing your own self reflected in the other person. This is the love that sustains the very universe, for when God sees His creation He sees His own youth reflected in Her. And in Her nenjcin alaigaL, in the waves of Her heart sees Her youth and beauty reflected in Her Creator. And thus does life become immortal.
(To be contd.,)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
சுட்டும் விழிச் சுடர் தான் - Part I
சுட்டும் விழிச் சுடர் தான் கண்ணம்மா சூரிய சந்திரரோ
வட்டக் கரிய விழி கண்ணம்மா வானக்கருமை கொலோ
பட்டுக் கருநீலப் புடவை பதித்த நல்வயிரம்
நட்ட நடுநிசியில் தெரியும் நட்சத்திரங்களடீ
Transliteration
suttum vizic cudar thAn kaNNammA sUriya canththirarO
vattak kariya vizi kaNNammA vAnakkarumai kolO
pattuk karunIlap pudavai pathiththa nalvayiram
natta nadu nisiyil theriyum natcaththiranggaLdI
Meaning per word
Indicating/light of eyes/kaNNammA/(are they)sun and moon?
round black eyes/kaNNammA/sky/dark/like?
silk/violet/sari/embedded/good diamond/
very middle/night/seen/stars?
Word by word translation
suttum - Adorned or indicated. The root of the word is the verb (viNai விணை) suttu (சுட்டு). The ம் suffix transforms the verb into a peyareccam (பெயரெச்சம்), a relative participle that needs a noun to make complete sense.
viziccudar - A compund word formed from vizi (விழி) meaning eye and cudar (சுடர்) meaning flame. Thus the word denotes the light of the eyes shining like the flame of a lamp.
thAn - An intensifier used to highlight the meaning.
kaNNammA - This is a repeated name that appears on the poem (and most of Barathi's poems). kaNNammA is Barathi's fictional lover, the Beatrice to his Dante. The name literally translates as eye-mother.
cUriya canththirarO - Another compound word that translates as the sun (cUriya சூரிய) and moon (canththirarO சந்த்திரரோ). The 'O' (ஓ) suffix added to the word makes the sentence an excalamatory one.
vattakkariya - Adjectives for the follwing word. Formed by combining vattam (வட்டம்) meaning round and kariya (கரிய) meaning black.
vizi - EyevAnakkarumai - Another compound adjective.
vAnam (வானம்) means sky and karumai (கருமை) means black. Constrast the words kariya (கரிய) which is an adjective and karumai (கருமை) which is a noun form denoted in Tamil as paNbuppeyar (பண்புப்பெயர்), a name for a characteristic.
kolO - A conjunction used to complete the simile (of comparing the eyes with the sky). Can be equated to the word 'like' in English. In Tamil, this is a uvamai urubu (உவமை உருபு) or a simile participle.
pattuk karunIlap - Adjectives for the follwing word. Formed by combining pattu (பட்டு) menaing silk and karunIlam (கருநீலம்) meaning blackish blue or violet.
pudavai - sarIpathiththa - Embedded. This word comes from the root verb pathiththal (பதித்தல்). The loss of 'l' (ல்) suffix makes it a peyareccam. This is one of the standard rules for deriving a peyareccam from a verb.
nalvayiram - Good diamond. The nal (நல்) prefix acts as a qualifier. This comes from the root நன்மை, another paNbuppeyar meaning goodness.
nattanadu - The very middle. The actual word for middle is nadu (நடு). The distored form of the word - natta ( நட்ட) intesifies the word giving the very middle meaning.
nisiyil - In the night. The word for night is nisi (நிசி). The yil (யில்) suffix acts as the adverb.
theriyum - Seen. The root is the word therithal (தெரிதல்) meaning to be seen.
natcaththiranggaLadI - A slightly complex word. The word natcaththiram (நட்ச்சத்திரம்) means star, the plural form being natccaththiranggaL ( நட்ச்சத்திரங்கள்). The suffix adI (அடீ) is an intensifier used with female second persons.
History
kaNNammA is one of the prominent fictional characters in Barathi's poems. She can be looked at as the feminine aspect of kaNNan (கண்ணன்), Lord Krishna or as a personification of parAsakthi (பராசக்தி), the Universal Mother. She was Barathi's eternal lover, his permanent muse. She assumes many forms and ages in his poems. She is the supreme Goddess, the cherubic child and the graceful lover. She along with vaLLi (வள்ளி), kaNNan (கண்ணன்), kuyil (குயில்) meaning koel, etc., forms part of the plethora of recurrent characters rendered popular by Barathi.
Appreciation
The first stanza of a poem that oozes with romance. Barathi envisions kaNNammA as his young lover. Barathi's lovers are all very tender juvenile virgin girls. They are pristine girls who have their innocence intact. This is symbolic of his own vision of love - a pure and innocent path that leads to salvation. The primary rasA or emotion in this song is aRputham (அற்புதம்) or viyappu (வியப்பு), the feeling of wonder.
In any Barathi's poem there are two aspects worth noting - the use of his words and his similes. Barathi's usage of the exact word for the exact term is legendary. And in his similes, he shows his true genius as a poet with the breadth of his imagination.
Let us take the first stanza of this poem. The first few lines show an imagination of complete integrity. The light of kaNNammA's eyes has been compared to the sun and the moon. And then he follows up comparing her eyes themselves with the darkness of the skies. Thus, the eye becomes the sky in which the light resides as the sun and the moon. The darkness of the sky hints at a image of a night which is enhanced in the last line where her sari is compared to the darkness of the night.
The height of the imagination however lies in the comparison of the diamonds embedded in kaNNammA's sari with the stars of the night. This completes the entire picture of kaNNammA in our mental eye, a dusky woman who is as intriguing and enchanting as a night sky with the moon and the stars.
Observe that all over the only word Barathi uses for eyes is vizi. This is used to create the contrast with the name kaNNammA. The poem abounds in alliteration with the words 'nattanadu nisiyil', 'pattuk karunIlap pudavai'. It is this ability to create lyrical verse in such a simple form that makes Barathi's poems easily lend to musical compositions.
(To be contd.,)
வட்டக் கரிய விழி கண்ணம்மா வானக்கருமை கொலோ
பட்டுக் கருநீலப் புடவை பதித்த நல்வயிரம்
நட்ட நடுநிசியில் தெரியும் நட்சத்திரங்களடீ
Transliteration
suttum vizic cudar thAn kaNNammA sUriya canththirarO
vattak kariya vizi kaNNammA vAnakkarumai kolO
pattuk karunIlap pudavai pathiththa nalvayiram
natta nadu nisiyil theriyum natcaththiranggaLdI
Meaning per word
Indicating/light of eyes/kaNNammA/(are they)sun and moon?
round black eyes/kaNNammA/sky/dark/like?
silk/violet/sari/embedded/good diamond/
very middle/night/seen/stars?
Word by word translation
suttum - Adorned or indicated. The root of the word is the verb (viNai விணை) suttu (சுட்டு). The ம் suffix transforms the verb into a peyareccam (பெயரெச்சம்), a relative participle that needs a noun to make complete sense.
viziccudar - A compund word formed from vizi (விழி) meaning eye and cudar (சுடர்) meaning flame. Thus the word denotes the light of the eyes shining like the flame of a lamp.
thAn - An intensifier used to highlight the meaning.
kaNNammA - This is a repeated name that appears on the poem (and most of Barathi's poems). kaNNammA is Barathi's fictional lover, the Beatrice to his Dante. The name literally translates as eye-mother.
cUriya canththirarO - Another compound word that translates as the sun (cUriya சூரிய) and moon (canththirarO சந்த்திரரோ). The 'O' (ஓ) suffix added to the word makes the sentence an excalamatory one.
vattakkariya - Adjectives for the follwing word. Formed by combining vattam (வட்டம்) meaning round and kariya (கரிய) meaning black.
vizi - EyevAnakkarumai - Another compound adjective.
vAnam (வானம்) means sky and karumai (கருமை) means black. Constrast the words kariya (கரிய) which is an adjective and karumai (கருமை) which is a noun form denoted in Tamil as paNbuppeyar (பண்புப்பெயர்), a name for a characteristic.
kolO - A conjunction used to complete the simile (of comparing the eyes with the sky). Can be equated to the word 'like' in English. In Tamil, this is a uvamai urubu (உவமை உருபு) or a simile participle.
pattuk karunIlap - Adjectives for the follwing word. Formed by combining pattu (பட்டு) menaing silk and karunIlam (கருநீலம்) meaning blackish blue or violet.
pudavai - sarIpathiththa - Embedded. This word comes from the root verb pathiththal (பதித்தல்). The loss of 'l' (ல்) suffix makes it a peyareccam. This is one of the standard rules for deriving a peyareccam from a verb.
nalvayiram - Good diamond. The nal (நல்) prefix acts as a qualifier. This comes from the root நன்மை, another paNbuppeyar meaning goodness.
nattanadu - The very middle. The actual word for middle is nadu (நடு). The distored form of the word - natta ( நட்ட) intesifies the word giving the very middle meaning.
nisiyil - In the night. The word for night is nisi (நிசி). The yil (யில்) suffix acts as the adverb.
theriyum - Seen. The root is the word therithal (தெரிதல்) meaning to be seen.
natcaththiranggaLadI - A slightly complex word. The word natcaththiram (நட்ச்சத்திரம்) means star, the plural form being natccaththiranggaL ( நட்ச்சத்திரங்கள்). The suffix adI (அடீ) is an intensifier used with female second persons.
History
kaNNammA is one of the prominent fictional characters in Barathi's poems. She can be looked at as the feminine aspect of kaNNan (கண்ணன்), Lord Krishna or as a personification of parAsakthi (பராசக்தி), the Universal Mother. She was Barathi's eternal lover, his permanent muse. She assumes many forms and ages in his poems. She is the supreme Goddess, the cherubic child and the graceful lover. She along with vaLLi (வள்ளி), kaNNan (கண்ணன்), kuyil (குயில்) meaning koel, etc., forms part of the plethora of recurrent characters rendered popular by Barathi.
Appreciation
The first stanza of a poem that oozes with romance. Barathi envisions kaNNammA as his young lover. Barathi's lovers are all very tender juvenile virgin girls. They are pristine girls who have their innocence intact. This is symbolic of his own vision of love - a pure and innocent path that leads to salvation. The primary rasA or emotion in this song is aRputham (அற்புதம்) or viyappu (வியப்பு), the feeling of wonder.
In any Barathi's poem there are two aspects worth noting - the use of his words and his similes. Barathi's usage of the exact word for the exact term is legendary. And in his similes, he shows his true genius as a poet with the breadth of his imagination.
Let us take the first stanza of this poem. The first few lines show an imagination of complete integrity. The light of kaNNammA's eyes has been compared to the sun and the moon. And then he follows up comparing her eyes themselves with the darkness of the skies. Thus, the eye becomes the sky in which the light resides as the sun and the moon. The darkness of the sky hints at a image of a night which is enhanced in the last line where her sari is compared to the darkness of the night.
The height of the imagination however lies in the comparison of the diamonds embedded in kaNNammA's sari with the stars of the night. This completes the entire picture of kaNNammA in our mental eye, a dusky woman who is as intriguing and enchanting as a night sky with the moon and the stars.
Observe that all over the only word Barathi uses for eyes is vizi. This is used to create the contrast with the name kaNNammA. The poem abounds in alliteration with the words 'nattanadu nisiyil', 'pattuk karunIlap pudavai'. It is this ability to create lyrical verse in such a simple form that makes Barathi's poems easily lend to musical compositions.
(To be contd.,)
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