அவளது கவிதை

தித்திக்கும் இசைக்கும்,
கொஞ்சும் மழலைக்கும்,
நெஞ்சை நெகிழ வைக்கும்
தமிழுக்கும் நடுவே,
உன் இதழின் மௌனம்


ஒரு திகட்டாத புதுக் கவிதை..

சுவடுகள்

உன் உயிர் தீண்டலால்
என் முகத்தில்,

துளிர்த்தன வெட்கச் சுவடுகள்..

அவன் கேட்டது..

உன் கொலுசின் ஓசையால் என் இதயத்தை திருடிய கள்ளி நீயடி..

ஆனால் நீயோ, உன் விழிகளால் விலங்கிட்டு, உன் இதயத்தில் என்னை சிறை வைத்தாயே..

களவாடியது நீ, கைதி நானோ?

சினேகிதி

பள்ளி அதனில் முதல் நாளில்,
மெல்லச் சிரித்து, கை குலுக்கி,
என்னைப் போல் ஒருவளாய்
அன்று கண்ட அவளோடு..

வட்டப் பொட்டிட்டு, சடை பின்னி,
பூச்சூடி, வண்ணப் பட்டணிந்து,
செல்லச் சிட்டுக்களாய் வானத்தை
எட்டிப் பிடித்து..

தோள் சாய்ந்து, மனம் திறந்து,
சொல்லால், செயலால் துணை இருந்து,
வார்த்தயிலும் மௌனத்திலும்
நட்பதனை உணர்ந்து..

ஆடிப் பாடி, விளையாடி,
கை கோர்த்து நடந்து, முத்தமிட்டு,
முத்தாய் சிரித்து, சிறு பூவாய் மலர்ந்து,
பூரித்து இருக்கயில் ஒரு நாள்..

மனம் குமுற, கண்ணீர் பெறுக,
முதல் முறையாய் தனிமை அதனை
உணர்ந்து நின்றேன், என்
உயிர் சினேகிதி அவளது மரணத்தில்..

[Thanks Rajesh, for putting up with my nagging and helping me out with the tamil fonts! :)..'Tanglish' version of this post in comments..]

unnai kandein

unnai kandein, kaadhal koNdein
eNNangaLai sidhaRa vittein, kadaisiyil
naaney sidhaRipponein..

Lyrics that I fell for - III

Now, after this and this, I am tempted to list one more again and this is one song that is very dear to me. It is from the movie, 'Nilaave Vaa' set to tune by Vidyasagar. The song penned by Vairamuthu, is sung very beautifully by Chitra and Hariharan.

The concept used in this song is very interesting. The attachment or the fact that the presence of the other in one's life is indispensable, is put forth through certain wonderful facts - pairs, where you can't isolate one from the other. I can't pick out one of them and say I love this. I love them all! :)..So here it is, for record..

"nee kaatru naan maram
enna sonnalum thalai aatuven

nee mazhai naan boomi
engu vizhundalum endhi koLven

nee iravu naan viNmeen
nee irukkum varai thaan naan iruppen"


"nee alai naan karai
ennai adithaalum etru koLven

nee udal naan nizhal
nee vizhavendam naan vizhuven

nee kiLai naan ilai
unnai ottum varaikkum thaan uyir tharippen

nee vizhi naan imai
unnai serum varaikkum naan thudithiruppen

nee swaasam naan deham
naan unnai mattum uyir thoda anumadhippen" (nee kaatru..)



"nee vaanam naan neelam
unnil naanai kalandhiruppen

nee eNNam naan vaarthai
nee sollum pozhudhey veLi paduven

nee veyil naan kuil
un varugai paarthuthaan naan isaippen

nee udai naan idai
unai urangum pozhudum naan udithiruppen

nee pagal naan oLi
endrum unnai mattum saarndhey naan iruppen" (nee kaatru..)

Lyrics that I fell for - II

Hmm..how about this? I would possibly call this a running series; this is an add on to an earlier post that I had published..This one is from "Pudiya Mugam" and the song is 'Kannukku Mai Azhagu' ..After great efforts of squeezing my brains in the morning to recollect the lyrics of both male and female versions of the song, I guess I was successful..Wanted to put it down before I forgot the lines again! :)..One of Vairamuthu's best and timeless works and something that I would cherish all my life..(Love those lines in italics).

The Male Version: (sung by Unnimenon):

kannukku mai azhagu
kavidhaikku poi azhagu
kannathil kuzhi azhagu
karkoondhal penn azhagu

Ilamaiku nadai azhagu, mudhumaikku narai azhagu
Kalvarku iravazhagu, kadhalrku nilavazhagu
nilavukku karai azhagu, paravaikku siragazhagu
avvaikku koon azhagu, annaikku sei azhagu..(kannukku)

vidikaalai vinazhagu, vidiyum varai penn azhagu
nelukku natrazhagu, thennaikku keetrazhagu
oorukku aarazhagu, urvalathil therazhagu
thamizhukku 'zha' azhagu, thalaivikku naanazhagu.. (kannukku)

The female version (sung by P.Susheela):

The style of writing is changed a little bit here..(In the charanam the word 'azhagu' occurs only once in a given line, unlike the male version, where it repeats twice)

kannukku mai azhagu
kavidhaikku poi azhagu
avaraikku poo azhagu
avarukku naan azhagu

mazhai nindra pinnalum ilai sindhum thuli azhagu
alai meendu ponalum karai konda nurai azhagu
imai kottum vinmingal iravodu thaan azhagu
ilamaaran kannukku epodhum naanazhagu..(kannukku)

anandha manjathil avizhndhalum kuzhal azhagu
adayala muthathil azhindhalum pottazhagu
pennodu kadhal vandhal pirai kooda perazhagu
ennodu nee irundhal irul kooda oar azhagu..(kannukku)

Again, With due credits to the lyricist and whoever owns the copyright:)

Lyrics that I fell for

Tamil again. It is the title song from K.Balachander’s “Punnagai Mannan”, beautifully penned by Vairamuthu, extremely feminine and deeply expressive of a longing. The song is the plight of a girl who falls for the “Punnagai Mannan” (Prince of smiles, the closest English approximation) claiming that she is his princess. The song ends on a note that come whatever may, she would be happiest with his love. The song was set to tune by Illayaraja, rendered superbly by Chitra. A very,very sweet song.
I was too kicked to listen to it on FM, that I couldn’t resist the temptation of typing the lyrics as the song proceeded.


The Song:

Edhedho ennam valarthen
Unkayil ennai koduthen
Nee thaaney punnagai mannan
Un rani naaney
Panpadum padagan neeye
Un raagam naaney


Sila Kaalamai naanum sirai vaazhgiren
Unai paartha naal thaaney uyir vaazhgiren
Thookam vizhikiren pookal valarkiren
Sila pookal thaaney malarginradhu
Pala pookal eno udhirginradhu
Badhil enna kooru (an indication to successful and failed relationships)
Poovum naanum veru (beautiful and subtle portrayal of difference, when in many cases women are compared to flowers)

Kula deivamey en kurai theerkava
Kai neetinen ennai karai serkava
Neeye anaikka vaa
Theeyai anaikka vaa (anaikka – in its twin meaning, to embrace and also extinguish)
Nee paarkum podhu pani aagiren
Un maarbil saindhu kulir kaigiren
Edhu vandha podhum indha anbu podhum (love these three lines)
(With due credits to the lyricist and whoever owns the copyright:))

The poetic spirit of Bharathi

(Backgrounder, in case I am losing someone on what I am talking about - Mahakavi Bharathiyar, popularly known as Bharathi, is one of the most talented poetic minds that Tamil Nadu has ever produced. Bharathiyar kavidaigal (poems of Bharathi) span a wide variety of topics and are especially famous for its spirit of freedom. Bharathi didn’t live long, but his poems continue to ring in our lives, in different forms.)

Tamil, as a language, is something I feel extremely passionate about. Well written Tamil pieces – essays or stories and poems, or for that matter, well written lyrics in movie songs, find a great fan in me. That way, Bharathi’s Tamil has been a source of inspiration, a wonderful means of relaxation for me and I possess this small book of Bharathiyar kavidaigal that I keep going back to, whenever I find the time.

Most of my exposure to his poems, have been through film songs. Nevertheless, I have heard many of his songs being sung by the all time great Carnatic singer, Late M.S. Subulakshmi. I haven’t read all of his works but certain lines amaze me because of their simple yet powerful construction.

Many of his poems carry a burning desire to see a free India, as in,
“Endru thaniyum indha sudhandhira dhaagam?
Endru madiyum engal adimayin mogam?”

Or cases where he would describe the pride of being an Indian, “Paarukulley nalla naadu, engal bharatha naadu”.Powerful words of his would inspire anybody to fight for what one truly deserved.

A set of Bharathi’s songs are entirely dedicated to Goddess Shakthi, on whom he bestows a beautiful form, completely through his poetic prowess. Shakthi for him is “Nitya Kalyani”, also the destroyer of evil, and one who could bless our lives with goodness – “Thunbamiladha nilaye Shakthi; thookam illa kan vizhipey Shakthi” and there are many, many more.

Bharathi was a visionary. He wanted a whole new, free world for women. “Pen Vidhuthalai vendum” he said years and years ago. “Manadhil Urudhi Vendum, Vakkiniley Inimai Vendum”, he wrote on the need for courage in one’s mind also emphasising that politeness should mark one’s speech. A brilliant piece and one of my personal favourites.

Bharati’s sense of romance is mind blowing. Kannama figures as the fictitious lover in many of his poems. The passion with which he describes Kannama and the love for her is exceptional in, “Suttum Vizhi chuddar thaan kannama, suriyar chandirano?”. If that sounded familiar, this is the song sung by Hariharan, in Kandukonden kandukonden. Again, one of my favourites. “Chinanjiru Kiliye Kannama..”, she is the little girl here. “..selva Kalanjiyame” talks about the sweet little darling that she is.

His poems also bear a testimony to the deep thinker that he was. “Nirpadhuvey, Nadapadhuvey, Parapadhuvey..Neengal ellam kanalin neero, pala thotra mayakangalo?” he questions the reality of what we see around us. Are they Maya, mere illusions? My third favourite piece, and it features as a song in the movie “Bharathi”, the song being sung by Harish Raghavendra.

And that just isn’t all about Bharathi. There is much more to him than what I know. As someone, who has begun reading and interpreting him more seriously, I recognize that his poems are a journey into realising certain truths of life. Bharathiyin thamizhil moozhguvadhai kaatilum perinbamum uundo? Reading and comprehending him is truly a matter of pleasure. He IS marvellous.

(if I sent people mad, with all those tamil quotes, am sorry, but if you could understand them, they are a real treat! I consciously refrained from translating them, because it would do utter damage to the beauty of his work.)