How does one feel after a roller coaster ride, especially one that has lasted for nearly two years...when one never felt the journey will be so long, eventful and transforming.
After putting my pen down yesterday at around 8 pm, or rather more accurately, after finishing typing the last word...I frankly could not fathom my emotions...only that I was feeling too much...too much to express. I had no thought about the future of my work, but only thanksgiving to the Lord, for enabling me to achieve so much...the Lord has really been too kind to me...my journey has been punctuated by so many moments of divine inspiration and guidance...I felt I reached out to Him through my work. And after a discussion with a friend, it striked me that - Those who accomplish great things, either have great belief in themselves or great belief in God or perhaps a bit of both.
My book may be just another book for others...but in my life till now, this has been my greatest achievement and I owe a hell of a lot to the Almighty!
Also I am happy that it all finally culminated on the auspicious day of Pongal and Makar Sankranti - a time of joy and prosperity to all.
Today morning I had the most strange, ironic feeling - after months of focus on finishing this epic journey, where everyday whether I awoke in laziness or with a strong sense of purpose I always had at the back of my mind that some pages had to be written, an episode or a scene had to be finished and today when I woke up in the morning and wished to write, I realized that I have finished it!!..there is no scene to think about, no pages to be written. It was such an odd feeling...like a old man who after years of service, suddenly finds himself retired with no work to do.
Well it is done and now life moves on...I have to get back into career mode now and hopefully somewhere down the line, this book will get published, and then whatever else has to happen is in God's hands....my sense of satisfaction derives from the fact that I have been able to write, express what I set out to write...my characters have come out the way I wished them to and I have written an unimaginably long book, something that I never expected to do when I started off, the length is immaterial though..as far as I am concerned I had to compeletely tell my story and for that this was the requisite length.
At the moment there is only a sense of gladness and thanksgiving for Benediction!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Whither this breeze blows?
New Year hath come and I open my account this year by translating partly another Tamil song - a beautiful romantic duet, full of yearning and unrequited love. Do see this song in youtube and try to ignore an obese aging Shivaji Ganeshan. Radha looks beautiful even in the unpretentious garb of a village belle and the background is awesomely picturesque...the music of Ilayaraja and the meaningful lyrics of Vairamuthu and the setting of the song, all come together to render it the ultimate expression of yearning in sublime love. I have just translated the first half of this song.
In this translation...I loved the rustic, poetic expressions of Vairamuthu so much that I tried to remain as close as possible to it and yet make the idiom meaningful in English...so as to give flavour of a Tamil poem...which generally makes an inspired use of picturesque in terms of simple, down to earth analogies.
For e.g. line "meththa vaanginaen thookkaththa vaangala" literally means - I got the bedding, but not any sleep ...which means I couldnt find any sleep. In my translation I kept the sleep analogy, though I express it more in terms of feelings, like I usually prefer to do.
Every stanza in Tamil is immediately followed by its translation in English. In some cases I have given pretty different meaning, just to conform with the overall flow of the translated song.
The normal font is the guy singing and the italian font is the lady singing.
Song Title: Poongatru Thirumbama
Movie Name: Mudhal Mariyadhai
Singer: Janaki S, Malaysia Vasudevan
Music Director: Ilayaraja
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Year: 1985
Director: Bharathiraja
Actors: Radha, Shivaji
poongaatru thirumbumaa en paatta virumbumaa
thaalaatta madiyil vechchup paaraatta
enakkoru thaay madi kedaikkumaa
Will this breeze turn and blow my way
Will it now note my ode of yearning
Will it caress me with its kind love
And sweep me away in its melodious lullaby
raasaavae varuththamaa aagaayam surungumaa
aengaadhae adha olagam thaangaadhae
adukkumaa sooriyan karukkumaa
Even if I were as high as the skies
Your sadness would wither me
This sky would bow to your yearning unbearable
And wonder will it be blessed by sunlight
enna solluvaen ennullam thaangala
meththa vaanginaen thookkaththa vaangala
Overwhelmed by feelings
I am rendered speechless
Such restlessness that not even a featherbed
Could provide a moment of rest
indha vaedhana yaarukkuththaan illa
onna meeravae oorukkul aalilla
Do you think that
I am not afflicted as much
But for you
Who else resides in this heart
aedhoa enbaattukku naan paattup paadi
sollaadha soagaththa sonnaenadi
Dazed by this affliction
I roam about like a madman
Tis unspeakable suffering
Yet I cry my heart out to you
soga raga soagandhaanae (2)
Isnt our pain mutual?
yaaradhu poaradhu
kuyil paadalaam than mugam kaattumaa
Who is thus echoing my heartache
Will not the kind songbird show her face
In this translation...I loved the rustic, poetic expressions of Vairamuthu so much that I tried to remain as close as possible to it and yet make the idiom meaningful in English...so as to give flavour of a Tamil poem...which generally makes an inspired use of picturesque in terms of simple, down to earth analogies.
For e.g. line "meththa vaanginaen thookkaththa vaangala" literally means - I got the bedding, but not any sleep ...which means I couldnt find any sleep. In my translation I kept the sleep analogy, though I express it more in terms of feelings, like I usually prefer to do.
Every stanza in Tamil is immediately followed by its translation in English. In some cases I have given pretty different meaning, just to conform with the overall flow of the translated song.
The normal font is the guy singing and the italian font is the lady singing.
Song Title: Poongatru Thirumbama
Movie Name: Mudhal Mariyadhai
Singer: Janaki S, Malaysia Vasudevan
Music Director: Ilayaraja
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Year: 1985
Director: Bharathiraja
Actors: Radha, Shivaji
poongaatru thirumbumaa en paatta virumbumaa
thaalaatta madiyil vechchup paaraatta
enakkoru thaay madi kedaikkumaa
Will this breeze turn and blow my way
Will it now note my ode of yearning
Will it caress me with its kind love
And sweep me away in its melodious lullaby
raasaavae varuththamaa aagaayam surungumaa
aengaadhae adha olagam thaangaadhae
adukkumaa sooriyan karukkumaa
Even if I were as high as the skies
Your sadness would wither me
This sky would bow to your yearning unbearable
And wonder will it be blessed by sunlight
enna solluvaen ennullam thaangala
meththa vaanginaen thookkaththa vaangala
Overwhelmed by feelings
I am rendered speechless
Such restlessness that not even a featherbed
Could provide a moment of rest
indha vaedhana yaarukkuththaan illa
onna meeravae oorukkul aalilla
Do you think that
I am not afflicted as much
But for you
Who else resides in this heart
aedhoa enbaattukku naan paattup paadi
sollaadha soagaththa sonnaenadi
Dazed by this affliction
I roam about like a madman
Tis unspeakable suffering
Yet I cry my heart out to you
soga raga soagandhaanae (2)
Isnt our pain mutual?
yaaradhu poaradhu
kuyil paadalaam than mugam kaattumaa
Who is thus echoing my heartache
Will not the kind songbird show her face
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