Hopeless

In the middle of high seas
Water all around
No land in sight
Too tired to swim

Dying hope shall bring death
Broken spirit shall drown the soul
A wasted life - the heart wails
A promise gone stale

A Forceful Personality

In work life, especially that of a manager, you come across a wide array of personalities, that you may never meet otherwise, especially people with a dash of the remarkable - those who make you sit up and notice them.

Just lately I have come across such a person - his charisma blows you away, he oozes power, he inspires one to be as forceful as him and one feels there is so much to learn from him. I consider myself a very energetic person, when I am inspired, but this man awes me by his indefatigable reserve of energy that is never ending!

I am also amazed by his confidence to take on seemingly impossible tasks and get them done - accomplish so much in such a short span of time just by sheer force of energy - catch an army of men, by the scruffs of their necks and lead them on in the direction he wants...the direction which he is sure will lead to victory.

And truly an army follows such a leader into even a fiercely dragging whirlpool with the belief that they will get out of it...for as they say, "any army values a general who leads it to victories!"

Its done!!

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!!

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

Lotus in full bloom

This is a poem inspired by a Tamil duet of two lovers singing a ode of love to each other...the italics is the lady singing, otherwise it is the man.

Like a fully bloomed lotus
is weighed down shy
your coyness bows your head
waiting me to come by

Your heartbeat quickens as
over the threshold pass my feet,
the sweat of ur passion
yearning for the moment we meet

You are the coveted elixir
for my youthful desire.
Only the depths of your ocean
shall extinguish my fire


Oh my impatient love, who
I cherish in my innermost
Come accompany me thither
To our love, let us toast

There you can have me
For as long as you will
Drink love from my lips
Every moment - a thrill


Your love flows all night
overfills the limitless trough
in the brightness of early sun
I still have not had enough

Every moment I pined
Is now recompensed far above
For like the Love God himself
You have made love

This endearing liveliness
on your blushing cheeks
is more precious than rare pearls
of remote coral creeks

Oh, my love that's my shyness
which has left me stumped
Your pearly praises cant evoke
music in this lyre benumbed

But you are a lyre
of thousand strings
Every string I strain
shall sing a paean to my love

There is a stanza or more in the Tamil song, but I felt that it was a logical completion here. The Tamil lyrics are pasted below. As usual its not known who wrote the lyrics...such a shame! Music is by Ilayaraja...I came across this song when I was searching for songs based on the Raga Reetigowla, my favorite of this raga being "Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran" again by Ilayaraja. More than the lyrics or music, I love this song due to the beauty of Sumalatha, the actress - her attractive expressions have gone a long way in inspiring my rendering in English.

I have pasted this Tamil lyrics from

http://aravindang.blogspot.com/2006/03/thalayai-kuniyum-thaamaraiye.html

Song - Thalayai Kuniyum Thamaraiye
Lyrics:
Movie: Oru oadai nadhi aagirathu
Singers: SPB/ S.Rageswari
=========================

male:
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye
ennai edhirpaarthu
vandha pinbu verthu
ennai edhirpaarthu
vandha pinbu verthu
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye

male:
nee theerka vendum vaaliba thaagam
female:
aaaa.....

==================
male:
nee theerka vendum vaaliba thaagam

female:
paaRkadalin oaram pandhi vaikkum neram
paaRkadalin oaram pandhi vaikkum neram

male:
amudham vazhiyum idhazhai thudaithu
vidiyum varayil virundhu nadathu

female:
thalayai kuniyum thaamari Naan
unnai edhir paarthu, vandha pinbu verthu
unnai edhir paarthu, vandha pinbu verthu

male:
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye

====================

female:
kaathirundhen anbe
ini kaamanin veedhiyil thaer varumo
male:
poomagaL kannagaL ini maadhuLai poal
niRam maaRidumo

female:
aayiram naaNangaL
indha oomayin veeNayil isai varuma

male:
nee oru poN veeNai
adhil nuni viral thodugayil
pala suramaa

female:
poovai nugarndadhu mudhanmuRaya

malle:
hmmmm......hmmmm
vedhanai veLayil sodhanaya

female:
mudhanmuraya
male:
idhu sariya

female:
sari,sari
poovadai kaatru jannalai saathu .

male:
aaa.....aaa

female:
poovadai kaatru jannalai saathu

male:
uththaravu devi thathalikkum aavi
uththaravu devi thathalikkum aavi

female:
irandu nadhigal iNaindhu nadakkum
pudhiya alaigal karayai udaikkum

male:
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye
ennai edhirpaarthu
vandha pinbu verthu
ennai edhirpaarthu
vandha pinbu verthu
thalayai kuniyum thamaraye

Dump the lyricist

I hate it when is so difficult to find the lyricist of a particular song.

You love a meaningful song and wish to know who wrote the lyrics..you search the web...the number of websites who mention the singer or the music director alongwith the lyrics are dime a dozen. Heck, you even find the names of the director and the actors...but no mention of the poor lyricist, because of whom the song came into existence first place, and that too just where they have written down the lyrics!

There are many websites which do not mention the name of the lyricist along with the lyrics of the song.

But I particularly got riled this time around...I was searching for the lyricist of the song "Kahin Karti Hogi" from the film "Phir Kab Milogi" - its a beautiful short romantic melody and one of my favs. Of course as usual many sites did not mention the name of the lyricist and compounding my problems was that this song was copied by that pop wannabe Anamika who sung it out from the female perspective as "Kahin Karta Hoga" and that was all over the web. Heck, one website ascribed the lyrics of the song to her, even though its known that she was singing an older song.

Finally one website "musicindiaonline" mentioned the lyricist of the film to Majrooh Sultanpuri..it seems he has penned all the songs of this film of which this is the most well known one. A poet of Majrooh Sultanpuri's caliber not being accredited with penning this lyric in so many websites is very unfortunate. I wish people gave more respect to the lyricist.

Yearning of Radha

Along the sandy banks of Yamuna,
In chilly misty air
She awaits a love dance again
with her Lover fair

To see His footsteps in the sand
She searches hither thither
In her unceasing wait for Krishna
She slowly begins to wither

Nights pass away with changing moons
Days with the seasons
Yet the day of Tryst is elusive
For some inexplicable reason

Yearning eyes yet lose not faith
Gazing in every direction
Even elements fail to snuff out the hope
For her soul burns in passion

The heart cries out at last
- "Where is Krishna, mine.
Radha's scorching desire be quenched
by just one tryst with thine"

Translation (though not an exact one) of the song "Yamunai Aatrile" reflecting the yearning of Radha, from the Tamil film Dalapathi