Kannamma is seen in multiple forms by Bharathi, as a diety, as a lover and as a child. This poem's premise is that of Bharathi seeing Goddess Parāshakthi as a small child. He goes into a rapturous vent at the child with an outpour of emotions; happiness, longing, respect, love, joy, pride, pain, restraint, submission!
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| Bharathiar and Chellamma- Image courtesy - The Web Montage courtesy - self, using Gimp :-) |
கண்ணம்மா-என் குழந்தை
பராசக்தியைக் குழந்தையாகக் கண்டு சொல்லிய பாட்டு
சின்னஞ் சிறு கிளியே-கண்ணம்மா!
செல்வக் களஞ்சியமே!
என்னைக் கலிதீர்த்தே-உலகில்
ஏற்றம் புரிய வந்தாய்!
பிள்ளைக் கனியமுதே-கண்ணம்மா!
பேசும்பொற் சித்திரமே!
அள்ளி யணைத்திடவே-என் முன்னே
ஆடி வருந் தேனே!
ஓடி வருகையிலே-கண்ணம்மா!
உள்ளங் குளிரு தடீ!
ஆடித்திரிதல் கண்டால்-உன்னைப்போய்
ஆவி தழுவு தடீ!
உச்சி தனை முகந்தால்-கருவம்
ஓங்கி வளரு தடீ!
மெச்சி யுனையூரார்-புகழ்ந்தால்
மேனி சிலிர்க்கு தடீ!
கன்னத்தில் முத்தமிட்டால்-உள்ளந்தான்
கள்வெறி கொள்ளு தடீ!
உன்னைத் தழுவிடிலோ,-கண்ணம்மா!
உன்மத்த மாகு தடீ!
சற்றுன் முகஞ் சிவந்தால்-மனது
சஞ்சல மாகு தடீ!
நெற்றி சுருங்கக் கண்டால்-எனக்கு
நெஞ்சம் பதைக்கு தடீ!
உன்கண்ணில் நீர்வழிந்தால்-என்னெஞ்சில்
உதிரங் கொட்டு தடீ!
என்கண்ணிற் பாவையன்றோ?-கண்ணம்மா!
என்னுயிர் நின்ன தன்றோ?
சொல்லு மழலையிலே-கண்ணம்மா!
துன்பங்கள் தீர்ந்திடு வாய்;
முல்லைச் சிரிப்பாலே-எனது
மூர்க்கந் தவிர்த்திடு வாய்.
இன்பக் கதைக ளெல்லாம்-உன்னைப்போல்
ஏடுகள் சொல்வ துண்டோ?
அன்பு தருவதிலே -உனைநேர்
ஆகுமோர் தெய்வ முண்டோ?
மார்பில் அணிவதற்கே-உன்னைப்போல்
வைர மணிக ளுண்டோ?
சீர்பெற்று வாழ்வதற்கே-உன்னைப்போல்
செல்வம் பிறிது முண்டோ?
and the translation ... Any translation will struggle to match this original and may never will, and this one too is no exception.
Kannamma - My child
An ode to Parāshakthi seen as a child
My little parakeet, dear Kannamma,
My store of immense wealth you are!
To rid me of vice, you descend,
And elevate the world you care!
Ambrosial darling, you are, Kannamma,
An expressive painting of gilt!
For me to sweep you up and hug;
Honey, You dance before me and flit!
As you rush to me, Kannamma,
The heart of mine tingles!
Looking at you, play and drift,
Embraces you my soul and mingles!
As I take a breath off you, up and close,
Swells high my pride!
Extol the folks on you, when they;
Shudders my body inside!
A kiss planted on the cheek;
Intoxicated, is my heart!
An embrace of you, Kannamma;
Rips me delirious, apart!
Your face turning crimson, I behold;
Grieves my heart, dear!
A frown, I notice on your brow;
Stirs my soul, with fear!
Pearls of tears in your eyes, shed,
Bleeds red my heart!
You are the apple of my eye, Kannamma;
Isn't my life yours, to part?
Child-speak, of yours, Kannamma,
Away drains my pain;
Pearly laughter of yours, I hear,
From rage I abstain!
Your tales of joy, recounted,
Would the books ever near?
Your flow of love, shared,
Would the Divine ever peer?
In my bosom to wear, like you,
Are there diamonds to strand?
To live a life, straight,
Is there wealth beyond you, as grand?
Here is a pointer to a rendition by Sudha Raghunathan. [You may need to click twice] I have not heard any rendition that includes the last 3 stanzas, which are beautiful too.
Another lovely mellifluent rendition by Unnikrishnan in his "Mellifluous Melodies" album
12 comments:
இடையறாத அலுவலகப் பணிகள் மற்றும் வீட்டுப் பணிகளுக்கு மத்தியுலும் தீயா Blog பண்றீங்க போல :P
Montage is really cute :D
When it comes to Bharatiyar classics, Nithyashree does it Best, in my humble opinion. DKP effect in her genes , maybe.
wonderful lines , the translation is neat :) Is that ur kannamma in the photo :D cute kids !!
An immortal piece that is made even more special set to music. My favourite is the version sung by MLV. As usual a superb translation. Didn't know that today was Bharathiyar's birth anniversary. Thanks for the great post.
Somehow, this piece of Bharathiyar makes me emotionally weak....Bharathiyar alone has the power to create any kind of emotion with his writing. V. sad that such a great writer did not get his due respect when he was alive :(.
Wonder how sharply you read his writing to come up with such translations. Thank you.....
You do such an awesome work @ translation. Thanks to u, am getting to read so many of his gems.
Luv the Kannammas in the pic :)
@zeno-This was a scheduled post to be posted at midnight. ஒரு வாரம் முன்னாலயே முடிச்சு schedule பண்ணியாச்சு. :-) All hectic work on the home shift. Had to bunk work on Friday to set things up. :-) As for the montage, Thanks, used it as a way of learning more of Gimp. :-) The two are La Niña and El Niño, some time back. :-)
@R-ambam-Thanks. Nithyashree is very effortless and can carry off very well at high pitch. I linked MLV's sishyai (Sudha Raghunathan). Yep, those are my Kannammas in the photo, taken a few years back.
@Ramesh-Thanks. Yes, the tune is very lullabic and heart-rending. MLV's version is also there in raaga.com's web-site.
@RS-:-) This is a beautiful setting for the poem, looking at and singing at a wavelength of a child as divinity, which is very true with kids. And unfortunate that recognition came to him very late. Thanks for that compliment. The translations do require a fair amount of effort after the first draft. :-) Every reading gives an incremental perspective to what Bharathi's feelings as he drafted the poems. I am yet to read most of his works, though. Hopefully I do and there are gems in some of his not so known works.
@Swaram-Thanks, It is my small effort into translating Bharathi's works which I have enjoyed reading. The Kannammas are more grown up now. :-)
Neenga bayangara bharathiyar fan pola irukku. The Montage is really good, and apt introduction :)
:-) :-D Ennanga, S Ve Sekhar maadhiri 'bayangaramaa' sollareenga. :-) :-D
Thanks. :-)
That man knew what love is! look at his words! n the music... i think it was in the movie "manamagal"(1957)(padmini/lalitha/balaiyya).. whn the song originally appeared in films.. the original music was conposed by C. R. Subburaman.. He was sheer genius! the ragamalika usually sung these days- has a very perfect blend of the music and the lyrics... he knew/felt what bharathi wrote!
It was actually exploring the emotions portrayed by Bharathi in the song- with a mild Kaapi evolving into a seducing and romantic Maandu when line reads "oodi varugayile, kannamma ullam kuliruthadi" and then moving on to a strange painful forbidden emotion that is actually a pleasure when felt- a Vasantha, when the line reads- "uchchi thanna ugarnthaal garvam ongi valaruthadi". It slips into this dazed and dreamy Thilang when Bharathi is absolutely smitten by Kannamma and writes- "Kannaththil muththammittaal, kannamma, kal veri kolluthadi"! And ends with a grief beyond expression- a Sivaranjani- when Bharathi feels totally helpless when Kannamma feels sad- he writes, "un kannil neer vazhindaal en nenjil uthiram kottuthadi"! This is by far the best Raagamaalika in Film music that I have come across, that totally does justice the beutiful lyrics by Bhaarathiyaar!
gr8 translations... and thanks thanks thanks for taking up this song!
:-) Thanks Matangi. I am not the one to decipher the raagams involved (I am a sangeetha gnana sooniyam :-D inspite of my mother being a very good singer, but I can still appreciate the raagas) I think the song doesn't allow itself to be rendered in a 'very happy and gay' mood. And whoever tuned this song first was bounded by the emotional fences that Bharathi places in his stanzas. Nice work, indeed.
Very very lovely translation.Had to bookmark all your bharathiyar translations.
Thanks. :-) You can relate that song closely to what Ambuli does.
You can always click on the Translations tag in one of the posts and you have a list of all the translations. There are some older ones that need some refinement.
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