I was hearing the song Sutum Vizhi Sudar dhaan, a composition by Mahakavi Bharathiyaar. I was searching for the lyrics and found most links pointing to Suttum Vizhi Sudarae from the Tamil movie Ghajini. The first one is such a lovely song and huge credit to twice Oscar awards winner A.R.Rahman and sung beautifully by famous playback singer Hariharan. My interest however shifted from the music and the voice of the singer to the lyrics. I started wondering how many songs now have such beautiful pure Tamil words. Each word in this song is like a treat to your ears.
Are our new generation poets and lyricists incapable for writing, or have we exhausted the literary potential of the language. I believe that both my assumptions above are false and it is the audience and need of the society that have caused the change in the lyrics and the songs now. I wanted to analyze the lyrics and have translated them as per my knowledge and took the help of my roommate (Sundar) who is way better in Tamil than many that I know of.
This song is a description of Mahakavi for his love for Kannamma, his wife's name however is Chellammal. My roommate Sundar told me this is like a nick-name for his wife. So here are the lyrics and my interpretation of the meaning.
1. suttum vizhichchudardhaan kaNNammaa sooriya chandhiraroa
Suttum or Suterikum mean burning, hot or fire, Vizhi means eyes. So he describe the eyes as powerful. Chudardhaan, Chudar means radiant or bright. sooriya chandhiraroa, meaning are they like the sun and the moon. I feel sun for the burning hot and moon for the one that is radiating and bright.
2. vattak kariyavizhi kaNNammaa vaanak karumai kolloa
Vattam, means round or circular. Kariyavizhi, means dark, black iris of the eye. vaanak karumai kolloa, means taking the darkness of the night sky, and my roommate's interpretation is that of dark black rain clouds.
3. pattuk karuneelap pudavai padhiththa nal vayiram
Pattu Karuneela Pudavai, means dark silk blue Saree. Padhiththa nal vairam, means embed or embellish with diamonds, but me and my roommate's interpretation is that the beads in the Saree pallu are shining like real diamonds.
4. nattanadu nisiyil theriyum natchaththirangaLadi
Nattanadu, means right in the middle or center. nisiyil theriyum, means visible in the sky. NatchaththrangaLadi, means like the stars. We have to take this interpretation from the previous line. So Mahakavi, says that the beads in the dark blue Saree that are shining like real diamonds look like stars or constellations in the dark night sky.
5. soalai malaroLiyoa unadhu sundharap punnagaidhaan
Solai Malar, means beautiful flower but the interpretation can be multiple. Let me walk you through all of them. oLiyo, mean light here. unadhu, means yours. sundharap punnagaidhaan, means beautiful smile, punnagai means smile.
My roommate's interpretation is, the beautiful smile of yours is like the blooming of the sunflower during sunrise (Amazing!).
6. neelak kadalalaiyae unadhu nenjin alaigaLadi
Neela Kadalalaiyae, meaning the blue sea or ocean. nenjin alaigaLadi, means waves of your heart. The interpretation that we agreed in general is, the sound of the waves in the blue sea or ocean is that of the sound of your heartbeat.
7. koalak kuyiloasai unadhu kuralin inimaiyadi
Koalak kuyiloasai, means the sound of the cuckoo bird in the forest. unadhu kuralin inimaiyadi, means the sweetness of your voice. So the sweetness in your voice is like the sound made by the forest cuckoo bird.
8. vaalaik kumariyadi kaNNammaa maruvak kaadhal koNdaen
As per the input from my roommate, Vaalaikumari, means young lady. Maruva kaadhal koNdaen, means I have deeply, helplessly fallen in love with you. I am not sure here if he describes his wife here, because i asked my roommate that if Mahakavi Bharathi was describing his wife, why would he use the word vaalaikumari. She is married and how can she be described kumari. The interpretation is how he see her before marriage as a vaalai kumari. Please note that Mahakavi was married at a very young age and he feels that his wife is still a young lady even after marriage.
9. saaththiram paesugiRaay kaNNamaa saaththiram aedhukkadi
Saaththiram pesugiRaay, meaning speaking rules and customs. saaththiram aedhukkadi, means why rules and customs. I think he is trying to talk his wife that for love there are no rules and customs and why talk about them now (Purely imaginative and my interpretation).
10. aaththiram kondavarkkae kaNNamaa saaththiram uNdoadi
Aaththiram kondavarkkae, meaning people who are hasty and angry. saaththiram uNdoadi, meaning they need the rules and customs. I have no clue why this line but it may be to say that for a person who comes to you for love why impose rules and customs on him, it is for one who comes to you with anger.
11. mooththavar sammadhiyil vadhuvai muRaigaL pinbu seyvoam
It kind of gets tough here, mooththavar sammadhiyil, meaning in the presence of and with the permission of elders. vadhuvai muRaigaL, vadhuvai means proposal for marriage, muRaigaL is customs. So Mahakavi means the customs related to engagement and marriage. pinbu seyvoam, meaning will do them later. Hmm... my interpretation could be, for love between two people you don't need the convention and custom of marriage and engagement. Let us postpone all the customs of engagement and marriage in the elders presence. (Lovely!)
12. kaaththiruppaenoadi idhu paar kannaththu muththam onRu
kaaththiruppaenoadi, meaning will i be waiting for. idhu paar, meaning to look for. kannaththu muththam onRu, meaning a kiss on the cheek. In this line I feel he shows his love as a kiss on the cheek. Amazing amazing. I am left with few words now to describe this.
I have now shared the video below for those who do not know Tamil and have not heard the song before . Even if you don't want to read through the post you will surely like the song. Your comments and any alternate interpretations are welcome.
Are our new generation poets and lyricists incapable for writing, or have we exhausted the literary potential of the language. I believe that both my assumptions above are false and it is the audience and need of the society that have caused the change in the lyrics and the songs now. I wanted to analyze the lyrics and have translated them as per my knowledge and took the help of my roommate (Sundar) who is way better in Tamil than many that I know of.
This song is a description of Mahakavi for his love for Kannamma, his wife's name however is Chellammal. My roommate Sundar told me this is like a nick-name for his wife. So here are the lyrics and my interpretation of the meaning.
1. suttum vizhichchudardhaan kaNNammaa sooriya chandhiraroa
Suttum or Suterikum mean burning, hot or fire, Vizhi means eyes. So he describe the eyes as powerful. Chudardhaan, Chudar means radiant or bright. sooriya chandhiraroa, meaning are they like the sun and the moon. I feel sun for the burning hot and moon for the one that is radiating and bright.
2. vattak kariyavizhi kaNNammaa vaanak karumai kolloa
Vattam, means round or circular. Kariyavizhi, means dark, black iris of the eye. vaanak karumai kolloa, means taking the darkness of the night sky, and my roommate's interpretation is that of dark black rain clouds.
3. pattuk karuneelap pudavai padhiththa nal vayiram
Pattu Karuneela Pudavai, means dark silk blue Saree. Padhiththa nal vairam, means embed or embellish with diamonds, but me and my roommate's interpretation is that the beads in the Saree pallu are shining like real diamonds.
4. nattanadu nisiyil theriyum natchaththirangaLadi
Nattanadu, means right in the middle or center. nisiyil theriyum, means visible in the sky. NatchaththrangaLadi, means like the stars. We have to take this interpretation from the previous line. So Mahakavi, says that the beads in the dark blue Saree that are shining like real diamonds look like stars or constellations in the dark night sky.
5. soalai malaroLiyoa unadhu sundharap punnagaidhaan
Solai Malar, means beautiful flower but the interpretation can be multiple. Let me walk you through all of them. oLiyo, mean light here. unadhu, means yours. sundharap punnagaidhaan, means beautiful smile, punnagai means smile.
My roommate's interpretation is, the beautiful smile of yours is like the blooming of the sunflower during sunrise (Amazing!).
6. neelak kadalalaiyae unadhu nenjin alaigaLadi
Neela Kadalalaiyae, meaning the blue sea or ocean. nenjin alaigaLadi, means waves of your heart. The interpretation that we agreed in general is, the sound of the waves in the blue sea or ocean is that of the sound of your heartbeat.
7. koalak kuyiloasai unadhu kuralin inimaiyadi
Koalak kuyiloasai, means the sound of the cuckoo bird in the forest. unadhu kuralin inimaiyadi, means the sweetness of your voice. So the sweetness in your voice is like the sound made by the forest cuckoo bird.
8. vaalaik kumariyadi kaNNammaa maruvak kaadhal koNdaen
As per the input from my roommate, Vaalaikumari, means young lady. Maruva kaadhal koNdaen, means I have deeply, helplessly fallen in love with you. I am not sure here if he describes his wife here, because i asked my roommate that if Mahakavi Bharathi was describing his wife, why would he use the word vaalaikumari. She is married and how can she be described kumari. The interpretation is how he see her before marriage as a vaalai kumari. Please note that Mahakavi was married at a very young age and he feels that his wife is still a young lady even after marriage.
9. saaththiram paesugiRaay kaNNamaa saaththiram aedhukkadi
Saaththiram pesugiRaay, meaning speaking rules and customs. saaththiram aedhukkadi, means why rules and customs. I think he is trying to talk his wife that for love there are no rules and customs and why talk about them now (Purely imaginative and my interpretation).
10. aaththiram kondavarkkae kaNNamaa saaththiram uNdoadi
Aaththiram kondavarkkae, meaning people who are hasty and angry. saaththiram uNdoadi, meaning they need the rules and customs. I have no clue why this line but it may be to say that for a person who comes to you for love why impose rules and customs on him, it is for one who comes to you with anger.
11. mooththavar sammadhiyil vadhuvai muRaigaL pinbu seyvoam
It kind of gets tough here, mooththavar sammadhiyil, meaning in the presence of and with the permission of elders. vadhuvai muRaigaL, vadhuvai means proposal for marriage, muRaigaL is customs. So Mahakavi means the customs related to engagement and marriage. pinbu seyvoam, meaning will do them later. Hmm... my interpretation could be, for love between two people you don't need the convention and custom of marriage and engagement. Let us postpone all the customs of engagement and marriage in the elders presence. (Lovely!)
12. kaaththiruppaenoadi idhu paar kannaththu muththam onRu
kaaththiruppaenoadi, meaning will i be waiting for. idhu paar, meaning to look for. kannaththu muththam onRu, meaning a kiss on the cheek. In this line I feel he shows his love as a kiss on the cheek. Amazing amazing. I am left with few words now to describe this.
I have now shared the video below for those who do not know Tamil and have not heard the song before . Even if you don't want to read through the post you will surely like the song. Your comments and any alternate interpretations are welcome.
I am just glad that people like you are keeping things like this 'alive' :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not agree with all your interpretations.. For eg
"10. aaththiram kondavarkkae kaNNamaa saaththiram uNdoadi
Aaththiram kondavarkkae, meaning people who are hasty and angry. saaththiram uNdoadi, meaning they need the rules and customs. I have no clue why this line but it may be to say that for a person who comes to you for love why impose rules and customs on him, it is for one who comes to you with anger."
Your literal translation is what I agree with. Bharathi is known for his stands against customs.. So, it has nothing to do with ppl who approach her.. Now and then he (Bharathi) adds his views about the society and this is one eg.. Only the angry and crude guys need customs and rules!
And 12--> it is "idhu par" and NOT edhirpar according to the book I have..
Thanks Bala for your comments, I agree for the second part and it is Idhu par. I had it because my roommate insisted so. I checked now and will correct it.For the first one, Yeah we can say that way. But in the previous line Bharathi, says "you are talking rules and customs, why you need to talk rules and customs". Hence my interpretation. If his wife is speaking rules and customs to him, then accordingly he is angry and crude. A tough one, we need the Mahaakavi to tell us the thought behind that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway i appreciate your comments.
what i feel about your latest post is - its his imagination about the courtship period of him and his wife.. and as a young lover he asks her for a kiss in the cheek.. and she says how can i do that prior to marriage... that is not acceptable in our custom.. so he asks her ' satiram edukadi kannamma and questions her 'athiram kondavarku satiram undodi?' does a rebellious guy like me have any rules types.. and he says that he will marry her in front of all elders later but will wait for her kiss on the cheek first..
ReplyDeletehope it makes sense..
Yes, I would have agreed with Subha if it had been aathiram kondavarkku.. (hence it becomes a question.. Are there rules for .. ?) But it is aathiram kondavarkke .. 'e'karam instead of 'u' karam .. (Only for .. ) .. I am still confused..
ReplyDeletethis might be of your interest.. http://bharathiyaar.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThe http://bharathiyaar.blogspot.com/ has the meaning that are very shallow, I feel that it could have been explained better. The lines under discussion are still not clear. It says "vaalaik kumariyadi" as virgin which I do not agree. I feel people have added their imagination a lot to it. But yeah thanks Subha for the link, I can look at other songs too for their meaning.
ReplyDeleteSrini.. that site is impressive.. I guess you did not read it fully.. I am almost convinced that Shubha is right!
ReplyDeleteI was catching up on reading you blog. Really liked the poem, video & the site Subha suggested. I also agree with Subha's interpretation... Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete