This is Bharathiyar, as himself, writing/singing to the Kannamma he loves. Why would you have a woman’s voice singing it? Why make a duet out of a solo? What a wonderful poem it is, pure metaphor and great simile in line after line, (nearly as good as Shakespeare’s metaphor in Romeo and Juliet “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun! Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”) ending with a superlative
“தாரணியில் வானுலகில் சார்ந்திருக்கு மின்பமெல்லாம்
ஓருருவ மாய்ச்சமைந்தாய்! உள்ளமுதமே! கண்ணம்மா!”
How can there even be a doubt about the author’s voice and the singer’s voice? It is purely a man writing to his girl.
Which brings me to the next point: why do people who turn Bharathiyar’s poems into songs leave out some of his best lines?
I know only this: the way I spent my whole life daydreaming about what it
would be like to wake up with your hair in my mouth, your feet curved
against the soles of mine. Learning your texture long before I knew your
touch.
நான் அறிந்தது உன்னையே. என் கனவெல்லாம் உன் கூந்தல், என் ருசி எல்லாம் உண் மேனி.
உன் பாதத்தில் என் கைகள், என் கைகளில் உன் பாதம்
And you, a constellation of brilliance, you who could have been anything.
What stings is that even then you would never have chosen to be mine. Still,
you shredded me with your teeth and screamed your madness to the skies,
brought the moon down in a apocalypse of envy. For you have always
நீ? நீ நவமணிகள், விண்ணின் பட்டாளங்கள்
நீ! நினைத்தால் யாராகியும் நிர்ப்பவள்
என்னை நினைக்கவில்லை, என்னுடன் நிற்கவில்லை
உன் வெறியை பிறருக்கு அறிவித்து, பிறையை இழுதை
என் வெறியை யாரிடம் சொல்வேன்? என் பொறாமையை எங்கு புதைப்பேன்?
Why must I alone
be enveloped by the hell of loneliness,
my precious, my iris?
உன்றன் மேனியை
ஆயிரங்கோடி முறை
நாடித் தழுவி மனக் – குறை தீர்ந்து நான்
நல்ல களி யெய்தியே,
பாடிப் பரவசமாய் – நிற்கவே தவம்
பண்ணிய தில்லை யடி!
blessed will I not be,
by the haven that’s your company?
Will I not hold you, hug you, once, twice, a thousand
fill my heart with your embrace,
and the air with my song
of joy?
பார்த்த விடத்திலெல்லாம் – உன்னைப்போலவே
பாவை தெரியு தடீ!
My precious, my iris
all I see, everywhere
are you
ting *
Oh, that was just me, breaking the silence.
So, what’s been keeping me quiet? Among other things, possible carpal tunnel injury on my right wrist, or worse yet, a flare up of my Rheumatism/Arthritis. Joy.
What’s also keeping me quiet and away from SelAm is work, of the academic kind. I’ve had to do 2 critical analysis (of a minimum of 2500 words each.) and 3 short documentary films, a dissertation proposal, a dissertation presentation, research for the said dissertation. Also keeping me from blogging is my role as a) Stills Photographer for the MAFTVP summer film, and b) site photographer for the Berkeley Excavations 2010.
So I got to do a few things I needn’t have done, but did anyway because I am a geek like that. I was menial labour and sub-deputy-assistant grip for a film shoot, and then turned actual grip when the crew had issues to sort out. I also got to wield a mattock, a trowel and brush as part of the Archaeology department’s summer Field School for archaeologists.
On to random things, because that’s how we roll.
I find it strangely unsettling that in the 10ish months I’ve spent in Brizzle, I haven’t spotted a single plane flying over my head. Superman, yes. Plane, no. Contrast with Madras, which while it isn’t a Heathrow or a Bombay, had enough flights in the air to give an environment-lover serious indigestion.
Still rolling randomly, I think I’ve come to love mushrooms more than potatoes.
Meanwhile, Vatsan brings news of the latest photowalk
Since the sweltering heat of May is over, the photowalks can happen in the mornings, and this time we will be starting the walk from a 11th century Chola temple. This temple is decicated to Dandeeshwarar. The legend says that Lord Yama worshipped here to get his Danda back after the faceoff with Shiva over Markendaya.
The temple being a 11th century one will offer plenty of photo opportunities, and is also well maintained. It also as is the case with all temples has a market nearby. We will then walk down from there till the vijaynagar bus stand and then to the madipakkam bridge and finally ending the walk at the madipakkam road. The Madipakkam bridge is an built over an open pond/lake/yeri, and hence will offer some good photo opportunities.
Date: 20th of June, 7 am from Dandeeshwarar kovil in Velachery. And for the directionally challenged, here is a map
As always, call Vatsan for help. 94449 99456 or 95000 70176
Vatsan does indeed, both literally and conceptually, follow in my footsteps. This month’s photowalk begins where the 2nd and the 13th photowalk end.
Here are the pertinent details. From the horse’s mouth.
This is a quasi repeat of the 2nd Chennai walk. It is a classic Chennai Route. This walk begins at the War Memorial outside Island Grounds. The aim is to shoot that and then walk down the marina beach, hopefully capturing images of Napier Bridge and then cross the Samadhis of Anna And MGR before ending the walk hopefully somewhere near Kannagi Statue. This route is littered with examples Indo Saracenic architecture and there the backdrop of the recently opened Secretariat.
The only change is that considering its peak summer, this has to be an evening walk. There will be the setting sun in the Horizon when viewed from Napier bridge making for some wonderful shots.
Date: 23rd May
Time: 17.00 Hrs
Starting Point: War Memorial
And as usual if your lost/have questions contact Vatsan via email at sm.vatsan@gmail.com or mobile phones 9444999456 or 95000 70176
I am seriously, very seriously considering changing my long-held agnostic belief. Music wise, that is. At-least, Madras/Tamil film music wise. The whole of last evening and the last 2 hours was spent tracking down and listening to IR stuff, and in the process listened to all the tracks from his 1988 album ‘How to name it’ repeatedly. Bravo.
As an aside, I am not sure how to interpret recent stats for my blog. 67 uniques a day on average. But almost entirely search results and the occasional link from posts long lost in the archives of others’ blogs. I am no longer the relevant or popular blogger I (never?) was. Oh well.
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