Lyrical Love - Part III

I cannot help but come back to the lyrical love posts. Each time a beautiful song about love plays on my ipod, I am tempted to write down its lyrics and capture my emotions in its lovely words… written out on my blog.

This time however, I have songs in four languages to the kitty… Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English :

1) Saathiya, Tune Kya Kiya (Love - Hindi)

This is an older song from the Bollywood 80’s (when Salman Khan was still thin and had lots of hair on his head ;-)). Some of us mallus were amazed at the (wierd?) combination of a popular Malayalee actress Revathi with Salman in a movie called “Love” (See the song in YouTube). But anyways, I bring up this movie now not to dron about its unusual pairing but for this timeless song…

The music (by Anand Milind) captures that era and leaves you feeling like you’re walking in the Bombay of the 80’s… on an evening as the sun is setting; your heart is filled with the joy of being alive, and love. The song is sung by two South Indian singers - the maestro SP Balasubramaniam and the woman with the voice of gold - KS Chitra. SPB is flawless as usual and Chitra’s accent for once doesn’t distract you from her beautiful voice. The lilts in their voices as they sing the “la-la-la” sweeps you off your feet, a rush of emotions capture you as you echo those words with the song that makes you want to run (Bollywood style) straight into the arms of a lover, who’s telling you “jaana kahaan? aa dil mein aa”…….*Sigh*.
Not surprising, since it is penned by the genius Majrooh Sultanpuri.

[Male]
Saathiya, tune kya kiya
Beliya, tune kya kiya…

[Female]
Maine kiya, tera intezaar…

[Male]
Itna karo na mujhe pyaar… (2)

[Female]
Saathiya, tune kya kaha
Beliya, tune kya kaha…

[Male]
Yoon na kabhi, karna intezaar…

[Female]
Maine kiya he tumse pyaar… (2)

[Paragraph]
[Male]
Itni mohabbat, seh na sakoonga
Sach maano zinda, reh na sakoonga…

[Female]
Tujhko sambhaaloon, yeh mera zimma
Main hoon tho kya hum, jaane tamanna…

[Male]
Ab jeena marna mera, jaanam tere haath he…

[Female]
Maine kaha na sanam, ab tu mere saath he…

[Male]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Female]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya….

[Paragraph]
[Female]
Dil ke chaman ka, hasna tho dekho
Jaage nazar ka, sapna tho dekho

[Male]
Aise hue hum, ek jaan ek dil
Tu he ke main hoon, kehna he mushkil

[Female]
Jhonka basanti he tu,
Than he gulaabi mera…

[Male]
Do rang milne ke baad,
hothe nahi he juda

[Female]
Tho phir sambhaal, ke main chala

[Male]
Jaana kahaan, aa dil mein aa (la-la-la…)

Saathiya…

2) Munbe Vaa (S(J)illinu oru kaadhal - Tamil)

It would be sacrilege if I don’t mention Munbe Vaa in a blog devoted to love and beautiful songs. (And yes, I know I have written about this before in my album review but I can still speak volumes about this song ;)) This has kept me company for many of my travel journeys, times when I would listen ardently to the lyrics, and wonder if there would be the perfect love in my life. And then, when I would listen to them again, and sing along… living my idea of the perfect love. Munbe Vaa is one of AR’s best melodies. The prelude piece brings visions of droplets of water falling, dancing rather, as they fall softly onto the earth - only to blend with other droplets and flow into an ocean as the main song emerges.

[Female]
Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
Poo poovai poopom vaa

Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan…. neeya, nenjam sonnathey

Munbe vaa…

[Chorus]
Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vazhi…
Vallayal sattham

Jal jal….

Rango rangoli
KOlangal nee pOttaal
KOlam pOttava kaigal vaazhi
Sundara malligai sandhana malligai
Sinthiya punnagai vannam enna…

[Female]
Poovaithai poovaithai
Nee poovaikkor poovaithai
MaNa poovaithu poovaitha
Poovaikkul thee vaithai, oh…

[Male]
Theyney nee mazhayil aada
Naan maan naan nanainthen vaada
En naalathil un rattham naadikuL unn sattham
Uyire…ho…

[Female]
ThOzhi oru sila naazhi
Thaniyena aanaal tharayinil neendhum mmm.

Munbe vaa en anbe vaa
OoNe vaa uyire vaa…

[Male]
Naan, naana kEtEn ennai naane
Naan… neeya, nenjam sonnathey…

[Female]
Munbe vaa…

[Male]
Nilavidam vaadagai vaangi
Vizhi veettinil kudi vaikkalaama
Naan vazhum veettukul
Veraarum vanthaley
Thagumaa…

[Female]
Thenmalai thEykakku nee thaan
Unthan thoLgaLil idam tharalamaa
Naan saayum thOlmel verorum saaynthaley
Thagumaa…

[Male]
Neerum sengula cherum
Kalanthathu poley kalanthavar yaar…

Munbe vaa…

The song is written by Vaali, and sung by Naresh and Shreya. See the video here. And I have seen lots of people requesting it, and have been prey to it myself - the translation of this song. Couple of versions are available on the net, but the best one I liked is this.

3) Moovanthiyaay Pagalil (Pakshe - Malayalam)
This is not a song most people refer to often. But it is a phenomenal one, if ever there can be one. Music by Johnson, written by K Jayakumar, sung by the “gaana gandharvan” Dr. KJ Yesudas. The song embodies a more mature love and its inherent sadness, pain, angst. The music and words burn into your heart, its warm embers glowing through your eyes causing you to hold yourself close, lest those feelings burst out of your heart and lose you in their midst.

[Male]
Moovanthiyaay pakalil raavin viral sparshanam
TheerangaLil baashpa deepangaLil
POrithal naaLamaay nombaram…

Moovanthiyaay…

RavEReyaay piriyaanaruthathoru nOvin rapadikaL (2)
Choodathora poompeelikaLaal koodonnu koottiyallo,
Janmangalee veenayil meettum eenam
Moolunnu raakkattukal

Moovanthiyaay…

YaamangaLil kozhiyan madiyaayoru tharam thEngunnuvo (2)
InnOrmayil kilivaathilukal thaane thurannuvallo,
DoorangaLil enthino kannu chimmi
Veendum nishagandhikaL

Moovanthiyaay…

4) Is This Love (Whitesnake - English)
This is my most special song and it will remain so forever. I heard it for the first time (sent to me by my very special person ;)) at a time when I was just waltzing into love and to this day each time I hear it, it brings in those wave of emotions. The thrill, the magic and the feeling of floating in air :). It beats everything else in this world. (Btw, you can see the video here)

Should have known better
Than to let you go alone
(It’s) Times like these
Can’t make it on my own
Wasted days, and sleepless nights
An’ I can’t wait to see you again…

Find I spend my time
Waiting on your call
How can I tell you, babe
Back’s against the wall…

Need you by my side
To tell me it’s alright
Cos’ I don’t think I can take anymore…

Is this love, that I’m feeling
Is this the love, that I’ve been searching for
Is this love, or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…
Hold on me…

Can’t stop the feeling
Been this way before
But, with you I’ve found the key
To open any door

Can feel my love for you
Growin’ stronger day by day
An’ I can’t wait too see you again…

So I can hold you in my arms

Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love that I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
Cos’ it’s really got a hold on me…

Hold on me…

Is this love…

Hmmm. Yes, it is!

Lyrical Love - Part II

 

It’s nostalgia season now, since I’m briefly separated from the land I love. As I listen to songs at work, the sweet strains, bells and percussion of the music takes me into a land of my dreams… a world, a piece of which, I’d like to share with you all, right here, right now. As ever, my obsession is still Love.

So here’s another iteration of Lyrical Love. Enjoy!

1) Theeram ThedumoLam (Vandanam - Malayalam)

This is one of my ever-favorite songs in Malayalam. One that brings me visions of the green fields, the silvery green water in the ponds and the warmth of the traditional, Hindu ancestral homes in Kerala. Theeram thedumoLam is from the malayalam movie Vandanam, which is set in Bangalore. Strangely, my visions are quite different from those shown in the actual movie visuals - and yeah, I have a reason for the contradiction :).

The first time I heard the song, when I was in the 6th or so, was in Kerala during my summer vacations. The thrill of being in the beautiful natural environment, with my family around, coupled with adolescence and romance slowly creeping into my being, was like magic. I and my cousin sister (a year older than me) - more best friends than relatives - were in a world of our own… secrets, mystery, music and the first set of cupid’s arrows being pierced through our childlike hearts. Listening and humming the songs around, playing secret games with each other and discussing movies, our first crushes and our awakening to the beauty - of the world and people, around us.

Today when I hear this song, I still feel my heart tugging with the same emotions…Innocence is bliss, Love is divine.

Here is the lyrics of the song… sung by M. G. Sreekumar and Sujatha, written by Shibu Chakravarthy and set to tune by Ouseppachchan. Spare some time to listen to the song whenever possible.

[Chorus]
Dheem thana nana nana nagruthanithom,
Dhirana dhirana nana nagruthanithom.

[Male]
Theeram thedumoLam premageethangal thannu
EeNam cherthu njaan innonnu kaadhil paranju

[Female]
Ee raavil nee enne thottu thottunarthi
MinnumkuligaLil LaaLikkum
Njan oru chithra vipanjikayaay…

[Male]
Theeram…

[Paragraph]
[Female]
Pon thaazham poonkaavukaLil,
Thannaalaadum poongaatte,
Innaa thirayude thirumuttam
Thoothu thalikkaan nee varumo

[Male]
Mungi kuLi kazhinjeththiya pennin
Mudiyil choodaan poo tharumo…

[Female]
Aaa…

[Male]
Venn thaaram poo mizhi chimmi,
Mandam mandam maayumbol
Innee purayil poomanjam,
Ninne urakkaan njaan virikkum

[Female]
Swapnam kandoru poovirimaaRin,
Pushpathalaththiyil, njan urangum

[Male]
Aa….

[Female & Male]
Theeram…

2) Un Samayal Arayil (Dhill - Tamil)

This is a crazy song indeed :). When I heard it the first time, I wondered what the lyricist was thinking of… But over time, and with the proper translation of the lyrics, it occurred to me how much the simplest of lyrics can hit you in the softest spots :). See the lyrics below- I’ve given the translation alongwith each line, since it makes much more sense that way… The song is tuned beautifully by Vidyasagar, worded by Kabilan and sung by Unnikrishnan and Sujatha.

[Male]
Un samayal arayil, naan uppa sakkaraiya? (In your kitchen, am I the salt or the sugar?)

[Female]
Nee padikkum arayil, naan kangalaa pusthakamaa? (In your study, am I the eyes or the book?)

[Male]
Nee viraLkal enraal, naan nagama modirama? (If you are fingers, am I the nails or the ring?)

[Female]
Aaa, nee idalkal enraal, naan mutthama punnakayaa? (If you are lips, am I a kiss or a smile?)

[Male]
Nee azhagu enraal, naan kaviya oviyana? (If you are beauty, am I a poet or a sculptor?)

Un samayal arayil…

[Paragraph]

[Female]
Naan vekkam enraal, nee sivappa kannankala? (If I am shyness, are you the reddishness or the cheeks?)

[Male]
Naan theendal enraal, nee viralaa sparisangala? (If I am the touch, are you the fingers or the sensation of it?)

[Female]
Nee kuzhanthai enraal, naan thottilla thalaatta? (If you are a child, am I the cradle or the lullaby?)

[Male]
Nee thookkam enraal, naan madiya thalaiyana? (If you are sleep, am I the lap or a pillow?)

[Female]
Naan idhayam enraal, nee uyira thudi-thudippaa (If I am a heart, are you the life, or the heartbeat?)

Un samayal arayil…

[Male]
Nee vithaikal enraal, naan vEra viLainilamaa? (If you are seeds, am I the root or the fertile land?)

[Female]
Nee virunthu enraal, naan pasiya rusiya? (If you are a feast, am I hunger or taste?)

[Male]
Nee kaïdi enraal, naan siraiya dhandanaiya? (If you are a prisoner,am I the jail or the punishment?)

[Female]
Nee mozhigal enraal, naan tamizha osaigalaa? (If you are language, am I Tamil or the sound?)

[Male]
Nee puthuvai enraal, naan bharathiya bharathithasana? (If you are Puthuvai (Puducheri), am I Bharathi or Bharathidasan?)

Nee…

Nee thanimai enraal, naan thunaiya dooratthila? (If you are solitude, am I your company, or far away from you?)

[Female]
Nee thunaithaan enraal, naan pesava yosikkava? (If you are my company, should I speak or think?)

[Male]
Nee thirumbi ninraal, naan nikkava poyvidavaa? (If you have your back turned to me, should I stay or go away?)

[Female]
Aa…Nee pokiraay enraal, naan azhaikkava azhuthidavaa? (If you go away, should I call out to you, or cry?)

[Male]
Nee kadhal enraal naan sariya thavara? (In your (if you are) love, am I right are wrong?)

[Female]
Un valathu kayyil paththu viral (On your right hand, there are ten fingers)
En idathu kayyil paththu viral (On my left hand, there are ten fingers)

Dooraththu megham, thooralkal sintha,
Theertha mazhayil, thee kulippoo…

(The far-away clouds, start a drizzle
We will be immolate ourselves in the rain…)

3) Kya Mujhe Pyaar He (Woh Lamhe - Hindi)

One of the recent songs that have caught my fancy. Kya Mujhe Pyaar He from the movie Woh Lamhe, has two versions - a slow one and the remix: The slow version is the one to listen to, although the remix is pretty racy and can get your feet tapping, and your body breaking out into a jig. Pritam’s music, lyrics by Neelesh Misra and sung by Kay Kay. The slow song begins with guitar strings, a slow chorus and within a second, you’re caught, blinded, trapped. Kay Kay’s voice sounds like steel, cutting across your sensations with his unwavering rendition of “Kya mujhe pyaar he, aisa khumaar he”. I cannot desist from mentioning the the song is another of Pritam’s blatant lifts (of the track Tak Bisakah by the Indonesian rock band Peterpan), but its hard to ignore its wonderful music and worse :), its lyrics… Just the song to express the first sensations of love for a person. With this song, love is no longer a soft feather wafting across your face. It is like being under a waterfall, falling in sheets, pricking like needles, bringing with it, a cold thrill inside your body and soaring your senses to newer heights.

Read further for the lyrics. I will try to put up a translation when I have time, later.

Kyoon aaj kal, neend kam, khwaab zyaada hai
Lagtha khuda ka koi nEk iraada hai
Kal tha faqir aaj dil shehzaada hai
Lagtha khuda ka koi nEk iraada hai

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

[Paragraph]
Paththar ke in raston pe, phoolon ki ik chaadar hai
Jabse mile ho humko, badla har ik manzar hai

Dekho jahaan main neele neele aasmaan thale
Rang naye naye hain jaise ghulte hue
Soye se khwaab mere jaage tere waasthe
Tere khayaalon se hain bheege mere raasthe

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

[Paragraph]
Tum kyun chale aate ho, har roz in khwaabon main
Chupke se aa bhi jao ek din meri baahon main

Tere hi sapne andheron main ujaalon main
Koi nasha hai teri aankhon ke pyaalon main
Tu mere khwaabon main, jawaabon main, sawaalon main
Har din chura tumhe main laatha hoon khayaalon main

Kya mujhe pyar hai… ya..
Aisa khumaar hai…                           (2)

Sillunu (Jillunu) Oru Kaadhal

Thought I’d break the prolonged silence on my blog with a music review :).

SOK Music Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5.

I had heard the music of SOK some time ago, because there were a lot of people talking about it, and I was getting requests to post a review. After three weeks of intense personal activities, here is my take on the album (whew…finally :)):

What can I say about AR Rahman, that hasn’t been said before. It can only be a man of pure genius (like him) who can come up with a number like Munbe Vaa En Anbe Vaa. Each time I hear the song, I feel my senses melting - suddenly, nothing else matters in the world and the song takes my body and soul into another dimension altogether. The song starts with a piano interlude (don’t I love songs that start like that :)) and the combination of Shreya Ghosal and Naresh Iyer, that follows, is sheer magic. While her sweet honey-like voice wafts into your ears and fills your being, his husky, silvery tones gently brush alongside hers and sweeps into prominence almost at the end of the song (I would have liked more of Naresh in the song though )… Rahman blends multiple layers of both the voices to create a masterpiece that only the maestro is capable of. I also love the lyrics (and will be posting it on my song lyrics page soon) - here is the extract that I like the most, because I think it has this spark of naughtiness

Nilavidam vaadagai vaangi
Vizhi veetinil kudi vaikkalaama
Naan vaazhum veettukul verarum vanthaley
Thagumaa…

Thenmalai thekkukku nee thaan
Unthan thoLgalil idam tharalaama
Naan saayum thOlmel verorum saainthaley…
Thagumaa…

Neerum sengula chErum
Kalanthathu poley kalanthavar yaar…

The next song that I liked in the album is the other popular number Machakari. I first saw the song on TV before I heard it, and what struck me initially was that it  is almost a continuation of Rahman’s experiments with western music. Its a dance number with catchy beats, and will  get you to shake your head, tap your feet in tune with it. Shanker and Vasundhara are complete rock stars in this song, and Rahman succeeds in tapping the raw-ness potential in both the voices thereby giving us facets which we haven’t heard earlier; Also another surprising element in the song is that both loud and soft sounds intermingle and there are instruments (that I cannot recognize) playing softly in the background contributing to the multi-layers.

NewYork Nagaram was the surprise piece for me, because I never really expected it to be so addictive. Rahman is in superb form (his voice tugs on my heart); the guitar strings and the hollow chorus in the background is haunting. The perfect song for solitude :), and for commemorating long-distance love, and longing… [Infact, the song is so perfect that I found the visuals in the movie lacking - it was looking like a Tanha Dil (DCH) copy :(]

Jillendru Oru Kaadhal is the opening song of the movie. Very stylishly packaged song - reminds me of the English Broadway musicals in the 60’s, of jazz, the movie Chicago, and Rahman’s own number “Hello Mr. Ethirkatchi” in Iruvar. The voices (Tanvi, and ?) are very cute, I loved the indulgence :).. there is also a stray alley-cat somewhere there. Leave it to Rahman to add a bit like that

Majja Majja: SPB Saran in yet-another-sensual number, with Shreya accompanying him. Reminded me of kaadhal sadugudu… but please don’t compare the visual presentation of the song. Kaadhal sadugudu is a treat for the eyes - sensual and subtle whereas even though Majja Majja is interesting and catchy, the visual in the movie is in-your-face, and there are too many jatkas-matkas that destroy the subtle nuances of play in the song. I was disappointed because this was the song where Surya’s and Jyothika’s chemistry should have set the screens ablaze, but it did nothing of the sort. The song is  beautiful - please listen to it while banishing all thoughts of the actual visuals - you’ll enjoy it then.

Maricham: Techno-indulgence. Rahman displays the finesse that he showed in “Dol Dol” in Ayudha Ezhutha, here also. I love what he is doing to Indian contemporary music - we get to hear so many world influences in his pieces nowadays… we’re coming of age :). Some parts of the song have an Enigma hangover, and then some parts of the background that remind me of the Nightrider theme music. I didn’t understand much of the lyrics - I think if I do, I will appreciate this piece more. The “Tejomayam” echo lingers on…

Kummi Adi:  This is a track set in the tamil village - exulting over a marriage with elements of the Iyer culture thrown in generous doses within the lyrics. Kummi Adi is the perfect icing on the SOK cake that blends such diametrically different music in the same album. I wish I could understand the lyrics a little bit more - for now, my appreciation of the song is limited to its native flavoring, and of course Naresh’s presence in it - Rahman surely knows how to tap the vocal dimensions of this guy - what a contrast Kummi Adi is to Munbe Vaa, Roobaroo and Tu bin bataye.

Summing up, this is one album every Rahman fan needs to have with them. However, when I watched the movie, I did secretly wish that it had been Mani Ratnam instead, to give the perfect visual interpretation to the maestro’s magic… anyway, I guess the effort was good enough. I’d give the movie a rating of 2 and 3/4 (because it wasn’t good enough for a 3)… oh, but then that’s content for a whole new post isn’t it ;).

Lyrical Love

 

Love is an endearing emotion. Its seeds are sown young and sometimes we spend our entire lives in pursuit of the eternal love that we may probably never get on earth.

What makes love totally paradoxical is that the more we love, the more we want to possess, but the more we try to possess, the more love escapes from us.

By its very nature love is pure, divine and free. Its the acme of all emotions on this earth, and a riddle for anyone who’s been in its midst. Poets wax eloquently about love; yet no poetry fully characterizes it.

Recently I came across a site that had English translations of popular Hindi songs, and I realized that some of our Indian film lyricists did really try to infuse poetry in their songs, and most of the beautiful lyrics came from songs about love.

I then thought I’d blog about some Indian love ballads and their translations as a precursor to better poetry in film songs, and many more beautiful love songs to come, and as a tribute to this wonderful emotion called love…

Song	Translation
Film: Gangster Language: Hindi Lyricist: Sayeed Quadri Tu hi meri shab he, subah he, tu hi din he mera. tu hi mera rab he, jahaan he, tu hi meri duniya… Tu waqt, mere liye, mein hoon tera lamha, kaisa rahega bhala, hoke tu mujhse juda…	You are my night, my dawn you are my day. you are my god, my universe, you are my world... To me, you are time and I'm every moment for you. How can you ever live apart from me...
Film: Ayudha Ezhuthu Language: Tamil Lyricist: Vairamuthu Yakkai thiri Kaadhal sudar Jeevan nadhi Kaadhal kadal Piravi pizhai Kaadhal thirutham Irudhayam kal Kaadhal sirpam Jenmam vidhai Kaadhal pazham Lokam dwaitham Kaadhal advaitham Sarvam soonyam Kaadhal pinnyam Maanudam maayam Kaadhal amaram.	Body is a wick Love is the flame Soul is a river Love is the sea Birth is a mistake Love is the correction Heart is of stone Love is the sculpture Birth is a seed Love is the fruit The world is dual, Love is singular Everything(sarvam) is zero(soonyam) Love is infinite Life is an illusion Love is immortal.
Film: Summer in Bethlehem Language: Malayalam Lyricist: Gireesh Puthenchery Oru raathri koodi vidavaangave, Oru paattu mooli veyil veezhave, Pathiya parannen arikil varum, azhakinte thoovalaanunee. palanaalalanjamaru yaathrayil, hridayam thiranja priya swapname, mizhikalkku munpil ithalaarnu nee, viriyaanorungi nilkayo pularaan thudangum oru raathriyil, thaniye kidannu mizhivaangave, oru nertha thennal alivodevannu nerukil thalodi maanjuvo… malarmanju veena vana veedhiyil, idayante paattu kaathorkave, oru paazhkinaavil urukumnoren, manassinte paattu kettuvo… nizhal veezhum ente idanaazhiyil, kanivode poottha mani deepame, oru kunju kaattil anayaathenin, thirinaalam ennum kaathidaam.	As one more night bids adieu, and the sunlight falls whilst humming a song, You are the feather of beauty that wafts and settles next to me... In my travels that have gone on for many days, oh dear dream that has sought my heart, are you, draped in petals, waiting to blossom in my eyes? As the night was giving way to dawn, and I lay alone, with my eyes open, A breeze came with love, and disappeared after caressing my forehead... On a path in the forest decked with mist, as you're straining your ears to listen to the shepherd's song, did you hear the song emanating from my mind which is melting in a futile dream... In my corridor which is filled with shadows, You are the lamp that has flowered with mercy, Forever, I will protect you from every breeze that tries to blow your light out.

These are of course just a selection of three different songs from Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam… I got the lyrics for the Hindi and Tamil from other websites, but the Malayalam song translation is solely mine [I think it may be a bit crude here and there, but then this was all I could come up with in the short duration of time I had to write the post].

There are thousands of Indian film songs written on love, and some are sheer classics in terms of their poetic excellence… all written and inspired by the most beautiful emotion in this world: Love.