Bridging the gap!

Fortunate are those who know to read, and even more are those who can, in more than one language.

My mother tongue is Tamil, but my mother’s language is English, even though she loves Tamil. So, I’m introduced to literature of English and Tamil at a very early stage.

As much as I love reading in both languages,I love to write in both as well. Since, most of my communication is required to be in English, writing in English has become more common than my mother tongue.

My blog wasn’t started on an impulse. I first decided on the tag line, “aZhagiya salanangal“, then on the name “Ripples”. Also the very first post I conceived for my blog was in Tamil, which can be read here and I eventually translated it into English, here.

The reason I shifted to English is for two reasons. First, my Tamil audience is so limited, that there is no point writing solely in English is understandable to them. Secondly, my respect for the language is the highest and I don’t use it in vain. So I started writing in Tamil, only after a long thought process and for the content very close to my heart.

I mean no disrespect for English, as that’s the first language I prefer to communicate with a stranger and that’s the language that has given my words a global audience!

To find a balance between my passion for writing in my mother tongue and for reaching global audience, I stepped into translation. And that opened a whole new horizon for me.

I started translating only on my blog and for my own work, but later extended it to translate movie lyrics, just so, those who weren’t able to understand Tamil could understand the beauty of the works in Tamil. That led me to working and becoming co owner of the site, lyricaldelights.com

This venture has led me to take my passion to next level, when I started translating the works is my favorite poet in Tamil, Bharathiyaar. The project is still a work in progress, but what’s done so far can be found here.

I’m not sure whether I would be this content if I was able to write in just one language. But being the bridge between the two has made me even more purposeful and content.

Today is World Literacy Day! And I dedicate this post to everyone who’s taking a step forward to make the world a little more wider with knowledge!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa

Ahoy! Five years on board!

My blog did cross a pompous milestone of Five Years! And this is the first year, it had gone by without me blowing the trumpet for it..

I recently revamped the looks of my site. And thought of cleaning up my past posts. Since I am yet to grow strong within to call crap as crap, my old silly posts still stay, for now.. But I had better success with my drafts and this one needed to be posted on my blog..

I wrote this for my 100th post.. But I am much closer to my 500th right now.. So I have changed over those 100s of posts and might also claim to have grown a teensy bit.. Yet in the depth of my hearts, I still have a high pride of my blog and here below is one such pompous trumpet blowing post.. Reserve your judgements, till you read it till the very end..

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Written on Feb 8, 2016

Now go grab a cup of coffee or chai and some refreshments so you won’t sleep in between this long post of ramble.. 😉

This is my 100th post!

It had taken a very long journey of two years to cross the two-thirds, while just one month was enough to complete the last one-third.

I have successfully managed to post a day on every day so far, in spite of the times I was inclined to not write up the next. I wanted to post daily, not out of some challenge or someone dared me to! I took this up voluntarily for a personal reason and this seems to work beautifully.

Now is the time to take a look back, so I would know what I have come across, so I could reassure myself that, I could go further and reach where I want to reach!

I had updated my Facebook page’s ‘About me’ as follows. Do take note that it was written more than a year back.

The merger!

Water, one of the dearest subject for Ripples and for me. Here is another dimension to water.

The water, in most forms, is rarely considered as the final stage and rather used as example to seeking the destiny in next stage. Like a river attaining destiny while reaching the sea, a drop attaining destiny by becoming a pearl, the drop on lotus leaf and so on..

The crust of earth is basically split into two, surface covered by water and land.

Just like the water being omnipresent in many ways, the land / soil could be represented in many many ways. Rocks, boulders, mountains, sand, soil and so on.

When water meets many of those, the water retains its nature as water, just as the other component retains its own nature. Or the reaction happens to one of them while the other remains the same.

Whereas when water meets a certain kind of soil, the water and soil bonds together and becomes mud, where the water attains the color of soil and the soil becomes almost liquid, losing its dry and solid state.

Thus, merged the heart of two, in love, inseparable and into one, by losing itself. And together they could be created into new formations, which isn’t possible to be attained by either water or soil independently.

This is the example given by an anonymous poet to describe love at first sight. And the richness of the thought paved way to name the poet after this example.

யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ,
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர்,
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும்,
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல,
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே.

-செம்புலப் பெயனீரார்.

What is my mother to yours?
How is my father relatednto yours? Although you and I knew not
each other in any way,
just as red earth and pouring rain:
the love-filled hearts merged.

(Kuruntokai – 40)

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuṟuntokai]

The Penance!

சூனியத்திலிருந்து சூரியனாகும் ஒரு பயணம்
பெரும் பிரயத்தனம் கொண்டே
மெதுமெதுவாக சிறு பிறையினைக் கூட்டி
சுட்டெரிக்கும் வெம்மையை அகற்றி
தண்ணென குளிர்வைக் கூட்டி
முழு தகடாய் ஒளிர்ந்த நாளில்,
சலனமற்ற தண்ணீர் உரக்கவே முழங்கியது
வெண்ணிலவின் களங்கம் கொண்ட வெண்மையினை..

கண்டு நாணி முகில் கொண்டு முகம் மூடி
வெட்கி மருகி தினம் தினம் கரைந்தது..
அத்துடன் கரைந்தது அதன் களங்கமும்..

மீண்டும் வளர மீண்டும் களங்கம்,
மீண்டும் தேய்ந்தும் மாளா நம்பிக்கை..

யுகங்கள் கடந்து பிறவிகள் கடந்து
தினம் தினம் நிகழும் ஒரு போராட்டம்..
சூனியம் சூரியனாகும் நாள் வரை
நிலவின் நம்பிக்கையும் வளரும்!

A journey from infinity to Sun..
With a tremendous effort,
Adding one crescent over another,
Removing the wrath of heat,
It glowed as a full plate
And on that day,
The undisturbed water screamed out loud,
Pointing the impurities in the white of the moon..

The moon closed its face with the clouds,
in shame, it started declining everyday..
And along with it, its impurities..

As it grew back, so did the spots,
Thought it shrunk, its hope did not..

Over eons and many births
The struggle continues everyday..
Till the day the new moon becomes full moon,
The hope too grows along with it!

 

Dreams

என்றோ எங்கோ கேட்ட குரல்
என்றோ எங்கோ கண்ட கனா
என்றோ எங்கோ உதிர்த்த வார்த்தை

கண் முன்னே நிகழும் தருணம்
உள்ளம் கொண்ட உவப்பின் அளவு
அளவீடுகளுக்குள் அடங்கிடுமோ

The voice heard someday somewhere,
The dream dreamt someday somewhere,
The word uttered someday somewhere..

When it all come true,
The happiness springing in the heart,
Is there any way to measure it?!

Will you be my messenger?!

எழுதிவிட்டேன்
உனக்கான என்
காதல் கவிதைகளை..

மூண்டது
உள்ளே
சிறு யுத்தம்..

நேரில் சொல்லவோ
தூதில் சொல்லவோ
என்ற குழப்பத்தில்..

வெட்கம் முந்தி
தூது சொல்ல
ஆணையிட்டது..

மீண்டும்
மூண்டது
ஒரு போர்..

தூது சொல்ல
அன்னப்பட்சி தேடவோ
அலைப்பேசி தேடவோ என..

விரைந்து செல்ல
அலைப் பேசி என
மனம் மதிக்கு சொல்ல..

மடிந்தே விட்டதாக
எண்ணிய அறிவு
மையலின் மடி நீங்கி

அன்னப்பட்சிகளால் மட்டுமே
தூது சொல்ல முடியுமென
இடித்துறைத்தது ..

மையலின் பிடியில்
சிக்கிய மனது
போருக்குப் புறப்பட..

அலைப் பேசி இணைப்பு
கனவுலகிலும் உண்டோ என
கொக்கரித்தது அறிவு..

என் க’ன’வனுக்கு
அவசரமாக
தூது செல்ல

கடனாகவது
கிடைக்குமா
அன்னப்பட்சி??

Memories or Moments?!

A throwback post. Thrown back since I stumbled on to the post for some random reason and I fell for the words once again.. So presenting it back to you all, in case you have missed it.. Waiting to hear your thoughts on this..

Do you live in the present or a prison of past?

நிகழ்வுகளின் சிறையில்
நினைவுகளில்
சிறகு விரிக்கலாம்,

நினைவுகளின் சிறையில்
நிகழ்வுகளில்
சிறகு விரியுமோ?
விலகுமோ?

நினைவுகளுக்கும்
நிகழ்வுகளுக்குமான
நித்திய யுத்தத்தில்,
நிந்தனையின்றி,
நிர்சலனமாய் நிற்பதும்,
நீந்தி நகர்வதும்
நிகழுமோ?

நிகழ்வுகள்
நினைவுகளாகும்
நாளிலாவது
நித்தம் நிம்மதி
நிலைக்கட்டும்..
நீடித்து நிற்கட்டும்..

Transliteration

Ninaiva? Nigazhva?

Nigazhvugalin siraiyil
Ninaivugalil
Siragu virikkalaam,

Ninaivugalin siraiyil
Nigazhvugalil
Siragu viriyumo?
Vilagumo?

Ninaivugalukkum
Nigazhvugalukkumaana
Nithiya yuddhathil,
Nindhanaiyinri,
Nirsalanamaai nirpathum,
Neenthi nagarvathum
Nigazhumo?

Nigazhvugal
Ninaivugalaagum
Naalilaavathu
Niththam nimmadhi
Nilaikkattum..
Needithu nirkattum..

Translation

Memories? Moments?

In the prison of present moments,
The wings of memories
Provides moral support..

In the prison of memories,
Will the present moments,
Spreads the wings?
Or suppress the wings?

In the eternal war of,
Memories and
Present moments,
Is it possible
To suppress scoffs,
To be serene and
To swim across?

At least in the day,
When the moments
Becomes memories,
Let life be filled with
Love and peace, and
Let it last forever..

Paradise Lost

கண்ணிலான் பெற்றிழந்தான்..
I don’t remember where I heard this first time, but I’m so grateful for the one who introduced me to this line..

What’s it about this line?
Transliteration – kaNNilaan peRRizhandhaan..
Translation – A blind person, got sight and lost it back..
Conceived by – Kamban
Verse – 325 of Kamba Ramayanam

This is an epitome of agony and pain undergone by a person at times of loss..

Context:
The mighty king Dasarathan was blessed with his children after several prayers..
He was asked, of his son Rama, to be of service, to a hermit in the forests, a hazardous job for a Prince..
The mentality of the king is portrayed as that of a blind, who had enjoyed the blessings of the vision and has gone back blind..

Why the line pops into my mind and blows me off every time?
The loss could have been described in so many ways..

Why not simply say that as a person gone blind?
When one is gifted with vision at birth, it’s taken for granted..
But if one is born blind, he would have an thirst for vision..
The gift of vision can only be contemplated at it’s best, only by a blind..
He treasures the power of vision..
When the sight is taken back, he simply has to return to his former state..

When a person is born with vision and has gone blind in between, has to learn a new way of complementing his visionary power..
But for a person born blind, that’s his natural state..
He evolves and grows with the absence of vision..

So isn’t it easy to restore to someone’s natural state?
What’s the harm in it?

The person could have led his whole life without vision and even could have achieved something in his life..

It’s always easier to acquire, grow, multiple the resources we start with..
As the resource grows, the person evolves along..
But when the resources begin the downfall, there’s no going back of the evolution..

The evolution is like carvings on a stone..
When the resources are taken back, it shatters the heart into shrapnel..
You could live with a blank stone, but not with a shattered piece..
Whether the person stays still or move forward, it hurts the person..

Nothing ever could heal the hurt of the heart..
Even if someday the vision is once again restored, still the void, the pain exists..
Nothing could ever conceal it from one’s own conscience..

A few of you might have experienced this:
Desired something for so long,
thought about it day and night,
gone in search of that treasure with all your heart,
Foregoing every other pleasure for it,
Dedicated the mind, heart and soul for it,
And the success knocks on your door..

The happiness is just divine and is something to be felt and could never be put into words..

Then comes the tragedy,
Even before you could completely embrace your happiness,
The result of success is to be borrowed,
Not a giveaway, Not distorting it,
Just a borrowing,
Still you know the usage by the borrower might lead to anything…
You may or may not get it back,
You might not be the same without it again,
You are to relinquish the treasure voluntarily..

That’s the exact feel of
கண்ணிலான் பெற்றிழந்தான்..

எண்ணிலா அருந்தவத்தோன் இயம்பிய சொல் மருமத்தின் எறிவேல் பாய்ந்த
புண்ணிலாம் பெரும் புழையில் கனல் நுழைந்தால் எனச் செவியில் புகுதலோடும்
உண்ணிலா வியதுயரம் பிடித்து உந்த ஆருயிர் நின்று ஊசல் ஆடக்
கண்ணிலான் பெற்றிழந்தான் என உழந்தான் கடும் துயரம் காலவேலான்

(கம்ப.328)

Guess the title too!!

He
Oh dear moon, won’t you come with me?
Why would you go stand so far?
Won’t you give me your heart yourself?
Why would you kill me by not giving?

Why would you
Torture me with your smile
Shatter me with your anger and
Make me desperate for you?

Come roam the skies at night,
Come make some dreams bloom,
Come feel the wake of dawn,
Should I blabber the reasons too?

Come close the distance between us,
Come let’s share anything and everything,
Come let’s continue this bonding,
Oh, my all-encompassing sky..

She
Why would you keep waiting for me to come?
I won’t be hesitant to give a kiss, when asked,
Would you be shy, just coz I’m the distant crescent?
Isn’t it just a waste, when even my eyes are silent?

When you become land, I’ll be the shadow upon it,
When you become the rain, I’ll be the peacock who rejoices!

Together
Come roam the skies at night,
Come make some dreams bloom,
Come feel the wake of dawn,
Should I blabber the reasons too?

Come close the distance between us,
Come let’s share anything and everything,
Come let’s continue this bonding
Oh, my all-encompassing sky..

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This week further details of the song are not provided for this translation. For those who listen to Tamil songs, take a guess on what song or just wait for a week or peep into comments to check whether it has already been answered there.. 😉

But I will say why I love this song.. This is one of the silky smooth melody with flutes and silkier voices.. And the lyrics are just too inviting to fall in love with.. With words or with your muse.. 😉 The question and answer is such a beauty in the native tongue.. By the way, this song is my ringtone for now, since more than a year.. 😀

This is one of the difficult translation for me, I am still not sure whether I conveyed the feeling and content of the verses fully with at least a tiny percentage of it’s original beauty.. And please do note that I have translated to convey the nearest possible meaning rather than literal translation and hence the sentence structure would have gone few changes..

Yet, here it is for you to guess or just relish what it says..

Awaiting your replies!

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Edit: The tamil lyrics along with video is available here!

 

Lyrics of Saagavaram from Uthama Villan (Tamil)

For a detailed analysis of this song along with a wonderful English translation, Click here.

Music: Ghibran
Lyricist: Kamal Hassan
Singers: Ghibran, Kamal Hassan, Yazin Nizar

சாகாவரம் போல் சோகம் உண்டோ
கேளாய் மன்னா..
கேளாய் மன்னா..