Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Kanne en Kanmaniye

This is a thalaatu set in Ragam Kurinji. Kurinji is a rare ragam and is most suited for lullabies and laali paatu (Those sung during the oonjal ceremony in tambram weddings). "Seetha Kalyana Vaibogame" is a popular song in this raaga
Kurinji is a janya of 29th melakartha Shankarabaranam

This piece sung by Bombay Jayashree has two parts - 1 Viruttam from Periyazhwar Thirumozhi (from NAlAyira Divya Prabandham) and 2 - a beautiful song by Papanasam sivan


Lyrics

Viruttam
mANikkam katti vairam idai katti
Studded with rubies, interspersed with diamonds

Ani ponnAl seidha (vanna) siru thottil
a small (beautiful) cradle made with purest gold 

pENi unakku piramman thandhAn
Lord Brahma gave it to you with utmost care

mANikuRaLanE thAlElO
thAlElO is an form of endearment that can probably be translated as "sleep baby" or "hush baby". 
Oh short-form-ed one (may refer to vamana based on following line but could also refer to him being so small as a baby)

vaiyam aLandAn thalElO
Oh the one who measured the universe

devaki bAlane thalElO
Oh the baby of Devaki

ulagam uNdavane thalElO
Oh the one who ate earth (referring to how Krishna ate mud as a kid)

Pallavi
kaNNE en kaNmaNiyE

Oh my eye, the pupil of my eye (Not to be taken in literal sense but as an endearment)

kaNNanE kaN vaLarAi

Oh Kanna, may you grow up well

maNNulagil en vAzhvai vaLam peRa vanduditta

You came to this world to make my life more prosperous



Anupallavi
kuyiliSai kuzhalOSai un konju mozhik kiNaiyAmO

Can the cooing of the cuckoo bird or the music from the flute, even be equal to your sweet words

koNDa mana sancalaNgaL panjAi paRandiDumE

All the worries that clouded my mind just blows away like mere cotton fibre in the wind (referring to the sweet words from above)
tAlElO! tAlElO!

CharaNam
tEDAda en nidhiyE tigaTTAda teLLamudE

The wealth that I couldn't have found anywhere, the pure ambrosia that I can never grow tired of 
vADAda menmalarE manattuL inikkum tanittEnE


the flower that never withers, my own sweet honey that sweetens my heart
tAlElO! tAlElO!




Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Govindan Kuzhalosai

This is a beautiful padam in ragamalika composed by Kalamamani Dr Saraswathi
It praises Lord Krishna and how his flute music enchants everyone around that they forget their normal routines. 

It is set to raga Desh predominantly. This is popular hindustani raga but there has been a lot of tamil/carnatic songs tuned to this. One popular song that comes to mind is of "Vande Mataram" the national song... set in desh (meaning country... you get it?)
The other is "Thunbam nergayil" from an old Tamil movie.

The Pallavi and anupallavi are set to this raga. 
the Charanam forays into Atana (janya of 29th melakartha Shankarabharanam).  

There is then a burst of chittaswarams in various raga - Atana, ranjani, simmendra madhyamam, mohanam, hindolam, finishing up back in desh

Lyrics
Pallavi
Raga:Desh
gOvindan kuzhalOsai kEtu 
Hearing the music from Govindan's flute
angu mEvidum Avinam mEIdhal marandhana
The cattle and livestock grazing over there, forgot to graze

Anupallavi
KUvidum paravaigal kUdugal thurandhana
The chirping/singing birds forgot their nests
PUvidai thEn arundha vandinam marandhana
The honey bees forgot to drink nectar from the flowers

Charanam
Raga: atana
KatiLa mangaiyar kaNNan kuzhal kEtu
The young damsels heard Kannan's flute (and)
Mattila Ananda kadalil mUzhgi
drowned in the sea of boundless joy
KaNNanai kandu kAdhal kondu
Saw Kannan and fell in love with Him
KaNNa endrE thEdi alaindhanar [kaNNa nin kuzhalosai ketu]
Called out "Kanna" and started searching for him



Anandha Natamaduvar thillai

This is the first of the many padams that we would learn eventually.


This is a song in praise of Lord Shiva - the cosmic dancer. The composer is Neelakanta Sivan. He is little known but has given some wonderful compositions. His disciple, Papanasam Sivan, on the other hand is quite popular as we all know.

This song is set to raga Purvikalyani. Purvikalyani is a janya of (no, not Kalyani but) Gamanashrama.
Will probably post on my music blog regarding this raga.

Lyrics

Pallavi
Ananda naTam ADuvAr tillai ambalam tannil aDi
paNIbavark-kapajayam illai
(Ananda)

Anupallavi
tAnandam illAda rUpan 
tajjam takajham takajhaNu 
taLAngu taka tatingiNatOm 
taLAngu taka tatingiNatOm 
taka dhimi taka tatingiNatOmena
(Ananda)

CaraNam 
pAdi madi jyOti phaLir phaLIr enna 
pAda shilamboli ghalIr ghalIr enna
Adi karai uNDa nIlakNTham minna 
arapura hara shiva sundara 
aruL gurupara shiva shankara
ANdamum piNDamum AdiDa 
eNdishaiyum pugazh pAda
(Ananda)

<I will come back to this post for elaborating on the meaning)