Monday, August 02, 2010

Do!

 
To do?
want to do?
or like to do?
need to do?
or have to do?
should I do?
 
oh sod it mate! just do it!!
oh sod it mate! just do it!!
 
would love to do,
should have done,
or should not have done,
need not have done,
or might have done,
get it done,
 
oh sod it mate! just do it!!
oh sod it mate! just do it!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

நான் வருவேன்

நான் வருவேன்
சுவற்றிலிட்ட பந்தாய்
நான் வளர்வேன்
பாறைக்குள் வேராய்!

கார்மேகம் சூழ்ந்தாலும்
காரிருள் சூழ்ந்தாலும்
பெருங்கடல் கொள்ளவந்தலும்
என்னுயிர் கொண்ட வெப்பத்தால்
என்மதியின் நுட்பத்தால்
என்னிறைவன் இணக்கத்தால்
புயல் மழையாய்
பேரொளியாய்
மிதக்கும் கத்திக்கப்பலாய்

நான் வருவேன் !
நான் வருவேன் !!
சுவற்றிலிட்ட பந்தாய்
நான் வளர்வேன்
பாறைக்குள் வேராய்!

தினம் தினம் தேய
நானொன்றும் நிலவில்லை
என் இடம் தட்டிப்பறிக்க
ஒருவன் இங்கில்லை

மேடு என்பது
பள்ளத்தின் மறுபக்கம்
தோல்வி என்பது
வெற்றியின் மறுபக்கம்
எதையும் முழுதாய் பார்த்திட
வேண்டும் மன திடம்

நான் வருவேன் !
நான் வருவேன் !!
சுவற்றிலிட்ட பந்தாய்
நான் வளர்வேன்
பாறைக்குள் வேராய்!
---------
A friend of mine, Sunil asked me if I can write a poem in Tamil that he can write music for.
I came up with the above poem...wanted to write something from the point of view of the someone who was feeling down and out, and wants to bounce back...kind of a pep talk for self....
Super Star Rajinikanth said after chandramukhi...refereing to "Baba" being flop
"நான் யானை இல்ல,
நான் குதிரை, விழுந்தா கூட சும்மா துள்ளி குதிச்சு எந்திருப்பேன்"
That should be the spirit... Read somewhere, its not a big mistake to fall, the big mistake would be to stay fallen!!
The poem is my attempt to encourage the reader to "bounce back"

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Why the rain should go away ?

Rain Rain Go Away

Come again Some other

Little Jhonny Wants to play

Rain Rain Go Away

 

Rain Rain Go to Spain

Never Show your face again!

 

I recently read the above nursery rhyme in one of my friends FB status.

The above nursery rhyme outraged me! It sounds wrong at so many levels!!!

 

Why do we want to poison the young mind with such vicious thoughts ?

 

"Never Show your face again!" – Why ? What did the rain do to deserve such contempt ? The poor thing is just doing its job!

 

"Rain Rain Go to Spain" – Why ? As though "Rain troubles me, I don't want it" "Let it go to Spain and let it trouble them, they deserve it!" – Why ? What did Spain do to get your trouble passed on to them ?

Imagine, if Rain does hear you, and decide, what the hell, I shall come another day. When It comes back, I am sure you are going to make the kid sing the same song, and guess what the Rain will go back. If it happens every time the Rain comes anywhere near us, it will finally give up and say, "You know what? I am never gonna come back" – we all die of dehydration and hunger!! Well done guys! You just wiped out life from the face of the earth!!

 

PLEASE think before you teach such mindless songs to the kids.

 

As my one of my cousins once Said – "Raise above your pitiful self, and think about the greater good of us".

Thursday, April 22, 2010

நிமிர்ந்து நில்


சீறும் புயலில்
சிரம் சாய்க்கும்
நாணல் அல்ல நான்.
நான் விருக்க்ஷம் !
ஆயிரம் முறையேனும்
வேரறுக நான் தயார்!!

Friday, April 16, 2010

தமிழ் மேலே ப்ளாக் பண்றான்!

என்னம்மா கண்ணு சௌக்யமா ?
 
தமிழ்ல, வலை பதிவுகள எவ்வளவு சுலபமாக பதிப்பிக்க முடியும் தெரியுமா?
 
"Google Transliteration" பயன் படுத்தி, நீங்கள் தமிழ் வார்த்தைகளை ஆங்கில தட்டச்சு பலகை மூலம் டைப் செய்து, மின்னஞ்சல் மூலமாக, மிக எளிதாக பதிப்பிக்கலாம்!
 
வெல்க தமிழ்!

Monday, March 08, 2010

Internet Access - A fundamental Human Right

I am a bit miffed by the news article I read.
 
 
The crux of the matter is a bunch of statistics that demonstrate that majority of the people polled consider Internet access to be a fundamental human right.
 
How narrow minded can people be? I am not able to describe this except arrogance.
 
When more than half of the world's population is struggling for a square meal a day, we the obnoxious people, have the guts to say that Internet access is fundamental right.
Yesterday there was a a dead 2 day old baby, wrapped in polythene bag, with some money thrown in was found in the UK. We talk about Internet being fundamental human right.
 
This is akin to the story when one of the aristocrat/royalty suggesting the poor should eat cake if they don't get bread to eat. History tells us when the divide between haves and have not increases. Its our responsibility to learn from history and not be stupid enough to let history repeat itself.
 
Internet Access, fundamental human rights, My rear side!
 
 

Friday, March 05, 2010

Mannippaya ? Translation & Commentary

I just had to translate this song from Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya. I think Kavingyar Thamarai has produced an incredible piece of poetry that defines the characters Goutham Menon has created. In my humble opinion, she has joined the league of Kavingyar Vaali, and Variamuthu, in poetic brilliance and metaphorically conveying the feelings and emotions of the characters.

I felt that I cannot do justice to the poem, without a commentary. So I have put the interpreted-translation within [square brackets], the lyrics are in italics, my commentary in normal text.

I have not seen this movie at the time of writing this commentary & translation.

AR Rehman, what can I say ? except Thank you god !

Girl:

kadalinil meenaga IrunthavL naan

unakkena karai thaandi VanthavaL Thaan.

Thudithirunthen Tharaiyinile

Thirumbivitten Kadalidame.

[I am a fish in the waters,

Yes, I crossed the shores, for you

Now I (Realize that) am (suffering like) a fish out of water!

(Alas) I had to go back to the waters]

The above stanza tells the complete story; the story of the girl & the boy, from the point of view of the girl.

It exposes the dilemma of the girl. It also talks about the character of the girl. She liked something, She even goes to get it, Now that she actually has got it, she realizes that the cost of having it is too high and she can’t afford it, and with a heavy heart she decides to go back, leaving something that she wanted (wants) ; a practical, mature lady, who gives priority to logic than to emotions. I think you can almost say it the other way, i.e. – she is logical and practical but gets influenced by emotions too, that’s the reason she came out of the sea/waters. It’s lose-lose situation for her, and she chooses to minimize the impact by choosing the lesser loss. Another dimension to that is, the fact that she is able to sacrifice something that she wanted to honour some values.

A very gray and complex character – Is she bad? Is she good? – I think she is just human.

I can almost bet, her sun sign is Scorpio J

OrunaaL Sirithen

MarunaaL Veruthen

Unai Naan Kollamal Kondru puthaithen,

Mannippaya ?

[ One day I smiled

The next day, I hated (myself)

I killed you...softly,

Will you be able to forgive me?]

The second line is the best one since, it does not say explicitly whether she hated the fact that she smiled in first place? Or She hated him ? Or she hates herself for smiling ?

– a question that is left to the reader/listener to figure out – I feel that the character of the girl is such that she hates herself for smiling (accepting the fact that she is smitten by him)

Boy:

kanne thadumaari nadanthen
noolil aadum mazhayaagi ponen
unnal thaan kalaignaai aaneney
tholai thoorathil veLicham nee
unai nokkiye enai eerkiraaye

[I’ve lost my sense of balance,

I‘ve become a marionette (like) rain (that rains tears at every yank of the string),

You made an artist out of me,

You are my distant light,

You draw me closer to you]

The boy feels he is completely lost his sense of balance, direction without his love.

The second line literally translates to “I have become rain that swings by a string” – I am unable to convincingly interpret this line. Does Thamarai mean that he is hanging on by the last string, and his collapse/breakdown is imminent, should the string break?

An interpretation is that, he feels like a marionette, being manipulated, with no control over his own self, helpless, and rains tears at every yank of the string ? – I am tempted to go with this.

melum melum urugi urugi
unai yeNi yengum
idhayathai enna seiven ?

[My heart melts, Yearning for you

What can I do (to my heart)? I am clueless!]

Girl:

odum neeril ore alai thaan naan
uLLey uLLa eeram nee thaan
varam kidaithum naan thavara vitten
mannippaaya anbey

[I am a wave that makes up the water flow,

(But) you are the moisture that makes up the water,

I ruined my chance of using the boon, (that I got)

Will you pardon me, dear?]

Boy:

kaatrile aadum kagitham naan
neethaan ennai kaditham aakkinaai
anbil thodangi anbil mudikkiren
en kalangarai vilakkamey

[(I was like) A piece of (worthless) paper, caught up in a breeze,

You transformed me into a letter (purpose and direction)

Started with love, Want to end up with (my) love,

Oh, my beacon (of hope)]

Again, the boy says it in no unclear terms that, she gives meaning and purpose to him and his life.

He says he was a piece of paper, floating about in a breeze of air, without any direction.

He says that the girl has given him a meaning and sense of direction by comparing himself with a letter.

He started out his journey with love in his heart, and he wants to end his journey with his love, and he sees her as a beacon of hope.

Girl:

oru naal sirithen
maru naal veruthen
unnai naan kollamal kondru puthaithene
mannippaaya? mannippaaya?
mannippaaya? mannippaaya? mannippaaya?

[ One day I smiled

The next day, I hated (myself)

I killed you...softly,

Will you be able to forgive me?]


Thirukkural :

Thamari has managed to pull off a good surprise by using couple of ThirukkuraLs to give some context that underpins the mood and the story.

anbirkum undo aazhaikkum thaazh
aarvalar pun kann neer poosal tharum


[There is no lock that can hold back true love,

(Even if you find such a lock) the tears rolling down the cheeks, exposes the real feelings.]


anbilaar ellam thamakkuriyar anbudayaar
enbum uriyar pirarkku


[Loveless people are Selfish,

(On the contrary) Those who love are selfless to the core]

pulambal enasendren pullinen nenjam
kalathal uruvadhu kandu


I am working on these two lines J any help is welcome. I am not even sure if these lines are correctly captured.

charanam 2

Girl:

yen en vaazhvil vandhaai kanna nee ?
povaayo kaanal neer pole thondri ?
anaivarum urangidum iravenum neram
enakkadhu thalayanai nanaithidum neram

[Why, oh dear, why did you happen in my life?

How I wish, if you were a Mirage?

My nights are spent in silent tears.]

Again the second stanza is simply superb. Usually, we use Mirage to imply something that appears to be true, but here Thamari uses it other way around and wishes that something that is true, to go away like a Mirage. This stanza is poetically describes the state of denial the girl is in.

Girl:

oru naal sirithen
maru naal veruthen
unnai naan kollamal kondru puthaithene
mannippaaya?

[ One day I smiled

The next day, I hated (myself)

I killed you...softly,

Will you be able to forgive me?]


Boy:
kanne thadumaari nadanthen
noolil aadum mazhayaagi ponen
unnal thaan kalaignaai aaneney
tholai thoorathil velicham nee
unai nokkiye enai eerkiraaye


[I’ve lost my sense of balance,

I‘ve become a marionette (like) rain (that rains tears at every yank of the thread),

You made an artist out of me,

You are my distant light,

You draw me closer to you]


melum melum urugi urugi
unai enni yengum
idhayathai enna seiven

melum melum urugi urugi

unai enni yengum
idhayathai enna seiven
ohoho unai enni yengum
idhayathai enna seiven

[My heart melts, Yearning for you

What can I do (to my heart)? I am clueless!]