Arranged Barriage

Once upon a time
there lived a young lad
Happy, carefree and full of beans
a free bird, by all means.

One day he turned twenty-six
his parents got into the mix
Life is a long long journey, they said
So Kanna its time you get ready to wed.

We'll find a nice girl,
Smartha, someone from Vadama
But please for Perumal's sake,
don't bring home a vellakaara kuttyma!

My son is 26 and 6-feet tall
he's well-educated, brainy and all.
They said it to one, two, many...
Jee..they wrote it even in Tamil Matrimony.

They received a dozen requests
and sent as many,
in the hope of finding their dear
a cute adorable Kanmani.

We like your son's profile,
lakshanama irukaar!
but sorry our daughter doesn't want
a faarin aathukaar.

Still, Jadagams came in
the Josiyer checked for a match.
Nothing much happened
but for the occasional catch.

Inga paarungo, indha varan nanna iruku
This girl is just right!
A chat was quickly organised
via the blimming Skype.

They looked at each other,
one thing was certain.
An invisible wall was between them
with an infinite dielectric constant.

There was, you know,
no freakin spark!
It was obvious
and the reality was quite stark.

So once again for every prospective girl
they got the horoscope data.
And every time they visited the Josiyer
he told them to bid the girl ta-ta.


One day, The Site spitted out a 10/10 match
it said "from the Matchmaking Pro".
But, oh golly molly,
that girl looked more like a bro!

Oh!, he wondered,
Is that God's subliminal message of the day?
That the young lad might as well,
be of the gay?

The pursuit

A poem by me.

in the dawn
in the dusk,
in the light
in the shade,
in the quick laugh
in the careless snigger,
in the utopian dream
in the pang of reality,
in the extended silence
in the fleeting rhapsody,
in the vivacious adventure
in the hollowness of loneliness,
in the understanding smile
in the quiet tear,
in the quick blink of eye
in the meaning of untold words,
in every big leap
in every missed beat,
in every glowing success
in every stumble,
with the radiance of hope
and with faith,
I am searching,
but where?
in society, in people,
in culture, in traditions,
in us, in it,
in here, in there,
in you, in me!
Will I find it?
Have you found it?
I don't know.
I am searching,
I will keep searching,
for this pursuit never ends!

Twenty Five

A birthday poem by me.

*in the tune of the birthday song *

Happy Birthday to Sri
who lives in the Valley
he kinda feels lonely
cos of the birthday glee.

His Mother may shed a tear
that he's not very near
he will make a phone call
to get her blessings and all

The pub is beckoning
his mates are reckoning
he'll sure get smothered
but he's least bothered

His friends aren't many many
they are there for any
coupla them are techs
the rest are paramadicks

Sri is the Son of Gun
he'll have you on the run
he may show lil clement
if you leave a big comment

He's turning 25
His old man is 55
Sri may look cool blue
he really doesn't have a clue!

Whatever said and done
there is lots to be done
the joy is really rife
here's to a good life!

--

I was born on April 24th.

Yes, I share birthday with my Idol, Sachin Tendulkar. Happy Birthday Sachin!

Happy Valentines Day

Valentines Day. Mmm...I thought of uploading a song from a movie aptly titled Kadhalar Dinam (Lovers' Day). I have chosen Mundinam song from Vaaranam Ayiram. It is a beautiful song. Simple lyrics, lyricist Thamarai's choice of words and play with words, make this song sensuous, poetic and befits the occasion - Valentines Day.

Raju has done a great job in translating the song. This is a direct copy paste from his blog.

Another quick and unjustifiably crude translation of a recent song which has captivated my heart.

M: ஹாய் மாலினி!
I'm கிருஷ்ணன்.
நான் இதை சொல்லியே ஆகணும்;
நீ அவ்ளோ அழகு!
எவனும் இவ்ளோ அழகா ஒரு ......
இவ்ளோ அழகைப் பார்த்திருக்க மாட்டாங்க
and I am in love with you....

After introducing himself, he says that no one would have seen such a beautiful.... (pause and a chuckle) such a beauty. What a way to say that she is the most beautiful (not just woman, but in the) whole world. Considering that this is their first meeting, that is a very powerful statement (albeit praising her external beauty) to flatter her.

முன்தினம் பார்த்தேனே பார்த்ததும் தோற்றேனே
சல்லடைக் கண்ணாக நெஞ்சமும் புண்ணானதே
I saw you yesterday and as soon as I saw, I lost (to you).
My heart was wounded like the eyes of a sieve.

Traditionally, the sight of a woman is compared to the arrow; so, it is as if so many of such arrows attacked his heart and wounded him, that his heart has thousands of such tiny holes.

இத்தனை நாளாக உன்னை நான் பாராமல்
எங்குதான் போனேனோ நாட்களும் வீணானதே

All these days, without seeing you
where (the hell) did I go? Oh, all (my) days have been a waste..

When a person meets someone and falls in love, he/she wishes that they spent all their goneby days with that person. It is not only the happiness of the present, and a dream for the future, but a frustration for the past too.

வானத்தில் நீ வெண்ணிலா ஏக்கத்தில் நான் தேய்வதா
இப்போழ்தே என்னோடு வந்தாலென்ன
ஊர் பார்க்க ஒன்றாக சென்றாலென்ன

(முன்தினம்)

You are like a moon on the sky; I wane due to longing (for you)
What if you come with me now?
What if we go out, with the world watching (or what if we go sight-seeing)?

Yeah, the last line can be taken in both the ways. The first one is about the Hindu tradition of going on a procession after the marriage, so that the neighborhood can see who has got married. The latter is about the wish of a person to roam around the world with his lover.

துலாத்தட்டில் உன்னை வைத்து
நிகர் செய்யப் பொன்னை வைத்தால்
துலாபாரம் தோற்காதோ பேரழகே?

After placing you on a weighing balance,
if gold is placed to equalize with you,
wont the balance lose, my beauty?

He is not talking about the shape of his girl (pun unintended); he compares the beauty of her with the beauty of gold. He says that she is so beautiful that, a balance designed to weigh human-like fairly large objects will still be too small to accomodate the enormous gold required to compensate for her beauty. Considering the density differences between gold and human, this is a huge claim indeed.. ;), and his girl is such a beauty.

F: முகம் பார்த்துப் பேசும் உன்னை
முதல் காதல் சிந்தும் கண்ணை
அணைக்காமல் போவேனோ ஆருயிரே

How will I not hug you, who looks at my face and talks
and from whose eyes the first love is oozing out?

Women respect and like men who look at their face and talk, bcos a large chunk of the men have been notorious in that aspect. Also, the girl's instant appeal with someone who is giving his heart for the first time to a woman is given importance. Also, this is the first response of the woman after hearing what the man has said. She just reciprocates to his feelins saying that she likes to hug him.

M: ஓ... நிழல் போல விடாமல் உன்னைத் தொடர்வேனடி
புகை போலப் படாமல் பட்டு நகர்வேனடி
வினா நூறு கனாவும் நூறு.. விடை சொல்லடி

I will follow you like (your) shadow; I will touch you delicately and move away from you as how the smoke does. (I have) hundreds of questions, and hundreds of dreams; pl. give (me) an answer.

The desperation of the hero is very much evident from these lines. He is already dreaming of her and a life with her. All he wants is the answer.. Of course he wants 'yes' to be that answer. One can compare this Q&A to the western culture of the woman answering the man 'yes' when he proposes, and during the wedding when she says 'yes, I do!'.

(முன்தினம்)

F: கடல் நீலம் மங்கும் நேரம்

அலை வந்து தீண்டும் தூரம்

மனம் சென்று மூழ்காதோ ஈரத்திலே

When the blueness of the sea dims,
the waves touch the far end (of the shore).
Wont the heart immerse (itself) in the wetness (of love)?

M:தலை சாய்க்கத் தோளும் தந்தாய்
விரல் கோர்த்துப் பக்கம் வந்தாய்
இதழ் மட்டும் இன்னும் ஏன் தூரத்திலே

You gave (me your) shoulder (for me) to put (my) head on..
You came near me holding my hands..
why are your lips still far away?

F:பகல் நேரம் கனாக்கள் கண்டேன் உறங்காமலே
உயிர் ரெண்டு உராயக் கண்டேன் நெருங்காமலே
உனை அன்றி எனக்கு ஏது எதிர்காலமே

I had day-dreams without sleeping
I saw two souls frictioning (against each other), without coming closeby
What is my future without you?
Only in the ultimate line of the charanam, she opens out her heart and gives the real answer that he wants to hear. By saying that there is no future for her without him, all the ambiguities of dating and courting relationship are removed and the love now reaches the mutually agreed state.

(முன்தினம்)

Unnodu naan...

Unnodu naan iruntha ovoru manithuliyum
marana padukayilum marakaathu kanmaniyae
thonooru nimidangal thottanaitha kaalam thaan
yennoru aandukalaai ithayathil kanakuthadi

Paarvayilae sila nimidam
Bayathodu sila nimidam
Katti anaithapadi kaneeril sila nimidam
Ilakanamae paaraamal
ella idankalil muththangal vitheithu
mogatthil sila nimadam

Yethu niyayam yethu paavam iruvarukum thonravilai
Athu irava athu pagala athu pattri ariyailai
Yaar thodanga yaar mudika oru vazhiyum thonravilai
Iruvarumae thodanki vittom ithuvareikum kelvi ilai

Achcham kaleinthaen aasayinei nii anaitthaai
Aadai kaleinthaen vetkathei nii anainthaai
Kanda thirukolam kanavaga mareinthaalum
Kadeisiyilae azhutha kanneer kayil innum oduthadi

This was written by Kaviarasu Vairamuthu for my favourite Mani Ratnam movie, Iruvar. The poem was recited by Arvind Swamy. Thanks to his gruff voice (perhaps trying to mimic MK), I could not hear the lyrics properly the first time when I heard this. I was hooked to this poem after I read the lyrics.

The lyrics are erotic as this poem is played in the passage of movie after Thamizhchelvan and Senthamarai make love. Vairamuthu's wordings convey the desire and intimacy between the lovers in a sensual way without sounding vulgar. His reading doesn't make you uncomfortable - but when he finishes the poem with 'Kadaisiyilea azhudha kannir kaiyil innum odudhadi'- he does, momentarily, takes your breath away.

---

Udal Mannuku, Uyir Tamizhuku.

Vairamuthu does it again in Iruvar. If Tamil Nadu ever forms a Rugby team - Num Karupargal (Our Blacks, not All Blacks), we don't need to look anywhere for our Haka. It is right here...

Udal Mannuku Uyir Tamizhiku
Ithai urakka solvom ulagirku
Inam onraaga
Mozhi venraaga
Puthu velai edupom vidiviku
Nam Vetri pathaiyil Narigal vanthaal
Virunthu Vaipom vinniku

Pirantha pillai nadanthu pazhaga
Kaiyil velai kodupom
Pirantha pillai iranthu piranthal
Vaalal keeri puthaipom

Yutha sattham ketaal pothum
Mutha satham mudipom
Ratha kulathai nirappi nirappi
Vetri thaamarai paripom

Engal mannai thottavan kaalgal
Engal mannil uramaagum
Engal pennai thottavan kaigal
Engal Adupil viragaagum

Udal Mannuku Uyir Tamizhiku
Ithai urakka solvom Ulagirku
Inam onraaga
Mozhi venraaga
Puthu velai edupom vidiviku
Nam Vetri pathaiyil Narigal vanthaal
Virunthu Vaipom vinniku!

Vital spark of heavenly flame

I came across this poem in high school. A poem about death. The feeling just moments before a slow, peaceful (well I would like to think that way) death.

Legendary stuff from the great English poet, Alexander Pope.

Vital spark of heavenly flame!
Quit, O quit this mortal frame:
Trembling, hoping, lingering, flying,
O the pain, the bliss of dying!
Cease fond Nature, cease thy strife,
And let me languish into life.

Hark! they whisper; angels say,
Sister Spirit, come away!
What is this absorbs me quite?
Steals my senses shuts my sight,
Drowns my spirit, draws my breath?
Tell me, my soul, can this be death?

The world recedes; it disappears!