Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Place to go if you want to ask someone identify raga, tala, composer etc or ask for sāhitya (lyrics) or notations or translations.
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ganeshpv
Posts: 164
Joined: 01 Jun 2009, 22:28

Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by ganeshpv »

Shankar Sir or anyone else... can you please give me the meaning for this Varnam? It's straigh forward, but a few words aren't falling into place for me.

P: mOha lAhiri koNDEn sAmi mODi sheyyAdE metta

A: nAgarIka lOlA nannayamA krupAla nI ghanA rAjagOpAlA nI vEda gIta nAthan nI tanda

(muktAyi svara sAhityam)

vAsa mAmalar mEDai tanil oyilAi iru manadil kapaTenna

sholliru tanamisai nava kalabha matiyaNin disai pada viLaiyADa nidamuttADa

C: kAman kaNaiyAi en mElayya

1: nEsamAna duraiyE aDamena shoL

2: mAlaip-pozhudinil vELai oli sheyyum shOlaik-kuyiliship-pADa malaittiDa

3: mA dayALa guNAkarA caturA madhura vacanA kOpamenna

shol nijamAi enadiDamAi paravaravum ghana mayakkamum krtaravum shilaiyai vaLaittu

4: marutamennum viraham ati mEl makara min koDigaLAi nidamum

viramuDan pAvaimArgaL paDaiyAi nilAvum kuDaiyAi karAvi varumun

kega naghai mIgha navasIka shubhAkara vivEgamiga rasikanena unadu caraNA

mEni idazhvAyidap-pAna madu koDakai vaLai ghala ghalena oligaLiDa nalla kalavi sheyya samayam enmEl

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by rshankar »

Ganesh: will do so shortly. Is there an audio track to listen to?

ganeshpv
Posts: 164
Joined: 01 Jun 2009, 22:28

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by ganeshpv »

I do... it isn't very good recording. Lots of noise. Hard to make out the words. But words above should be mostly fine - came from a good source.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by rshankar »

Ganesh - I have tried to provide the meaning as best as I can. I have to confess that I find the caraNasvara sAhityam section very tough to understand, let alone translate in many of the padavarNams from this period. The quality of the language used, IMO is not uniform - in fact, I wonder if the 3rd and 4th set of caraNasvara sAhityam were a later creation by someone else. In any case, I cannot provide any coherent or cogent meaning for the fourth set here. Instead, I have provided the meaning of the words/phrases individually. Make what you will of it!!! :)
In addition, the second line of the muktAyisvara sAhityam and parts of the 3rd caraNasvara sAhityam seem weird.

I have looked at the lyrics from the printed notations that Lakshman-ji very kindly shared with me - and I still cannot make sense out of several sections.

I am hoping that some of our more erudite members (Rajani, Arasi, Ponbhairavi, PB, Punarvasu, et al) will help me (and you) make sense out of this. I can forward the notations that Lakshman-ji sent me.

pallavi
mOha lAhiri koNDEn sAmi mODi seyyAdE metta (mOha lAhiri koNDEn sAmI)

I am overcome (koNDEn) by intense/great (metta) waves (lAhiri) of desire (mOha), my Lord (sAmi)! Please do not create (seyyAdE) discord (mODi) (at this time).

anupallavi
nAgarIka lOlA nannayamAna kRpAlA ghanA rAja gOpAlA
nIta vEda gIta nAthan nI tanda (mOha lAhiri koNDEn sAmI)

Oh highly cultured (nAgarIka) dallier (lOlA)! Oh compassionate one (kRpAlA) who is very kind and appropriate (nannayamAna)! The mighty (ghanA) rAjagOpAlA! (I am overcome by intense waves of desire my lord) that you (nI), the Lord (nAthan) of the just (nIta) and sacred (vEda) bhagavadgItA (gIta), have caused/granted (tanda).

muktAyi svara sAhityam
vAsa mAmalar mEDaitanil oyilAi irum manadil kapaTenna solliru tan
misai nava kalabha madiyaNin disai pADa viLaiyADa nida(m) muttADa (mOha lAhiri koNDEn sAmI)

Do tell (solliru) what (enna) the guile (kapaTam) in your mind (manadil) is, one who reclines (irum) gracefully (oyilAi) on a stage/bed (mEDai tanil) covered with big (mA) and fragrant (vAsa) flowers (malar). In the direction (disai) of the cool (tan) crescent (nava kaLabha) moon (madiyaNin) in the sky (misai). (I am overcome by intense waves of desire my lord) to sing (pADa), cavort (viLaiyADa), and kiss you (muttADa) at all times (nidam).

caraNam
kAman kaNaiyAi yen mEl eyya

As manmatha (kAman) discharges (eyya) a barrage of flowery arrows (kaNaiyAi) on (mEl) me (yen)…..

caraNasvara sAhityam 1
nEsamAna duraiyE aDamena sol (kAman kaNaiyAi…)

Oh loving (nEsamAna) lord (duraiyE), please tell (sol) why this (enna) obstinacy (aDam), (even as manmatha discharges a barrage of flowery arrows on me)

caraNasvara sAhityam 2
mAlai pozhudinil vELai oli seyyum sOlaik-kuyilisai pADam alaittiDa (kAman kaNaiyAi…)

The song (isai paDam) of the cuckoo (kuyil) from the grove (sOlai) that sounds (oli seyyum) the hour/time (vELai) in the evening (mAlai pozhudinil) is harassing (alaittiDa) me, (because/as manmatha is discharging a barrage of flowery arrows on me).

caraNasvara sAhityam 3
mA dayALa guNAkarA catura madhura vacanA kOpamenna
sol nijamAi enadiDamA paravaravum ghana mayakkamum kRtaravum silaiyai vaLaittu (kAman kaNaiyAi…)

Oh mighty (mA) and compassionate (dayALa) repository of moral character (guNAkarA)! The clever one (caturA)! One with sweet (madhura) speech (vacanA), tell (sol) (me) what (enna) this anger (kOpam) is about, truthfully (nijamAi). Is it at me (enadiDamA)? Bending (vaLaittu) the statue (silaiyai) that causes confusion (paravaravum), and severe (ghana) intoxication (mayakkamum), and causing a hue and cry (kRtaravum), (manmatha is discharging a barrage of flowery arrows on me).

caraNasvara sAhityam 4
mArutam enum viraham adimEl makaramIn koDigalAi nidamum
vIramuDan pAvaimargaL paDaiyAi nilAvum kuDaiyAi karAvi varumun
kEka nagaimIkan vasIkaSubhAkara vivEka miga rasikanena unadu SaraNA
mEni idazh vAyidazh pAna madhukODa kai vaLai kalakalena oligaLiDa nalla kalavi seyya samayam en mEl (kAman kaNaiyAi….)


mArutam enum viraham = a separation (viraham) called (enum) the breeze (mArutam)
adimEl = on top of OR excessive
makaramIn = a carp (makaramIn) - type of fish
koDigaLai = as flags/pennants
nidamum = always
vIramuDan = with (uDan) bravery (vIram)
pAvaimArgaL paDaiyAi = a group/hordes of (paDaiyAi) women (pAvaimArgaL)
nilAvum = the moon and
kuDaiyAi = as an umbrella
karAvi = ?
varumun = before (mun) coming (varum)
kEka = to ask
nagaimIkan = ?
vasIkaraSubhAkara = the attractive one (vaSIkara) who creates auspiciousness (SubhAkara)
vivEka miga rasikanena = as (ena) a wise (vivEkamiga) rasika
unadu = your
SaraNA = refuge
mEni idazh = eyelids
vAyidazh = lips
pAna = drink
madhukODa = ??
kai vaLai = bangles on the wrists (kai)
kalakalena oligaLiDa = make (iDa) tinkling (kalakalena) sounds (oligaL)
nalla kalavi seyya nEram = at the right/appropriate (nalla) time (nEram) for sexual union (kalavi seyya)
(manmatha is discharging a barrage of flowery arrows)
en mEl = on (mEl) me (en)

Ponbhairavi
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Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Would it be possible to get the tamil script of the song before transliteration?

Lakshman
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Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Lakshman »

Please check your email.

Ponbhairavi
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Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Ponbhairavi »

deleted
Last edited by Ponbhairavi on 02 Sep 2017, 19:32, edited 1 time in total.

Ponbhairavi
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Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Ponbhairavi wrote: 02 Sep 2017, 17:20 Thanks Lakshman.The song under (12)tallies with that given by ganeshpv till charanam2 and the first line of Charanam 3. till kopamenna . You may pl check up the next page to see whether there is continuation as charanam 4

ganeshpv: the second line of charanam 3 from sol nijamAi and the entire charanam 4 as given by you seem weird. I agree with dr shanker, I could not find any cogency either. Can you pl state where you got it from or send the tamil versionbefore transliteration ?

ganeshpv
Posts: 164
Joined: 01 Jun 2009, 22:28

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by ganeshpv »

Ponbhairavi, I would think my and Lakshman sir's source is same. Book by Kittappa Pillai on TQ compositions. I am contacting a disciple of Kittappa sir to check on the lyrics. Will let you know if I get any info.

Pratyaksham Bala
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Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

This book is available at K.R. Sundaram Iyer Memorial Library of The Music Academy, Madras. Here are the details of the book :-

Thanjai Peruvudayan Perisai : musical compositions of the Tanjore quartette Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivanandam and Vadivel
By sangeetha kalanidhi Vidwan Sri. K. Ponnayya Pillai of Tanjore.
Edited by sangeetha vidwans Tanjore K. P. Kittappa, Tanjore K. P. Sivanandam.
2nd ed. -- Madras : Ponnayya Kaliagam, c1964.
[vii], viii, viii, 180 p., [1] p. of plates ; 23 cm.
Songs, with musical letter notation.

Ponbhairavi
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Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Mohalahiri Konden - translation request

Post by Ponbhairavi »

pending the receipt of clarification from kittappa's disciple on the fourth charana ,I reviewedthe lyrics once again.I have a couple of doubtsI thought I would share:
In anupallavi the tamil script gives kanA rajagopALA.can we interpret it as the lord of my dream.?
2-manadil kapaTenna shol
Iru thanamisai nava kalabhamadhai anindhu: what is the reluctance in your mind to recline gracefully on the two breasts covered with new sandal paste.
3- caraNaswwara 2
Kuyil isai pAda malaithida = the cuckoo being awe struck even to sing.

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