Arasi (Smt. Rajee Krishnan)

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 14 Feb 2007, 08:42

>>anupallavi
kanRugaL mEytthiDa kAnagam Egumun
senRu varEn enRu seppiya sol ninaindE

And how does the heroine spend her time, while waiting for the handsome one (bhuvanasundara)? By thinking (ninaindE) of his promise (seppiya Sol) to return (senRu varEn) after he roams the entire (engum) forrest (kAnagam) while grazing (mEyttiDa) the calves (kanRugaL).<<

I read the anupallavi differently. The word is not engum but Egumun. The latter word means "before I go to the forest"
Then the meaning changes. "Before I go to the forest to let the calves graze I will come back (to see you)" enRu seppiya sol ninaindE....

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Feb 2007, 10:38

Looks like one big bash of a Valentine's Day for me! It has been an awesome February, soon after the 31st of January. I cannot cease to say 'thank you', when you folks don't seem to let up on your praises (strange--I was looking at the bhArathi thread before arriving here. Even after all these years, when the mahAkavi (the A distinguishes him from our sub) has made us exclaim: yAmaRinda pulavarilE' ivanaippOl maTRoruvanaik kANbOmO?--there seems to be some reservations about our praising our 'vAnOrum pugazhath thakka kavi varan'.
Where do I stand then? Is it your affection for the gal (as meena would put it?) My mature years--or my jovial banter which doesn't concur with the dignity of my accumulated years?

cml,
Your affection for me is something else. Folks, bear with him.

Thanks, DRS, fellow twice over, vAggEyakArA muy classico--you have been encouraging me all along (I had asked him not to say anything about my songs until they were published).

sujiram,
Thanks for your humming.

ksrimech,
Once again, thanks for your interest and interpretation. A song is a song, and if it can yield several interpretations, can it be taken that it has substance?

mahakavi,
Your guess, Ravi's and others seem nearer to what I had in mind when this song came to me. All I remember (the song is a dozen years old) is that it came after a walk in chilly weather. In spite of my being bundled up--it definitely was not thenRal but a freezing breeze--my state of mind at that time must have been sunny and sylvan. As with most of my songs, the outdoors play a great part as in all my writing. As I have said before, the songs come from nowhere, and since I live in that part of the world where I can sing (at least, hum) without others listening to me during my solitary walks, I am blessed.

Meena, my sakhi, my cheer leader, thanks. You rahs are well appreciated.

Ravi,
Kudos for your translation, comme d'habitude.
one little correction: kaN poTRi aNaindu is to be understood as--he came stealthily, covered my eyes from behind, and then embraced me.

Though there is no mudhra to the songs, most of the tamizh songs have the word aruL in them. aruL (grace) of the Almighty finds many forms of expression. Ravi, some of the songs DO lend themselves to children dancing to them. This one is border line! I once wrote to you about child friendly songs that I could suggest, for your daughter and other children...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 14 Feb 2007, 12:17

Fantastic song Arasi. All this discussion and interpretation is going to make listening to the song that much more interesting and fun. These songs are meaningful and very approachable which works for me as someone who is just starting to pay some attention to sahitya. At a personal level, they also provide a strong memory link to the time we spent hanging out with you and your family at the CD release event which I was very fortunate to attend. That was a lot of fun. Thanks.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Feb 2007, 15:30

Thanks MR. Bean, for your coming with your sweet wife to spend time with us that evening!

Rajesh,
Your company is equally appreciated!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Feb 2007, 15:33

Yes, mahakavi, it is Egumun--before he went to the woods to graze cattle.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Feb 2007, 18:13

Arasi,
This is indeed a very unique experience: the composer sharing the import and interprettation of a composition! THANKS...
Ravi

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 14 Feb 2007, 18:24

தந்தேன் அருள் இன்றே என்று தண் ஒளி
பொழி முகம் காட்டிட
இன்று வருவானோ நாளையோ?-- என்னேரமும்
அவன் வழி நோக்கி நின்றேன்

tandEn aruL inRE enRu thaN oLi
pozhi mugam kATTiDa

inRu varuvAnO nALaiyO?-- ennEramum
avan vazhi nOkki ninREn

yaSOdA in me sings

PS : Sorry Shankar, - here the Roman version

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Feb 2007, 18:29

Govindan and Others:
PLEASE - only post lyrics in romanized script...
MANY of us can't read the tamizh script.

Ravi

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 14 Feb 2007, 18:43

Shankar, Sorry, I have since incorporated the Roman version.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 14 Feb 2007, 20:00

Thanks vgvindan. I request others also to post a romanized transliteration if you post something in vernacular scripts, for the benifit of people who may not able to read the vernacular scripts.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 14 Feb 2007, 20:41

arasi:
Before you publish your songs in different volumes, would you consider publishing them here one at a time and let us take a stab at them interepreting? I doubt it will have any negative impact on your commercial publication. It is like publishing research articles in scientific journals and later on writing a review or book based on those articles. Think about it! I mean it, seriously.

Also I think it would be a novel feature for you to publish your songs (with notations) AND background for each song along with interpretations of your own with appendages from those of the members of this forum. This is what I had in mind when I first said about taking help from the members here.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 14 Feb 2007, 20:46

>>My mature years--or my jovial banter which doesn't concur with the dignity of my accumulated years?<<

arasi:
Yes, it does. If you have any doubt refer to my Eleanor Roosevelt quote on the Periasamy Thooran thread. cmlover knows it!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 14 Feb 2007, 21:48

Here is sub's lovely quote

Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of US President Franklin Roosevelt) said once, "Beautiful young people are the accidents of nature;beautiful old people are works of art".

(by the by it was in the 'good looking ...' thread.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Feb 2007, 22:01

As one work of art to the other--thanks:)

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 15 Feb 2007, 00:03

arasi avare,

A nice composition! The mood of the song reminds me of a mIrA bhajan, which I have heard only in kannaDa translation (translated by well known poet Sri N S Lakshminarayana Bhatta) , excellently sung by B.R.Chaya in rAga jOg

elli hOgale hEge kANale nanna giridharana

-Ramakriya

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Feb 2007, 00:35

Thanks, Ramakriya!
Funnily enough, I can't think of a single kannaDa song of mine where giridhar is grown up. He is always kiri hari!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Feb 2007, 02:52

In my view a lyric is for singing though the sahityam helps to setup the mood. We can discuss the meaning of the words and the hidden meanings till the cows come home; but that is prosaic. I rendered the verse of Arasi after listening to that by Sumithra which lifted me up. But that is not me! I tried to internalize the verse and tried to give it a life of my own (which is in fact what every performer should do!). Here it is as coming from my soul (and with apologies to arasi if I have taken liberty with the raga)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mj0wqs
I wish I had a tabla player to accompany me. At any rate I will appreciate if coolkarni listens to this and comments
(Kill me if he likes

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 15 Feb 2007, 06:33

(Kill me if he likes )

Who me ??!!
I am more in Love with the Muse than the Music.
You know that.
Have you ever heard Madan Mohan singing his own songs.
Listening to you , is a bit like that experience.

Strange.Only today I received a clip in which Madan Mohan sings
Dil Dhoondtha Hai phir wohi ... an alternative tune (to the one he ultimately chose for Bhupinder)
BTW was it Madhuvanthi ??

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 15 Feb 2007, 06:47

coolkarni wrote:Dil Dhoondtha Hai phir wohi ... an alternative tune (to the one he ultimately chose for Bhupinder)
BTW was it Madhuvanthi ??

You mean what bupinder sings it in? Not sure what rAga it is but has kIravANi swaras.

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 15 Feb 2007, 07:17

arasi, If I'm able to connect SrIrAma or SrIkrSNa in any sAhitya, that itself tell me its is good. We do not have to go to the interpretations part since each mind thinks differently.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 15 Feb 2007, 07:39

no not that song.
the raga in which cml sings.track in post #29

Suji Ram · Post by **Suji Ram** » 15 Feb 2007, 08:54

coolkarni wrote:no not that song.
the raga in which cml sings.track in post #29

You are right Coolkarni.
it is madhuvanti

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 15 Feb 2007, 09:21

so you see CML
You aroused in my memory ,
a fine song by Kalyanraman...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Feb 2007, 09:44

shabhAsh, cMLoVer!Voice in great form, and such bhAvam!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Feb 2007, 19:18

DRS
You think and feel with your head (no offence), but I think coolkarni thinks (feels) with his heart. As I was appealing to the heart I needed his feedback. I wanted him to kill with an honest feedback as I was venturing into an unknown territory! I am glad the madhuvanti is recognizable and is triggering other emotions!

In short a lyric appeals to our intellect and leads us to intellectual speculations (as it taps cognitive areas of the brain); on the otherhand music triggers the emotional areas (limbic system) which elevates us to a divine plane. No doubt a vaggeyakara is in communion with GOD (or whatever if you are an agnostic

which is why Music has to be 'listened to' and not 'read'. Thanks to 'arasi' for opening the portals to the heart. Now as most of you are more accomplished I would love to listen to the 'Ahata Sounds' from your hearts! Pl oblige!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Feb 2007, 20:58

coolkarni
would love to hear that kalyanaraman if that can be shared publicly....

Suji Ram · Post by **Suji Ram** » 15 Feb 2007, 22:46

Well done CML,

Now I see a rasika in you !

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:03

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2007, 02:34

Coolkarni
Got it! You were referring to
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/Downloads ... uvanti.mp3

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 16 Feb 2007, 20:25

cmlover:

Here is a rough sketch that I came up with during an interrupted sleep last night. It has a pastoral tint but that backdrop could be embellished further. But I wanted to give you a taste of it so that you can experiment with it (perhaps arasi can help in changing/reshaping words).

ARRangarai tanilE azhagazhagAy An^iraiyAm
kARRinilE kalan^du (or kUDi) vanda isaiyinilE mayanginavE!

mAyavanin kuzhalisaiyil sokkininRa Avinattai
Ayarkulap peNDirellAm EkkattuDan nOkkinarE!

taNNoLi nilavinilE tavittuninRa mangaiyarai
kaNNanavan kArmugilAn kAkkavaittE tanittuninRAn
eNNattil nilaittuviTTa nIlamEnik kaNNanaiyE
tiNNamuDan pORRininRa kanniyargaL kaNakkilavE!

I wonder whether the verse would lend itself to rendering in kAvaDiccin^du.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 16 Feb 2007, 20:43

Here is a Thamizh conversion

ஆற்றங்கரை தனிலே அழகழகாய் ஆனிரையாம்
காற்றினிலே கலந்து ( or கூடி)வந்த இசையினிலே மயங்கினவே!

மாயவனின் குழலிசையில் சொக்கினின்ற ஆவினத்தை
ஆயர்குலப் பெண்டிரெல்லாம் ஏக்கத்துடன் நோக்கினரே!

தண்ணொளி நிலவினிலே தவித்துனின்ற மங்கையரை
கண்ணவன் கார்முகிலான் காக்கவைத்தே தனித்துனின்றான்
எண்ணத்தில் நிலைத்துவிட்ட நீலமேனிக் கண்ணனையே
திண்ணமுடன் போற்றினின்ற கன்னியர்கள் கணக்கிலவே!

I don't know how to get the other "na" in Anirai and ninRa, ninRAn etc.

Correction: It should be "kaNNanavn" instead of "kaNNavan" in the third line from the bottom.

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 16 Feb 2007, 21:13

mahakavi: If this is on the cmtransliteration editor, then try A^nirai.

Similarly sokki^ninRa or if you may split the word sokki ninRa if thats ok.

Also there is no need to explicitly specify as ^ndu as in kala^ndu - just kalandu should work. To me, that is more preferably as it avoids script specific idiosyncracies unless absolutely necessary.

Arun

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2007, 21:28

mahakavi,
Didn't realize you are really a kavi! Great!

You set the scene well. You say you are running it by us before you are going to say--'that's it'--am I right?In which case:
AniRaiyum appeals to me.
EkkamuDan nOkkinarE flows better.
kanniyarO kaNakkilavE rather than kanniyargaL kaNakkilavE.

Curious, though. kaNNAn En thaniththu ninRAn?

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 16 Feb 2007, 21:37

arasi wrote:kaNNAn En thaniththu ninRAn?

To torment them on purpose - So tanittu as in "stood alone (purposefully)"

Very nice mahakavi!

Arun

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 16 Feb 2007, 22:20

arunk:
Yes, the conversion was done with your scheme. I was used to using ^ after the letter. Now I know I should use it before.

As for "tanittu ni^nRAn" your interpretations is exactly what I had in mind. Ever the teasing and tormenting Krishna!

arasi:
wow, vashishTar vAyAl brahmarishi? No, I wasn't rooting for that.
Your corrections do embellish. I wrote that mainly because of your passion for KaNNan-based lyrics. You can pretty much say I dedicated it to your kavittuvam. A lowly offering, perhaps.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2007, 23:30

Thanks for the offering. I am flattered.
What if I say, murugan based?

True, I think there are more murugan songs than those on kaNNan in my tamizh compositions. I have to double check.
vashishTar goes by another name on the forum...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2007, 00:55

Sub/Arasi

here is my interpretation

http://rapidshare.com/files/16779305/Atrankarai.mp3

Of course non traditional but that is how I feel it! Wish there were more lines to expand so that the girls can finish their huskings along with it

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Feb 2007, 05:42

cmlover:
That was really good with a country flavor. This could be a song for the guys who irrigate the fields from the river with an anchor/pole and a barrel (ERRam). I was also reminded of the song in PaDikkAda mEdai (?).

By the way what was the husking about? Is the girl singing with you in the background cleaning/peeling the vengAyam for sAmbhAr?

meena · Post by **meena** » 17 Feb 2007, 05:54

cml
oh wow, a duet, very nice, is it Mrs. CML?

I was also reminded of the song in PaDikkAda mEdai (?).

is it Parkadal Alai Mele ?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2007, 07:30

Since mine is an empty nest I had to loopin my wife for the chorus and she was angry that she had to drone with moi! I vaguely remembered the songs of the dehusking women ('nel kuththu') from the village days! No idea what raga it will fall into! Only DRS maybe able to fit it into one with his vast experience in native tunes!

It was fun for a change!
(which song in padikkaatha medhai? is it 'orE oru oorilE...' The tune will not fit...)

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Feb 2007, 08:27

cmlover/meena:
I may have misstated the movie. It was Sivaji Ganesan and Sowkar Janaki (?). Some line goes as "...angam kuRaindavanai azhagillA ANmaganai mangaiyargaL ninaippaduNDO sollamma maNampEsi muDippaduNDO....". That is all I remember. Sivaji was born with one less arm in that movie. Maybe it is "BAgappirivinai". No I don't remember anything now. It was a long time ago.

As for your wife singing along with you, it was really generous of her. I thought she was 'uRiccing" the onion while going along with you. But the paddy pounding is a good accompanying rhythm for this.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Feb 2007, 08:32

arasi wrote:Thanks for the offering. I am flattered.
What if I say, murugan based? True, I think there are more murugan songs than those on kaNNan in my tamizh compositions. I have to double check.
vashishTar goes by another name on the forum...

OK, if they are Murugan-based, here is one:

villinaiyotta puruvam vaLaittanai vElavA vaDivElavA.....

Oh, Oh, I just now remembered somebody plagiarized this song 90 some years ago. How did the mahAAAAAAAAAAAkavi know that I was going to write this? He preempted me. I shall not prosecute him. He is my favorite anyway.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2007, 09:20

villinaiyotta was sung divinely by maestro VVS in a 72rpm. I guess somebody has it...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 17 Feb 2007, 09:38

Don't you think Bharati describes himself thru his description of vaLLI - 'Sollinai tEnil kuzhaitturaippAl, Siru vaLLiyai kanDu Sokki maram ena ninranai ten malai kATTilE'!

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Feb 2007, 09:51

Yes, Bharathi meant that vaLLi's voice was melodious but we can imply that Bharathi's words themselves are tEninum iniyavai

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Feb 2007, 10:16

Wow! Move over, SPB, CML is here! The song reminds me of ATROram koDikkAlAm, arumbarumbA veTRilaiyAm, pOTTA sevakkudillE, pon mayilE un mayakkam--PaTTilum malarAm Mangai sErndu viTTAl?Lovely to hear Madame CML chanting along.
Guess what, VVS's villinai was one of the songs he sang at the all bhArathi songs concerts that is the very first of its kind, no doubt. His tuning combines the folk with the classical admirably. Though his sister later sang with him on the record, at the debut performance in Ettayapuram, someone you know sang just that one song with him

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2007, 10:35

Wow! Can we have that recording? Or better sing it for us! It was one of my VVS favourites. Actually Bharati set it in PunnagavaraaLi. Do you know why VVS tuned it as a kaavadi chintu ?

You are quite right! My sub conscious was thinking 'aatrOram koDikkAlaaM...'.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Feb 2007, 10:49

When I am back in the US, I will sing it for you--meanwhile, VK or Lakshman may have it.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Feb 2007, 21:21

arasi wrote:What if I say, murugan based? True, I think there are more murugan songs than those on kaNNan in my tamizh compositions. I have to double check.

arasi:
Since you declared your dual-deity preference, it has been a case of "Sleepless in the South" for me. So here is another attempt. I used the "marudam" landscape for KaNNan. The nearest Murugan temple in the Eastern US is in Baltimore. But let me take you to the "neydal" environs of India.

singAra vElavanin sannidiyE sorgam
mangAda sIrmEvum sendil mAnagarinilE (singAra..)

viNNavarum viya^ndiDa sUranai muRiyaDittu
maNNavarum pugazh^ndiDa vAgaimAlai sUDiya (singAra..)

so^ndamuDan kaDalalaigaL a^ndiyilE sIrADa
indiranum tanmagaLai viruppamuDan ta^ndiDa
si^ndaiyilE sevvELin sEvaDigaL tanaippORRi
sa^ndadam aDiyArgaL manamuva^ndu senRiDum (singAra..)

சிங்கார வேலவனின் சன்னிதியே சொர்கம்
மங்காத சீர்மேவும் செந்தில் மாநகரினிலே (சிங்கார..)

விண்ணவரும் வியந்திட சூரனை முறியடித்து
மண்ணவரும் புகழ்ந்திட வாகைமாலை சூடிய (சிங்கார..)

சொந்தமுடன் கடலலைகள் அந்தியிலே சீராட
இந்திரனும் தன்மகளை விருப்பமுடன் தந்திட
சிந்தையிலே செவ்வேளின் சேவடிகள் தனைப்போற்றி
சந்ததம் அடியார்கள் மனமுவந்து சென்றிடும் (சிங்கார..)

As usual, arasi, you are invited to smooth out the rough edges.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Feb 2007, 22:07

Bravo! An inspired piece, indeed!