Oho Kalame-Sahana- MEaning

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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revanthv552
Posts: 449
Joined: 31 Jan 2008, 22:26

Post by revanthv552 »

Pallavi: OhO kAlamE unpOl evarkku uNDu indrajAlamE

Anupallavi: bhOgamAghavE aNDap-pUvellAm mEivAi pUnai pOl irundu nI puliyaip-pOl pAivAi

Charanam:

1: Ur ellAm tUnginum unakkillai tUkkam OyAmal OduvAi unakkuNDO tEkkam
Ar keTTAl unakkenna ariyAi nI nOghak-kadhika vaTTi koDuppavarkku unmEl Ekkam

2: bAlaraik-kizhavarAip-paNNiyE keDuppAi paghai mathan jpam naDavAmalE taDuppAi
kAl iraNDuDaiyArkkuk-kOl onru koDuppAi kAlanukku uyirellAm kATTiyE viDuppAi

3: Ayudam illAmal yAvaiyum aruppAi azhudAlum tozhudlum aghanru emmai veruppAi
shAyum tarAshu pOlE sakalamum niruppAi sakala uyiraiyum caTTiyil iTTu varuppAi

4: kallaip-pOl uDambaiyum villaip-pOl vaLaippAi kaNam dinam adhikAram ANDEnak-kiLaippAi
villaip-pOl vadanattai shellaippOl tuLaippAi vIngu azhagiyarkkut-tEvAngu uru viLaippAi

5: dukkham uTravarkku nI tolaiyAmal kiDappAi sukham uLLa pErkku nI duritamAi naDappAi
vikkalum irumalum vEdaiyum koDuppAi minjum karu mayiraip-panju pOl keDuppAi

6: malaigaL maNTapangaLai valimaiyAi iDippAi vAri ezhu kaDalum vaTriDak-kuDippAi
talai taDumAra nI tAn koLLai aDippAi tani vEdanAyakan dayayAlE naDippAi


here i post the lyrics of this song could someone please translate this or atleast tell me what the song exactly is about

VK RAMAN
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:29

Post by VK RAMAN »


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

Post by rshankar »

Revanth,

Here you go! These philosophical compositions are very difficult to translate. In this composition, Sri Vedanayakam Pillai bemoans the ravages wrought by time, and details all the problems of aging, and how 'time' destroys not only youthful looks, but capabilities as well. In addition, he also equates 'chronologic' time, with 'bad times' as well.

In the first caraNam, the underlined words are tough for me to interpret (leading to the underlined text in the translation)

pallavi
OhO kAlamE unpOl evarkku uNDu indrajAlamE


Oh (OhO) time (kAlamE)! Is there anyone else (evarkku) who is in possession of (uNDu) magic and chicanery (indrajAlamE) like you (unpOl)?

anupallavi
bhOgamAgavE aNDap-bhUvellAm mEivAi pUnai pOl irundu nI puliyaip-pOl pAivAi


You roam (mEivvAi) around the heavens (aNDa) and the earth (bhUvellAm), experiencing earthy pleasures (bhOgamAgavE). You are wont to exist (irundu) quietly and timidly, like (pOl) a cat (pUnai), but, catching men unawares, you (nI) leap (pAivAi) at them like (pOl) a tiger (puli)!

caraNam 1
Ur ellAm tUnginum unakkillai tUkkam OyAmal OduvAi unakkuNDO tEkkam
Ar keTTAl unakkenna ariyAi nI nOghak-kadhika vaTTi koDuppavarkku unmEl Ekkam


Even when the whole (ellAm) city (Ur) sleeps (tUnginum), there is no (illai) sleep (tUkkam) for your (unallu). You (unakkU) are never tired (tEkkam) despite running (ODuvAi) incessantly (OyAmal). If anyone (yAr) enquires (kETTAl), you (unkku) have nothing (enna) to lose, for you know nothing (ariyAi). It is only those that painfully (nOga) and angrily (kadika) pay (koDuppavarkku) interest (vaDDi) [1] that yearn (Ekkam) for you (Ekkam).

caraNam 2
bAlaraik-kizhavarAip-paNNiyE keDuppAi pagai matan japam naDavAmalE taDuppAi
kAl iraNDuDaiyArkkuk-kOl onru koDuppAi kAlanukku uyirellAm kATTiyE viDuppAi


You will corrupt (keDuppAi) the young (bAlarai) and capable and make/change (paNNiyE) them into the old and infirm (kizhavarAi). You will prevent (naDavAmalE taDuppAi) the conduct of prayers (japam) for the enemy (pagai). As people come under your influence, you give (koDuppAi) a (onru) walking stick (kOl) to men (uDaiyAkku) who had two (iraNDu) feet (kAl) to begin with. You will abandon (viDuppAi) us after revealing (kATTiyE) our lives (uyirayum) to the god of death, yamA (kAlanukku).

caraNam 3
Ayudam illAmal yAvaiyum aruppAi azhudAlum tozhudlum aganru emmai veruppAi
shAyum tarAshu pOlE sakalamum niruppAi sakala uyiraiyum caTTiyil iTTu varuppAi


You will cut/destroy (aruppAi) everything and anything (yAvaiyum) without (illAmal) the benefit of a weapon (Ayudam). When we pray (tozhudAlum), or beg, plead and cry (azhudAlum) to you, all you do is to move aside (aganru) and show us your disgust (veruppAi). Like (pOlE) a balance (tarASu) that goes up-and-down (SAyum), you measure (niruppAi) everything (sakalamum), and you torture (varuppAi) all living beings (uyiraiyum) by throwing (iTTu) them into the your pot (caTTiyil).

caraNam 4
kallaip-pOl uDambaiyum villaip-pOl vaLaippAi kaNam dinam adhikAram ANDEnak-kiLaippAi
villaip-pOl vadanattai shellaippOl tuLaippAi vIngu azhagiyarkkut-tEvAngu uru viLaippAi


You will take this strong body (uDambaiyum) of mine that is as strong as (pOl) a rock (kallai), and make it bent (viLaippAi), like (pOl) a bow (villai)! You tease (kiLaippAi) me every second (kaNam) of every day (dinam) by exerting (ANDEna) authority (adhikAram), and make me (enakku) weary (iLaippAi)! You devastate/bore into (tuLaippAi) a beautiful (villaip-pOl) [2] face (vadanattai) like (pOl) a white ant (Sellai) and make it haggard. You will cause/make (viLaippAi) healthy/substantial (vIngu) beauties (azhagiyarkku) to become emaciated, like lemurs (tEvAngu uru).

caraNam 5
dukkham uTravarkku nI tolaiyAmal kiDappAi sukham uLLa pErkku nI duritamAi naDappAi
vikkalum irumalum vEdaiyum koDuppAi minjum karu mayiraip-panju pOl keDuppAi


You stay (kiDappAi) glued to people who are grief (dukkham) stricken (uTravarkku) instead of getting lost (tolaiyAmal), while you act as/become (naDappAi) the turpitude (duritamAi) of those (pErkku) that are happy (sukham uLLa). You give/torture (kuDuppAi) men with hiccoughs (vikkalum), cough (irumalum) and such agonies (vEdanaiyum), and to rub it in, you destroy (keDuppAi) what little black (karu) hair (mayirai) is left (minjum) on men's heads by transforming it into wispy, cotton-like (panju-pOl) strands.

caraNam 6
malaigaL maNTapangaLai valimaiyAi iDippAi vAri ezhu kaDalum vaTriDak-kuDippAi
talai taDumAra nI tAn koLLai aDippAi tani vEdanAyakan dayayAlE naDippAi


You cause mountains (malaigaL) and mighty buildings (maNTapangaLai) to crumble (iDippAi) with great strength (valaimaiyAi), and you drink up (kuDippAi) the rising (ezhu) waters from the seas (kaDalum). You loot (koLLai aDippAi) everything we hold dear until our heads (talai) spin (taDumAra) in dismay - I realize that it is ONLY by the grace (dayavAlE) of that unique (tani) Lord (vEdanAyakam) [3], that you are able to affect this importance (naDippAi).

FOOTNOTES
[1] Here, I think the composer is stating that only a man under the yoke of a loan with unspeakably high interest rates will want time to move faster, so that he can be freed of the burden.
[2] I think this refers to a face as beautiful as a rainbow (vAnil vizhum vil).
[3] Also the composers mudra/aMkita. Sri Vedanayakam Pillai was a Christian, but his compositions refer to a very non-denominational God, a nameless supreme power.

EDITED with Arasi's comments.
Last edited by rshankar on 30 Nov 2009, 04:07, edited 1 time in total.

revanthv552
Posts: 449
Joined: 31 Jan 2008, 22:26

Post by revanthv552 »

Dear rshankar.....

I just dont know how to thank you....
Listening to Sri Sanjay's version and i felt the song will definitely have a great meaning.
I do not understand tamil but if felt the meaning would really be a moving one...
Now i really feel so satisfied reading you explanation of the song
The song is simply moving...
Thanks a lot for this

kmrasika
Posts: 1258
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 07:55

Post by kmrasika »

Well, vEdanAyakam piLLai certainly has had quite an experience of aging considering the depth of his description! How true his contentions are in this age! Good translation, rsankar! :)

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Post by arasi »

Ravi,
As usual, a deft touch with the translation. I see all the verses now. You have taken pains to explain words and I hope that those who look for the meaning see the translted part rather than the original because a few words are not correct there.

C1: tEkkam here means fatigue (ODuvAi, unakkuNDO tEkkam: you never tire of running).
C4: kiLAippAi; you will tease, taunt
vil=oLi --so, a glowing face. I don't think a rainbow.


Revanth,
Sanjay's rendering of some of the verses of this powerful song certainly rocks the rocking chair set among his audience. Seeing all of the verses brings the death knell closer to our lot :)

manikand28
Posts: 79
Joined: 29 Mar 2008, 18:48

Post by manikand28 »

Wonderful translation, though i am a native tamil spaker, i could never understand the meaning till i read this thread. thanks to all those who contributed.

HarishankarK
Posts: 2216
Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Oho Kalame-Sahana- MEaning

Post by HarishankarK »

the word 'Oyaada' is missing which means that never stops or like always moving - this word is a key adjective for time and shd be included in the pallavi

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