meaning of a particular word requested

[Lakshman]

Here is the caraNa from a Papanasham Shivan song. Please let me know the meaning of this word: kAyumarali Thanks.
It would be great if the meaning for the whole caraNa is provided.

I erumbOdu manidanIrA eDutta piravik-kaLavumilaiyE
OivillAmal Unurakkattirk-kuzhaikkum kavalai ozhiyavilaiyE
mAya maNNilum peNNilum ponnilum vaLarum Ashai ozhiyavillaiyE
kAyumarali dUtar vandAl manak-kalakkam aTrirukka vazhiyum ilaiyE
kAmanai eritta vizhiyOi kAlanai udaitta kazhalOi
sOmanai aNinda muDiyOi sundara naTamiDum kuncitapada

[rshankar]

Lji, I will give you the meaning of the whole caraNam a bit later, but kAyumarali dUtar probably means 'callous/murderous (kAyu) messengers (dUtar) of yamA (maRali)'.

[Lakshman]

Thanks rshankar.

[arasi]

Lakshman,Ravi,
A quick one.

kAyum=this body too...?

UNuRakkathiRkazhikkum (UN+uRakkathil+kazhikkum=the time spent in eating and sleeping). So, kazhikkum not kuzhaikkum.

[arasi]

I don't see the edit icon here at the moment, so this post:

Curious about the pallavi and anupallavi, Lakshman!

[Pasupathy]

kAyum=this body too...?

kAyam =body...

[Pratyaksham Bala]

UNuRakkathiRkazhikkum (UN+uRakkathil+kazhikkum=the time spent in eating and sleeping). So, kazhikkum not kuzhaikkum.

It is "ஓய்வில்லாமல் ஊண் உறக்கத்திற்கு உழைக்கும் கவலை ஒழியவிலையே" OivillAmal Un uRakkattiRku uzhaikkum kavalai ozhiyavilaiyE.

[Lakshman]

arasi: Here is the full song.

IshanE inda Ezahai. rAgA: cakravAka. rUpaka tALA.

P: IshanE inda Ezhaikkiranga innum tAmasamA samAna rahitanAna
A: shrI cidambara vAsanE jagadIshanE kanaka sabEshanE naTarAjanE
C: I erumbOdu manidanIrA eDutta piravik-kaLavumilaiyE
OivillAmal Unurakkattirk-kuzhaikkum kavalai ozhiyavilaiyE
mAya maNNilum peNNilum ponnilum vaLarum Ashai ozhiyavillaiyE
kAyumarali dUtar vandAl manak-kalakkam aTrirukka vazhiyum ilaiyE
kAmanai eritta vizhiyOi kAlanai udaitta kazhalOi
sOmanai aNinda muDiyOi sundara naTamiDum kuncitapada

[Rajani]

I think kAyum here just means "being cruel/angry or tormenting" .

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Rajani,

Thanks! kAyum = tormenting.

And as indicated by rshankar,
kAyumaRali is in fact kAyum + maRali, and not kAyum + aRali !

'maRali' means Yama
To quote Tamil Lexicon:
மறலி maṟali :
, n. < மறலு-. 1. Yama; இயமன். (திவா.) மறலி யன்ன களிற்று மிசையோனே (புறநா. 13). 2. Envy, jealousy; பொறாமை. (பிங்.)

[rshankar]

I think kAyum here just means "being cruel/angry or tormenting" .

I interpretted angry/tormenting as being 'callous'...

'maRali' means Yama
To quote Tamil Lexicon:
மறலி maṟali :
, n. < மறலு-. 1. Yama; இயமன். (திவா.) மறலி யன்ன களிற்று மிசையோனே (புறநா. 13). 2. Envy, jealousy; பொறாமை. (பிங்.)

PB - that is how I interpretted it - maRali - yama....

[cmlover]

காயும் + மறலி = காயும்மறலி
காயு (துன்புறுத்துகிற) +மறலி = காயுமறலி

[rshankar]

Lji - here you go:
For people who are interested in listening to a track of this song, there are many versions on sangeethamshare. I liked the one by Rajesh's favorite female singer, Smt. Raji Gopalakrishnan.

pallavi
(jagad)IshanE inda Ezhaikkiranga innum tAmasamA samAna rahitanAna
Oh Lord (ISanE) who is without (rahitanAna) equal (samAna), why the delay (tAmasamA) in showing your grace (iranga) to this (inda) poor/destitute (Ezhaikku) devotee even now (innum)?

anupallavi
shrI cidambara vAsanE jagadIshanE kanaka sabEshanE naTarAjanE (ISanE…)
Oh resident (vAsanE) of cidambaram, Lord of the universe (jagadISanE), Lord of the golden (kanaka) hall (sabhESanE), Lord of the naTas (naTarAjanE) [1], (why the delay in showing your grace to this poor devotee?)

caraNam
I eRumbODu manidanIRA eDutta piRavik-kaLavumilaiyE
OyvillAmal UnuRakkattiRku uzhaikkum kavalai ozhiyavilaiyE
mAya maNNilum peNNilum ponnilum vaLarum Ashai azhiyavillaiyE
kAyumaRali dUtar vandAl manak-kalakkamaTRu irukka vazhiyumilaiyE
kAmanai eritta vizhiyOy kAlanai udaitta kazhalOy
sOmanai aNinda muDiyOy sundara naTamiDum kuncitapada (ISanE…)
Alas! There doesn’t seem to be a count/measure (aLavumilaiyE) of the ceaseless (IRA) births (piRavikku) I have taken (eDutta) including those as a fly (I), an ant (erumbu) and (ODu) a human being (manidan). There doesn’t seem to be a stop (ozhiyavilaiyE) to the never-ending (OyvillAmal) [2] anxiety (kavalai) regarding the need to work (uzhaikkum) to provide food (UN) and a place to sleep (uRakkatirku). The ever-growing (vaLarum) desire for/interest in (ASai) illusory pleasures (mAya) like owning land (maNNilum), women (peNNilum) and wealth/gold (ponnilum) has not abated (azhiyavillaiyE). I have not figured out a way (vazhiyumilaiyE) to remain (irukka) calm (kalakkamaTRu) [3] when/if the cruel (kAyum) messengers (dUtar) of yama (maRali) come (vandAl) for me. Oh lord with the eyes (vizhiyOy) that incinerated (eritta) manmatha (kAmanai)! Oh lord with the feet (kazhalOy) that kicked (udaitta) yama (kAlanai)! Oh lord with locks (muDiyOy) adorned (aNinda) by the moon (sOmanai)! Oh lord who dances (naTamiDum) beautifully (sundara) with curved feet (kuncitapada) (why this delay in showing your grace to this poor devotee?)

FOOTNOTES
[1] Siva as the supreme naTa, is considered the Lord of the naTas and naTis – practitioners of the fifth, or the nATya vEda
[2] OyvillAmal is literally without (illAmal) rest (Oyvu)
[3] kalakkamaTRu is literally without (aTRu) turmoil (kalakkam)

[Lakshman]

Thanks rshankar for the meaning.

[cmlover]

Well done Shankar:
Just beautiful!

[rshankar]

Thank you!

[arasi]

Ravi,
It's one thing for all of us to suggest/correct words.

You are one who translates songs lyrically--and also with your love and understanding for dance, your interpretations enhance the meaning and connect us to the imagery that the composers would have had in mind.

I don't deny that there are several others among us who are capable of translating songs (example: Rajani).

With you, in all the years that you have been doing this, your appreciation of the song, your understanding a composer's expressions which are born out of his/her feelings--is a quality of yours that I appreciate.

One can find umpteen word-by-word meaning translations on the web--yours are special.
Having said that, I add that all who contribute to Rasikas.org are very competent in translating songs!

You have been doing this for years, sparing time and energy. Each one of your translations is so well-wrought. Yes, word by word meanings are important (and a word has a dozen meanings!). Still, however much the learner may gather sense from a translation, it is the composer's bhAvam that we should have in mind while learning a song . Your translations are the best for that purpose.

The HanumAn of SAhithya--Lakshman, the mightiest gatherer of lyrics, nourishes us and is happy when you do the translations!

I know, MAS and all, so what! (*)-s all, that's all!

[rshankar]

I am very touched - thank you Arasi! I started out doing this many years ago for exactly the same reason you mention - i.e., trying to understand what the composers had in mind. I am so much in awe of every composer's genius that I feel that each of these compositions requires a full treatise to understand every nuance of their brilliance, and the lyrical beauty of the language that in their hands becomes both an implement and the implementer if you will. So many of you have helped me understand tamizh so much more...you, Rajani, Punarvasu, PB, CML, and many, many more...Now, I am completely incompetent to judge how well they incorporate the musical elements into this...
And, like Smt. Balasaraswathi told Dr. Higgins (IIRC), one has to 'see' the music, and 'hear' the dance...I am nowhere there, but this is an attempt to get there.
Also, while it is important to understand the composer's intent, to me, it is also essential to use the language it is being translated into, appropriately...

[Lakshman]

arasi: I couldn't agree with you more re: rshankar. He provide the meanings tirelessly and in such beautiful language that makes us all proud that he is part of our group. Providing lyrics is a minor part that I play. One can always get them from books and the Internet. Providing the interpretation for songs is an art that only some people are capable of and rshankar is one of the best.
The success of our site is due to the contribution that many individuals have made in the past and do so on a continuing basis. Our profound thanks to them all.

[rshankar]

Providing lyrics is a minor part that I play. One can always get them from books and the Internet.

That may be, Lji, but the part you play is simply amazing...all the trouble you take to collect lyrics is beyond compare.

[arasi]

Lakshman,

umakkup perum kAya*mO?
illai, illai--
ivarellAm Lji, Lji engaiyil
enakkuth thOnRuvadennavO
peTTiyil perungAyam!

peTTiyil aDaithAlum perungAya maNam theriyAdO?
aDakkam, vegu aDakkam um guNam--
vallamai anumanAi viri kaDal thANDiyum
virumbik kETkum pADalellAm kaNDeDuppIr---
alaindAyinum saliYAdu nIr koNarvIr

lakshmaNar nIr, rAma dhUtharum kUDa!



*kAyam (uDal)

[aaaaabbbbb]

rshankar Ji
You deserve arasi J’s and Lakshman Ji’s compliments.
Your translations are so beautiful,they feel like original lyrics.
Thank you very much for all your efforts.
Regards.

[Rajani]

I agree, Ravi - Your translations are each done with a lot of care and wonderful to read. I am sure dancers would find them very useful.

I recall Sri Ravi Kiran saying in a lec-dem that if Sruthi is Matha and Laya is Pitha, what is Sahitya, some poor distant cousin?

Thanks to you and all our discussions, Sahitya becomes dear family.

[cmlover]

Let us not forget the special explanations that Shankar provides at the end of each translations!
He not only cites the sources but digs deeper into the meaning and etymology.
He is truly a well read Scholar!
We're lucky to have him at this Forum!
As Spock would say:
May he live long and Prosper!

[arasi]

CML,
And it isn't even his birthday!

Ravi dabbles a lot in Hindi. Even if it isn't his birthday, 'jug jug jiyO!' is what we are wishing him!

Spring cuckoo can be wished that too at this moment because it is his birthday around now!

[cmlover]

I never keep tabs on Birthdays including mine
At any rate all these including Your Royal Highness deserve out greetings and gratitude all the time!

[arasi]

Above all, the karnADaga sangItha rasikatvam personified, in name too, thyself!

I have to get used to the new icons. My favorite smile with a wink is not the same with the new one, and I hesitate to use it.

[rshankar]

Rajani and Smt. Savitri, thank you very much!