meaning- Irayavaraman Thampi's OmaNa tingaL

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Jan 2007, 19:29

Can someone who knows how to read malayalam translate this lullaby, please? The lyrics are available in malayalam at:

http://www.swathithirunal.in/htmlfile/omana.htm

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 28 Jan 2007, 19:35

English lyrics here
http://carnatica.net/special/oomana_eng.pdf

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Jan 2007, 19:54

Thanks..DRS..
The swathithirunal.in site gives the overall meaning...need word-to-word meanings please...

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 28 Jan 2007, 20:54

While iam no expert in Malayalam, I will still attempt to translate whatever I could make
out

Omana- A term of endearment; tingaL- moon; kiDAvO- child(is it the child/kuzhandaiyO/maguvE?); nalla- good;
kOmala- tender; tAmarappUvO- is it the lotus flower?

pUvil- in the flower; niRanna- filled (that which has filled); madhuvO- is it the nectar?
paripUrNEndu- the full-moon; tanRe- its; nilAvO- is it the light/lustre (pUrNa kumuda kaumudi).

puttan- ?; pavizhakkoDiyO- is it the coral creeper; ceru- little; tattagaL- parrots; konjum mozhiyO- prattle;

cAnjADi ADum- dancing by shaking and mving side to side; mayilO- is it the peacock;
mRdu pancamam- the delicate note of pancama; pADum singing; kuyilO- is it the cuckoo;(The cuckoo is held to sound the pacama note)

tuLLum- prancing; iLamAnO- Is it the young deer(fawn);
SObha koLLunna- A beautiful and shining; Or- one; annakkoDiyO- is it the swan!;

ISvaran tanna nidhiyO- Is it ISvara's treasure; paramESvari- Divine Mother( lalitAparamESvari); Endum- holding/bearing; kiLiyO- is it the parrot!;

pArijAtattin taLirO- Is it the tender shoot of the divine wish giving tree/creeper (pArijAta); enRE- my; bhAgyadrumattin phalamO- the fruit of my forune tree
(metaphor wherin ones good-fortune is caled a tree and its fruit bearng all the essence is the baby. bhAgya is fortune, druma is tree.);

vAtsalya ratnatte- the gem/jewel of my tender affection; vayppAn- to keep; mama- to me; vAccoru- obtained/bestowed(passively, same as vAytta in tamizh);
kAncanac ceppO- is it the golden casket; (another imagery wherein ones tender love/affection is equated to a jewel and its object, the chiled, becoming the casket for depositing all that love)

dRStikku- to the sight; vecca Or amRtO- nectar to the eye; kUrIruTTattu- in the darkness?; vecca- kept/placed; viLakkO- is it the lamp(The lamp placed to dispel darkness);

kIrttilata- the creeper of fame(ever-climbing); vittO- is it the seed?(Is it the seed of the ever climbing creeper of fame); ennum- ever(enRum/endU); kEdu varAduLLa- flawless/never afflicted by flaw; muttO- is it the pearl;

Artti- misery/travails; timiram- darkness; kaLavAn- to rob/dispel; mArttANDa dEva- sun God; prabhayO- light/luminescence;(Is it the light of the sun_god come to rob the darkness of miser and gloom!)

More later

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Jan 2007, 23:57

DRS,
Thank you for the translation of this beautiful lullaby! I tried singing it to my grandson, remembering it from my childhood! Couldn't remember most of it, and now, I have the song and the meaning too. Doesn't puththan mean new?

meena · Post by **meena** » 29 Jan 2007, 00:20

and Heres Line by line meaning of the Lullaby by by Dr. P. P. Narayanaswami

The phrases in each line of this beautiful lullaby, in deceptively simple malayALam, compare the newborn (royal) baby with the best things in the world that one can imagine. Each phrase is an exclamation (in the form of a query): "Is this (baby)... like this one?" Since some of these vernacular words do not admit precise translation into English, we have only provided only an approximation to the actual meaning. The exact meaning can be fully enjoyed only with some experience in malayALam language.

IS THIS (baby)...

The bright crescent moon? Or the charming lotus flower?

The honey filled in a flower? Or the lustre of the full moon?

The fresh coral gem (could mean the fresh creeper of the pavizhamalli flower)?

Or the pleasant chatter of the baby parrots?

A joyously dancing peacock? Or a bird singing the soft pa~ncamam?

A bouncing young deer? Or a bright shining swan?

A treasure gifted by God? Or the parrot in the hands of Ishvari (goddess)?

The tender leaf of the pArijAta tree? Or the fruits of my tree of fortune?

A golden casket --- to enclose the jewel of my affectionate love?

Nector in my sight? Or a light to dispell darkness?

The seed for the creeper of my climbing fame? Or a never-fading bright pearl?

The brilliance of the sun --- to dispell the shields of misery?

The essence of knowledge in the vEdas ? or the very minute sounds of the vINa?

The lovely blossom put forth by the stout branch of my tree of enjoyment?

A clustre of piccaka flower buds? Or sugar candy that sweetens the tongue?

The fragrance of musk? Or the quality of all good deeds?

A breeze laden with the fresh scent of flowers? Or the essence of purest gold?

A bowl of fresh boiled milk? Or the sweet smelling rose water?

The field that grows all virtues? Or the abode of all dhrama?

A bowl of thirst-quenching water? Or the shade that provides shelter for the weary?

A ever-fresh mallika flower? Or the wealth stored by me?

The auspicious objects of my gaze? Or my most precious jewel?

A stream of virtuous beauty? Or playfulness of the youthful k.rSNa?

The bright forehead mark of goddess lakSmi?

Is it an incarnation of k.rSNa himself in this beautiful form in this world?

Or is it the mercy of Lord padmanAbha? Or is it the source of all future happiness?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 29 Jan 2007, 01:21

DRS,
Thanks...and thanks Meena...most people only sing a very small number of these beautiful verses...I assumed that the lullaby was for a little girl (references to tatta, and kiLi), but realized that Irayavarman Thampi (aka Irayaman Thampi) composed this when his nephew, the future King, swAti tiruNAL was born! He certainly got the 'kIrtilata' part right!

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 29 Jan 2007, 08:27

James wrote:...most people only sing a very small number of these beautiful verses...

Smt. Chitra has rendered all the stanzas in her new album with the same title by Audiotracs.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 29 Jan 2007, 10:50

Thanks, Meena!

Isn't this a beautiful poem, James--I mean, Ravi...

meena · Post by **meena** » 02 May 2007, 23:33

Dr Achuthsankar S. Nair version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swzCpBK8mI0

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 03 May 2007, 01:49

Thank you, Meena. That was a great rendition in Desh. A bit short, though...