Engal kannamma

[deepsands02]

Can someone please post the lyrics for this bharathiar krithi? I found a link to sahityam.net but the text would not come up for me.

Thank you,
-Sandeep

[Lakshman]

engaL kaNNammA. rAgA: chenjuruTi. rUpaka tALA.

P: engaL kaNNammA naghai pU rOjAppU engal kaNNammA vizhi indra nilappU
engaL kaNNammA mukham shentAmaraippU engaL kaNNammA nudal bAla sUriyan
C1: engaL kaNNammA ezhil minnalai tErkkum engal kaNNammA puruvangaL madan virkkaL
tingaLai muDiya pAmbinaip-pOla shEri shuzhal ivan nAshi eTpU
2: mangaLa vAkku nityAnanda Utru madhura vAi amirtam idazh amirtam
sangItamen kural sarasvati vINai shAya varambai catur ayirANi
3: inkita nAda nilaya m iru shevi shangu nigharnda khaNDam amirta sangam
mangaLak-kaigaL mahAshakti vAsam vayirAvilai iDai amirta vIDu
4: shankaranait-tAngu nandipada caturam tAmarai irutAL lakSmI pITham
pogit-tadumbi dishaiyengum pAyum buddhanbum jnAnamum meittirukkOlam

[Pratyaksham Bala]

A few corrections:

P: engaL kaNNammA nagai pudu rOjAppU engal kaNNammA vizhi indra nIlappU
engaL kaNNammA mukham shentAmaraippU engaL kaNNammA nudal bAla sUriyan
C1: engaL kaNNammA ezhil minnalai nErkkum engal kaNNammA puruvangaL madan virkkaL
tingaLai mUDiya pAmbinaip-pOlE sheRi kuzhal ivaL nAshi eTpU
2: mangaLa vAkku nityAnanda Utru madhura vAi amirtam idazh amirtam
sangIta menkural sarasvati vINai shAya varambai catur ayirANi
3: inkita nAda nilayam iru shevi shangu nigartta khaNDam amurda sangam
mangaLak-kaigaL mahAshakti vAsam vayiRAlilai iDai amirta vIDu
4: shankaranait-tAngu nandipada caturam tAmarai irum tAL lakSmI pITham
pogit-tadumbi dishaiyengum pAyum puttanbum jnAnamum meittirukkOlam

[smala]

Would love a translation here, rshankar.

[Lakshman]

Thanks Pratyaksham Bala for all the corrections.

[rshankar]

smala - sure will do!

[arasi]

This is not a correction, but something I've wondered about.
verse 1: minnal's (lightening)'s forks--are they called viRkaL in thamizh, by any chance? Or, kaNNammA's eyebrows are like madanan's viRkaL? If the latter is what Bharathi meant, though my book too says madan viRkaL, is it a typo and should read as madanan viRkaL??

The following line needs a break (there is a semicolon in my book). We need a break between pAmbinaip pOla seRi kuzhal and ivaL nAsi eTpU (sesame flower).
Thamizh is tough enough as it is for those who do not know the language. Punctuations do help.

Ravi,
Look forward to your lyrical translation...

[Pratyaksham Bala]

arasi:
Thanks for the correction.
Yes, it is 'madan viRkaL'.

[arasi]

madan's viRkaL in thamizh--won't they be madanan viRkaL??I perhaps did not say it clearlyat first.

kuzhalukkum nAsikkum chaTRu iDamum vENDumE! Either hyphens or a semicolon.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Both மதன் and மதனன் refer to மன்மதன்.

[rshankar]

smala - here is my attempt. I am sure there will be many comments/corrections from the likes of Arasi, Rajani, Sridhar et al.

I am not sure if the mahAkavi has addressed this to a person - to me, it sounds as if he is addressing a composite entity that includes kaNNammA as his child, as his lover, as his motherland etc....

pallavi
engaL kaNNammA nagai pudu rOjAppU engal kaNNammA vizhi indra nIlappU
engaL kaNNammA mukham shentAmaraippU engaL kaNNammA nudal bAla sUriyan
The precious apple of our eye (engaL kaNNammA) [1] has a smile (nagai) like that of a freshly (pudu)-blossomed rose (rOjAppU); her eyes (vizhi) are dark, like the blue lotus (indranIlappU) [2]; her face (mukham/mugam) is like that of a red (Sen) lotus (tAmaraippU); her forehead (nudal) is lustrous like the rising (bAla) sun (sUriyan).

caraNam 1
engaL kaNNammA ezhil minnalai nErkkum engal kaNNammA puruvangaL madan virkkaL
tingaLai mUDiya pAmbinaip-pOlE sheRi kuzhal ivaL nAshi eTpU
Her grace and beauty (ezhil) will give a streak of lightning (minnalai) a run for its money (nErkkum); her brows (puruvangaL) are delicately arched, like Cupid's bows (virkkaL); her tightly braided hair (Seri kuzhal) is like (pOlE) the snake (pAmbinai) [3] that covered (mUDiya) the moon (tingaLai); her (ivaL) nose/nostrils (nASi) is/are like the eT flower [4].

caraNam 2
mangaLa vAkku nityAnanda UTRu madhura vAi amirtam idazh amirtam
sangIta menkural sarasvati vINai shAya varambai catur ayirANi
Her auspicious (mangaLa) speech (vAkku) is an overflowing source (UTRu) of eternal bliss (nityAnanda); nectar (amRtam) drips from her sweet (madhura) mouth (vAi) and lips (idazh); her mellifluous singing voice (sangIta menkural) has shades (SAyai/cAyai) of the sarasvati vINa (vINai); her form (varambai) is that of the queen/consort (rANi) of brahmA (catur ayan) [5].

caraNam 3
inkita nAda nilayam iru shevi shangu nigartta kaNTham amurda sangam
mangaLak-kaigaL mahAshakti vAsam vayiRAlilai iDai amirta vIDu
Her two (iru) ears (Sevi) are the residence (nilayam) of pleasing (inkita) music (nAda), while her neck (kaNTham) that is like (nigartta) a conch (Sangu) [6] is a collection/union (sangam) of honey/nectar (amRta); her auspicious (mangaLa) hands (kaigaL) form the residence (vAsam) of pArvati (mahASakti); her abdomen (vayiru) is like that of a banyan (Alai) leaf (ilai); and her waist (iDai) is the residence (vIDu) of nectar (amRtam).

caraNam 4
shankaranait-tAngu nandipada caturam tAmarai irum tAL lakSmI pITham
pongit-tadumbi dishaiyengum pAyum puttanbum jnAnamum meittirukkOlam
Her quickness (caturam) is like that of the feet (pada) of nandi that supports/carries (tAngu) Siva (Sankaranai); her feet (tAL) where lotuses (tAmarai) live (irum) is the seat (pITham ) of lakshmI; the nascent love (puttanbum) and wisdom/knowledge (jnAnamum) that is overflowing (pongi), splashing (tadumbi) and gushing (pAyum) in all directions (diSaiengum) is her true (mei) and divine (tiru) appearance (kOlam).

FOOTNOTES
[1] kaNNammA is a young girl who is as dear as one's eyes
[2] indranIa pU is nIlOtpalam, if I understand it; indranIla gem is a type of emerald
[3] rAhu/kEtu I guess
[4] No idea what this flower is – I assume it is a flower because 'eT' is followed by 'pU'
[5] Last part is contextually translated – do not know the exact meaning of 'varambai', or 'catur ayirANi'
[6] Reminiscent of how Sri dIkshitar has described akhilANDESvari as kambukaNThi

[sridhar_ranga]

Ravi, Excellent work.

eTpU = eL+pU = eLLuppU (sesame/gingelly flower) as Arasi has said above

it is "S(h)Ayal arambai" - she has the looks/likeness of rambha;

catur ayirANI =- not sure; may mean she is clever (geTTikkAri) like ayirANi (Indra's wife or pArvati, as per lexicon)

[rshankar]

Sridhar - thanks...I missed the sesame seed part from Arasi's post...

[smala]

Beautiful, rshankar. Many thanks.

[arasi]

sankaranum srIdharanum sErndu porul thandAr
sindaiyai sokka vaikkum sendamizhk kavi
nam chittam sollAmal koLLum subbaiyyan--sol
nayamum guNamum koL uyar pAviRkE...

[rshankar]

Awesome, Arasi - the mahAkavi is simply spell-binding, awe-inspiring, amazing and very effective all at once...

[arasi]

Ravi,
kuzhal is also locks. Needn't necessarily be a braid.

[rshankar]

Arasi - agree entirely. But with the adjective 'Seri' and the reference to the snake, I think, it does mean a braid here (a la SankarAbharaNa vEni) - There are other serpentine similes evoked to describe a braid - in addition to the one about Siva's adornment, it is thought to represent the kuNDalini Sakti (especially in a dancer, as nATyam is supposed to 'awaken' this potential energy and make it ascend and pierce the consciousness - the state of nATya yOga)

[arasi]

So, there! You are the best I can think of, who has been translating lyrics for a long time at Rasikas.org, helping with hundreds of songs by putting your love into what you do, not translating them with just expertise. If Lakshman brings thousands of lyrics with love to others, you take it one step further by translating them. May your work continue and help music lovers!

[rshankar]

Thank you Arasi...it's all 'relfected' glory - the credit all goes to the amazing composers...and it is all done in the spirit of 'yAm peTRa inbam....', and not to forget the fact that I learn so much from everyone!!

[aaaaabbbbb]

rshankarji,
What arasi Ji has written is true.Your humility is your unworn ornament.I have read and enjoyed so many translations from you.
God bless you.
Regards.

[rshankar]

Now I am officially embarrassed! Smt. Savitri, thank you. I love your efforts at helping us understand the meaning of kannaDA and Telugu compositions - in fact, for me, this whole forum is about exchange of ideas, not about teaching or 'learning'....of expanding horizons and free flowing ideas, not about prescriptions or proscriptions.

[PUNARVASU]

For any translations, we are assured that either Smt Savitri or shri rshankar will provide them the minute some one asks for it. Really appreciate the time and effort they take to make these available for the benefit of all rasikas. Yes, this is an educative ,interactive forum ,benefitting many of the rasikas.

[arasi]

Punarvasu,
You are part of it too! These healthy and helpful exchanges are what keeps Rasikas thriving--but for a few eruptions of negative energy once in a while.
Hope the young singer is happy that he got such a prompt and inspiring translation that he requested just days ago.

[VK RAMAN]

I have been benefited and continue to benefit from several of our members such as Savitri, Rshankar, Lakshmanji, Pratyaksham Bala and Krishna are a few names that come to my mind and of course cmlover's encouragement from time to time.

[smala]

Listening to a song makes more sense to me when following the import of the song. rshankar's translations for Tamizh, Smt. Savitri's work in conveying the essence of Telegu, Kannada songs are always a delight, no doubt about it. Now can at least recognize some literary Tamizh words, thanks to rshankar.

[deepsands02]

wow... got a lot of information here! really appreciate it

thanks everyone!!

-sandeep

[aaaaabbbbb]

Thank you all. Srini Raja Rao and rshankarji encouraged me to try translations.
I am indebted to them.
Thank you once again.
Regards.

[rshankar]

I am indebted to them.

Not quite as much as we are to you!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Smt Savitri,

I agree with Ravi 100% on this!

Thank you for your contribution to our forum!

[aaaaabbbbb]

Srini Rajarao,rshankarji,
What else can I say? One is Guruputra and One is Gurutulya.
Both are prAtahsmaraNiyas for me.
May God bless you!