Kangal Irandaal | Subramaniapuram

Film: Subramaniapuram Music director: James Vasanthan 

Lyrics: Thamarai Singers: Belly Raj, Deepa Miriam

kangal irandaal un kangal irandaal

ennai katti izhuthai izhuthai podhadhene

With your gaze, with those eyes of yours

You strung me towards you

And as if that wasn’t enough,

chinna sirippil oru kalla sirippil
ennai thalli vittu thalli vittu moodi maraithai

Into a trace of your smile, your mischievous smile

You pushed me, hid me and had me entrapped!

pesa enni sila naal
arigil varuven

Some days with a desire to talk

I would seek you and inch close

pinbu parvai podhum enanaal

ninaipen naguzhvene maatri

And on second thoughts

I slip away-

A mere glimpse of you

Was enough!

kangal ezhudhum iru kangal ezhudhum
oru vanna kavidhai kaadhal daana

Eyes write, do two eyes write

A hued scrawl of poetry named love?

oru varthai illaye idhil osai illaye
idhai irulilum padithida mudigiradhe

Not of words, nor of sounds-

This poem that could be read

Even in the shroud of darkness!

iravum alladha pagalum alladha
pozhudhugal unnodu kazhiyuma

Could I spend that hour with you?

When morning and night

Have their dusky tryst?

thodavum koodatha padavum koodatha
idaiveli appodhu kuraiyuma

And in that hour will this distance

where I can neither touch nor claim you

disappear between us?

madiyinil saindhida thudikudhe
marupuram naanamum thadukudhe

idhu varai yaaridamum solladha kadhai

I throb to sink myself into your lap

But bashful, I refrain-

And till now it remains

A story of love, untold!

(kangal irandaal)

karaigal andaatha kaatrum theendatha
manadhukkul eppodho nuzhaindhitai

Neither waves could caress,

Nor could the breezes tease

Yet into this heart,

when did you enter?

udalum alladha uruvam kolladha
kadavulai pol vandhu kalandhitai

Without refuge in a body

Unfashioned into a form

Like God, you seeped within!

unnai indri ver oru ninaivilla
ini indha oon-uyir enadhillai

Apart from you,

No stray thought crosses my mind

From here on this body, this spirit

Belong no more to me

thadaiyilai saavilume unnoda vara

And unfettered even by death

I shall always walk by your side

(kangal ezhudhum)

(kangal irandaal)

Ye Jo Des | Swades

Film: Swades Music director: A.R.Rahman 

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar Singer: A.R.Rahman

Ye jo des hai tera, swades hai tera, tujhe hai pukaara…
Ye woh bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahin sakta

This land that is yours,
your very own motherland,
Hear it, calling out to you
with a bond that can never break

Mitti ki jo khushboo, tu kaise bhoolaayega
Tu chaahe kahin jaaye, tu laut ke aayega

How did you ever think?
You would forget the fragrance of your soil
No matter where you drift to
You, will, but definitely return.

Nayi nayi raahon mein, dabi dabi aahon mein
Khoye khoye dilse tere, koyi ye kahega
Ye jo des hai tera, swades hai tera, tujhe hai pukaara
Ye woh bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahin sakta

In strange new roads,
In sighs you muffle from escape
Somewhere to your lost wandering heart
Someone would whisper that
This land that is yours,
your very own motherland,
Hear it, calling out to you
with a bond that can never break

Tujhse zindagi, hai ye keh rahi
Sab toh paa liya, ab hai kya kami

Life is talking to you now
Telling you how you have
Everything you ever will need
But isn’t there, now, something missing?

Yun toh saare sukh hai barse
Par door tu hai apne gharse
Aa laut chal tu ab diwaane
Jahaan koyi toh tujhe apna maane
Awaaz de tujhe bulaane, wahi des

Richness showers on you
Every way, every day
But you are in a place
From home-so far away
Come back now
Oh crazy mad man,
It is now time to come back
Home, where a love claims you
And calls you its own

Ye jo des hai tera, swades hai tera, tujhe hai pukaara
Ye woh bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahin sakta

This land that is yours,
your very own motherland,
Hear it, calling out to you
with a bond that can never break

Ye pal hai wahi, jis mein hai chhupi
Koyi ek sadi, saari zindagi

This moment holds hidden
A lost century, a lifetime!

Tu na poochh raaste mein kaahe
Aaye hain is tarha do raahein
Tu hi toh hai raah jo sujhaaye
Tu hi toh hai ab jo ye bataaye
Chaahe toh kis disha mein jaaye wahi des

Don’t question “why”
somewhere down the way.
A fork awaits now
And now is the time to choose
Which road to walk on
And now is when you tell
Whichever way you go
Is where your land shall follow.

Nalam Vaazha | Marupadiyum

Film: Marupadiyum(Yet again)Music director: Ilayaraja

Lyrics: Vaali Singer: S.P.Balasubramaniam

Nalam Vaazha Ennaalum En Vaazhthukkal
Thamizh Koorum Pallaandu En Vaarthaigal
Ilavaenil Un Vaasal Vanthaadum
Ilanthenral Un Meethu Panpaadum

(Nalam Vaazha)

For your well being, here are my wishes, 

In Tamil, for very many years, here, my wishes:
"Let the sun shine its way to your doorstep!"
"Let the breeze sweep you off with praise!"

Manithargal Silanaeram Thadam Maaralaam
Manangalum Avar Gunangalum Niram Maaralaam
Ilakkanam Sila Naeram Thavaraagalaam
Ezhuthiya Anbu Ilakkiyam Pizhaiyaagalaam
Viralgalaith Thaandi Valarnthathai Kandu
Nagangalai Naamum Narukuvathundu
Idhil Enna Paavam Etharkintha Soagam Kiliyae…

(Nalam Vaazha)

People, sometimes, may change their paths,
their hearts, their natures and change their shades.

The grammar of our lives, we may have structured wrong;
The literature of love, we may have misspelt, mistaken;
And when our nails grow beyond our fingers,
we hesitate not, but cut them short.
Pray, Where is there a crime in this? 

Why be sad, then, my dear beloved one?

Kizhakkinil Thinam Thoanrum Kathiraanathu
Maraivathum Pinbu Udhippadhum Iyalbaanathu
Kadalinil Uruvaagum Alaiyaanathu
Vizhuvathum Pinbu Ezhuvathum Marabaanathu
Nilavinai Nambi Iravugal Illai
Vilakkugal Kaattum Velichathin Èllai
Oru Vaasal Moodi Maru Vaasal Vaippaan Iraivan…

(Nalam Vaazha)

From the eastern skies, the sun rises,
Unfailingly, setting and rising again.
From the oceans, the waves arise,
ebbing and rising, naturally, yet again.
Just on the moon, the night does not pin its hopes

there are lamps too, to light up our trails.
Closing one door, 
God opens, yet another!

Vaseegara | Minnale

One of my favourite translations, done on request, many moons ago! :) 

Film: Minnale Music director: Harris Jeyaraj

Lyrics: Thamarai Singer: Bombay Jayashree

vaseegaraa en nenjinikka un pon madiyil thoonginaal poadhum
adhae kaNam en kaNNuRanga mun jenmangaLin aekkangaL theerum

Oh entrancer! 
My heart skips a beat
when I lie on your lap;
lulled into deep slumber,
yearnings from my past lives
die at your feet, in an instant. 

naan naesippadhum suvaasippadhum un dhayavaal thaanae
aengugiRaen thaengugiRaen un ninaivaal naanae naanI am learning now to live and love
since you mercifully whispered how
And just a thought of yours
in my mind 
gives birth
to a craving deep within. 

adai mazhai varum adhil nanaivoamae
kuLir kaaychchaloadhu snekam
oru poarvaikkuL iru thookkamWhen the rain comes calling
lets drench ourselves, 
till with fevered bodies,
we snuggle together
entwining our sleep
under a blanket

kuLu kuLu poygaL solli enai velvaay
adhu therindhum kooda anbae
manam adhaiyaedhaan edhirpaarkkumAnd when you whisper sweet nothings-
winning me over with white lies-
my heart would still skip beats for more

engaeyum poagaamal dhinam veettilaeyae nee vaendum
sila samayam viLaiyaattaay un aadaikkuL naan vaendum

Stay where you are,
in this little nest of mine
I want you here!

And playfully sometimes
underneath your clothes
Let me in! 

dhinam nee kuLiththadhum enaith thaedi
en saelai nuniyaal undhan thalai thudaippaayae adhu kavidhai

Refreshed from a bath
when you grope for my sari ends
to dry your hair
I see poetry there!

thirudan poal padhungiyae dhideer enru
pinnaalirundhu enai nee aNaippaayae adhu kavidhai

Sneaking like a thief
suddenly from behind
when you claim me with a hug
I see poetry there! 

yaaraenum maNi kaettaal adhai sollak koodath theriyaadhae
kaadhalenum mudivinile gadigaara naeram kidaiyaadhae

Time, transient,
escapes earthly terms
in the web of love.

Muted,
I can give no answers
to those who seek
the meaning of time.