[Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu] Theertha karaiyinile

The given song is the adapted version of Bharathiyaar’s poem under the head, ‘Kannamma en Kaadhali’ (Kannamma my lover). The music adds richness to the soulful words of Bharathi and the voice emotes the words with such expressions which could never be described otherwise to a non-Tamizh reader.

The poem is about a lover’s broken promise over their clandestine meeting. It reveals the heartbreak of the man when she did not show up at the promised spot.

Movie: Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu
Poet: Subramanya Bharathi
Singer: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music Director: M.S. Viswanathan
Song sequence: (1)-(1)-(2)-(1)-(2)—(3)-(4)-(4)

(1) தீர்த்த  கரையினிலே–தெற்கு மூலையில்
    செண்பக தோட்டத்திலே,

theertha  garaiyinilae–dheRku moolaiyil
seNpaga thoattathilae,

By banks of the sacred river, on the southern corner,
In the garden of Champaka (flowers),

(2) பார்த்திருந்தால் வருவேன்–வெண்ணிலாவிலே
    பாங்கியோடு என்று சொன்னாய்
    வார்த்தை தவறி விட்டாய்–அடி கண்ணம்மா!
    மார்பு துடிக்குதடி!
    பார்த்த விடத்திலெல்லாம்-உன்னை போலவே
    பாவை தெரியுதடி
    பாவை தெரியுதடி

paarthirundhdhaal varuvaen–veNNilaavilae
paanggiyoadu endRu sonnaay
vaarthai thavaRi vittaay–adi kaNNammaa!
maarpu thudikkudhadi!
paartha vidathilellaam-unnai poalavae
paavai theriyudhadi
paavai theriyudhadi

Should I wait, you promised to come in the moon
Accompanied by a friend(chaperone)
You broke your word, O Kannamma*!
My heart is atremble!
Everywhere I look-your semblance
emerges in everything,
emerges in everything,

(3) மேனி கொதிக்குதடி-தலை சுற்றியே
    வேதனை செய்குதடி,
    வானில் இடத்திலெல்லாம்-இந்த வெண்ணிலா
    வந்து தழுவுது பார்
    மோனத் திருக்குதடீ-இந்த வையகம்
    மூழ்கி துயிலினிலே
(4) நானொருவன் மட்டிலும்-பிரிவென்பதோர்
    நரகத்து உழளுவதோ!

maeni kodhikkudhadi-thalai sutRiyae
vaedhanai seykudhadi,
vaanil idathilellaam-indhdha veNNilaa
vandhdhu thazhuvudhu paar
moanath thirukkudhadee-indhdha vaiyagam
moozhki thuyilinilae
naanoruvan mattilum-pirivenpadhoar
naragathu uzhaLuvadhoa

My body is gripped by (your) fever, as my head spins
Causing unbearable torment
Behold, the spaces in the sky,
embraced by this roving moon,
While silent is this world,
Immersed in slumber
Should I alone whirl about
in this hell of estrangement?

*Kannamma is Bharathiyaar’s personification of Lord Krishna into a woman.  He has written several songs for Kannamma, his beloved.  Kannamma is also a female name in Tamil and also used as a term of endearment for a female.

[bharathi theertha karaiyinile lyrics and translation]

Note: The Song is translated by Ms. Lekha Murali, blogger at lmexpressions.com