My Favorites

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I enjoy poetry, songs and music. I listen to songs in Tamil, Hindi, English, and some other languages everyday, mostly from albums made for Indian movies or standalone albums by artists. One of the most important aspects of a song, at least for me, is the lyrics. In this post, I gather a list of my most favorite lyrical excerpts (not in any particular order).

There is no single reason why I like these lyrics - it is usually a combination of reasons that involve both substance and style, e.g., the sincerity of the emotional expression, the depth of the metaphors, the vividity of the "verbal imagery", the structure of the rhyme, the alliteration, the apt use of repetition, the "musicality" of the words, the meaning, the possibility of multiple interpretations, or even something more elusive like "how it makes me feel"! :D

Almost all of the excerpts below are in either Tamil or Hindi/Urdu. I have attempted to interpret them in English as accurately as possible, although I cannot guarantee that it is flawless. Anyway, I think Indians are very fortunate to have brilliant poets and song writers in their languages. As will be apparent from my list, my own favorite lyricists are Vairamuthu in Tamil and Javed Akhtar in Hindi. And not surprisingly, AR Rahman is the music composer for most of these songs. No wonder then that he is my favorite music composer, as I imagine to be the case for most Indians!

After writing all these down, I realized that more than half of them were about romantic love! While I realize how important love is for human beings, I find it fascinating that this single topic seems to bring out the best in most poets, even more so than God, or, nature, or whatever else. Even many of Shakespeare's famous poems are about his love for the "fair youth", said to be a man in the English aristocracy! I guess it is just an important part of being human. I think poetry, as with most forms of art, amplifies parts of our nature that we cannot, or do not want to, access otherwise! :) With that prelude, enjoy these beautiful poetic words from the masters! :)

Ishq ada hai (Ada):

Background:
A forlorn lover rues beautifully about the ravages of his/her love for his/her beloved. The same song is sung separately by a male and female singer.

Tum se hi ishq ka saaz mila hai,
Ishq se rabb ka raaz mila hai.
Ishq ada hai, ishq sada hai,
Ishq dawa hai, ishq dua hai.
- Raqeeb Alam

Interpretation in English:
From you I have gotten the meaning of love,
From love I have gotten the secret of God,
Love is grace, love is eternal,
Love is a medicine, love is a prayer.

Vennilave vennilave (Minsara Kanavu):

Background:
A couple about to fall in love sing playfully to the moon at night, asking it to come play with them.

Ettadha uyaratthil nilavai veitthavan yaaru?
Kaiyodu sikkamal kaatrai veitthavan yaaru?
- Vairamuthu

Interpretation in English:
Who put the moon at such an unreachable height?
Who made the air such that it cannot be held in our hands?

Innisai paadi varum (Thulladha manamum thullum):

Background:
A lover longs to see her beloved, whose takes care of her and sings to her, when she was blind. Somehow, after she gets new eyes, her lover eludes her and she keeps searching for him persistently to thank him.

Thedal ulla uyirgalukke dhinamum pasi irukkum,
Thedal enbadhu ulla varai vaazhvil rusi irukkum,
Ada paadal pola thedal kooda oru sugame.
-Vairamuthu

Interpretation in English:
Only those lives that keep searching have a daily hunger,
As long as the search continues, life will remain sweet,
Indeed, as with a song, searching also provides a certain joy.

Kadavul paadhi (Alavandhan):

Background:
A schizophrenic and psychopathic murderer sings to himself about his delusional state of existence.

Ovvoru thuliyum, ovvoru thuliyum, uyiril vergal kulirgiradhey.
Ellatthuliyum kulirumbodhu, iruthuli mattum sudugiradhey.
Nandhakumara, Nandhakumara, mazhai neer sudaadhu theriyaadha?
Kannam vazhigira kanneer thulidhaan venneer thuli ena arivaaya?
Sutta mazhaiyum, sudaadha mazhaiyum, ondrai kandavan needhaane.
Kanner mazhaiyil thanneer mazhaiyai kulikka vaitthavan needhaane.
- Vairamuthu

Interpretation in English:
Each and every drop of rain is as cold as the roots of life itself.
But when all the drops are cold, two drops alone are warm.
Nandhakumara, rain drops cannot be warm, don't you know that?
Do you realize that the tears rolling down your cheeks are the warm drops?
Only you have seen drops that are both warm and cold.
Only you have drenched the rain drops in your tear drops.

Man mohana (Jodha Akbar):

Background:
An ardent Krishna devotee professes her deep love of Krishna and desperately prays to him to appear in front of her to assuage her longing.

Raas rachaiyan brindavan ke gokul ke basi,
Raadha tumhri daasi,
Darshan ko hai pyaasi,
Shaam salone nand lala Krishna banwari,
Tumhri chhab hai nyaari,
Mein to hoon tan man haari.

Interpretation in English:
Adorned with a headdress, O cowherd of Brindavan,
Raadha is (I am) your slave,
Yearning for you to appear,
O Krishna, you play in the forests in the evening like a child,
Your magnificence is immeasurable,
I have lost my mind and body to you.

Kappaleri poyachu (Indian):

Background:
Set during the time of independence, the lover returns from fighting against the British to meet his beloved in his home village. He confesses his longing and his love for her, and vows to be with her for the rest of their lives.

Anname anname naan solli, vandhadhaa thendralum nettru?
Unnaiye unnaiye naan enni, vendhadhai sonnadhaa poongaattru?
Undhan kaalin metti pol kooda nadappen,
Undhan kannukku kanneer pol kaaval iruppen,
Maali soodi, thozhil aadi,
Kai thottu, mei thottu, unnil ennai karaippen.
- Vaali

Interpretation in English:
My dear, did the breeze meet you yesterday, as I had asked?
Did it tell you of my suffering, consumed by my desire for you?
I will walk every step with you like your toe ring,
I will protect you as your tears protect your eyes,
Exchanging garlands, rocking the cradle,
Touching hands, with a true touch, I will dissolve myself in you.

Vennila siragadikka (Ponniyin Selvan):

Background:
A girl tries to console her friend, who is depressed about something by giving uplifting lyrical advice. But he rebuts all her consolations with his own lyrical retorts.

Mazhaiyin sattham, mazhalai muttham, atthanaikkum aasai padu,
Aasai vandhaal avasthai varume, arivuraiyai maatri vidu.
- Vijay

Interpretation in English:
(Girl) The sound of rain, the kiss of kids, have a desire for all these good things.
(Guy) If we have desire, suffering soon follows, so change your advice.

Maahiya (Awarapan):

Background:
A happy-go-lucky girl explains to her friends through a joyous song about her hopes and expectations for meeting the man of her dreams.

Kabse uske aane ki main raah takoon?
Kabse chhupa ke use dil mein rakhoon?
Mere dil ne taraasha use jaisa, milega vahi yaar maahiya, hai mujhe aitbaar maahiya.
- Sayeed Quadri

Interpretation in English:
How long do I keep going out of my way to find him?
How long do I keep hiding this in my heart?
I trust that I will get a man exactly like how my heart has sculpted him.

Fitna dil (Shikhar):

Background:
Not really sure, and never bothered to find out! :)

Kyon kisi se haarna dil, kyon kisi ka jeetna dil?
Kyon kisi se jodna dil, kyon kisi ka todna dil?
Dillagi dil kee lagi se karke na mar mitna dil.
Maaf kar aye fitna dil, aye fitna dil, aye fitna dil.
- Chandrashekhar Rajit

Interpretation in English:
Why lose your heart to someone, why win someone's heart?
Why join your heart with someone, why break someone's heart?
Do not get destroyed or killed by engaging with the heart.
Forgive the seductive and fickle heart.

Mukundha mukundha (Dasavatharam):

Background:
Another Krishna devotee sings of her love for Krishna.

Mayil peeli soodi nirkum mannavane,
Mangaikku endrum neeye manavaalane.
- Vaali

Interpretation in English:
My king, standing adorned with a peacock's feather,
You are the one the woman (I) always wants to marry.

Jannat jahaan (Jannat):

Background:
Again, not sure, and never bothered to find out! :)

Roz naya khwaab de de zindagi,
Aisi haseen saza de,
Jannat jahaan, jannat yahaan!
- Neelesh Mishra

Interpretation in English:
May life give a new dream every day,
May it give such a beautiful punishment.
Where is heaven, here is heaven!

Haule haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi):

Background:
A guy sings in elation about his wife slowly falling in love with him after she was unhappy about being forced in to a marriage with him by her father due to circumstances.

Pal pal yeh dil ghabraaye, pal pal yeh dil sharmaaye,
Kuchh kahta hai, aur kuchh kar jaaye.
Kaisi yeh paheli, muh dil mar jaana,
Ishq mein jaldi, bada jurmaana.
- Jaideep Sahni

Interpretation in English:
Moment after moment, my heart is afraid, my heart is shy,
It says one thing, but does something else.
What a riddle this is, my heart might as well die.
But soon, it will be well due to love.

Kanaa kaanum kaalangal (7G Rainbow Colony):

Background:
A guy and a girl trying to resist falling in love with each other sing of their agony as love wins and begins to consume them.

Thaayodum sila thayakkangal irukkum, thozhamaiyil adhu kidaiyaadhe,
Thaavi vandhu sila viruppangal kudhikkum, thadutthidave ingu vazhi illaiye.
Adhikaalai neram ellam thoongaamal vidigiradhey,
Vizhi moodi thanakkul pesum maunangal pidikiradhey.
Nila nadukkam, adhil kodumaigal illai, mana nadukkam, adhu miga kodumai.
- Muthukumar

Interpretation in English:
(Girl) I hesitate to share certain things even with my mother, but not in our companionship.
Some desires come leaping at me, and I am unable to prevent them.
(Guy) All my early mornings are beginning to pass without any sleep.
I am beginning to speak to myself in silence with eyes closed.
(Both) Even the ground shaking is not as torturous as a shaken mind.

Tera mera rishta (Awarapan):

Background:
A guy laments about how the memories of his dead lover torment him everyday.

Bechain din mere, bechain raat hai,
Kya main karoon kuchh bataa.
Yeh mere paanv hi, khud mere bediyaan,
Mujh se mujhe tu chhudaa.
- Sayeed Quadri

Interpretation in English:
Restless are my days, restless are my nights,
What do I do, tell me something.
My own feet have become my chains,
Free me from myself.

Konji konji alaigal oda (Veera):

Background:
A guy sings about song and music to win a singing contest.

Maadhavan poonguzhal mandhira geedhatthil,
Maadhar thammai marandhaada.
Aadhavan karangalin aadharavaal ponne,
Aatril pon pol alaiyaada.
- Panju Arunachalam

Interpretation in English:
Krishna's flute, in a magical musical enchantment,
Forgets itself and plays randomly on its own.
But when it is held in the hands of God himself,
It yields golden music like ripples in a river.

Kya mujhe pyaar hai (Woh Lamhe):

Background:
Again, not sure, and never bothered to find out! :)

Tere hi sapne andheron main ujaalon mein,
Koi nasha hai teri aankhon key pyaalon mein.
Tu mere khwaabon mein, jawaabon mein, sawaalon mein,
Har din chura tumhe laaton hain main khayaalon mein.
- Neelesh Misra

Interpretation in English:
I have dreams only about you all days and all nights,
There is some intoxicant in the lids of your eyes.
You are in my dreams, my answers, my questions,
I steal you and bring you in to my thoughts every day.

Vidigindra pozhudhu (Raam):

Background:
A girl sings about the agony of unrequited love towards a lover that fails to recognize her love.

Pacchai nilam paalaivanam aanadhada.
Poovanamum porkalamaai maarudhada.
Kaalam kooda kangal moodi kondadhada.
Unnai vida kallaraiye pakkamada.
- Snehan

Interpretation in English:
Deserts have turned into green pastures.
Flower gardens have turned into warzones.
Time itself seems to have closed its eyes.
Yet, the cemetery seems more attainable than you.

Uyirin uyire (Kaakha kaakha):

Background:
A guy sings about his suffering when he is away from his lover.

Ninaivu engo neendhi chella,
Kanavu vandhu kannai killa.
Nizhal edhu, nijam endhu,
Kuzhambinen, vaa penne!
- Thamarai

Interpretation in English:
My thoughts are drifting away elsewhere,
Dreams come and fill my eyes.
What is delusion, what is reality,
I am confused, come to me, my dear!

Thottu thottu pogum thendral (Kaadhal Konden):

Background:
A guy sings about the agony caused by the awareness that he cannot possess his lover since she is in love with someone else.

Vinnum odudhey, mannum odudhey,
Kangal sivandhu thalai sutriyadhey.
Idhayam valikkudhey, iravu kodhikkidhey,
Idhu oru sugam endru purigiradhey.
- Muthukumar

Interpretation in English:
The sky races away, the ground races away,
My eyes are red and my head is spinning.
My heart aches, the nights are scorching,
But I have realized there is a joy in these.