Vidai Kodu Engal Naade - Kannathil Muthamittaal

Set against the ethnic conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Tamilnadu, Kannathil Muthamittaal is a touching story of a little girl and her adoptive parents in search of the girl’s real mother. An idealistic father, a girl who has become increasingly distant from her adoptive parents after learning that she was adopted, and the mother who provides equal love are scripted in various dimensions by Maniratnam. Along with Vairamuthu and Rahman, they produce another relevant masterpiece.


The setting for this song is in Sri Lanka. The Tamils are being driven away again by conflict. The song is granted to a person with a coarse voice - a fitting choice that gives a certain authenticity. The singer is heartbroken in being separated from his homeland. He bids his farewell but distantly hopes that one day, maybe, he’ll be back again. The song is of two parallel stories - the separation of a child and her mother as much as the separation of a man and his motherland, both separated by conflict.

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vidai kodu engal naade

grant me farewell my land

kadal vaasal thelikkum veede

where the sea washes against our doorstep

Sri Lanka is an island, and within that the Tamils occupied mostly the northern region that hugged the coast

panai mara kaadae, paravaigal koode

you, the forests of palm and you pigeons

marumurai oru murai paarpoma?

will I ever see you again?

udhattil punnagai pudhaithom

as we part, let us spread a smile across our lips

uyirai udambukkuL pudhaithom

let us hide our soul in our bodies

verum koodugaL mattum oorvalam pogindrom

we are journeying from here only as empty shells

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell

kandhal aanaalum thaai madi pol
oru sugham varuma? varuma? (2)

even if our mother is dressed in rags, is there anything more comforting than her lap?

it is very common to personify the country as one's mother - motherland being an obvious portmanteau

sorgam sendralum sondha oor pol
oru sudhandhiram varuma? varuma?

even if we go to heaven, will it ever be as comfortable as our own village

kaN thirandha desam ange

in this country I opened my eyes

kaN moodum desam enge? (2)

but I know not where they will shut

pirivoam nadhighale pizhaithaal varugirom

let us break up now you rivers, and if errors are made I shall try to come back

meendum thaayagam azhaithaal varugirom

if my motherland weeps again, I shall come try to back

kanneer thiraiyil pirandha mannai
kadaisiyaaga paarkindrom

this land that was born on a floor of tears, is this the last time we shall see each other?

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell

engaL sangeetham piLLaiyin azhugaiyile tholaithom (2)

our music has been lost among the cries of our children

engaL iLam thingaL vedikuNdu pudhaiyile pudhaithom

our !tbd! Has been lost among the noise of bombs

mun nilavil malaril kidandhom,

we used to sleep in the moonlight on flowers

pin iravil mullil kizhindhom

now we spend the night on thorns

kadal neer paravai dhaan irundhaal sandhippom

you sea gulls, if you remain maybe we'll meet again

vaname malaigaLe vaazhndhaal sandhippom

you rivers and mountains, if you survive we'll meet again

thalaiyil konjam nenjil adhigam

with little in our hands, but much weight in our hearts

sumaigaL sumandhu pogindrom

we are leaving with our baggage

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell

Bombay - Malarodu Malar Ingu

This song from the movie Bombay is hardly of note in the movie and I don’t think it pictured in the official soundtrack. But it’s simple and relevant. The setting is after the riots in Mumbai, following the Babri Masjid demolition, have subsided. Arvind Swamy the Hindu husband and Manisha Koirala playing his Muslim wife, already having found out a little earlier that both their fathers died during the riots, have been searching for their missing sons Kabir and Kamal. The song starts at the point where they catch sight of each other across the street after a frantic search. At the same time there is a spontaneous outpouring of people of different religions onto the street forming a human chain of solidarity. For a scene like that, I could have gone “pffft, what over-the-top-jingoistic-feel-good-drama” … but somehow that didn’t happen. I still continue to be moved by this song. The father wails in relief on seeing his children, while the mother rushes forward to gather them. And in that meeting of different religions and families … that union is what is depicted and yearned for in this song.

The tune of this song is however super famous as the theme music for the movie. I was also pleasantly surprised to see it being used in the Nicolas Cage movie, Lord of War.

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மலரோடு மலர் இங்கு மகிழ்ந்தாடும் போது

Malarodu malar ingu magizhnthaadum pothu

When flowers here dance happily with each other

மனதோடு மனம் இங்கு பகை கொள்வதேனோ

Manathodu manam ingu pagai kolvatheno

Why must a heart here hold vengeance against another?

மதம் என்னும் மதம் ஓயட்டும்

Madham ennum madham oayattum

May now the separation of religions disappear

தேசம் மலர் மீது துயில் கொள்ளட்டும்

Dhesam malar meethu thuyil kollattum

May the nation now sleep on a bed of flowers

வழிகின்ற கண்ணீரில் இனம் இல்லையே

Vazhigindra kaneeril inam illaiye

Shed tears are not separated by caste

உதிரத்தின் நிறம் இங்கு வேறில்லையே

Udhiraththin niram ingu vaerillaiye

The blood in our veins is not different in color

காற்றுக்கு திசை இல்லை தேசம் இல்லை

Kaattrukku dhisai illai dhesam illai

The wind has no direction, nor a country

i.e. The wind does not blow in a particular direction for one particular group, nor for a particular region

மனதோடு மனம் சேரட்டும்

Manathodu manam serattum

So allow one’s heart to connect with another’s

மலரோடு மலர் இங்கு...

Malarodu malar ingu...

துளி எல்லாம் கை கோர்த்து கடல் ஆகட்டும்

Thuli ellaam kai korthu kadal aagattum

May little drops join hands and become a sea

கடலோடு கடல் சேரட்டும்

Kadalodu kadal serattum

May the seas themselves join with each other

துகள் எல்லாம் ஒன்றாகி மலை ஆகட்டும்

Thugal ellaam ondraagi malai aagattum

Let the pebbles unite and become a mountain

விண்ணோடு வின் சேரட்டும்

Vinnodu vin serattum

Let the skies join with the heavens

விடியாத இரவொன்றும் வானில் இல்லை

Vidiyaatha iravondrum vaanil illai

There is no night sky that will not become dawn

ஒளியோடு ஒளி சேரட்டும்

Oliyodu oli serattum

May song join song

Unnodu Naan Iruntha - Iruvar

Iruvar, loosely translated to 'Duo' in English, narrates critical periods of Tamilnadu's political history accounted around a friendship that became and later broke. It is based on the relationship between the late actor MG Ramachandran who became the most popular political leader and chief minister of Tamilnadu, and the writer/poet Karunanidhi who has been the chief minister of Tamilnadu often. Technically the film is more than just the lead pair; it is about an ensemble of brilliant people: Maniratnam's direction, Rahman's music, Vairamuthu's lyrics, Mohanlal's acting - one among a line of outstanding actors, Santosh Sivan's camera work. I remember watching it for the first time, loving it for everything. I must admit that the heavy set, literary Tamil spoken in sections of the film was above my head and I probably didn't understand quite a bit of the nuances. Though I was overall enthralled by the movie, I was hoping against hope that it would be a huge commercial success too. That it probably wasn't, but almost every person I've ever discussed this film with has described it with much respect. Oh well, it's one of those things. :-)

This song - more a recital than a song - is in the setting of a poet who is passionately in love within an extra marital affair. The rendition itself is by Arvind Swamy in a voice shaking with passion against a rising crescendo of Rahman's music. Maniratnam chooses an austere, single scene shot, and yet the setting is raw and sensuous. So much in two minutes.

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unnoadu naan irundha ovvoru maNi thuLiyum
maraNa padukkaiyilum maRakkaadhu kaNmaNiyae

every moment that i have spent with you, i will not forget even in my death bed

thonnooRu nimidangaL thottaNaitha kaalam dhaan
ennooRu aaNdugaLaai idhayathil kalangudhadi

the ninety minutes that we spent together, pounds around in my chest like it was eight hundred years

paarvaiyilae sila nimidam

the few minutes we spent gazing at each other

bayathoadu sila nimidam

the few minutes we spent in fear

katti aNaithabadi kaNNeeril sila nimidam

the few minutes we spent in tears, knowing that we were chained by mores

ilakkaNamae paaraamal
ella idangaLilum muththangaL vidhaitha moahathil sila nimidam

without concern for appropriateness, the few minutes we spent laying kisses all over each other

ilakkanam is grammar, and i've loosely translated it to appropriateness in context

unnoadu naan irundha ovvoru maNi thuLiyum
maraNa padukkaiyilum maRakkaadhu kaNmaNiyae

every moment that i have spent with you, i will not forget even in my death bed

edhu jnayam edhu bhaavam iruvarukkum thoandravillai

which is acceptable and which is our personal feeling, neither of us considered it

adhu irava adhu pagala adhai patri aRiyavillai

had the day dawned, had the night set, neither of us knew it

yaar thodanga? yaar mudikka? oru vazhiyum thoandravillai

who started this, who's going to end this. neither of us saw a way

iruvarumae thodangivittoam idhu varaikkum kaeLvi illai

we started it together, and now there exists no questions

acham kaLaindhaen aasaiyinai nee aNaithaay

my fear disappeared, when you ignited my lust

aadai kaLaindhaen vetkathai nee aNaithaay

your robes were shed, and your modesty disappeared

kaNda thirukoalam kanavaaga maRaindhaal

even if i recall that captivating face as nothing but a dream

kadaisiyil azhudha kaNNeer kaiyil innum ottudhadi

I will still feel that last tear you shed as a wetness on my palm

unnoadu naan irundha ovvoru maNi thuLiyum
maraNa padukkaiyilum maRakkaadhu kaNmaNiyae (2)

every moment that i have spent with you, i will not forget even in my death bed