தீர்த்தக் கரையினிலே

Was listening to this wonderful song by Bharathiyar today (thx to unknown blogger priya - from whose page I just copy pasted most of the lyrics)

தீர்த்தக் கரையினிலே – தெற்கு மூலையில்
செண்பகத் தோட்டத்திலே,

பார்திருந்தால் வருவேன் – வெண்ணிலாவிலே
பாங்கியோடென்று சொன்னாய்.

வார்த்தை தவறிவிட்டாய் – அடி கண்ணம்மா!
மார்பு துடிக்குதடீ!

பார்த்த விடத்திலெல்லாம் - உன்னைப்போலவே
பாவை தெரியு தடீ!

மேனி கொதிக்குதுதடீ – தலை சுற்றியே
வேதனை செய்குதடீ!

வானிலிடத்தையெல்லாம் – இந்த வெண்ணிலா
வந்து தழுவது பார்!

மோனத்திருக்குதடீ! இந்த வையகம்
மூழ்கித் துயிலினிலே.

நானொருவன் மட்டிலும் – பிரிவென்பதோர்
நரகத் துழலுவதோ?


As with many great songs of Bharathi, this song also found its way into tamil movies - Kamalhasan in the classic movie Varumayin Niram Sigappu - with SPB's voice and MSV's music



My own translation (approximate but is ok for my purposes)

On the west side of the wonderful bank
in the flowery gardens

If I wait - you promised to come
all decked up in wonderful ornaments

But you cheated, my dear Kannamma
my chest throbs uncontrollably

Wherever I see
I see a damsel like you

My body is on fire and
I feel giddy and unconscious

Every spot in the sky - this moon
goes around caressing

This world is silent
in sleep

Should I be the only one who
is alone in the hell of separation?

As I was listening to this song for the umpteenth time today, I was also reading its lyrics simultaneously, and I suddenly started wondering if this song really captures the mood of a romantic lover who separated as depicted in the movie? Suddenly it seems to be more like the mood of a devotee who is waiting for the descent of grace or as it is called in the Jnana marg as enlightenment.

The emotions expressed by the lyrics seem to be so typical of the famous saints from different cultures. 'You said you will come. I waited, but you cheated', 'Why am I suffering in loneliness', 'The world is asleep happily except me', etc etc.. Bharathiyar is truly fabulous! I wish I had one hundreth of the writing skills of Bharathi! :)