Happy Valentines Day! Let's Celebrate With KC Kambar!

varalotti · Feb 13, 2007

Most Gracious ILites,

I would probably be the luckiest of guys in the world. For which man on this planet has the privilege of wishing 3000 ladies spread the world over "Happy Valentine's Day"

As I promised earlier I am bringing to you the love scene scripted by the Kavi Chakravarthy. The poems and my attempts at their translation are here for you.

Before going into the poem, we have to distinguish between the concept of love as it was embedded in our culture and that which is practised these days. Any talk of love in the modern context, only means the logistics of meeting and a discussion of relative merits of the different methods of contraception. . But Love as enshrined in our literature is different. As a modern poet described that love,

கன்னியர்க்கும் காளையர்க்கும் கட்டுப்பாட்டை விதித்து
கற்பு நிலை மாறாத காதல் பயிர் வளர்த்து

Love as the poets saw did not mean getting physical; but it was all about losing one's heart. I have in my novel, The Beauty and the Brain, described a love scene in the old movie Uthamaputhiran. Shivaji and Padmini will be going in a boat in the river. They will be four feet apart. When they sing,
முல்லை மலர் மேலே

and see each other with eyes loaded with love, the audience is sure to melt. As the adage goes without even Shivaji touching Padmini's nails he made our hearts skip a beat and then beat faster.

Standing apart from each other, the lovers of those days used to burn out in love for the other. But in the present call-centre-get-physical culture I am saddened to see youngsters getting themselves burnt out of satiated lust.

A 100 times more powerful than mullai malar mele scene is that of Sita and Rama seeing each other when the latter walks in the streets of Mithila. Valmiki does not have this scene. But Kambar could not accept the marriage without prior love and understanding. And you do not need 10 years of courtship for that. A mere glance intense enough is as potent as years of courtship, when it comes to love. That is the context in which we should read these verses. Happy valentines day.

Another request ladies. I request you to make your responses different too. Yes you can appreciate Kambar, and also the translation (for who does not enjoy words of praise coming from beautiful ladies) You can make fun of me (which many have already done and done that eloquently as well) or even condemn me and/or Kambar. But in addition to all that, please narrate your love experiences. How did you meet your man? How was the courtship and all. But please ladies, have mercy on me and present only a censored version.

I promise you one more thing. If I get good response to this request, I promise to post you my love story as well.

எண்ண அரு நலத்தினாள் இளையள் நின்றுழி
கண்ணோடு கண் இணைக் கவ்வி ஒன்றை ஒன்று
உண்ணவும் நிலைபெறாது உணர்வும் ஒன்றிட
அண்ணலும் நோக்கினான் அவளும் நோக்கினாள்

When damsel Sita, whose beauty
We can never even begin to imagine!
Stood and glanced at the road,
Her eyes met those of Rama
And what a meeting that was!
One set of eyes grabbing the other
Each trying to devour the other
Feeling restless in their places!
Their minds fused together!
She saw, and so did the prince

பருகிய நோக்கு எனும் பாசத்தால் பிணித்து
ஒருவரை ஒருவர் தம் உள்ளம் ஈர்த்தலால்
வரிசிலை அண்ணலும் வாள் கண் நங்கையும்
இருவரும் மாறிப் புக்கு இதயம் எய்தினார்

Each having drunk the beauty of the other
And hence stronger in love
And since the minds attracted one another
The prince with the well-strung bow
And the princess with sword-like eyes
Left their own hearts to live in that of the other

மருங்கு இலா நங்கையும் வசை இல் ஐயனும்
ஒருங்கிய உடற்கு உயிர் ஒன்று ஆயினார்
கருங்கடற் பள்ளியில் கலவி நீங்கிப் போய்
பிரிந்தவர் கூடினால் பேசல் வேண்டுமோ?

The maiden with the slender waist
And the blemishless king
Became one life living in two bodies
Were they not the couple
Who earlier on the snake-bed of the ocean of milk
Woven together many a story of love
And now meeting each other again?
For those who meet after a long time
Is there any need for the spoken word?

Happy Valentines Day Again,
sridhar

varalotti · Feb 13, 2007

just a small post to take love to the top of the world, where it belongs.
sridhar

vidyasarada · Feb 13, 2007

Alas Dear Sridhar,
There is nothing even remotely like Dear Kamban's irridiscent imagination that happened to self, so what to speak of Kannum-Kannum -nokking and mullai-malar-mele-moikking in this humdrum life ? ( sob-sob)

I guess being born and married in Pre-Valentineday-Era ipso -facto disqualifies me to part take of romantic threads like this ! Just like we used to derive some vicarious CTs watching Shivaji-Padmini, I will content myself with reading what the bubbly young population of IL are going to post here.

Arai-Kizham
VS

BTW, I cannot agree that love in ancient, classical periods were 100% devoid of physicality. There are many poems and treatises that dwell on that aspect of love too. Physical love was not a dirty word in Ancient India , nor was adoration of the Female form. But our sensibilities have undergone many mutations due to influence of other cultures, most notably the European, esp. Victorian prudery.
Anyway, we have to keep with the times and observe the prevalent morals. And in these times of AIDS scare, its best to be totally "madi" in our views !:mrgreen:
VS

dharma · Feb 13, 2007

Hello Sridhar,

It is sad that I miss writing my valentine post here, in your forum, by just 3 days !
Having P M ed it to induslady as an entry to the competition, I am not able to go through the pleasure or reproducing it here - undoubtedly, the censored version !!

அவரும் நோக்க
நானும் நோக்க
கம்பனில் துவங்கி
பாரதியின்,
கன்ணன் என் காதலன்
கண்ணம்மா என் காதலி வரை
மனக்குதிரையில், சென்ற இனிய தருணங்கள், ஐயா, அவை !

Regards,
dharma.

Kamla · Feb 13, 2007

Dear Sridhar,

Imagine, now you will be getting posts and pms from 3000+ lovely damsels.
Yes, you are one Lucky man indeed...our modern day SriKrishna...have already told you that)))

Enjoyed the kannum kannum kalandha verses. They are indeed ethereal and love did have a different connotation to it those days. But dear friend, I disagree with you that it is any less beautiful or sacred today. Love is same, people may use it's name for wrong purposes. But true love remains constant, time not withstanding.

I cannot write about 'falling' in love with my hubby. Our's was arranged marraige. But I still remember the look on his face when I sang "Oho..Nirdhaye preetam" on our very first meeting!!! I was singing for my own pleasure, I loved that song, but looks like it cast its own spell..ha ha ha. Too ancient to recount, shall wait for other's romantic moments.

When reading the lines above, I had to think of a dear friend of mine. While comparing notes, she told me that she never lifted her eyes to see her hubby on their first meet...we coined the phrase...shoe vai nokkinen shoesai than nokkinen!!!!!

Happy Valentines to you and Indhu.

L, Kamla

Vandhana · Feb 13, 2007

Dear sridhar,

Beautiful verses. Alas, LIke VS, me too did not have the opportunity to do the kannum kannum nokking!! Mine was arranged too !!:icon_frown: \
So please do post your tale of love. And would love to read what all the other Il ites have to say.

VS , please don't call yourself arai kizham. no one in IL is older than 17.( except Sridhar, he is 28)

HappyValentines day everyone.

Vandhana

sudhavnarasimhan · Feb 14, 2007

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you and Indhu!

I enjoyed the verses due to your translations too......and a very apt postingon Valentine's eve!

i guess in a way people had more time for patiently falling in love and experiencing it...but i wonder in this satellite era, where is the time....i think there is no time for intimacy too....love talks are happening through sms, mms through cell phones , not to mention chatting and emails.....who has the time !:icon_frown: So.....love has definetely taken a different perspective!:-D

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME WITH FAMILY!

vmur · Feb 14, 2007

Happy Valentines to you and Indhu!

The Phrase "annalum nokkinaal, avalum nokkinaal" reminds me of my wedding.

It was Day one of our wedding, and we usually do a function called "Naandi Shrardham". I am not going to go into the details of it (ChitVish! please help me here). I was on one side of the mantap with my parents with my dad/mom doing the formalities, and my husband was on the other side with his parents doing his part. Everytime my husband didn't have to utter the mantras, he would at once try to sneak a glance or wink at me. I was enjoying it but still very shy and avoided looking at his side, but our cousins and friends seated in the audience were having fun at my behest, they shouted and shrieked everytime we looked at each other by saying, "annalum nokkinaal, avalum nokkinaal".

But the priest could not take the distraction and sensed that my husband was being naughty, so he had his assistant put up two poles and hung a "Veshti" between us so there would be no distraction while reciting the mantras. The audience cheered the priest and we were so embarrassed!!

The other details are in a PM with our Malathy.

Happy Valentines to everybody!

Regards
Vidya

dharma · Feb 14, 2007

Hello Sridhar,

You set the Valentine's day mood with K C Kambar.
I continue the Valentine's day joy, with K Kannadasan!
Well, you asked for it. So read it patiently!

சொல்லவா? கதை சொல்லவா?
நடந்த கதை சொல்லவா?

How did it happen?

எதிர் பாராமல் நடந்ததடி! - முகம்
கண்ணுக்குள் விழுந்ததடி!
புதிய சுகம் ஒன்று புகுந்ததடி! - அது
பொழுதுக்குப் பொழுது வளர்ந்ததடி!

Who was he?

என் பாட்டுக்கு ஒருவன் இசையானான்
பார்வைக்கு ஒருவன் சிலையானான்
பேச்சுக்கு ஒருவன் மொழியானான்
பெண்மைக்கு அவனே துணயானான்!

Oh, my valentine!

முதலிரவு வந்ததும் இன்ப உறவு வந்ததும்
அவன் அருகில் வந்ததும் நான் உருகி நின்றதும்
என் கன்னத்தின்மேல் கோலம்போட்டு துடிக்க வைத்ததும்
நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே!

Me:

உன் விரல்கள் என்னழகை மீட்டும்
உன் விழிகள் என் உயிரை வாட்டும்
உன் குரலும் என் பெயரைக் கூட்டும்
அதில் கோடிகோடி இன்பம் கூட்டும்!

My Valentine:

உன் அச்சம் நாணம் என்ற நாலும்
என் அருகில் வந்தவுடன் அஞ்சும்
இதழ் பருகும்போது நெஞ்சம் ஆறும்
அது பாடும் இன்பஸ்வரம் ஏழும்!

********************************

மொட்டுத்தான் கன்னி சிட்டுத்தான்
முத்துத்தான் உடல் பட்டுத்தான் - என்று
தொட்டுத்தான் கையில் இணைத்தான்
வளைத்தான் சிரித்தான் அணைத்தான்
எப்படிச் சொல்வேனடி!

ஒருவர் ஒருவராய்ப் பிறந்தோம்
இருவர் ஒருவராய் இணைந்தோம்
உறவு மழையிலே நனைந்தோம்
உலக சுகத்திலே மிதந்தோம்!

இளமையின் இந்த ரகசியம் இயற்கையில் வந்த அதிசயம்
இதை வாழ்ந்து பார்த்தவர் ஆயிரம் அதில் நாமும் இன்னொரு காவியம்

இது தடையின்றி விளயாடும் உறவல்லவா
அதில் தமிழ் கூறும் உவமைகள் சுவையல்லவா?

We promised to eachother:

நீரும் மாறும் நிலமும் மாறும் அறிவோம் கண்ணா!
மாறும் உலகில் மாறா இளமை அடைவோம் கண்ணா!
நீலவானம் சாட்சியாக இன்றுபோல வாழுவோம்
காலதேவன் கோவிலின் மீது பாசதீபம் காணுவோம்!

ஒருவரை ஒருவர் உணர்ந்து கொண்டால் உள்ளத்தை நன்றாய்ப் புரிந்துகொண்டால்
இருவர் என்பது மாறிவிடும் இரண்டும் ஒன்றாய்க் கலந்துவிடும்!

We pray to the Lord:

"நான் உன்னைச் சேர்ந்த செல்வம் "
"நீ என்னை ஆளும் தெய்வம்"
இனி என்ன சொல்ல வேண்டும் நம் இளமை வாழவேண்டும்!

அழித்தால் அழிவதில்லை ஆனந்த நினைவுகளே
அன்பில் இணைந்தவர்கள் வார்த்தையில் ஊமைகளே!

சிரித்துக்கொண்டே இருக்கவேண்டும் - வாழ்வில்
தேவையெல்லாம் அடைந்து ஆனந்தம் பெறவேண்டும்!

தன்னந்தனிமை தான் இருவரின் எல்லை - எண்ணம்
தாவிக் கலந்துவிட்டால் துயரங்கள் ஏதுமில்லை!

கூட்டிவச்ச கடவுளே கோடிகாலம் வாழ்கவே
வாழவைத்த கடவுளே வாழ்க வாழ்கவே!

எங்கும் இருப்பான் இறைவன் அதனால் இங்கே சொல்வோம் நன்றி!

Hap, hap, happy Valentine's day to you & Indhu.
Waiting to hear your story !

Regards,
dharma.

jothi · Feb 14, 2007

Dear Sridhar,

Happy Valentines day to You and Indhu...

I belong to the arranged marriage clan too..but I remember the first time my husband came to see me. It was definitely an intense moment just like KC mentioned "Annalum Nokkinaan Avalum Nokkinaal". Like many other couples in my clan (the arranged marriage one) I fell in love with my husband after our marriage. My husband told me after our wedding, that he was in love with me, the first time he saw me and that on his way back home he was engrossed in a conversation with his sister, traveling in a bus from coimbatore to Pollachi that they forgot to purchase the tickets. True Love is blind, I guess he was so blinded by the love he had for me he forgot to get the tickets and was given a beliitling look by the conductor.

I disagree with you, Love that is sacred and dignified in our ancient culture is still around. Some youngsters, and I do mean some youngsters, use the term Love for different reasons, like the satiable lust that you pointed out.

As you mentioned the look on Shivaji's face in the song Mulai malar mele is definitely heartbreaking. Ofcourse none other than Shivaji and padmini can portray the feeling of love thru their eyes.

Regards,
Jothi.

VS,

Being born and married in the pre-valentine era, does not disqualify you to take part in this romantic thread by any means. Love and Romance are not bound by age and time. It does not matter how old one is to love and be romantic.

Jothi.