…

Here are the lyrics, with translations, of the 4 songs that I recorded on Evoca, with my phonetic spelling.

Kaatriniley, from "Meera", composed by Kalki, sung originally by M S Subbulakshmi kAtriniley varum geetham                                                              the music that wafts on the air kaNgaL panitthida pongum geetham                                              the music that swells up, moistening the eyes kallum kaniyum geetham                                                                the music that can melt stone (kAtriniley) paTTa marangaL thaLirkkum geetham                                           the music that makes dead trees sprout leaves again paNNoli konjidum geetham                                                           the music that is full of the sound of beautiful musical modes kAttu vilangum kEttae mayangum                                                   the animals of the forest hear and are enthralled by madhura mOhana geetham                                                             the soft, enchanting music  nenjiniley...nenjinil inbak kanalai ezhuppi                                         the music which arouses sweet flames in the heart ninaivazhikkum geetham                                                                 and wipes out consciousness/memories (kAtriniley) shunai vandudan shOlaik kuyilum                                                   the buzzing beetle and the koel (nightingale) manam kuvizhndivum ....                                                               all turn their minds to (the music) vAna veLithannil thArA gaNaNgaL                                                in space, the many stars thayangi ninridavum ....                                                                   slow down and stop aa! en sholvEn? mAyap piLLai                                                       O! what shall I say? that magic boy vEnguzhal pozhi geetham!                                                                and his flute which rains music! (kAtriniley) nilA malarntha iravinil thenral                                                           in the night of the blooming moon, the southern breeze ulAvidum nathiyil...                                                                         wafts around on the river... neela niratthu bAlakan oruvan                                                          a blue-coloured boy kuzhal oothi ninrAn                                                                         stood playing the flute kAlam ellAm... kAlam ellAm avan kAthalai eNNi                                                    all through time...all through time, thinking of his love urugumO en uLLam                                                                         my being would melt.... (kAtriniley) thrishoola naattham bhajaami                                                          I sing devotionally of the lord of the trident thripura sundaree samEtha stthitham                                                who lives with his consort, Tripurasundari (in the temple) (thrishoola) thrikAla gyAneshwaram bhavanutham                                             one who knows the three tenses of Time and is beloved of the world thrikONa madhya gatheeshwari priyam                                          who is the beloved of the goddess who resides in the esoteric triangle (thrishoola) thrisindhur sangama theerttha nilAya-                                            who is the object of the penance of the goddess who ambikA thapasya lakshyam                                                           resides at the holy confluence of the three oceans bhava thApa thraya haram                                                            who removes the difficulties and cares of the world shankaram, gangA dharam                                                            who gives peace, who has the Ganges (on his head) trEtha kali dwAparAthi yuga  sad-                                                who is the eternal flame in the hearts of good people mAnava mAnasa amitha pradeepam                                             through the eons such as                                                                                                     ThrethA, kali, and dwApara    thribhuvana pAlana nAga bhooshitham                                         who rules the three worlds, and                                                                                                      is decorated with snakes thrimoorthi swaroopa virAjam thrinayanam                                   who is in the form of three                                                                                                       figures, who has three eyes (thrishoola)

 

krishnA,  bArO! rangA, bArO!                                 krishna (the dark one), come!  Ranga,come! krishnayya nee bArayyA!                                          KrishnayyA, come, my lord!

saNNa hejjeye niTTu                                                on your small feet gejja nAdaka lintha                                                   the sound of anklets (krishnA)

manmatha janakaney bEganEy bAro!                        a god of love, come fast! kamalA pathi nee bAro!                                            the husband of the goddess                                                                                  KamalA,come! amitha parAkrama shankara bAro                             who are of undefeated valour, who                                                                                  gives peace, come! kamaneeya gAthraney, bArayya dorayey                  who has a beautiful body,                                                                                 come, O lord! (krishnA)

hAlu beNNegalA kaiyyalli koduvey                          I will give you milk and butter                                                                                in your hand mElAtha bhakshagaLA…mucchittu tharuvey             other good things to eat…                                                                                 I will give you in small pieces (so that the young child can eat) jAla mAdathari bArayya mariyey                              come and cast your spell, young one! bAla thanthaiyya shree puranthara viTThalA             young one who is a father to us!                                                                                 the god of PurandarA!

</lj-cut>

nee mahima vininey kOrithi                              I crave the mercy of your greatness jaya kAmAkshee kAnchipura                          victorious Kamakshi, of Kanchipuram! (nee) mAthA nAkkevarey? nApai vAdey?                 mother, who do I have? am I not suffering? sarigAthu thalli dayachEy brOvavey                  in a proper way, come to save me! thALaleynu namma jAlamu nika                        I am unable to bear the spell you are casting! A "varnam" is a composition to familiarize a student with a "rAgam" or musical mode. (Varnam means colour; the composition shows the "colour" of the rAgam.) It is a combination of notes and lyrics. The other songs are "krithis" or "keerthanams",  where only the lyrics are sung.