[A wonderful song, beautifully rendered and the last stanza will stay with you for the rest of your life]
Maalai pozhudhin mayakkathile
Naan kanavu kanden thozhi
Manadhil irundhum vaarthaigalillai
Kaaranam en thozhi?
Inbam sila naal thunbam sila naal
Endradhu yaar thozhi
Inbam kanavil thunbam edhiril
Kanbadhum en ehozhi
[while ‘mayakkam’ means faint or confused state, it is also applied to times of day. Here the poet says the evening time, twilight more specifically to be in that state. Think of it as when you wake up from a deep afternoon slumber and how you feel when you wake up, it’s sort of pleasant but dizzy.
The word ‘thozhi’ means girl friend. It dates back to ancient literature when the lady waiting for her lover to come back from his sojourns would lament to her dearest friend.]
In the dizzying twilight of evening
I had a dream girl
No words issued from my heart
Why is that so, girl?
Who said pain is for a few days
And pleasure longer, friend?
Please (I find) in dreams,
And pain in front (of me, as reality)
Why does it seem like that, girl?
Manamudithavar pol
arugunile oru vadivu kanden thozhi
Mangay en kayil kungumam thandhaar
maalyittar thozhi
Vazhimarandheno vandhavar nenjil saayndhu vitten thozhi
Avar maraven maraven endrar udane
marandhu vittar thozhi
Parandhuvittar thozhi
I saw someone next to me
Who liked like my husband
He put kumkum (vermillion) in my hand
Put garland (around my neck)
Did I forget my way (where I was going or coming)? (also could mean did I forget my manners of being a lady?)
I rested on the chest (of the man who came)
‘Never will I forget you’, said he
But immediately forgot
And flew away!
Kanavinil vandhavar yaarena kaeten
Kanavar endrar thozhi
Kanavar endral avar kanavu mudindhadhum
Pirindhadhu En thozhi?
Ilamai ellam verum kanavu mayam
Adhil maraindhadhu sila kaalam
Thelivum ariyadhu mudivum theriyadhu
Mayangadhu edhir kaalam
The one who came in my dream
I asked who he was, girl
He said he was my husband
But if he was, then why did he leave
once the dream was over, friend?
Youth is just an empty, vacuous dreamy state,
In disappears part of our time (on earth),
Without knowing clarity
and without knowing (where and how it will all) end
Swoons the future.