Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Veedu varai uravu

 Classic. It’s based on a local custom according to which, when the man of the house dies, the relatives can only come till the entrance of the house, the wife can only come till the end of the street and only sons are allowed till the grave. It’s also mentioned in a Siddha poem.


Aadiya aattam enna 

paesiya vaarthai enna 

Thediya selvam enna 

Thirandodhor sutram enna 

Koodu vittu aavi ponal

Koodave varuvadhenna? 


[Aattam literally means dance, or shaking. It also means the dance of the ego/arrogance which makes people do the things they do when money and power g to their heads. Much like how a spinning top is in motion only till the energy is exhausted.]


What (are all the) dance(s) we danced

What are all (the words) we said 

What (are all the different types of) wealth we accumulated 

How many in the name of relatives came looking for and surrounded us

But when the soul leaves the body 

What comes along? 

Veedu varai uravu

Veedhi varai manaivi

Kaadu varai pillai 

Kadaisi varaai yaaro?


Till the house, the relatives 

Till the street end, the wife 

Till the grave, the son 

Till the end, who? 


Aadum varai aattam 

Aayirathil naattam 

Koodi varum kootum 

Kolli varai varuma? 

[Again, ‘aattam’ here, same meaning]

 

We dance (our egoistic dance) till we can (are exhausted),

With our mind chasing a thousand things 

The crowd that seeks and surrounds us  (when we have everything)

Will it come till the grave? 


Thotilukku annai 

Kattilukku kanni

Pattinukku theeni 

Ketta pinbu gnani 


For the cradle, mother 

For the bed, woman

For hunger, food 

After everything’s ruined, wisdom 

(Poet says gnani meaning wise man, but wisdom sounds better here)


Sendravanai kettal

vandhu vidu enban 

Vandhavani kettal 

Sendru vidu enban 

Sendru vids unban


Ask the departed

He will say come with me 

Ask the newborn 

He will say go back 


No comments: