Manidhanai ninaipadhundu

 Manidhan  ninaipadhundu 

(I’m translating the first two stanzas that have excellent meaning)

Manidhan ninaipadhundu

Vaazhvu nilaikkum endru

Iraivan ninaipadhundu 

Paavam manidhan endru 

Man might think Life will go on (forever )

God might think ‘poor man’ (as in he doesn’t know what’s going to hit him)

Thandhai tahavaru seidhaan 

Thaayum idam koduthaal 

Vandhu pirandhu vittom 

Verum bandham valarthu vittom 

Manadhu thudikindradhu 

Mayakkam varugindradhu 

Azhudhu laabam enna 

Avan aatchi nadakindradhu 

Father made a mistake 

Mother gave room for it 

We were born as a result

And nurtured empty, meaningless bonds  

(My) heart is beating fast

(I) feel faint

What’s the point of crying now

His (God’s) rule is reigning 

Year andha nilavu

A favourite of mine. This song is about a man who marries a blind girl who is waiting for the friend of the hero and hasn’t seen or heard him in ages. Due to some twist of fate, the friend is not able to make it back home and the hero is forced to meet her and she thinks it’s the friend, and he married her out of compulsion. 

Yaar andha nilavu

Yaen indha kanavu

Yaaro solla yaaro endru 

Yaaro vandha uravu 

Kaalam seiydha kolam 

Ingu naan vandha varavu

[It is customary for poets to equate women with the moon]

Who’s that moon (girl)?

Why this dream? 

Hearing (someone say it’s one person)

Seeing it’s someone else

Someone else (totally different, this new relationship) came (into my life)

It‘s the design (workings) of Time (ie: fate)

This, my being, here. 

Maalayum manjalum maariyadhe oru sodhanai 

Manjam nenjam maaruvadhe oru vedhnai 

Deiyvame yaaridam yaarai Nee thandhthayo? 

Un koil deepam maaruvadhai Nee ariyayo? 

[maalai refers to exchange of garlands at weddings, manjal is turmeric but refers to the ‘thali’ (a yellow thread with a traditional ornament) a woman wears at wedding that pronounces she is married]

The way the garland and turmeric changed was (cause for great) sorrow,

The change in the bed and the heart was (cause for) lamentation

Oh God, who did you give to whom? 

Don’t you know that the lamps in your temple have changed?

{Here the poet is using lamps in temple for people in a wedded life]

Aadiya naadagam mudiyavillai oru naalile

Angum ingum shanthi illai silar vaazhvile 

Deiyvame, yaaridam maedail nee nindrayo?

Indru yaarai yaaraai nerinile nee kandayo?

The play (we took part in) didn’t end in a day 

Here or there, there’s no peace in life for some (souls)

Oh God, whom did you stand next to on the stage (at the wedding?) 

Now who are you seeing in place of whom? 

Buddhi ulla manidharellam

Buddhi ulla manidhnellam vetri nkanbadhillai 

Vetri petra manidharellam buddhisali illai 

Intelligent people don’t always become successful

All those who succeed are not necessarily intelligent 

Panamirukkum manidharidam manam iruppadhillai 

Manam irukkum manidharidam panam iruppadhillai 

Panamirukkum veetinela vandhadhellam sondham 

Panamilladha veetinile sondham ellam thunbam

Those with money, they don’t have the heart (to give) 

Those with heart (that’s generous), they don’t have the money

A rich man’s house is full of relatives 

In a poor man’s house, every relative is (a cause for pain and ) sorrow

Kanavu kaanum manidhanuku 

Kanbadhellam kanavu 

Avan kaanuginra kanavinile 

Varuvadhellam uravu 

Avan kanavil aval varuval avanai paarthu sirppal

Aval kanavil yaar varuvar yaarai paarthu azhaippar?

For a day-dreamer (fantasiser)

Everything he sees is a dream (fantasy)

In the dream that he dreams

There is only relationships 

(uravu is relationships, also can be taken to mean sexual relationship)

In his dream, she will come and smile at him

In her dream, who’ll come, And beckon whom?

Yaarai nambi naan porandhaen

Yaarai nambi naan pirandhen 

Pongada ponga 

En kaalam vellum 

Vendra pinne 

Vaangada vaanga 

Whom did I trust in when I was born? 

Get lost  (all of you who turned your back on me)

 My time will come when I’ll be victorious (successful) 

Then you all will come to me 

Kolathilae thanniyille

Kokkum ille meanum ille

Pettiyile panam ille

Petha pull sondham ille

There’s no water in the lake (kulam is actually a public tank)

No birds no fish

There’s no money in the box

The son you begot son isn’t yours anymore 

Thennaiya petha ila neeru 

Pillaiye petha kanneeru

Pethavanan maname pithamma 

Pillayin maname kallamma 

Paanayile sorirundha poonaigalum sonndhamada

Vedhanaye pangu vacha Sondhamille bandhamille 

If you plant coconut sapling, you get coconut water 

If you beget (plant seed for children), you only get tears 

Parents’ heart is mad (crazy for kids) 

The children’s heart is (cold like) stone 

When there is food in the pot 

Even cats are your relatives 

When you want to share your sorrow

There is no relative, not bonds.

Nenjamirukku thunivaaga 

Neramirukkku therlivaga 

Ninathal mudippen sariyaaga 

Nee yaar naan yaar poda po 

Aadiyile kaathadicha aipasiyil mazhai varum

Thedi varum kaalam vandha 

sondham ellam odi varum 

My heart is strong and brave,

My time is clear,

I’ll finish what I set out to do 

Who are you and who am I? 

Get lost (Meaning we’ll see  who wins in the end, sort of a challenge) 

If the wind blows in the month of Adi it will rain in Aipasi (Natural course of events like, if winter is there can spring be far behind type of sentiment)

When (good luck) comes looking for me 

All the relatives will come to looking for me (Fair weather people) 

Mayakkama kalakkama

 Mayakkama Mayakkama kalakkama 

Manadhile kuzhappama 

Vaazhkayil nadukkama?

 

(Are you) Confused? (Islife making you)Dizzy?

(Is there) indecision in your mind? 

(And) trembling in life? ( Meaning is there fear?) 

Vaazhkai endral aayiram irukkum 

Vaasal thorum vedhanai irukkum 

Vandha thunbam edhuvendraalum 

Vaadi nindral oduvadhillai

Edhayum thaangum idhayam irundhal 

Irudhi varaikkum amaidhi nilakkum 

There are thousands of things in life (that’s life) 

At every door step there will be worries 

Whatever problems that may come to you 

They won’t go away of you sit there wilting (in hoplessness) 

If you have a strong heart 

There will be peace till the end 

Ezhai manadhai maaligai aaki 

Iravum pagalum kaaaviyam padi 

Naalai pozhudhai iravanukku alithu 

Nadakkum vaazhvil amadhiyai thedu 

Unakkum keezhe ullavar kodi 

Ninaithu paarhu nimmadhi naadu 

Transform your poor heart 

Into a huge mansion 

Sing epic songs every day 

Leave tomorrow to God 

And seek peace in the present 

There are millions of people  below (worse off than) you 

Think about it and be at peace 

Ninaipadhellam Nadandhu Vittal

 Ninaipadhellam Nadandhu Vittal

Ninaippadhellam nadandhu vital 

Deiyvam edhumillai 

Nadandhadhaye ninaithirundhaal

Amaidhi engum illai 

Mudindha kadhai 

Thodarvadhillai Iraivan yaettinile 

Thodarndha kadhai mudivadhillai 

Manidhan veetinile 

If all that you think comes true, there’s no God

If you keep worrying about what’s happened, there’s no peace 

A story that’s finished doesn’t continue in God’s books 

A story that continues doesn’t end in Man’s house. 

Aayiram vaaasal idhayam 

Adhil aayiram ennangal udhayam 

Idhil yaaro varuvar yaaro iruppar 

Varuvadhum povadhum theriyadhu 

Oruvar mattum kudi irundhal

thunbam yedhumillai 

Ondrirukkak ondru vandhaal 

endrum amaidhi illai 

The thousand gated heart 

In it there are thousands of thoughts arise 

In it someone will come,

someone will stay 

No one knows who comes and who leaves 

If only one stays, there is no sorrow

If one comes in when someone is already there, 

then there is no peace

Enge vaazhkai thodangum 

Adhu enge evvidham mudiyum 

Idhu dhaan paadhai idhu dhaan payanam 

Enbadhu yaarukkumtheiryadhu 

Paadhai ellam maarividum 

Payanam mudindhu vidum 

Maaruvadhai purindhu kondal 

Mayakkam thelindhu vidum 

Where does life start?

Where does it end? 

Is this the path? 

Is this the journey? 

No one knows 

The paths will change

the journey will end

If you understand the change

the confusion will end (be clarified)

ezhu swarangalukkul enthanai paadal

 Yezhu swarangalukkul – a fantastic song, apparently done in five minutes. 

Yezhu swarangalukkul, ethanai paadal 

Idhaya surangathul ethanai kelvi 

Kaanum manidharukkul ethanai salanam 

Verum karpanai sandoshathil

avanadhu gavanam 

How many songs in seven notes

How many questions in the tunnel that’s one’s heart

How many temptations in the people you see

In empty imaginary pleasures lies his attention 

Kaalai ezhundha vudan 

naalaiya kelvi

Adhu kayyil kidaitha pinbum

Thudikkudhu aavi

Yaen endra klei ondru 

Endraikkum thangum

Manidhan inba thunbam edhilum

Kelvi than minjum

The moment you wake up in the morning

There is the question of tomorrow

When it (the answer) comes into your hand

Heart yearns for more

‘Why’ is a question that will linger forever

In every sorrow and happiness

Question is all that will remain

Yenakkaga nee azhalam iyarkail nadakkum 

Nee enakkaga unavu unna eppadi nadakkum

Namakendru boomiyile kadamaigal undu 

Adhai namakkaga nam kayyal seivadhu nandru 

You can cry on my behalf, it’s possible (in nature)

How can you eat for me? 

We all have our duties to perform 

It is best if we do

them ourselves with our hands

Aarambathil pirappum un kayil illai 

Pinbu aduthaduthu nadakkum, un kayil illai 

Paadhai vagutha pinbu bayanddhenna laabam

Adhil payanam nadhi vidu, maraindhidum paavam 

In the beginning, birth isn’t in your hands 

Then one thing happens after another, that’s not in your hands either

Once you’ve decided on a path, what’s the point in getting scared?

Walk that path and the sins will disappear

Naalai pozhudhondru undu adhu namakkena vaazhgha 

Adhai nadatha oruvanundu koilil kanga 

Velai pirakkum endru nambikkai kolga 

Endha

vedhanayum maarum megathai pole 

There is tomorrow, live in the belief that it’s for us

There’s someone to guide it, find Him in the temple 

Believe that your time will come 

Because every sorrow is like the shifting clouds