Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music--3a---nalladOr vINai seydE--- நல்லதோர் வீணைசெய்தே

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music--3a

       nalladOr vINai seydE--- நல்லதோர் வீணைசெய்தே                                                               

Can be sung in hamsAnandi, tODi, dEsh, as well as tilang.

Composer: MahAkavi SubramaNya BArati  

 

Background: This song belongs in the cadre of devotional songs. However, it is not a traditional devotional song at all. As a mystic who travels in an imaginary universe Bharathi does not resort to ordinary human behavior. Even with gods and goddesses he claims friendship rather than subservience. Accordingly he commands them to confer benefits on humanity for their welfare. In this particular song he takes issue with goddess durgA for having created him with a brilliant mind but yet not offering the pathway to utilize it for the welfare of the denizens of the land. A burden to the land (நிலச் சுமை) ---he would not be! His demands are not for his personal benefit but he asks the goddess to uplift the masses. Let us read and understand his appeal masquerading as a command.

பல்லவி                                                                                                                              

நல்லதோர் வீணைசெய்தே அதை நலங்கெடப் புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ?
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி! எனைச் சுடர்மிகும் அறிவுடன் படைத்து விட்டாய்.

அனுபல்லவி                                                                                                                      

வல்லமை தாராயோ  இந்த மாநிலம் பயனுற வாழ்வதற்கே
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி! நிலச் சுமையென வாழ்ந்திடப் புரிகுவையோ

சரணம்
விசையுறு பந்தினைப்போல் உள்ளம் வேண்டிய படிசெலும் உடல் கேட்டேன்
நசையறு மனங்கேட்டேன் நித்தம் நவமெனச் சுடர்தரும் உயிர்கேட்டேன்                         

தசையினை தீ சுடினும் சிவசக்தியை  பாடும்நல் அகம் கேட்டேன்
அசைவறு மதிகேட்டேன் இவை அருள்வதில் உனக்கெதும் தடையுளதோ?

Lyrics in Roman script

Pallavi:                                                                                                                                         

nalladOr vINaiseydE adai nala#ngeDap puzhudiyil eRivaduNDO?
sollaDi shivashakti! enaic cuDarmigum aRivuDan paDaittu viTTAy.

Anupallavi
vallamai tArAyO  inda mAnilam payanuRa vAzhvadaRkE
sollaDi shivashakti! nilac cumaiyena vAzhndiDap puriguvaiyO

CaraNam:                                                                                                                                                                   

visaiyuRu pandinaippOl uLLam vENDiya paDiselum uDal kETTEn
nasaiyaRu mana#ngETTEn nittam navamenac cuDartarum uyirkETTEn                                          tasaiyinai tI suDinum sivashaktiyai  pADumnal aham kETTEn
asaivaRu madikETTEn ivai aruLvadil unakkedum taDaiyuLadO?

Meaning:

Pallavi: After making a fine VINai (lute) is it fair to destroy its splendor by throwing it in the dirt?  Oh, Shivashakti tell me, why did you create me with a brilliant mind?

Anupallavi: Won’t you give me (us) enough strength so that the world can eke out a meaningful life? Tell me, Shivashakti, would you want me (us) to live as a burden to the land?

CaraNam: I asked for a body which will behave like a speeding ball to go wherever my mind tells it to proceed. I asked for a mind which is devoid of greed and a spirit which renews everyday with a new flame. Even when fire burns my body I should be able to sing your praise, shivashakti.  I asked for an unwavering mind. Do you have any  problem in granting me these demands?

Some audio/video links:

From the movie, “vaRumaiyin niRam sivappu” in the rAgam tilang. The song sung in the background at a concert stage by the hero’s father accentuates the hero’s misery expressed by the poet in painful regret.   The singer is S P Balasubramaniam. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdsCcPw4hqQ

iLaiya rAjA and his troupe sing here                            

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZ6lQs8BZI

Bombay Jayashri sings here                   http://raagtune.com/song/63zplrvv/Nallathor_Veenai_Seithu.html

Raji Gopalakrishnann sings here  (dEsh rAgam)

Listen to Priya Sisters here

Niranjana Srinivasan sings here  (maduvanti rAgam)                                                                http://www.mediafire.com/download/7hso0fu7o6yi0kj/05-nalladOr_vInai_saidE-madhuvanti-mahAkavi_subhramanya_bharati--niranjana_srinivasan%282%29.mp3

Visalakshi Nityanand sings here (rAgamalikai) http://www.mediafire.com/download/taoxe14y01cmc39/05-nalladOr_vInai-rAgamAlika-subramanya_bArati--Visalakshi_Nityanand.mp3