Dani Samajendra Varnam, ragam Todi, lyrics and translation

Being a morning raga, Todi may symbolize the light coming after darkness, and hope after despair. Despair, in fact, is the mood of the heroine of the varnam, who misses her beloved Padmanabha. Perhaps, the darkest night hours, before the light breaks, symbolize the madness, portrayed by Swathi Tirunal through an array of metaphors. For example, the damsel addresses her friend as the one with the gait of a mad elephant.  A very common compliment in old time (elephants during the mating season walk very seductively), is explored even deeper in the traditional mohiniyattam choreography in Kalamandalam. The mudra sequence symbolizes the explosion of brain of the elephant and the celebral fluids streaming down. This epithet marks the heaviness of the obsessive sentiments the heroine is going through in the varnam. She cannot get over her obsession, which she believes, is induced by the arrows of Kamadeva, and starts an eccentric act of regression by applying lotus stems and petals all over her body, which perhaps cool down her heat or remind her of the touch of her beloved.

The Varnam was written inSwarakshara prayoga, which means that the swara letters corresponded with the  first letter of the words used in lyrics.

Varnam (Danismajendra)

Composer and lyricist Swathi Thirunal

language Sansrit

Talam Adi

Ragam Todi

Pallavi

Dani Samajendra Gamini II

Tapam iha Kamini II

Anupallavi

Manini sukha dani II

Madumasa charu dinani II

MAnaniya shri Padmanabha II

Dutani mamtu mokhani II

Chitta Swaram

D , n D n ṡ N, ṙ  ṡ n d n I Ṡ ; ; , ṙ ṡ ṡ nn dd pm II

Damadadi vinirjita vidita I sarasa vishika manupama I ……..

P d n – p d m p g – m p d p- d n ṣ ṛ I

Padanin patadhakhila vibuda manurajani I

n ṙ Ṡ n d n D p m d p G m II

manasanu kalayami madhupaveni II Dani……..

Charanam

Ganaparaniha alikulani II

1.    G ; r A; ṇ Ḍ , Ṇ , I S ; ; Ḍ G R , N r II

Gadasanwaya pi I ko pivitapini II Gana ……

2.    G , m  g g r s R, g r r s ṇ I S, r s s  ṇ ṇ Ḍ , P̣ ḍ ṇ s r II …….

Gama laghu Sapura patira krita I

Ya mahaha bahuda hridilagati II

Gana ……..

3.    P , d pm M, p m g G, m I g r R, g r s Ṇ, r s ṇ ḍ ṇ II ……..

Patu mayima sumashara I

Sugapari patina nee rasa drutapi II

S ;;; ḍ ṇ Ḍ - n s Ṇ I s ṇ S – r s R – g r G – m G m II …….

Sa mupadanita bahu la I

Ta madhuna tamrutema II

P d n p d m p g – m p d p-d n ṡ ṙ I

ṡ ṡ nd- N d p m- G r s ṇ - Ḍ ṇ s r  II

hani hana hini hiki maparama pashuta masuradu nee[atima panidimrute vishari II Gana …..

4.    Ṡ ;; n d p m g m p d n I D , p d n D n ṡ D n ṡ ṙ II

Ṡ n d p G, m p m g r S, ṇ I Ḍ ṇ s r G, m g r s ṇ S; II

ḍ n s r- g m p d- p d n ṡ- d n ṡ ṙ I

N, ṡ - D, n – P, d – M, p – g m p d – n ṡ ṙ, II

D n ṡ ṙ - Ġ, ṙ ṡ - Ṙ, Ṡ n – d p d n I

ṡ ṙ ṡ - n ṡ n – d n d – m d m – g m g – r g r – s r s - ṇ s r II

gana ……..

Meaning:

Oh my beautiful friend, with a gait of an elephant mad with desire, I feel sad and restless. Listen to my sorrows, for I am tortured by the arrows of Kamadeva

Spring makes everything so beautiful. Has Lord Padmanabha, forsaken me at this time?

The birds are singing lovely songs from the tree tops and the bees are making the buzzing sound. Yet, I can’t bear this noise, I think only of Him, Padmanabha, the great Lord, worshipped by his devotees.

Kamadeva shoots his arrows, and they make me exhaust me. I take the lotus flower stems and decorate myself with it. Its leaves and petals are my ornaments now. Please tell me, the sweet friend, why hasn’t he come?

Enthaho Valladbha padam lyrics with word to word translation and meaning

A Swathi Thirunal padam, where the girl approaches her lover, Padmanabha, on her own. She asks him directly, what happened that he is so silent and doesn’t talk to her. She confesses the pain of her bleeding heart, which was full of love when she came to her lover.  And the surrounding beauty of the nature makes it perfect time for love, yet her lover is rejecting her. She tries to ask him if it was some evil schemes or gossips that made him turn away from her and in the end reproached Padmanabha for forgetting that girls are sensitive creatures (their heart compared to a mimosa flower) and being a gentleman he should not reject her so mercilessly. I liked last charanam particularly :) I found the comparison innocent and touching.

THE FULL ITEM PERFORMANCE WITH SUBTITLES

ABHINAYA DETAILED INTERPRETATION

Enthaho Valladbha

Ragam – Asaveri

Talam – Aadi

Pallavi

Enthaho Vallabha

Enneram Mauna bhavam

Enthaparadham Cheythu njan

Enthaho – what happened

Vallabha – beloved

Enneram – this time

Mauna – silence

Bhavam – expression

Entha – what

Paradham – fault

Cheythu – did

Njan – I

Translation: What happened, my love? Today you are not talking to me. What did I do wrong to deserve it?

Anupallavi:

Chentharsayaka santhapathodu

Kantha nyanumupanthe vannu

Chentar – flower (lotus?), sayaka – arrow

Santhapa – sorrow

Kantha – love

Njan – I

Upanthe – close to you

Vannu – came

Kamadeva’s flower arrows just induce sorrow, yet I came to you with all my love.

Charanam – 1

Mallika gandhavum

Mantha pavanam thanum

Chollarnna chandra shobhayum

Nalla samayamithu

Mullasharanu daya thellum

Akathalirilille ithu pozhuthum

Mallika – jasmine

Gandhavum –smell

Mantha – slow

Pavanam – wind

Thonum – north

Chollarna – enchanting

Chandra – moon

Shobhayum – shine

Nalla – good

Samayamithu – this time

Mullasharanu – flower arrows (meaning Kamadeva)

Daya – kind

Thellum – little bit

Akathalitilille – not in his mind

Ithu – this time

The smell of jasmine and soft touch of northern wind, the enchanting shine of the moon – all make it good time for love. At this time Kamadeva has not even least mercy in his mind.

Charanam – 2

Rosham undakuvan

Eashani aaru cholli

Deshyam ennodu thonniyo

Yoshakal jagathi sireeshamathikalithu

Bhushanamalla vishesha purushothama

Rosham – anger

Undakuvan – appear

Eashani – gossip, slander

Aaru – who

Cholli – said

Deshyam – upset, angry

Ennodu – with me

Thoniyo – did you feel

Yoshakal – ladies

Jagathi – world

Sireeshamathikalithu – mimosa flower-like heart

Bhushanamalla – it is not apt to you

Vishesha – special

Purushothama – supreme being

Are you displeased

Because of someone’s  slander?

Do you feel vexed with me?

You know, that all the ladies in the world possess a heart soft like a mimosa flower,

The way you are treating me is not apt to such an extraordinary gentleman like you.

Kanthanodu Chennu melle lyrics with word to word translation and meaning

A Swathi Thirunal padam, perfectly representing the bhava of his style. Bhakti again is transmitted through the idea of a female intoxicatingly desiring reunion with her Lord, here in the form of  Krishna. The lady is talking with her friend, asking her to go to Krishna and in a sweet bird voice talk to him about her sufferings in separation from the Lord. She is trying to please her friend mentioning her beauty and good qualities of a character, meanwhile asks her not to forget  how much sufferings she is enduring.

When I was getting help to translate the padam, I had to look for a person knowing Sanskrit, as Malayalam here is intermixed with Sanskrit words. Our Registrar , Sundareshan sir, was a big help. He also shared some interesting peculiarities about some words used. Like for example word Shashadharamukhi – moon faced girl, which literally translates in a curious way. So Shasha means rabit and dhara hole. The dark craters on the moon visible for us, earthlings, apparently were compared to the holes of a rabbit, so the moon got one of such epithetic names.

The words kadarakshi and chalamizhi used in the context of the beautiful girl, actually translates as – the girl whose eyes move from side to side, trembling eyes. On my question why  would it be related to beauty he laughed and said that it represent that epoch men’s arrogance, where female in fear, shyness or any other subjected role would be considered as possessing an ideal feminine quality.

The padam as learned in Kalamandalam is a short version of the original kriti, as only one Caranam was used for the choreography, making it compact and audience friendly piece.

Roman script transliteration is taken from the book  "Musical Works of Maharaja Swati Tiurnal" by M. Hariharan, Gowri Kuppuswamy

Kāntanōḍu Cennu

Raga: Nīlāṃbari

Tāḷa: Rūpaka

Pallavi:

Kāntanōḍu Cennu melle kiḷimoḷi súchamihavada

Kanthanodu – beloved

Chennu – approach

Melle- slowly

kili – bird moḷi – voice

Shucha – clear

Iha – here

Vatha – tell

Approach my beloved slowly and with your bird voice let him know about my state( my sufferings)

Anupallavi:

Kādarākshi tāntayāyi maruvunnēn taruņīmayi

Hē ramaņīya guņavasati chaḷamizhi

Kādarākshi – moving (trembling) eyes

Tāntayāyi – uneasiness, anxiety

Maruvunnēn – I am living

Taruņīmayi – beautiful girl
Ramaniya - beautiful
guna - quality
vasati - good

Oh friend with trembling glance, I feel so restless and anxious. You are beautiful and posess outstanding qualities.

Caranam:

Paladivasam uņḍihajŋān pariņata sásádharamukhi

Valayunnathu mōŗkka nī valabhidādi suranatanām

Vasudēvasutan varumenniha mamadhavanayi sakhi

Paladivasam – several days

Undiha nyan – I am

Pariņata – suffer

Sásádharamukhi – moon faced

Valayunnathu – troubles

ōŗkka – remember

Valabhidādi – perhaps meaning Inra

Suranatanām – protector of devas

Vasudevasutan – son of vasudeva

Varumenn – will come

Iha – here

Mama – my

Dhavanayi  - ? (we couldn’t translate, but perhaps the one belonging to me)

Sakhi – friend

For several days I have been suffering

Oh, moon-faced, remember all my troubles

I thought that Krishna, son of Vasudeva , who is worshipped by Indra and other devas, would come to me and be mine.

Thillana Geethu Ragam Dhanasree, lyrics with Panchanada in talam

Ragam Dhanasree
Talam Adi

By Swathi Thirunal

Pallavi

Geethu thu nu ku tha ka dhim
Na thru thru tha thom
Na chira hu gori
Tham di tham tei tha tei di ra na tha

Panchanada

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Taka	Dimi	Taki	Ta ta	Ka  di	Mi  ta	Kita	Taka
Dimi	Taki	Ta ta	Ka di	Mi ta	Kita	Taka	Dimi
Taka	Dimi	Taka	Dimi	Taka	Dimi	Taki	Ta Ta
Kita	Taki	Ta Ta	Kita	Taka	Taki	Ta Ta	Ka Ta
Kita	Taka	Taki	Ta Ta	Ka Ta	Kita	Taka	Dimi
Taka	Taki	Ta Ta	Ka Di	Mi Ta	Ka Ta	Kita	Taka
Dimi	Taka	Taki	Ta Ta	Da na ta	Jo nu ta	Di mi ta	Dim kinatom
Da na ta	Jonuta	Dimita	Dim kin a tom	Dan a ta	Jo nu ta	Dimi ta	Dim kinatom

Anupallavi - I

Baj payal kaho jananu jananu 

Baj payal kaho jananu jananu 

Baj payal kaho jananu jananu  jananu jananu dim

jananu jananu jananu jananu dim

jananu jananu jananu jananu

                                                                                                   -Geethu....

Anupallavi - II

Ganu gave thaka tha tei ta thei

Ganu gave thaka tha tei ta thei

dhim tha dhim tha nathru tha dhim

dhim tha ki ta tha ka dhim

dhim tha ki ta tha ka dhim

dhim tha ki ta tha ka dhim

hatha thom hatha thom hatha

                                                                                                                     - Geethu....

Saheethyam

Padmanabha tumhari leela

kya kahom mai savaro 

tapa sankata

caaranaya yayo

shokha maro tumaharo

Charanam

Ta dim ta dim di ta na utha nitha tha ni tha ni

ta dim ta dim dita na

Ta dim ta dim di ta na utha nitha tha ni tha ni

ta dim ta dim dita na

Na thru thom tha ka ta tha ki ri tha tha ra tha ni na thru dhim

alari Alari tha ka tha tham thati tha ga ma 

pa ni tha ka ga tham tham tha dim dim dim

tha ri alari thom thom thom

Tah ka tha ri alari dhim dhim dhim

thaka diku tha ni alari....

                                                                                                               - Geethu

Tharuni njan Endu Cheyvoo lyrics in English and translations

Padam “Tharuni”

Ragam - Dwijavanthi
Thalam – Mishrachappu
Swathithirunal krithi

Pallavi

Tharuni Njan Endu Cheyvoo
Hantha Mamaka Dayithanenne Marannoo…?

Tharuni – beautiful girl
Njan – me
Endu – what
Cheyvoo – shall I do
Hantha – Alas
Mamaka – my
Dayithan – lover
Enne- me
Maranno – forgot

Translation:
Oh Beautiful  girl, what shall I do?
As, alas, my lover, has forgotten me

Anupallavi:

Sarasijathine vellum aananam kanmathum
Sarasa Vachanamrutham kelpathum ennu njan

Sarasija – lotus
Aanam – face
Kanmathu – show
Sarasa – soft
Vachan – word
Amritham – nectar
Kelpathum – to hear
Ennu- when
Njan – me

Translation:

When shall I see his lotus-like face and hear his soft words again?

Charanam – 1

Mandarsharan choriyum sayakangalku
Madumozhi sanghya elle….
Swanthathil ulavakum gedamithaye…
Matha samaja gamane njan aarodu chollendu

Mandarsharan – kamadeva, cupid
Choriyum – gives
Sayakangalku – arrows
Maumozhi – with beautiful face
Samghya – count
Elle – no
Swanthathil – in the mind
Ulavakam – to make
Gedami – sadness
Thaye – sakhi
Matha – craze
Samaja – elephant
Gamane – walk
Njan – me
Aarodu – to whom
Chollendu – can I tell

Translation:
Is there no count to the arrows the cupid is shooting at me, my sweet voiced firend?
Oh the one with elephant-like graceful   gait  (elephant at the breeding season walks very seductively), whom can I tell all of this?

Charanam – 2

Allal ethakhilavum sree padmanabhanodu
Aripodu Nee Chennu Cholle
Allitharshara samanakiyoru kanavan
Allatharenikkavalambam kokilavani

Allal –sad
Ethaki – this
Ilabum – all
Padmanabha – Lord Vishnu’s form
Aripodu – kindly
Nee – you
Chennu – to go
Cholle – say
Allitharshara – kama deva, cupid
Samanakiyoru – same one
Kanavan – lover
Alla – without
Enikka – mine
Alltharenienikavalambham – without him who is my protector
Kokilavani – cockoo bird voice

 Translation
All the sadness I’m suffering, could you go to padmanabha and tell him about it?
Except him, whose face is like the one of the God of Love, who else can be my protector, oh kockoo-like voiced girl ?

Panimathi mukhi Bale, Swathi Thirunal Padam lyrics with word to word and literal translation

A very old and beautiful Padam by Swathi Thirunal, maharaja, patron of arts, great devotee of Vishnu, who created a bunch of bittersweet padams about a nayika, heroine, telling her grieves to sakhi, friend. Aparently, the maharaja enjoyed the idea of a young maiden intoxicantingly suffering separation from her lover, what is more, her lover is the Lord Himself -  a strong bhakti touch to compositions. The nayika, tries to please her friend, saying how beautiful and exceptionally great she is, and meanwhile cries her heart out on her shoulder. the palette of emotions,ranging from an unbearable desire to despair and joyful sweet memories of being together with the Hero, makes the Padam more complex than it seems at first. When I was learning it, another teacher was wathching me and later resoluted that Sokha (sadness) is deffinitely my best enacted emotion. Who would doubt :/ ... haha

Panimathi

Swathi Tirunal Padam

Ragam – Aahari

Talam – Misrachappu

Anupallavi

Panimathi Mukhi Bale

Padmanabhaninuennil

Kanivillaykayal Kaman

Parameyunnu

Panimathi – moon

Mukham – face

Panimathimukhi – Moonface

Bale – girl

Padmanabham – one of the names of Vishnu

Innu – Today

Ennil – to me

Kanivu – kindness

Illaykayal – no

Kaman – Kamadeva

Param – too much

Eyunnu – to shoot arrows

Translation

Oh Sakhi (friend), your face shines like the moon. Today Padmanabha is not kind to me, so Kamadeva (Cupid) is shooting his arrows into my heart.

Pallavi

Manasi Dusahamayyo

Madana Kadanamendu

Madirakshi njan Cheyyavoo…

Manasi – mind

Dusaham – unbearable

Ayoo – oh

Madanan – Kamadeva

Kadanam – sad

Endu – what

Madirakshi – girl with beautiful eyes

Njan – I

Cheyyavoo – what shall I do

Translation

My mind can’t bear the pain of love

Oh, Madirakshi, what shall I do?

Charanam – 1

Innu varumen kanthan (varum +en)

Ennanu dunavum njan (ennu + anudinavum)

Dhanye hridi ninanchu

Thanthayayi maruvunnu

Innu –today

Varum – will come/should come

En – my

Kanthan – Lover

Ennu – always

Anudinavim – everyday

Njan – me

Dhanye – Oh great lady

Hridi – heart

Ninachu – thought

Thanthayayimaruvunnu – that’s why I am melancholic

Translation

Every day I expect my lover to come. Oh, great friend, this waiting makes my heart dwell in melancholy

Anna Panadiyilum

Anna Nadayaleme

Nannai Vimukhathayum

Nari Rathname Vannu

---- Manasidusahamayoo….

Annam – food

Panam – drinking water

Adi – etc

Annam (arayannam) – swan

Nada – walk

Nadayale – lady with swan-like gait

May – for me

Nannai too much

Vimukhatha – sadness

Nari – lady

Narirathnam – lady precious like diamond

Rathnam – diamond

Vannu – It came (state of mind)

Translation

Food, drink and other things do not interest me anymore. Oh, precious friend, whose gait is as beautiful as of a swan, in this moment I fell sadness

Charanam – 2

Lokavasikalkellam

Lothaniyanam indu

Shokamenikku mathram

SumukhiTarunnathenthu

Ekanthil ennodu

Sakam Cheytha Leelakal

Aakave mama kantham

Aashu latha maranno

---- Manasidusahamayoo….

Lokam –world

Vasikal – inhabitants

Lohaniyam – is loved

indu – moon

shoka – sad

Enikku – for me

Mathram – only

Enikkumathram – only for me

Sumukhi – a girl with a beautiful face

Tharanathenthy – why is it giving to me’

Ekanthathil – when we were alone

Ennod – for me

Sakam – with me

Cheytha -  did

Leelakal – play

Aakane – all are

Mama – mine

Kantham – lover

Aashu – alas

Batha – fast

Maranno – forgot

Translation

Ah, beautiful friend, all people are enchanted by the moon, only I become sad, looking at it.

At the times when we were alone with Him, He used to play with me (love me), but now, alas, He has forgotten it…