வசந்த ஒய்யாரி
Dear all,
A folk tale from the heart of Tamil Nadu goes like this :
In a small fictional village in தமிழ்நாடு called தமிழகம், lived a young girl Vasanthavalli (வசந்தவல்லி). The main diety of a local temple is on the way in a procession that day. The girl’s friends sing the praise of the local deity and their narration creates an imagery within the young girl’s mind making her fall in love with the lord himself. A local tribe soothsayer (குறத்தி) comes that way and meets the young girl. After singing the praise of the land and culture she lives in, the குறத்தி then reads the palm of the young girl affirming her love for the lord himself and foretells that she would successfully unite with him one day.
The lord/diety in this story is Kutraalanathar(குற்றாலநாதர்) and the entire narration is vivid in description, expressed in delightful தமிழ் with toe tapping, tongue twisting சந்தம்.
The collection of these songs is called குற்றால குறவஞ்சி and is popular amongst the 96 தமிழ் சிற்றிலக்கியங்கள். It was penned by திரிகூட ராசப்ப கவிராயர் between 1700-1800 CE and has been a favourite local story providing material for many dramas, dances and musicals.
Within this collection, a song part of the section introducing the protagonist girl (வசந்தவல்லி) was picked out and used for a modern movie with AR Rahman making it a heart melting melody. His use of chorus singing for these lines and raagam Kedaram adds to the melody and soothes the listeners heart!!!
Movie: காதலன்
Singing: Sunanda, Kalyani Menon and Minmini
The poem is nonlinear in its narration within a small time scale. In a non linear narration, sequence of narration will not be in order. This is done by poets and story tellers for several reasons. Here it may be mostly to fit the சந்தம் and make the narration more interesting and intriguing.
“இந்திரையோ இவள் சுந்தரியோ
தெய்வ ரம்பைய மோகினியோ”
People passing by are taken back by the girl’s immense beauty and wonder who this could be: Is she one of those divine women who descended from the heaven, or is she a beautiful seductress or is she the GODESS herself?
The next line is exquisite in its imagination and description:
“மனம் முந்தியதோ
விழி முந்தியதோ
கரம் முந்தியதோ எனவே”
The girl is so lively and full of energy, seeing her makes one think, which was faster – her mind immersed in the game she plays, her eyes full of focus darting around or her hands that actually play the game?
Now the poet describes the place in which the girl plays:
“உயர்சந்திர சூடர் குறும்பலவீசுரர்
(குறும்பலா + ஈசுவரர்)
(The town in which lord Eswaran wears the moon on his head – உயர்சந்திரசூடர்)
….சங்கணி வீதியிலே!
(In the street where சங்கு பூச்சிகள் (shell insects) are flying around – சங்கு அணி வீதியிலே – here அணி implies the “procession” (flying in groups) of the insects)
So far the poet has only kindled the curiosity in the reader – who is this girl with so much abundant beauty and life? Where is she? Doesn’t reveal what is she upto yet? Now finally tells us that she is playing with a ball. Non linear narration at its best adding to both the interest and poetry!!!
“மணி பைந்தொடி நாரி
(பொண் வளையல் அணிந்த (நாரி) பெண் – The girl wearing golden bangles)
வசந்த ஒய்யாரி
பொன் பந்து கொன்டாடினளே”
(வசந்தவல்லி பொற்பந்து விளையாடுகிறாள்!)
This song is about the beauty of the young girl who is playing in the street. But why use it in the movie காதலன் as a love song?
அவள் அவன் மனதை பந்தாடினதாலோ!!!
When we think of it in this angle the lyrics make sense even for the love song.
Brilliant imaginative adaptation by the director – isn’t it?
Listening to the song, one can’t help thinking:
இசை முந்தியதோ, நயம் முந்தியதோ, தமிழ் முந்தியதோ?
I vote for the latter. How about you?
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