The Yin and Yang Song
Yin and Yang usually signify two seemingly opposite or contrary forces that are also interdependent and complementary. Similarly, despair and hope are two extremely contradicting emotions. Can they ever be present together at the same time within the human mind? By strict definition does presence of one exclude the other? Or does one exist because the other exists?
In the song I picked this week, Vaali has composed exquisite lyrics that express the sadness from despair and the solace that hope brings in alternating lines of this song reflecting the state of the mind of the character. The song is from the movie “படகோட்டி”.
The song haunts you from the beginning with the slow rhythm that mimics the heavy heart beating in anguish. The chorus voices of fishermen seem ambiguous in their emotion – are they lamenting or consoling? The humming and the voice of MSV – deep and stirring wrings the soul out and screams the despondency of the character.
Vaali expresses the emotions of bleakness and belief in alternate lines, with each line connected to the other (hence the Yin and the Yang). Then the finest part of the song – singing of P.Suseela starts. She deftly and melodiously expresses both emotions – with equal skill and effect with her voice modulations amplifying the feelings the lyrics induce. Her pitch reaches heights that one can only aspire for. Even at its peak the voice holds still with no fasciculations – never letting the grip of the emotional bundle she holds us in. Wonder how she missed a national award for such a song!!!
This song is worth listening thrice – once for the lyrics, once for the humming of MSV and its music and one time only with closed eyes, listening to the magic voice of P.Suseela (Did this myself and strongly recommend it in that order).
Now to the song – Pallavi and Charanam have the same structure with two consecutive lines opposing, but one rising from the other:
என்னை எடுத்துத்
தன்னைக் கொடுத்து
போனவன் போனாண்டி
தன்னைக் கொடுத்து
என்னை அடைய
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி..ஓஹ..ஹோ..ய்..
போனவன் போனாண்டி…
(Look at the word play – “எடுத்து” – took it – means he took without permission. However in the next line Vaali uses the word “அடைய” – means “reach me and then possess me” – implying consent).
The Charanams then follow suit:
“சின்ன வயதுக்கு
ஏக்கத்தை வைத்து
போனவன் போனாண்டி…யி..யி…
போனவன் போனாண்டி…
ஏக்கத்தைத் தீர்க்க
ஏ…னென்று கேட்க
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி..ஹோய்
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி..
ஹோய் ஹோய் ஹோய்
போனவன் போனாண்டி”
Listen to MSV stretching the “போனவன் போனாண்டி” frequently in a crescendo at a high pitch reflecting the ever escalating unbearable pain the separation causes. He then creates “வந்தாலும்வருவாண்டி” as a slump in pitch denoting attenuation of the pain that the hope brings about – Genius stuff.
“நெஞ்சை எடுத்து
நெருப்பினில் வைத்து
போனவன் போனாண்டி…..ஹோய்
நீரை எடுத்து
நெருப்பை அணைக்க
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி.. ஹோய்
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி….
ஹோய் ஹோய் ஹோய்
போனவன் போனாண்டி…”
The last Charanam is sublime
“ஆசை மனதுக்கு
வாசலை வைத்து
போனவன் போனாண்டி…
போனவன் போனாண்டி
வாசலைத் தேடி
வாழ்த்துக்கள் பாடி
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி..ஹோய்
வந்தாலும் வருவாண்டி..
ஹோய் ஹோய் ஹோய்
போனவன் போனாண்டி…”
When thoughts occur they generally take you further and further from where you started. They never retrace their path and return to the point of origin. Vaali has managed to find his way back in thoughts and create lines that retrace and complement the previous one. Two lines, two opposing notions, two contrasting emotions, but one central thought. The Yin meets the Yang perfectly.
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