இரட்டை அர்த்தப்பாடல்
Dear all,
The term “double meaning” has unfortunately been handed a negative notation after many a movie dialogues and songs have utilised them to express the overtly inexpressibles often making us cringe. It was always not this way and the use of “double meaning” words and sentences have been commonly employed to enhance the literary beauty of our language in the past. Contrary to popular belief use of “double meaning” phrases is also not a unique modern trend.
தமிழ் as a language lends itself beautifully for this “double meaning” usage because of the various nuances it offers and poets from காளமேகம் to வாலி have exploited each of these nuances in their songs:
- தமிழ் is an “agglutinative language”. Words and word additions are composed by combining other words in larger strings (e.g. “உள்ளமெல்லாம் மிளகாயோ” from “அத்திக்காய்” song can be read as “உள்ளம் எல்லாம் இளகாயோ” giving a completely different meaning)
- A single word can carry multiple meanings (e.g – நாடு can mean country or seek “ நாடு அதை நாடு” song by வாலி).
- To the above, poets adds a third kind of a “double meaning” song where they use one sentence that can be applied to two different situations or contexts simultaneously.
An entire song written with each line implying too separate yet simultaneous events?
YES!!!! – and only a great poet like காளமேகம் or கண்ணதாசன் can do it:
Just a brief example from “காளமேக புலவர்” work first:
“ ஓடும் இருக்கும் அதன் உள்வாய் வெளுத்திருக்கும்….” goes the song.
The above line could be a coconut ( “it has a shell and its white inside”) or a dog ( “it could run or just sit around and it’s inner mouth is white”).
Now coming to கண்ணதாசன் – the song is from the movie “Bhagyalakshmi” (1961).
Music: Viswanathan Ramamoorthy
Playback: P.Suseela
A young widow who is a victim of a child marriage realises her husband is actually alive and rushes to meet him to convey that, but instead sees him enjoying an evening with his present lady love. The song is sung by the lady love in reference to the moon in their romantic evening. But every line seems to be a message to the young widow. Both the moon and the widow are referred to as “வெள்ளி நிலவே” by கண்ணதாசன். Now read each of the lines taking into account the above duality of context in your mind and get awed by the prowess of a legendary poet:
“காண வந்த காட்சி என்ன வெள்ளி நிலவே! கண்டு விட்ட கோலம் என்ன வெள்ளி நிலவே”
“ஓடி வந்த வேகமென்ன வெள்ளி நிலவே – நீ ஓரிடத்தில் நின்றதென்ன வெள்ளி நிலவே”
Widow’s plight and the conversation with moon captured and synced perfectly by கண்ணதாசன் lyrics:
“நினைத்து சொல்ல வந்த சேதிகள் என்ன
தன்
நினைவும் மாறி நின்று விட்ட வேதனை என்ன?”
“விளையாடும் காதலரைக் காண வந்தாயோ – உன்னை அறியாமல் பார்த்த படி திகைத்து நின்றாயோ?”
The best two lines that sum up the movie story next:
“காதலெங்கள் சொந்தமென்று அறியவில்லையா?
கன்னி உள்ளம் உனக்கிருந்தும் நாணமில்லையா?”
(“Don’t you realise we are the ones meant to be in love? Don’t you have any shame trying to pry into our evening ?” she asks the moon, but the message to the widow is clear too)
So what is the solution suggested for the widow who is now distraught and shocked – Kannadasan answers:
“மோகநிலை மறந்து விடு வெள்ளி நிலாவே வந்த மேகத்திலே மறைந்து விடு வெள்ளி நிலாவே”
A beautiful “double meaning” song so fittingly written for the context.
வள்ளுவன் – இரு வரி ஒரு பொருள் !!!
கண்ணதாசன் – ஒரு வரி இரு பொருள் !!!
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