Following is a hit song from Aalavandan, Kamalhassan's movie from five years ago. A friend considers this lyric special and asked me to translate it for his blog. I really slogged and then he made a couple of good changes and this is what the song is like is now. Tamil lyrics are followed by the English lines.
Opening
Kadavul pathi, mirugam pathi,
Kalanthu seiytha kalavai naan.
Veliye mirugam, ulle kadavul
Vilanga mudiya kavithai naan.
Mirugam kontru, mirugam kontru
Kadavul valarka parkinten
Aanal, kadavul kondru, unavai thintu
mirugam mattum valarkirathe
Half-god, half-man,
A mixture of the two made me.
A beast outside, a God inside,
I am incomprehensible poetry.
Killing the beast, I try to raise god
But, killing and usurping god,
The animal alone grows in me.
Nandakumara, Nandakumara,
Naalai mirugam kolvaya,
Mirugam kondra echam kondu
Meendum kadavul seivaya
Kurangil iruthu manithan ental
Manithan niryai velvana
Miruga gyathiyil pirantha manitha
Deva jyothiyil kalappaya
Nandakumara, Nandakumara,
Will you kill the beast tomorrow?
Will you raise god from the beast's remains?
If man evolved from monkey,
Will he completely overcome it?
You who are born in the animal species,
Will you become one with the eternal flame?
Repeating
Kadavul pathi, mirugam pathi,
Kalanthu seiytha kalavai naan.
Veliye mirugam, ulle kadavul
Vilanga mudiya kavithai naan.
Mirugam kontru, mirugam kontru
Kadavul valarka parkinten
Aanal, kadavul kondru, unavai thintu
mirugam mattum valakirathe.
Half-god, half-man,
A mixture of the two made me.
A beast outside, a God inside,
I am incomprehensible poetry.
Killing the beast, I try to raise god
But, killing and usurping god,
The animal alone grows in me.
Slurring
Kadavul pathi, mirugam pathi,
Kalanthu seiytha kalavai naan.
Kaatril yeeri, mazhayil aadi,
Kavithai padum paravai naan.
Half-god, half-man,
A mixture of the two made me.
Riding the wind, dancing in the rain
I am the bird that sings poems.
Faster
Kadavul pathi, mirugam pathi,
Kalanthu seiytha kalavai naan.
Kaatril yeeri, mazhayil aadi,
Kavithai padum paravai naan
Kaatril yeeri, mazhayil aadi,
Kavithai padum paravai naan
Ovvoru thuliyum, ovvoru thuliyum
Uyiril verkal kulirkirathe
Ella thuliyum kulirumpothu
Iruthuli mattum Sudukirathe.
Half-god, half-man,
A mixture of the two made me.
Riding the wind, dancing in the rain
I am the bird that sings poems.
In every drop of rain, my soul grows colder
Even when all drops are cold, only two remain hot.
Nandakumara, Nandakumara,
Mazhai neer sudathu theriyatha,
Kannam vazhikire kanner thulithan
Vennir thuli ena arivaya
Sutta mazhayum, sudatha mazhayum,
ontai kandavan neethane
Kanner mazhayil kanner mayayil
Kulikavaithavan neethane
Nandakumara, Nandakumara,
Don't you know that rainwater is never hot?
Do you know that the tears that
flow down your cheek that are hot?
You are one who got wet in the hot and cold rain
You are one who got wet in tears.
(Any improvements on this? You are welcome to make suggestions)
