Thoda thoda ... (Tamil)

Wouldn't say much about this song except that the original is a duet from the Tamil movie 'Indira', sung by S.P.B and Chitra. They are two of the most popular voices in Indian musical arena and to attempt a duet by the both was something very close to being insane on my part.

Lyrics:


(Male) - Thoda thoda malarvadhenna poovae
thottavanai marandhadhenna?
Paarvaigal pudhidhaa sparisangal pudhidhaa
mazhai vara boomi maruppadhenna?


(Thoda thoda)


(Male) - Andha ila vayadhil aatrangarai manalil
Kaaladith thadam padhiththoam yaar azhiththaar
(Female ) - Nandhavanak karaiyil nattu vaiththa chediyil
Mottu vitta mudhal poovai yaar pariththaar


(Male) - Kaadhalan theendaadha pookkalil thaenillai
(Female ) - Idaiveli thaandaadhae en vasam naanillai


(Female ) - Thoda thoda malarndhadhenna poovae
Chudachchuda nanaindhadhenna
Paarvaigal pudhidhu sparisangal pudhidhu
Narambugal pinnappinna nadukkamenna


(Thoda thoda)


(Male) - Panithanil kuliththa paalmugam kaana
Irubadhu vasandhangal vizhi valarththaen
(Female ) - Pasiththavan amudham parugidath thaanae
Padhinaezhu vasandhangal idhazh valarththaen


(Male) - Idhazh moodum malaraaga idhayaththai maraikkaadhae
(Female ) - Malar kollum kaatraaga idhayaththai ulukkaadhae

(Male) - Thoda thoda malarvadhenna poovae

thottavanai marandhadhenna?

Paarvaigal pudhidhaa sparisangal pudhidhaa

mazhai vara boomi maruppadhenna?

(Thoda thoda)

Thoda thoda... | Upload Music

In the last post Lena @ What Lena Leaves / Bits On The Nippy Side asked me to translate the lyrics so that a larger audience can appreciate the song. But Lena, though I speak three of the regional languages in India, I'm not very well versed with the literature of them all. There are some words in Hindi and Tamil which I simply can't understand. If it's anything in Malayalam, I'd have done the translation easily as it is my mother tongue. But the others...

It takes an expert to translate poetry into another language and I'm no expert. And I can clearly see that the lines, even after translation would make no sense. But that's 'coz you don't know the situation of this song in that movie. Besides, Indian lyricists use all symbolic elements to say things and add beauty to his lines which is something not seen much in an English song. The lines in an English song is much more direct and simple and are easier even for us to follow than our regional songs.

The hero and the heroin were childhood friends and they met after a long long time. The love that they had in their childhood had not faded and only transformed into a more male-female love. The guy went to live in a city and returned as an urban male while the girl grew up in their village and remained a naive, innocent las and hence she gets the shivers at the way he looks at her or touches her. But they are in love for sure. And that's a very brief explanation of the situation of the song. Now, you can make some sense out of this, I guess! Any ways as a first attempt I'd translate this song 'coz the lines are simple and I can understand every word of it. So, here I go -

(Male) - O flower, that bloomed at my touch,
How come you forgot the one who touched you? (2)
Is there anything new in the way I look at you or,
Is there anything new in the way I touch you?
Is the earth waiting for the rains to come? (2)

(Male) - O flower, that bloomed at my touch,

How come you forgot the one who touched you?

(Male) - Who wiped off the foot prints at the river banks when we played together as kids?

(Female) - And who plucked the first flower that bloomed in the shrub that we planted on the river bank?

(Male) - There would be no honey in the flower that is not attended by a lover.

(Female) - O! Please do not cross your limits for I've no control over myself.

O flower, that bloomed at a touch,

Why did you get drenched in the rain?

There is something new in the way you look at me.

There's something new in the way you touch me.

Or else why should I get the shivers in my nerves at all that?

(Female) - O flower, that bloomed at a touch,

Why did you get drenched in the rain?

(Male) - I waited 20 long years to see that sweet face of yours washed by the dew drops.

(Female) - And I preserved that ambrosia for 17 long years to satisfy your hunger.

(Male) - Please don't let your heart be like the flower hidden by the leaves.

(Female) - And you don't let your heart be like the flower caught in a wind.

(Male) - O flower, that bloomed at my touch,

How come you forgot the one who touched you?

Is there anything new in the way I look at you or,

Is there anything new in the way I touch you?

Is the earth waiting for the rains to come?

O flower, that bloomed at my touch,

How come you forgot the one who touched you?