Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Aluva Kadalolu - In an ocean of tears.

This is a poem by one of Kannada’s greatest poets – Late Mogeri Gopala Krishna Adiga (1918 – 1992). He’s also considered the father of modern Kannada poetry and known as the pioneer of the “New Wave”.

This song has been immortalized by the legendary Late P. Kalinga Rao, one of the doyens of Kannada Sugama Sangeetha (Light Music), he, who won Pt. Nehru’s heart with his “throat of gold”. Kalinga Rao peformed with his protégées - the sisters – Sohan Kumari and Mohan Kumari. With spotlight shifting away from that genre of music and the doyen’s death, the sisters lived a life of loneliness and penury. Mohan Kumari, the younger of the two, passed away a few days back. This blog post is a tribute to artists like them who bring pleasure to others, while they suffer quietly, wallowing without support.

The Kannada original -
Pronunciation Key –
L – retroflex “l”
D – retroflex ‘d’ as in doom
N – retroflex ‘n’
Vowels written in upper case denote the long vowel sounds, lower case vowels make the short sounds.

aluva kaDaloLu tEli barutalide nageya hAyi dONi
bALa gangeya mahApooradoLu sAvinondu vENi

neretide beretide kuNiva moreva tere teregaLONiyalli
janana maraNagaLa ubbu taggu horaLuruLuvATadalli

Ase bUdi taLadallu keraLutive kiDigaLenito maraLi
muridu bidda mana marada koraDoLu hoovu hoovu araLi

kooDalAradedeyALadallu kanDIttu Eka sUtra
kanDadunTu bese desegaLallu bhinnateya vikaTa hAsya

Ase emba taLavoDeda dONiyali doora teera yAna
yAra leelegO yArO EnO guri irade biTTa bANa

idu bALu nODu ida tiLidenendarU tiLida dheeranilla
halavutanada maimaresuvATavidu nijavu tOradalla

bengADu nODu idu kAmba bayalu dorakilla Adi antya
ada tiLidenenda halarunTu taNidenendavara kANenayya

are beLakinalli bALalli sutti nAveshTO maletu meredu
konege karaguvevu maraNa teera ghana timiradalli beredu

An attempt at translation –

In an ocean of tears, drifts an elfin sail boat of smiles
In the deluge of life, a stream of death intertwined

Tumbling and twisting in the dancing topsy-turvy merriment of the waves
Through the highs and lows of birth and death, in the rolling frolicking game of unrest.

Even in the depths of the ashes of desire, countless sparks return to rekindle the fire
Flowers blossom on the dead branches of the fallen mind

Even in the depths of divergent hearts, a revelation of a converging connecting strand
Revealing an ironic farce of distinctness in the sameness.

In the broken boat of desire, a long voyage unto the banks of hope
In a strange, unknown sport, an outsider’s aimless, misdirected target.

Look, this is life, and no brave man, despite his claims, has found what it's all about
It reveals myriad intoxicating games, but the truth it won't reveal.

Life is a barren vast land, a testimony to this Lord’s unending reign
There are a few who are aware of this, but none satiated with it.

Walking in circles, through life’s murky glow, we forget humility;
Then finally we melt and blend into the greater pool of death.

44 comments:

  1. Very good translation. It sounds so original, if you don't mention you can take it for any Romantic age poetry.
    Thanks for publishing it.
    Wish you continue to make such efforts.
    Vasumathi Jamadagni, Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh!
      I am singing this song (with Kalinga Rao) from 2011 ... Also hear Indu Manuja Janmadalli ....
      It is so nice to see another one whom I know is also listening to this soulfully rendered song!
      VP

      Delete
  2. Thank you so much for your kind words! Creativity and art survive and blossom only with support. Your comments help me keep at it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is one of my favourite poems. Thanks for translating the poem efficiently, so that even people who are not aware of our kannada poems will get to know about legends like Adiga. Also nice to see the name of Kalinga Rao, one more legend in the field sugama sangeetha.

    - Vinay T S, Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you, Vinay, for your words of appreciation and encouragement. This is one of my long-standing favourites too. I share your hope that this reaches even non-Kannada speakers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your attempt on "Aluva Kadalolu " has come out really good.

    Idu nanna fav bhavageetegalalli ondu..

    TFS, translation has come out really good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Deep. Glad you liked my feeble attempt at translation! Feel so lost when trying to capture the beauty and meaning of words in one language in another tongue.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful!!! Only now it would be icing on cake if you could give the spiritural narration of this... God what a talent "Adiga Sir" was!!! Life if fulfilled just have read such beautiful verse!! Thank you so much

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for transcreating this beautiful poetry !

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kudos! Very good translation of a tremendous poem

    GK Adiga - the greatest poet of 20th century.. Neither Jnanapeeta nor Noble would have made good of this great soul! Hail!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kannada is such a language, where so deep-thoughts could be expressed in simple ways, yet powerful. I feel we are losing this language without the efforts of persons like Uma.
    May god bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's been six years since translated for the songs that's evergreen..beautiful work.. it's been my father and my close friends favourite song..and used to enjoy . Now I listen for them

    ReplyDelete
  13. I feel so sad that I can't make my children appreciate this language. It's like dying slowly ... bit by bit ... Everyday ;(
    Hope my language survives

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would say I'm speechless after reading your translation. Each word described here gives equal voice to original scripts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. very good Translation.thank you sir

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such a beautiful translation. You have so wonderfully retained the melancholy and soul of the poem. I only recently heard this and wanted to understand it better. Thanks for making it happen :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Marvelous translation. Makes us nostalgic about our Kannada writers and poets.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow Uma! Such a timeless piece has beautifully been translated so tastefully. Enjoyed the translation a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'mblistening this song in infinite loop..my son wanted the translation..tq

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you all for your encouraging comments and appreciation!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have been a fan of this song, I use to listen Kalinga Rao sing in Mysore, when I has in high school in 1967. Today, after so may years, I heard this son and I feel so good, just I cant stop singing. The meaning you have translated helps us all understand it better. Wonderful job. Thank you & God Bless !

    ReplyDelete
  22. The onslaught of English is such children are discouraged rather punished if seen speaking in Kannada in English medium schools. Then where is scope to learn and read Kannada of higher standards . So chance for our children to appreciate such wonderful poetry like the present one.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yes. Like everything this language would die. The earth would die so as the solar system. The cycle continues!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Soulful writing of GK Adiga, describes life in such a beautiful manner that each time you listen, a new perspective comes to mind. Choice of words is out of the world. Greatness of a poem where a set of lines have depicted human life in totality.
    When I was searching for the meaning of couple of words my friend Arun forwarded this translation and I couldn't have asked for more. Apt translation and meaning becomes deeper. Feeling blessed to have come in touch with this masterpiece of Adiga🙏

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear Uma, great translation. Do you have any notes on meaning of this poem in KANNADA?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amazing explanation of the soulful rendering of the immortal poet Sri. Gopala Krishna Adiga in Kannada.
      Kannada, what a language! Proud to be a Kannadiga.

      Delete
  26. Finally, I found a translation for this great poem/song. Thanks, Uma, for this nuanced translation...it captures the meaning and the spirit.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congratulations for getting to the quintessential sentiment of the poem.
    Bless you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ನಾನಾ ಪರಿಯ ಏರುಪೇರುಗಳನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಮುಂದೆ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗುವ ಬಾಳದೋಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿನ ಪಯಣ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಯಣಿಗರು ಅನುಭವಿಸುವ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಗಳ ಮನಕಲಕುವ ಚಿತ್ರಣವು ಈ ಕವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೈದುಂಬಿಬಂದಿದೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಪಂಕ್ತಿಯ ಇಂಗಿತಾರ್ಥವನ್ನು ಬಲು ಎಚ್ಚರಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದರೆ, ಅಡಿಗರ ಚಿಂತನಾಲಹರಿ ಯಾವ ಉತ್ಕರ್ಷೆಯನ್ನು ತಲಪುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಗ್ರಾಹ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರ ಆಲೋಚನಾಶೀಲತೆ ಎಂಥಹುದು ಎಂಬುದು ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಎಸ್. ರಾಮಪ್ರಸಾದ್, ಮೈಸೂರು.

      Delete
  28. Even though I grew up in Karnataka, was born a Kannadiga, I was never exposed to the richness of Kannada Music, Poetry and literature. Sadly, I missed out a lot and am desperately trying to reconnect. This song is so soulful, it forces a reexamination of life itself and is held together with so much humility. It feels so good to read and listen to. Thank you for taking the time to translate.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I can only attempt to delve into your heart and experience your emotions. These lines must have connected with you somewhere deep inside for you to come up with almost a perfect translation. I say this only because there can't be a 100% accurate capture of a Poet's expression. In my humble view.. it conveys the feelings in all its entirity. Take a bow Uma. My translation too was almost similar except that I referred to the boat as dainty and you chose Elfin which I feel is more apt.More power to your pen

    ReplyDelete
  30. Congratulations on capturing the content, intent and poetic beauty of the original poetry. It shows your command over both languages and poetic heart.

    ReplyDelete