On the occasion of Bharathiyar's 100 year death anniversary, I've performed the long version of his popular Ragamalika, Chinnan Chiru Kiliye.
Bharathiyar is an example of an open minded individual. Throughout his life he was inspired by others and conveyed great messages through his works.
This particular song was originally meant to be in Bhairavi however it is popular in it's multi raga form.
Though this song is said to describe Bharathi's feelings for a child, he has employed double-meanings which may indicate his wife, Chellamma. They were both married at a young age.
It took me time to hunt down and learn the full version and I'm glad I was able to learn this and hopefully pass it on to more people.
This is my first video where I accompany my singing with the keyboard.
I'm including rough translations and rough notations which can be used as guides.
Chinnan Chiru Kiliye சின்னஞ்சிறு கிளியே கண்ணம்மா - Ragamalika - Bharathiyar - Extended version
raagam: raagamaalika - Kapi, Mand, Vasantha, Tilang, Hindolam, Neelamani, Neelambari, Valachi, Brindavana Saranga
taaLam: Tisra Nadai Chatusra Jaathi Eka Talam
Composer: Subrahmanya Bhaaratiyaar
Language: Tamil
1 raagam: kaapi
22 kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P N3 S
Av: S N2 D2 N2 P M1 G2 R2 S
சின்னஞ்சிறு கிளியே கண்ணம்மா
செல்வக் களஞ்சியமே
என்னை கலி தீர்த்தே உலகில்
ஏற்றம் புரிய வந்தாய்
cinnam chirukkiLiyE kaNNammA selvak-kaLanjiyamE
ennaik-kali tIrttE ulagil Etram puriya vandAi
My Petite Parrot, My Bountiful Treasure
My Wholesome Happiness, You came to create progress in this world
Cinnam shiru = Small / very Little / Petite
kiLiyE = Parrot
KaNNammA = dear, or a common South Indian female name (Bharthi alluded to this name quite a lot)
shelvak-kaLanjiyamE - A bountiful Treasure
Ennaik - For me
kali - Happiness
tIrttE - make whole, fulfill
ulagil - In the World
Etram - Progress / forward
puriya - do / doing
vandai - came
2
பிள்ளை கனி அமுதே கண்ணம்மா
பேசும் பொற்சித்திரமே
அள்ளி அணைத்திடவே என் முன்னே
ஆடி வரும் தேனே
piLLaik-kaniyamudE kaNNammA pEshum por-chittiramE
aLLi aNaittiDavE en munnE Adi varum tEnE
My Child-like, fruit dipped nectar, my speaking golden portrait
Dancing before me, you come to me so I can hug you
piLLai - Child
kaniyamudE - Fruit dipped in Nectar
kaNNammA - a common South Indian female name
pEshum - to speak / speaking
por - Golden
chittiramE - painting
aLLi - to grab/scoop
aNaittiDaVE - to hug
en - My / Mine
munnE - in front
Adi - Dancing / moving with grace
varum - come / came
tEnE - Honey
3 raagam: maanD
29 shankaraabharaNam janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P D2 S
Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
ஓடி வருகையிலே கண்ணம்மா
உள்ளம் குளிருதடி
ஆடி திரிதல் கண்டால் உன்னை போய்
ஆவி தழுவுதடி
Odi varugaiyilE kaNNammA uLLam kuLirudaDi
Adit-tiridal kaNDAl unnaip-pOi Avi tazhuvudaDIaaDi tiridal kaNDaal unnai poi aavi tazhuvudaDi
When you come running towards me, my heart chills
When I see you dancing with merriness, my soul hugs you
Odi - Running
varugaiyilE - coming / came
kaNNammA - dear, a common South Indian female name
uLLam - Heart
kuLirudaDi - Cooled / Cooling
Adit-tiridal - Dance around with merriness
kaNDAl - To See
unnaip-pOi - Come near you
Avi tazhuvudaDI - My soul hugs you
4 raagam: vasantaa
17 sooryakaantam janya
Aa: S M1 G3 M1 D2 N3 S
Av: S N3 D2 M1 G3 R1 S
உச்சி தன்னை முகர்ந்தால்
கர்வம் ஓங்கி வளருதடி
மெச்சி உன்னை ஊரார் புகழ்ந்தால்
மேனி சிலிர்க்குதடி
ucci tanai mughandAl garuvam Ongi vaLarudaDi
mecci unnai oorar pugazhndAl mEni shilirkkudaDI
When I smell the top of your head, I feel strongly proud
If I hear the people of the village praise you, my skin tingles with excitement
Ucci - Top of forehead
Tanai - That part (as in that part of the forehead)
mughandal - Kiss lightly, smell
garuvam - Proud
Ongi - Strong
ValarudaDi - Grows
mecci - To praise with sincerely
Unnai - you
Yar - whomever
pugazhndal - praise
mEni - skin
shilirkkudaDI - tingles (goose bumps)
5 raagam: tilang
28 harikaambhOji, 30 naaganandini janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P N3 S
Av: S N2 P M1 G3 S
கன்னத்தில் முத்தமிட்டாள்
உள்ளம்தான் கள்வெறி கொல்லுதடி
உன்னை தழுவிடிலோ கண்ணம்மா
உன்மத்தம் ஆகுதடி
kannattil muttamiTTAl uLLam tAn kaL veri koLLudaDi
unnait-tazhuviDivO kaNnammA un mattamAkudaDI
if I kiss you on your cheek, my mind feels like I'm drunk
If I hug you, I feel a blissful happiness
kannattil - Cheeks
muttamiTTan - Kissed
uLLam tAn - Heart
kAL - liquor
veri - berserk
koLLudaDi - state of
unnai - you
unnait-tazhuviDivO - Hug with passion
kaNnammA - dear, or a common South Indian female name
un mattamArudaDI - blissful happiness
6 raagam: hindOLam
20 naTabhairavi janya
Aa: S G2 M1 D1 N2 S
Av: S N2 D1 M1 G2 S
சற்றுன் முகம் சிவந்தால் மனது சஞ்சலமாகுதடி
நெற்றி சுருங்கக் கண்டால் எனக்கு நெஞ்சம் பதைக்குதடி
shaTru mukham shivandAl manadu sancalamAgudaDi
neTri shurungak-kaNDAl enakku nenjam pathaikkudaDI
If your face turns red, even momentarily, my heart feels uneasy
If I see your forehead wrinkle, my heart throbs with fear...
ShaTru - momentarily
mukham - face
shivandAl - redness (as in became red with embarassment, discomfort, worry)
manadu - heart
sancalamagudaDi - disturbed (as in I'm disturbed)
neTri - Forehead
Shurungak - shrunk (as in wrinkled forehead)
kanDal - See
enakku - me / mine
nenjam - Heart
padaikkudadi - flutter with fear
7 raagam: neelamaNi
27 sarasaangi janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P D1 N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 R2 S
உன் கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால் என் நெஞ்சில் உதிரம் கொட்டுதடி
என் கண்ணிற் பாவையன்றோ கண்ணம்மா என்னுயிர் நின்னதன்றோ
un kaNNil nIr vazhindAl ennenjil udiram koTTudaDi
en kaNNin pAvaiyenrO kaNNammA ennuyir ninradanrO
If I see tears from your eyes, a whole river of blood flows from my heart
(because) You're the light of my eyes, my life is yours
un - Your
Kannil - Eyes
Nir - Water (as in cry)
ennenjil - My Heart
udiram - Blood
KoTTudaDi - pours
en - me / mine
KaNNin - eyes
Pavaiyenro - girl / light
KannAmma - dear, a common South Indian female name
ennuyir - It is actually En Uyir - My Soul / My Life
ninradanro - is yours
8 raagam: neelaambari
29 dheera shankaraabharaNam janya
Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 P N3 S
Av: S N3 P M1 G3 R2 G3 S
சொல்லு மழலையிலே கண்ணம்மா துன்பங்கள் தீர்த்திடுவாய்
முல்லைச் சிரிப்பாலே எனது மூர்க்கம் தவிர்த்திடுவாய்
shollu mazhalaiyilE kaNNammA tunbangaL tIrttiDuvAi
mullai shirippAlE enadu mUrkham tavirttiDuvAi
In your child-like way of speaking, you'll cure all my worries/misery
In your innocent smile, you'll cure me of my ignorance
shollum - Speaking (as in words)
mazhalaiyile - child like mumblings
kannamma - dear, or a common South Indian female name
tunbangal - misery / sorrow / worries
tIrttiDuvAi - cure (as in you will cure)
mullai - Jasmine flower, small, guileless
Shirippale - Smile
Enadu - Mine / my
murkham - ignorance (as in stupidity)
tavirttiduvai - avoid / avoidance
9 raagam: valaci
16 cakravaakam janya
Aa: S G3 P D2 N2 S
Av: S N2 D2 P G3 S
இன்பக் கதைகளெல்லம் உன்னைப்போல் ஏடுகள் சொல்வதுண்டோ
அன்பு தருவதிலே உன்னை நேர் ஆகுமோர் தெய்வம் உண்டோ
inbak-kadaigaLellAm unnaip-pOl EdugaL sholvaduNDO
anbu taruvadilE unainEr AghumOr deivamuNDO
Can even the pages of old literature tell happy stories as you do?
In sharing Love, can even a God equal you?
inbak-kadaigaLellAm - Happy stories
unnaip-pOl - Like you
EdugaL - Pages (as in pages of a book)
sholvaduNDO - Tell
anbu - Love
taruvadile - Giving
unainEr AghumOr - Wonderful, combination / play on words -- means, nigar - (as in equal to you)
deivamundo - God (as in is there a God equal to you)
10 raagam: Brindavana Saranga
22 kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P N3 S
Av: S N2 P M1 R2 G2 S
மார்பில் அணிவதற்கே உன்னைப்போல் வைர மணிகளுண்டோ
சீர்பெற்று வாழ்வதற்கே உன்னைப்போல் செல்வம் பிரிதுமுண்டோ
mArbilaNivadarkkE unnaippOl vaira maNigaLuNDO
shIr peTru vAzhvadarkkE unnaippOl shelvam peridumuNDO
To wear on the chest, are there even diamonds/pearls like you?
Is there even a larger treasure than you in my life? i.e. You're the most prosperous treasure in my life.
mArbil - Chest (as in over the chest)
AniVadarKke - wear ( as in wear over the chest)
unnaipol - like you
vaira - Diamonds / precious stones
manigal - Precious stones
Undo - Is there?
ShIr - Prosperity
Petru - Got (as in get prosperous)
vazhvadarkke - live
unnaipol - like you
shelvam - Treasure (large sum of bounty)
Peridu - Large
Undo - Is there?
