Translation of "Nivu Chuse Chupulo" Telugu Song

How many meanings abound

In your look –

The look you fling at me                                           (He)

How many heavens are there

In (your) full embrace                                               (She)

With the wafting floral scents

The worlds are thrilled (worlds have swooned)

When the ancal plays (in the wind)

The beauties peep through…                                  (He)

Beauties are for you to feast upon

And those feasts are your favorite things                (She)

When the

Breeze flows away

Playing sehnai songs

Then I fall upon you in a trance                              (She)

Let us play swing in the distant

Blue blue clouds                                                      (He)

Let the time stop

Let this joy continue                                                (He)

Let us forget the world

Let the heart melt away

Let us reach the distant lands

Today

[I’ve come to appreciate Dasarathi’s poetry mostly through his movie songs. In India, there is a wrong perception about “poetry” among intellectuals. Some academic scholars and critics have sidelined exquisite movie lyrics (songs) and bhakti poetry into a lesser class of literature. But if we go by the simple dictum, namely that  “any poem that touches your heart or makes demands on your intellect is a good poem” then definitely there is plenty of excellent poetry in Dasarathi’s writings. The last stanza in this song encapsulates very intense joy, a joy known only to true lovers and artists.  Here in this instance the poet communicates to us the three most essential things in life: time, joy, and a soft heart (a heightened emotional state¹ that is common to romance and bhakti). In such a state, it is not a big crime if we momentarily suspend the external world and its worries. Let us enjoy this melodious song sung by P. B. Srinivas and L. R. Eswari. The female vocalist is an incomparable singer with her signature lilting vibrant voice, controlled vibrato, and her masterly utterance of the difficult vowel (O). The choreography and dance of the actress also deserves praise. And of course, how can we ignore the excellent music of Vedha? I might have taken a bit of liberty in the translation, just a phrase may be.]

1. See the classic (Sanskrit) work on aesthetics “Bhakti Rasayanamu” by Madhusudana Saraswati. The Telugu translation by Prof. P.S. Sastri is available at Kanchi Kamakoti website: http://www.kamakoti.org/telugu/30/index.htm

Copyright 2016 by the author