(Translation on request for M.)
A newly married couple, Sreeja and Prasad, finds themselves in a peculiar situation at the police station where they go to file a complaint. While Prasad waits with the accused, they listen to this song, sung live in a gaanamela (local concert) at a temple festival next door. Sreeja goes back to their home for the night. Both husband and wife ruminate how they landed in a town far away from their own, after a quick wedding amidst strong opposition and potential harm from the bride’s family as Prasad is from a lower caste.

Bijibal has given this a haunting folk song feel while Rafeeq Ahammed’s lyrics beautifully captures the couple’s unsaid feelings of missing the familiar sights of their hometown, their alienation in this new place and the unfortunate circumstance they have ended up in.

To listen to the song, click play:

Aayilyam kaavum malayum, Athiraani puzhayude kadavum
Evide poyethedi, penne? engane poyethedi?
[The Aayilyam grove and mountain, the banks of Athiraani river
Where did they go, girl? how did they go?]
Njan onnum kandillalo, njan onnum kettillalo
Kannonnu thurakkana neram kaanaathaayallo! ponne, kaanaathaayallo!
[I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything
When I opened my eyes, they disappeared! darling, they disappeared!]

Andhyalan kunninu thaazhe arayaalile kuruvikal evide?
Dhanumaasa kaattin kayyil kulir evide? kulir evide?
[At the bottom of Andhyalan hill, where are the sparrows on the peepal tree?
Where is the coolness which the breeze in Dhanu month brings? where is the coolness?]
Njan avide koyyan poyi, kathir katta methikkan poyi
Naduvonanu nivarthana neram kaanaathaayallo! ponne, kaanaathaayallo!
[I went there to harvest (rice), also to separate the grains from the stalks
When I straightened my spine (after the work), they disappeared! darling, they disappeared!]

Thaane thannaano aa ponne thaane thanathinno
Thaane thandhaane ponne thanathinnam thaaro

Arayolam vellam nirayum cheru thottile paral meen evide?
Kuda neerthana maarikkaarum, kodiminnal thaaliyum evide?
[In this small creek where the water comes up to the middle, where did the fishes go?
The rain cloud umbrella and the lightning, where are they?]
Njanonnu kulikkan poyi, kurumundu nanaykan poyi
Mudi kothikkerum neram kaanaathaayallo! ha ponne, kaanaathaayallo!
[I went for a bath and to wash my clothes
While I was combing my hair, they disappeared! darling, they disappeared!]

Aayilyam kaavum malayum, Athiraani puzhayude kadavum
Evide poyethedi, penne? engane poyethedi?
[The Aayilyam grove and mountain, the banks of Athiraani river
Where did they go, girl? how did they go?]
Njan onnum kandillalo, njan onnum kettillalo
Kannonnu thurakkana neram kaanaathaayallo! ponne, kaanaathaayallo!
[I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything
When I opened my eyes, they disappeared! darling, they disappeared!]

+Image copyright to the original uploader.