(Translation on request for TJ, DN & RA)
A song reminding us of what real faith in Aiyyappan means from the movie Nalpathiyonnu.

To listen to the song, click play:

Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
[Hey Lord Aiyappa…]

Njaan enna oru bhaavam aliyukayaayi
Nee enna vichaaram ozhiyum aathma sarassil
[The state of being ‘I’ (as haughty self) dissolves
when the notion of ‘you’ (as the other) leaves from the soul’s lake]
Sakalathum nee, sakalathum njaan
parama sathyathin porul athu onnu arivoo…
[You are everything, I am everything too
when we realize the substance of this supreme truth…]
kaanayi ullathu kandu ariyum kanninu appuram aayi,
kaanum kanninu kaazhcha aakum kaarana porul aayi
[we will start seeing/knowing what is outside of our current vision,
new insights will be given to the sights which our eyes watch]

Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Munnil ullathu akhilam indriyaandtha nadanam
[Hey Lord Aiyappa…
Everything in front (of the eyes) is just a (illusionary) dance blinding senses]

Kaala perumpaambin vaayil irunnittum theenin apekshikkum pole
paandthar thaanthar aayi paatha vakkile vaadakappura vaazhum
[As if begging for food even while stuck in the mouth of the python of Time
(we)the exhausted travelers will stay in rented inns on the sides of the path]
Raavu urakkathil kroora sarpathe thaan thalayinayaakki
Naale raavile naedi vekkenda nanaya kothi kollum
[Keeping this cruel snake as the pillow during night’s sleep,
(we) greedily yearn for the money to be earned the next day]
Thaanaam midhyaye thaalolikkunnu tholil mrutyuvum aayi
thirichu oraal pokilla, thanuppu oraal thookilla, chithakku naam oonaakave
[Cradling the falsehood of ‘self’, with death sitting on (our) shoulders
not one will go back, no one will pour (comforting) chill, when we become a meal for the funeral pyre]

Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Munnil ullathu akhilam indriyaantha nadanam
[Hey Lord Aiyappa…
Everything before the eyes is just a blind dance of senses]

Peeda oraalkkum varuthathirikkuvaan thaedal ee jeevitha saaram
Swaamiye kaanuka aarilum athaanu aathma darshana moolyam
[The search for not inflicting pain on anyone should be the essence of this life
Seeing the God in everyone has the same value of viewing God in one’s soul]
Jaathibhethangal maayakal neengi njaanamaam mala keri
thaazhe ethumbol naam marakkaruthu aeka jeevitha bhaavam
[Putting away differences in class and illusions, ascending the mountain of knowledge
when we reach down, we should never forget this expression of one life]
Naana jeevakulangalil ottayaam noolal bandhithamaam
thanichu oraal aalalla, thanikku thaan porilla, parasparam oonnakane..
[The various lifeforms are all tied by a single string
no one is strong by themselves, no one is enough for oneself, please be a support for each other]

Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Munnil ullathu akhilam indriyaantha nadanam
[Hey Lord Aiyappa…
Everything before the eyes is just a blind dance of senses]

Njaan enna oru bhaavam aliyukayaayi
Nee enna vichaaram ozhiyum aathma sarassil
[The state of being ‘I’ (as haughty self) dissolves
when the notion of ‘you’ (as the other) leaves from the soul’s lake]
Sakalathum nee, sakalathum njaan
parama sathyathin porul athu onnu arivoo…
[You are everything, I am everything too
when we realize the substance of this supreme truth…]
kaanayi ullathu kandu ariyum kanninu appuram aayi,
kaanum kanninu kaazhcha aakum kaarana porul aayi
[we will start seeing/knowing what is outside of our current vision,
new insights will be given to the sights which our eyes watch]

Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan Aiyyanaiyyanaiyyan
Munnil ullathu akhilam indriyaandtha nadanam
[Hey Lord Aiyappa…
Everything before the eyes is just a blind dance of senses]

Note: This song is highly philosophical and in some lines same words are used to mean different things. So instead of a literal word by word translation I have attempted to keep it contained to the interpretation. For eg, vision/seeing in the refrain is used to mean both current sight and insight in different places. The lyricist Rafeeq Ahamed created the lines loaning verses from great poets and leaders like Ezhuthachan, Kumaran Asan, Poonthanam and Sree Narayana Guru with emphasis on the principle of ‘Thatvamasi’ (‘Thou art that’/’God is in self'[loose interpretation]) which is written at the entrance of Sabarimala shrine for Lord Aiyyappa.(Link to the interview) In the first stanza, the lyricist is calling attention to how we go about planning for the next thing which makes money without realizing the fact Time (equated to a python) could swallow us and end our life. In the second stanza, the lyricist indicates that true faith lies in the fact that all living things are an image of God and taking care of each other should be our life’s goal.

+Image copyright to the original uploader.