(Translation on request for SS)
Gopalakrishnan, a thief, steals a precious necklace from a museum and is on the run from police. He meets Veena on the travel and decides to store the necklace in her backpack for safekeep and take the suspicion off him. Veena comes to know about the necklace and blackmails Gopi to travel with her until she meets her fiancé in another town. Veena gets off the train in a small station to buy water and is stranded there when the train leaves, forcing Gopi to get down there too. She later finds out it is Gopi’s village when his estranged family contacts him. They are invited to stay at the family home. Gopi takes Veena around the village to show her the beauty of his land. A song describing the beauty of a village from the movie Vettam.
To listen to the song, click play:
+Oru kaathilola njan kandeela, thiruthaali vechathum kandeela
kalavaaniyaam kiliye ortheela… akale
[I did not see an earring, I didn’t see shampoo being applied
I did not remember the sweet sounding bird…(when I was) far away]
Ee naadu rani aayi thonneela, puzha thoazhi enna pol thonneella
ithil aaru lola ennu ortheella, pala naal
[This land didn’t feel like a queen, the river didn’t feel like the queen’s friend
I didn’t think who is more beautiful among these, for many days]
Thira ilakiya maaril neryathaal, ara ithil oru njaanalukkinaal
nura chithariya noopurangalaale
[With cloth pleated in moving waves, and tasseled chain on this hip
and with dancers anklets made of scattered foam..]
Thoazhi nee orukkunnu oru devi aayi en graamathe
njan ithinte theerathe vana gopabaalan aakunnu
[Hey friend, you make my village look like a Goddess
I become the cowherd country boy on your banks]
Kunu chaaru chillayil pookkalum, puthu thaen nukarnnu poombaattayum
panineer thanuppu ezhum kaattinu imbavum raagaalaapavum
[The tiny flowers on the beautiful branch, the butterfly who drank the new nectar
The tunes of music being sung by cool fragrant breeze]
Oru kaathilola njan kandeela, thiruthaali vechathum kandeela
kalavaaniyaam kiliye ortheela… akale
[I did not see an earring, I didn’t see shampoo being applied
I did not remember the sweet sounding bird…(when I was) far away]
Pul karukakal neertha naambil thumbi vannathum
paal thilachu thoovum thumba pookkudangalum
[The dragonfly which came to the tip of karuka grass blade
The thumba flower pots which looks as if spilling boiled milk]
Ilaneer ponthudippil nirayum thaen thanuppum
Mula aayi paadi entho parayaan vembum eenam
[The sweet coolness filling in the splash of tender coconut water
Sang as a bamboo shoot, some tune which wanted to be told]
Manvazhikalil manam thannu idariya mazha
pon vayalile veyil manju alakalum aayi
[The rain which scattered giving fragrance on the mud paths
in the sun on the fields, became wavy fog]
Than thanuvodu nilaavu annu ezhuthiya kinaavu innu
arumayil thodum kan niravukal aayi
[The dream that moon wrote with the coolness that day, today
adorably touches the eyes with fullness]
Ithu njaan arinjath innu aadyam aayi, athu nee arinju oru en chodyamo
kadha nee paranjatho naeru chonnatho maayaaleelayo?
[I came to know this today for the first time, is it because you knew my question
And did you tell a story or the truth or is it magic?]
Oru kaathilola njan kandeela, thiruthaali vechathum kandeela
kalavaaniyaam kiliye ortheela… akale
[I did not see an earring, I didn’t see shampoo being applied
I did not remember the sweet sounding bird…(when I was) far away]
Chandrika naru chaanthu chaarthum mulla muttavum
Raama naama geetham kelkkum sandhyaa deepavum
[The jasmine yards where the moon dots moonbeams
The evening lamp which listens to the song of prayer chants]
Thozhukai kindiyaal ee kazhukum kaal thanuppum
Kili aayi paattu paadum kavi than veena vaayppum
[The coolness of feet being washed by pitcher in folded palms
Like a song bird the playing of veena by the poet]
Nal kadhakalil mayangi kavithayil unarnna
kanavukal vidarnna chirakukalaal
[Sleeping in great stories, waking in poems
with wings spread in dreams]
Vin mukilukal thodum en idariya manam
pon mayilinu samam kan vidarukayaayi
[Touching the clouds in the sky, my wavering heart
is opening eyes like a peacock opening feathers]
Ithu nee paranjath-ill-innale, chevi oarthirunnu njaan ennile
ini njaan arinju athu en maanasathilum mookaaradhana
[You never told me this yesterday, but I listened to my own heart
now that I know this, in my heart also is a silent worship]
Oru kaathilola njan kandeela, thiruthaali vechathum kandeela
kalavaaniyaam kiliye ortheela… akale
[I did not see an earring, I didn’t see shampoo being applied
I did not remember the sweet sounding bird…(when I was) far away]
Thira ilakiya maaril neryathaal, ara ithil oru njaanalukkinaal
nura chithariya noopurangalaale
[With cloth pleated in moving waves, and tasseled chain on this hip
and with dancers anklets made of scattered foam..]
Thoazhi nee orukkunnu oru devi aayi en graamathe
njan ithinte theerathe vana gopabaalan aakunnu
[Hey friend, you make my village look like a Goddess
I become the cowherd country boy on your banks]
Kunu chaaru chillayil pookkalum, puthu thaen nukarnnu poombaattayum
panineer thanuppu ezhum kaattinu imbavum raagaalaapavum
[The tiny flowers on the beautiful branch, the butterfly who drank the new nectar
The tunes of music being sung by cool fragrant breeze]
+In the refrain protagonist is saying while he was away from his village how he was wrong in not reminiscing the beauty of his place. The lyrics is a play on a conversation++ attributed to Kunchan Nambiar, the founder of Ottanthullal/Ottamthullal[1]. The first and second stanzas describe the beauty of the village in detail and how he feels like a boy admiring all the qualities of his village.
++The conversation I was referring above comes from the story below:
Kunchan Nambiar, who was a satirist and performer, and his friend was walking one day and came across the princess and her friend coming back from their bath. One of the men said: “Kaathilola” and the other replied: “Nallathaali”. The princess interpreted this as the men commenting on their earrings(kaathil ola) and the herbal shampoo (nalla thaali/good hibiscus shampoo) they were carrying. Actually the true meaning of the phrases they said were – “Kaa athilola?” (Who among these is more beautiful?) and the reply was “Nallathu aali” (The friend is prettier). Hence the reference above to the queen and friend in the refrain of this song.
[1] Ottanthullal performance (YouTube Link)
+++Image copyright to the original uploader.