Om Nahama
9 Aug 2014

Year: 1989
Movie: Geethanjali (Telugu)
Singer: S P Balasubramanian and S Janaki
Music Director: Ilayaraja
Lyrics: Veturi

Beautiful, love song from the Telugu movie Geethanjali (1989). Stalwarts like S P Balasubramaniam (male voice), S Janaki (female voice), Ilayaraja (music) and Veturi (lyrics) came together to create it. Great lyrics, great singing, great music! :)

What is special about this song? Both the girl and the boy in the movie have terminal illness. They fall in love and are engaged in a sensual kiss that lasts the entire duration of the song, forgetting everything else. The context of the song in the movie reminded me of two Buddhist parables.

Buddhist parable 1: A man discovered that he had terminal illness. He approached a monk and anxiously told him, "I'm dying". The monk smiled and said, "We are all dying" :)

Buddhist parable 2 (The Tiger and the Strawberry): "A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!" This parable has lots of symbolism and is explained very well here.

Gratitude: The lyrics were copied from AnanthNaag.com. The translation was copied verbatim from Blog4Teki.blogspot.com. Heartfelt thanks to both!

Roman Script

Om namahaa… nayana sruthulaku [m]
Om namahaa… hrudhaya layalaku… Om… [m]
Om namahaa… adhara jathulaku [f]
Om namahaa… madhura smruthulaku… Om… [f]

Translation

Salutations to the music flowing in the eyes [m]
Salutations to the waves stirring in the heart [m]
Salutations to the rhythms dancing on the lips [f]
Salutations to the sweet memories in our minds [f]

Roman Script

Nee hrudayam thapana thelisee… [m]
Naa hrudayam kanulu kalise velaloo… [m]
Ee manchu bommalokatai… [f]
Kougililo kalisi karige velaloo… [f]

Translation

In the moment when my heart wept on realizing your heart's longing [m]
In the moment when these cold bodies became one and melted in the embrace [f]

Roman Script

Regina korikalatho gaalulu veechagaa… [m]
Jeevana venuvulalo mohana paadagaa… [f]
Dooramu lenidai lokamu thochagaa… [m]
Kaalamu lenidai gaganamu andhagaa… [f]
Sooreede vodhigi vodhigi jaabhilli vodini adige velaa… [m]
Mudhulaa sadhuke nidhuralepe pranaya geethiki… Om… [f]

Translation

As these arisen desires are carried by the winds [m]
As a beautiful song plays on the flute of our lives [f]
As distances disappear and the world seems very near [m]
As time stands still and we reach out to touch the sky [f]
As the sun rises slowly and the moon asks for a place to rest [m]
Salutations to the song of love which is awakened by the sounds of sweet kisses [f]

Roman Script

Ontari baatasaari jantaku cheragaa… [f]
Kantiki paapavaithe reppagaa maaranaa… [m]
Toorupu neevugaa… vekuva nenugaa… [f]
Mallika paatagaa… pallavi premagaa… [m]
Preminche pedavulokatai… kavvinche sudhalu manuvaithe… [f]
Jagathike athidhulai jananamandhina prema jantaki… [m]

Translation

Oh lonely traveller, come let us be together [f]
If you be the precious eye i'll turn into the eyelid [m]
As you are the east and as i am the spreading dawn [f]
As the song is woven and the love is expressed in words [m]
As the loving lips become one and the overflowing ambrosia becomes ours [f]
Salutations to the loving couple born who are honored guests of the universe [m]

Roman Script

Om namahaa… nayana sruthulaku [f]
Om namahaa… hrudhaya layalaku… Om… [f]
Om namahaa… adhara jathulaku [m]
Om namahaa… madhura smruthulaku… Om… [m]

Translation

Salutations to the music flowing in the eyes [f]
Salutations to the waves stirring in the heart [f]
Salutations to the rhythms dancing on the lips [m]
Salutations to the sweet memories in our minds [m]

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