An inspiring song and an inspiring poem

An Inspiring Song:

Song: Ovvoru pookkalume (Language: Tamil); Movie: Autograph

Singer: Chitra K S; Director: Cheran; Lyrics: Vijay Pa

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQo9EFB7YeY]

Ovvoru pookkalume solgirathe… Vazhvenral poradum porkalame…

Ovvoru vidiyalume solgirathe… Iravanal pagalonru vanthidume…

Every flower on this earth says, that life is a battlefield…

Every morning says, that where there is a night, there will be a new dawn…

Nambikkai yenbathu vendum nam vazhvil…

Latchiyam nicchayam vellum oru nalil…

We need to trust ourselves in life…

Our ambitions will surely win one day…

Maname O Maname ni maari vidu…

Malayo athu paniyo ni modhi vidu…

Our mind and thoughts ought to change…

Whether it is a mountain or an iceberg, we need to fight…

Ullam yenrum yeppodhum, udainthu poga koodathu…

Yenna intha vazhkayenra yennam thonra koodathu…

The heart should not break any day, any time…

‘what is this life?’ is a thought that should not occur…

Yentha manidha nenjukkul, kayam illai sollungal…

Kalapokkil kayamellam marandhu pogum mayangal…n

Can you identify one person’s heart, which has not been hurt at all?…

In the verge of time, hurt vanishes magically…

Uli thangum karkal thane mann medhu silayagum…

Vali thangum idhayam thane nilayana sugam kaanum…

Only the stone that can tolerate the strokes of a chisel can become a beautiful statue…

Only the heart that can tolerate the deepest bruises can be consistantly happy…

Yaarukkillai porattam? Kannil yenna neerottam?

Oru kanavu kandal, athai dinam muyanral, oru nalil nijamagum…

Who doesn’t have to struggle? Why are the eyes filled with tears?

If we dream, and focus on acheiving it daily, one day it will become a reality…

Vazhkai kavithai vasippom, vaanam alavu yosippom,

Muyarichi yenra onrai mattum, mucchi pole swasipoom…

Let us read the poem called life, let us think to the limits of the sky,

Effort is the only thing, that we need to inhale like the breath…

Latcham kanavu kannodu, latchiyangal nenjodu…

Unnai vella yaarum illai, urudhiyodu poradu…

There may be one lakh dreams in our eyes, goals in our hearts,

There is no one to beat you, fight with determination…

Manidha un manadhai keeri vidhai podu maramagum…

Avamanam padutholvi yellame uravagum…

Oh man, scratch your heart and put your seeds – it will become a tree…

Insult and failure, will become your relatives…

Tholvi inri varalara, dukkam yenna yen thozha,

Oru mudivirunhal, adhil thelivirundhal, andha vanam vasamagum…

There is no history with out a defeat, why are you worried about that, my friend?

If there is foresight, and clarity, even the sky can be conqured…

(Note: The translation is mine, and hence there may be some errors. If you can find any, please let me know in the comments section and I will change it).


An Inspiring Poem:

I think it is titled ‘If’

Author: Rudyard Kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Destination Infinity

34 thoughts on “An inspiring song and an inspiring poem

  1. vimmuuu

    The song truly is one inspiring one. Thanks for translating the lyrics and sharing it here.

    1. Destination Infinity

      I wanted to follow the lyrics of this song for a long time, and this post gave me an opportunity to do so. This is the first time that I have listened to a song for understanding the lyrics! Generally, I like music, voice and the feel of a song.

      Destination Infinity

  2. vimmuuu

    oops, typo. *is an inspiring one !

  3. vishesh unni raghuna

    for whom the sunshines
    Far away , for those who dare to smile everyday .
    For whom the sunshines ,
    Far away , for those to dare to smile it all away.

    1. Destination Infinity

      I read that poem. Slightly off-beat – different from the way you usually write.

      Destination Infinity

  4. Indrani

    Great efforts taken for translating.
    The poem is truly an inspiring one. Thanks for posting this.

    1. Destination Infinity

      Yeah. I too wanted to understand this song for a long time. This is a rare gem where the lyrics, music and the voice all inspire!!

      Destination Infinity

  5. Rakesh Vanamali

    The poem IF is one of my favorites! It hold a very deep meaning and provides ready solutions to many a challenge!

    1. Destination Infinity

      You have an eye for quality, always. Frankly speaking, strictly on the lyrics or the lines, the poem is much better than the song. And thanks for identifying it.

      Destination Infinity

  6. sandhya

    Ovvoru pookkalume…is the morning prayer song in some schools, it seems. It is a beautiful song and the scene also is very natural. I liked the movie too.

    This line is the best, I feel:

    Uli thangum karkal thane mann medhu silayagum…

    Vali thangum idhayam thane nilayana sugam kaanum…

    Only the stone that can tolerate the strokes of a chisel can become a beautiful statue…

    Only the heart that can tolerate the deepest bruises can be consistently happy…

    1. Destination Infinity

      That is the best line indeed. But I wonder, how kids will be able to understand the depth of a song like this. It is an irony isin't it? When we want to read and understand history, we are grown up and have no time. When we were taught history, we were not even interested!

      Destination Infinity

      1. sandhya

        Nowadays, no one speaks or understands good Tamil. If I start lamenting about this, your post will become my post…it will be so long.

        I still remember my 5th std. Tamil prayer..'Vellaith thaamarai pooviliruppaal', 'neeraadum kadaluduththa nilamadandaik kezhilozhugum… I joined Tamil medium school in Chennai. I studied till 5th in Udupi. Joined again in 5th, here. But I still remember my prayer song in that school. Those children who are singing this song now, may understand the meaning later in their lives.

        I did a big mistake in making my children take Hindi and Sanskrit as second and third language. Thought they can score good marks (dumb me!).They can read Tamil (studied as third language for 2 years). But they don't appreciate anything written in Tamil. English means..happy!

        1. Destination Infinity

          You have a nice point there – The children who sing this song now will understand the meaning later. Thats correct. It sort of resides in the sub-conscious mind.

          I am glad that I studied Tamil as my second language till my 10th Standard – I was always good at languages – Tamil, English and Hindi. But the problem came in the last two years of schooling when I took sanskrit for the marks – I had to memorize a whole lot of stuff! Though I got good marks in that subject, language marks did not mean much in the end! I should have taken Tamil. In Chennai I feel you could have made your kids study Tamil. Hindi and English would always be picked up later. And marks don't matter after you leave the school. I learnt this the hard way!!

          Destination Infinity

          1. sandhya

            I realized it now….too late!

            I studied in Tamil medium just for one year, but was very good in that language. I love this language. Then shifted to English medium…in those days we had one English medium section! When I came to 9th, had Hindi as third language for a few months. But because of the DMK anti-hindi agitation, the language was banned. Studied Hindi privately. My family were already familiar with the language, so I am a Hndi loving person also!

            I should have made my children study Tamil and sent them out to learn Hindi privately. Too late, now.

          2. Destination Infinity

            Well, I am also in the same boat – sort of. My mother tongue is telugu and having been brought up in Chennai, I never learnt how to read and write in that language. But its never too late – I am learning now, and I can read slowly! I always wanted to learn German but somehow it looks quite complicated!! But I love languages – I want to learn a lot of them! So, I guess if people are interested, they have a lot of resources in this internet era to learn – that's very good isin't it?

            Destination Infinity

  7. Indian Homemaker

    Read the translation, it is inspiring !!
    Can you identify one person’s heart, which has not been hurt at all?…

    In the verge of time, hurt vanishes magically…

    And IF has been my favorite forever!!!
    🙂

    1. Destination Infinity

      It seems like only I have read that 'if' poem recently! Everyone else seem to have read it already. Thanks for reading the translation.

      Destination Infinity

  8. Winnie the Poohi

    Oh I love and love that song.. and your translation is quite good 🙂

    "if" this poem is beautiful 🙂

    1. Destination Infinity

      Tamil is one of the languages that I am more comfortable with. And this song doesn't have complex words. I knew you would notice the poem, actually I wanted to put it first. Awesome lines.

      Destination Infinity

      1. Winnie the Poohi

        Sadly tamil happens to be a weakness of mine 😀 i mean.. i get the saransh.. but miss the intricacies .. get irritated by it.. but so many wonderful souls have posted english translations.. that makes my life easier.. rather the song more enjoyable 🙂

        Oh how can I miss that poem? 😀

  9. An alien Earthling

    Great translation!

    Ovvoru pookkalume is simply unbelievable! I'm moved every time I hear it. Especially along with the video, considering that the all the musicians who actually performed are differently-abled people. The lyrics are fantastic…they have a very deep meaning in them and yet they can be understood quite easily. This song is a true GEM!

    Great post!

    1. Destination Infinity

      //they have a deep meaning in them and yet can be understood quite easily// – exactly.
      And the song is a GEM indeed!.

      Destination Infinity

  10. Indrani

    I have a tiny quiz, hope u will try and answer. 🙂

    1. Destination Infinity

      Answered, but only to participate as I don't know bird names!

      Destination Infinity

  11. sandhya

    I am so happy that so many people are enjoying this song. Thanks for posting this song and for the brilliant translation, D.I.

    1. Destination Infinity

      I enjoyed translating the song too… For a long time I wanted to listen and understand each and every line of this song – it happened now.

      Destination Infinity

  12. Reema

    It is one of my favorite poems.

    1. Destination Infinity

      I read that poem in one blog before a year and a half. But I forgot the name of the poem and the author and also the blog. Recently I thought the name of the author could be Kipling and Whoa! it is.

      Destination Infinity

  13. Preeti

    Its an amazing song… wenever i feel low..i listen to this song! Tamil is an amazing language…Especially if u want to describe anyting…i feel it can be expressed in tamil beautifully…

    Hey good work DI !

    That's right… Tamil is an expressive language – it seems it is one of the best languages for songs and music… Thanks!!

  14. Christine Wiedemer

    Leider insgesamt sehr unübersichtlich finde ich, aber Infos sind im Allgemeinen gut und interessant.

  15. vpills

    Hello there. I’m so glad I found your blog, I actually discovered this by accident, when I’d been browsing Google for something else entirely, Just the same I’m here now and would certainly wish to express gratitude for a excellent blog posting and a over-all intriguing blog (I furthermore love the theme/design). I’ve saved it and in addition subscribed to your

  16. Bollywood music

    I just love the lyrics its superb.

  17. kiran kumar

    the poem has a deep meaning and has shattered my negative thoughts and boosted my self confidence to the utmost level!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. kiran kumar

    thank u very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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