Sunday, January 31, 2021

Kanne Pillavani - English Translation


Kanne pillavani kannulunnavani yenni enni vagalu pothunnave chinnari
That you're a young woman, that you have (beautiful) eyes, how many airs you're giving yourself

Chinna navvu navvi vanneli anni ruvvi yenni enni kalalu rappinchave ponnari
With a light laugh, showing off your beauty, how many dreams you've brought to mind

Yem antavu?
What do you say?

Sangeetam nuvvu aite, sahityam nenu auta
If you're the music, I'll be the literature/lyrics

Swaramu neevayi swaramuna padamu nenayi
With you as the (musical) note, and me as the word (sung) in that note

Gaanav geetav kaaga
As the singing becomes a song

Kavini nenayi naalo kavita neevayi
With me as the poet, and you as the poem in me

Kavyam ainadi talapo aluko manaso
What has turned into poetry are perhaps my thoughts, feelings or being itself

Ippudu chuddam
Let's see now

Tanana tanana anna
Whether you say 'tanana tanana'

Tana anna talam okate kada
or 'tana', the beat is still the same

Padamu cherchi paata kurcha leda
Did I not furnish the words to compose the song?

Sabhas
Bravo

Danani dasasa anna needa anda swarame raagam kada
Whether you say 'danani dasasa', in your company, the notes make a melody

Neevu nenani anna maname kaada
Whether you say 'you' and 'I', isn't it the same as us?


Thursday, October 15, 2020

Riders on the Storm Redux


(highlighted portions mine to make the song seem not quite as disjointed)

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan
Riders on the storm

There's a killer on the road
You can call him let's say 'greed'
'hatred' or 'envy'
He goes by many names
If you give this man a ride, sweet sanity will fly
Killer on the road

Man, you gotta keep your calm
Man, you gotta keep your calm
Focus like a hawk
Sit-ups like a jock 😜
The world depends on you, your life will never end
Gotta keep your calm


PS: I've come round to the view that the disjointedness/vagueness of the original actually adds to the beauty of the song but I'll let this stay as an interesting creative writing exercise.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

As I Tweet

I tweet to you as I am
as I check the trends
You may block me for spam
or retweet to your friends

I may post a facetious comment
I'm just being a wag online
Don't be misled
I may get into an argument
But we're likely still aligned
outside that thread

('As I Am' Twitter edition)

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Prompt - connection through music

Music is that wondrous salve
that bobs in a prim jazz hall
shrieks from the rim of a stage
'n' weeps on a dim back porch


Friday, September 4, 2020

The Ultimate Judo Move

 The ultimate judo move is to not let your nihilism lumber you down but lift you up.



"Is that some sort of Eastern thing?", the Dude asks 😛


Sunday, August 16, 2020

I Wish I Could Have My Sun Back

I wish I could have my sun back
bask again in its nourishing rays
But I have learned many a new fact
My sun's just one among many in space

I wish I could carry on around my sun
with that old confident gait
But the twinkling points afar do beckon
I drift, pitiful pockmarked planet
doomed forever to be on the run
never settling into 'nother orbit


Saturday, August 8, 2020

Bring It On

I don't know how I came by it
I don't know how long it'll stay
But I sure as hell can't deny it
It just feels amazing this way!

Anything I set my mind to
I believe is doable
The world no longer seems
a series of obstacles
Nowhere man, 
the world is at your command, 
Ah, la, la, la, la!