Friday, February 26, 2016

suvvi suvvi suvvani

This is an out and out janapada/ folk song dedicated to women who mass-pound characterized by the "olala" and "suvvi". Women pounding has a cultural significance. Women from a village gather at a place(usually who have some occassion wedding,etc. to be celebrated at their house) with huge/big mortar and pestels and sing songs and grind grains/spices etc.
This song by Annamayya is in third person with Annamayya describing the women pounding. As always Annamayya refers to Venkateswara but as "Konetappa", meaning (Koneti+appa) Koneti's Lord. Koneti is a small pond built near the temple. There is a refernce and detailed description to "koneti rayadu" in another post of Annamayya's popular song  "Kondalalo nelakonna...."

Rendition of this song from "Annamayya Janapadalu" audio can be found by clicking here


ప|| సువ్వి సువ్వి సువ్వి సువ్వని | సుదతులు దంచెద రోలాల ||
Suvvi suvvi suvvi suvvani | sudatulu damceda rolala
Word-Word:
సువ్విSuvvi= a chorus sound made during pounding grain; సువ్వి సువ్వి సువ్వనిsuvvani(suvvi+ani)=saying "suvvi" | సుదతులుsudatulu= women; దంచెద రోలాల(danchedaru+olala)= (they pound+a chorus) ||
Meaning:
Suvvi suvvi suvvi! saying suvvi, the women pound O laa laa!

చ|| వనితలు మనసులు కుందెన చేసిటు | వలపులు తగనించోలాల |
కనుచూపు లనెడు రోకండ్లను | కన్నెలు దంచెద రోలాల ||
Vanitalu manasulu kumdena cesitu | valapulu taganimcolala
kanucupu lanedu rokamdlanu | kannelu damceda rolala
Word-Word:
వనితలుvanithalu= women; మనసులుmanasulu= hearts; కుందెనkundena=fine gold; చేసిటుchesitu(chesi+itu)=(after doing+here) | వలపులుvalapulu=love/wishes; తగనించోలాలtaganimcherolala(tagani+incheru+olala)=(improper+ wished+a chorus)|
కనుచూపులనెడుkanuchoopulanedu(kanu choopulu+anedu)=eye sight/stares+as said; రోకండ్లనుrokandlanu=mortars | కన్నెలుkannelu= young women; దంచెదరోలాలdanchedarolala= pound/hit |
Meaning:
Women hearts of fine gold, after making, here  love/wishes improper wished, Olala!
eye-sight like mortars, young women pound Olala
Discussion:
All the women gather for the pounding of grains. They talk about every wish,improper or proper, while pounding and thus have to make their hearts pure as gold. Annamayya uses an analogy that the women have to pound the stares-like mortars. I am guessing that the women have to overcome the stares as they talk about their improper wishes, or it also could refer to the behaviorial instinct of fighting shy stares from oneself as an improper wish is talked about.

చ|| బంగరు చెరుగుల పట్టు పుట్టములు | కొంగులు దూలగ నోలాల |
అంగనలందరు నతివేడుకతో | సంగడి దంచెద రోలాల ||
Bangaru cerugula pattu puttamulu | komgulu dulaga nolala |
amganalamdaru nativedukato | samgadi damceda rolala ||
Word-Word:
బంగరుbangaru= gold/sweet; చెరుగులcherugula= in winnowing; పట్టుpattu= silk; పుట్టములుputtamulu= clothes; | కొంగులుkongulu= the final edge of a sari that goes over the shoulder and accessible to use; దూలగthulaga= to waver; నోలాల |
అంగనలందరుanganalandaru(anganalu+andaru)=women+all; నతివేడుకతో ativEadukato (ati+ vAeDukato) =(great+festive/grandeur)| సంగడిsangaDi=in group; దంచెద రోలాల ||
Meaning:
amongst gold-like winnowing, silk clothes and the sari-edge hung Olala
all women  with great grandeur in group pound Olala!
Discussion:
Here Annamayya describes the attire of the women pounding. Amongst the winnowing of grains,and the silk clothes, the one end of the saree that hangs over the shoulder waver. Winnowing can be done while sitting down. However, Annamayya's reference to the fluttering saree edges indicates that in this particular scene, the women are winnowing while standing.
All the women pound the grains with grandeur in a mass-pound gathering.

చ|| కురులు దూలగ మంచి గుబ్బచనులపై | సరులు దూలాడగ నోలాల |
అరవిరి బాగుల నతివలు ముద్దులు | గురియుచు దంచెద రోలాల ||
Kurulu dulaga mamci gubbacanulapai | sarulu duladaga nolala
araviri bagula nativalu muddulu | guriyucu damceda rolala
Word-Word:
కురులుkurulu= hair locks; దూలగtoolaga= as dangled; మంచిmanchi=good; గుబ్బచనులపైgubbachanulapai(gubba+chanula+pai)=(rounded+of the breasts+over) over the rounded breasts; సరులుsarulu=necklaces; దూలాడగtolaDaga(thooli+aaDaga)=(hung+dangling) నోలాల |
అరవిరిaraviri= half blossomed; బాగులనbaagulana= gestures; అతివలుativalu= women; ముద్దులుmuddulu=love/kisses | గురియుచుkuriyuchu=with showering; దంచెద రోలాల ||
Meaning:
hair-locks as dangled, good rounded breasts- over, as necklaces hung and dangled Olala!
half-blossomed gestured women love showering-with, pound Olala
Discussion:
While in the previous stanza Annamayya mentions the overall attire in the sense of clothes, in this stanza, he describes more specific attributes of the women.
The long hair of the women dangled around, and on the bosom dangled the necklaces. The young women, referred as half-blossomed, with their gestures showered love as they pounded.

చ|| ఘల్లు ఘల్లుమను కంకణరవముల | పల్లవపాణుల నోలాల |
అల్లన నడుములు అసియాడుచు సతు | లొల్లనె దంచెద రోలాల ||
Gallu Gallumanu kamkanaravamula | pallavapanula nolala
allana nadumulu asiyaducu satu | lollane damceda rolala
Word-Word:
ఘల్లుGhallu= the sound representative of trinkets; ఘల్లుమను కంకణkankaNa=bracelets; రవములravamula= sounds; | పల్లవpallava=a new leaf; పాణులpaNula= handed ones నోలాల |
అల్లనallana=gently; నడుములుnaDumulu= waists; అసియాడుచుasiaaDuchu= dance like a pendulum rythm; సతులొల్లనెsathulollane(sathulu+ollane)=(women+gently/softly) దంచెద రోలాల ||
Meaning:
 Ghallu ghallu from bracelet sounds of the new-leaf-like handed ones Olala
gently waists with dancing like pendulum; the women gently pound Olala
Discussion:
Looks like Annamayya is going in a certain order in describing the women. In the previous stanza he started with describing the hair and then the necklaces, he proceeds to describe the hands and waists in this stanza.
The trinkling sound of the bracelets on the hands, and the waists dancing like pendulum in rhythm during pounding are examples of Annamayya's astute descriptions. Annamayya uses the analogy of "new leaf" for describing the delicate hands.
While pounding, the usual procedure followed is that the women hit the pound with one hand and then pick it with another and hit it again. This process itself is in a rhythm and the hit and pick with another hand actually causes the body, waist in particular to move in a rhythm. Annamayya is referring to this rhythm in this stanza.

చ|| కప్పురగంధులు కమ్మనిపువ్వుల | చప్పరములలో నోలాల |
తెప్పలుగా రతి దేలుచు గోనే- | టప్పని బాడెద రోలాల ||
Kappuragamdhulu kammanipuvvula | capparamulalo nolala
teppaluga rati delucu gone| Tappani badeda rolala
Word-Word:
కప్పురkappura= camphor; గంధులుgandhulu=odored women; కమ్మనిkammani= pleasant; పువ్వుల puvvula= of flowers;  చప్పరములలో= under the hood/roof నోలాల |
తెప్పలుగాteppaluga= in heaps; రతిrati= love; దేలుచుteluchu= to show; గోనేటప్పనిKonetappani(koneti+appa)= to the Lord of Koneti బాడెద రోలాల ||
Meaning:
Camphor-odored women , under pleasant flower roofs, Olala
in heaps love/amorous showing to the Lord of Koneti/Venkteswara will sing olala
Discussion:
Under the flowering trees, the women were pounding. Camphor is usually used as a perfume. hence Annamayya calls the women to be camphor scented. In groups these women  sang songs that depicted love towards the Lord of Koneti(Venkateswara).

As always any comments and suggestions that help in better understanding this song are highly appreciated.

References:
[1] http://www.hithokthi.com/showthread.php/6725-Annamacharya-Keerthana-Lyrics-in-Telugu/page68
[2] http://www.annamayyakeerthanalu.in/2011/12/annamayya-janapadalu-suvvi-suvvi.html
[3] http://www.andhrabharati.com/dictionary/

5 comments:

  1. Hi, lovely blog on. annamacharya, whom I too want to translate and enjoy. I wonder if you could help me with this one , Avadhaaru Raghupati. At least what Avadhaaru means.
    It has become a question that's bugging everyone in our family.
    My name is Jayasri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jayasri,
      Thank you for your comment. I am glad that you like this blog.
      First of all, I thank you for bringing the song" avadharu raghupati" to my notice. I will translate it soon but usually takes me on an average, a month. Hope that you don't mind the delay. But I am translating the first line for you here to pacify your search for the meaning of "avadharu"
      "Avadharu" means "Listen!", SO the first line translates to "Listen! O Raghupati, please consider/pay attention to all.
      Just a quick recommendation that the dictionaries I usually post as references ( andhrabharati.com and the google dictionary by Paluri Shankarnarayana) are a good resource to find meanings, for your future quests, :).

      Best regards,

      Delete
  2. Thanks so much. I had guessed that it could be "listen" and I'm glad you proved me right! Thanks also for pointing me to the dictionaries! My Telugu isn't very good, though my mother is from Nellore. Since I know Kannada well, I can readTelugu slowly. I learnt to read so I could read the Ramayana translated into Telugu by my grandfather, Mamidipudi Ramakrishnaiah.
    I am going to link your blog to all my cousins who raised the avadharu question in the first place.
    I have have two blogs, vedicrockets@wordpress.com where I write about The Ramayana, and sweetkharacoffee@wordpress.com where I write about our family.
    Thanks a lot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jayasri,
      Good to hear from you and learn about your grand father and your blogs.
      I'll be glad if this blog can serve its purpose of helping curious minds find the translation of Annamayya's work.So please feel free to forward it to others.
      Best,

      Delete