From Editorial Team
Dear Readers,
We are presenting the translations of film songs by Sri Sri from select films. Dr. Syamala Kallury has done a commendable job of presenting the other half of Sri Sri as a cine lyricist.
Wishing you a happy reading…
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Best regards
Editorial Team
Aavakaaya.in
Films Songs of Sri Sri From Select Films
FiIm: Iddaru Mitrulu, Two Friends
Why don’t you sing Radhika[1], a charming love song
This night of the spring, this moonlit night
As life acquires its happy abandonment, tuning your veena
(Why don’t you sing Radhika- repeat first line)
Loving you, remembering your song Gopala[2]
Listens to you hiding in some corner some corner
Knowing this, (why don’t you sing Radhika, Repeat first line)
The one who loves his flute[3], listens to the melody of your veena!
As he comes to you in love, in this auspicious moment (why don’t you sing, Radhika)
2. Not Dream: Life is Valuable
Film: Velugu Needalu, Light and Darkness
Dream it is not, Life is valuable (Repeat the line)
Do not give it away to streams of tears!
If wind befalls a creeper full of flowers to the ground
Would you leave it, pitilessly?
Wouldn’t you pick it, water it, help it to grow (Dream it is not…Repeat the first two lines)
Why do you want to surround yourself in darkness?
Why do you surrender yourself to trials to moan and cry?
Take the lamp of courage and move on! (Dream it is not… Repeat the first two lines)
As ocean hides precious pearls, sorrows hide comforts within
Nothing comes to you on its own!
Search and achieve, that is the way of the survivor! (Dream it is not… repeat the first two lines)
3. Telugu Warrior! Arise!
Film: Alluri Seetharamaraju[4]
Telugu Warrior! Arise!
Go on with determination
For the freedom of motherland, rise in revolt!
Do not be perturbed by the terrible killings in your way!
From today the laws unethical are to be banned
Don’t get scared, don’t get panicked! Sky is your limit!
Who is he, from whence has he come
The white man who has come this side?
The dacoit who loots our man and muscle power
The thief who steals our character and our lives?
Teach him a lesson fitting, chase and drive him out
Telugu Warrior! Arise! Telugu Warrior wake up!
Trumpet that this nation this kingdom is mine
Each of stamp your feet in unison, break the chains
Sharpen your knives, start your final war
Roar like lions! Go start your killings!
Vande Mataram! Salutations to you Mother!
Warrior of our freedom struggle! The Sun of our independence!
Alluri Seetharamaraja!
Here, accept our worship, Raja![5]
You who slept in the hearts of the white men
You who has rekindled the sleeping fire, of anger
Ready to sacrifice, ready to face troubles
We will follow you surely, fearlessly!
4. Mangalyabalam,
The Power of Marriage Thread
In the pathways of the sky there the beautiful moon
Meets the graceful star and swings with her, plays with her
The silver cloud forms as a curtain to give provide privacy
He hides again and again playing hides and seek
The beautiful moon plays hide and seek
A downpour, a whirlwind frightens and scares
Forever and ever you and I are one the same, so promising
The beautiful moon confesses his affection
5. Todikodallu, Co-sisters-in-law
The four people together forgetting the differences
Should start collective farming!
If four together start collective farming
We will get the yield more!
It is advantage to the farmer better!
It is so rare for one family to cultivate
Hundred acres of land, it is burden, unbearable!
But ten families can cultivate thousand acres easily
Kings, zamindars, one cannot find
In a land ruled by people!
One cannot exploit the other and eat well! (If four together)
This is the rule One person cannot monopolise
One person cannot become too lazy to work!
The Earth, the sky, the air, the light
Are properties for few can never be
Wealth they are, common to all!
Each man should give his full strength
And increase the grain, heaps and heaps
Each man should get whatever he needs
With no scarcity of food and clothing!
6. Punarjanma, Rebirth
Who art thou, who are you?
O, figurine full of life!
The raga[6] of my life’s music!
Who are you, who are you?
Who and who art thou?
Are you the queen that dances
In my thought, in my sadhana[7]
Who and who are you?
Are you the honeyed moonshine
That has descended
Leaving the heaven, to this earth
Are you the rain of flowers
That has come as a downpour
When my poetic inspiration
Surged forth as dreams and waves?
Who and who are you?
In the new spring, in the garden called nandanavanam[8]
Are you the song that the koel sang?Who and who are you?
Are you the light emanating from the lotus
That blossomed in the pond of love
Is that the sound of your bracelet
Or the tune emanating from the veena of Vani[9]?
Is that that the sound of your anklet
Or drum’s beat from the waves of the ocean?
Come the figure beautiful!
Come light new and bright!
A Non Film song by Sri Sri
1. O Mahatma! O Maharshi!
O Mahatma! O Maharshi!
Which is darkness? Which is light?
Which is life? Which is death?
Which is virtue? Which is sin?
Which is hell? Which is heaven?
O Mahatma! O Maharshi!
Which is truth? Which is untruth?
Which is transience? Which is permanent?
Which is one? Which is many?
Which is cause? Which is consequence?
O Mahatma? O Maharshi?
Which is white and which is black?
Which is mine? Which yours?
Which is moral? Which is immoral?
O Mahatma! O Maharshi?
Which is non violence? Which is violence?
Which is comfort? Which is discomfort?
Which is gain? Which is loss?
Which is good? Which is evil?
O Mahatma? O Maharshi?
Which is dream? Which is real?
Which is bitter? And which is sweet?
Peace! Only one peace!
Shanti! Only one Shanti!
O Mahatma! O Maharshi!
[1] Radhika Lord Krishna’s beloved
[2] Krishna the cowherd
[3] Venugaana lola, Krishna who revels in his flute
[4] Alluri Seetharamaraju: a freedom fighter who lead the tribes of the Manyam forests against the British and struck terror in the hearts of the British with his guerilla warfare
[5] Also king his second name, Raju/a is a caste name which denotes warrior caste at one time.
[6] Tune in carnatic music is called raga
[7] Deep meditation
[8] Garden of Indra located in heaven, like the garden of Eden
[9] Goddess of learning otherwise knowna s Saraswathi
Some of comments posted on this article at the time of publication:
I can also say that the translator has given a honest attempt to present the overall meaning of the poems rather than trying to translate word by word.
These are two my cents & does not put an end to carry out further discussion 
treasure of water though accurate would have killed the rhythmic grandeur suggested in the original. One would not like to associate words like lust and desire to Krishna. When they are used with krishna’s love for flute it does get a positive nuance. Love maybe mild as you say desire not as in kama but in strong passion can go very well in this context. Does this satisfy you?
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జలనిధి means ‘ocean’ only.
Or can that be translated as “water treasure” or “treasure of water”?? Am not sure.
If I try to decipher the intention of Sri Sri in using ’అగాధమౌ జలనిధి”, I understand that the adjective అగాధ is referring to ఆణిముత్యం as pearls cannot be found in the superficial waters of an ocean but have to be fetched by diving deep into the ocean.
If we exclude జలనిధి and derive అగాధమౌ ఆణిముత్యం, I think we are at the bottom of Sri Sri’s mind !!
A desirous person goes all out to get what he/she wants whereas a lover would not pursue his/her desire beyond an imaginary boundary.
Similar to this Krishna is very much desirous about playing his flute to enthrall both animate and inanimate entities. He certainly enjoys this all pervading power of his playfulness. I feel that such intensity is lost when we refer to Krishna’s desirous nature of flue playing to a ‘lovable act’.
Note: Being desirous should be treated as a negative or flip side of a person when the desire is intended to entice people by brightening up their lives.
I completely agree with you that translating Sri Sri in to English is incomplete in terms of matching with his rhythmic use of Telugu verbose.
Translations from one language to another are capable of transferring the meaning of the poem alone than carrying the poem in its entirety. If the translator can catch up with the central theme of the poem and the agenda set by the poet, that translation can be treated as the best one.
ఇంక నిక్వణం, నినాదం నిస్వనం అన్న పదాలు నిన్న నేను చెప్పినట్టు ఒక ఒరవడిలో కవి లయబద్దంగా వాడిన పదాలకి అర్థంలో అంతగా వైవిధ్యంలేనప్పు డు వేరే భాషలోకి అనువదించే సందర్భంలో సరైన పదాలు అదేవైవిధ్యంతో వాడగలగడం దాదాపు అసంభవం అనే చెప్పవచ్చును. కవిహృదయస్పందనకన ుగుణంగా మూలభావాన్ని చేతనయినంత దగ్గరగా వేరేభాషలో పెట్టగలగటం అనువాదంయొక్క ముఖ్యవుద్దేశ్యం అయినట్టయితే కొంతవరకు విజయాన్ని సాధించవచ్చునని అనిపిస్తుంది. ఈ మూడు పదాలు సంగీతనాదానికి కరకంకంణంఅన్నాడు కాబట్టి నిక్వణమన్నాడు. వీణానాదం నినాదం అయింది. నినాదమంటే నాయిస్ అనుకుంటే సంగీతపరంగా ఆపదం సరిపోదు. అన్నీ సంగీతనాదాలే ఒకచిన్న అర్థభేధంతో ఈ బేధం లయకోసం ఆవిర్భవించిందే. ఏ పదం వాడటానికైనా అదేఎందుకు వాడము వేరేదెందుకు వాడలేదు అని ప్రశ్న వేసుకోవడం అసహజం కాదు. ఆ సందర్భంలో అదే తట్టిందనేది మొదటి సమాధానమవుతుంది. అది సరి అయినది కాదు కానీ నాదగ్గర ఇంకొక సమాధానమేదీ లేదు.
అగాధమౌ జలనిధి అనేపదానికి మీరు చేసిన సూచన కరక్టే. జలనిధి అంటే సముద్రమనుకుంటే అది అగాధమనే అర్థం సముద్రమన్న పదంలో ఇమిడివుంది. ఆయన జలనిధి అన్నాడు సముద్రమనలేదు. నెను అనువాదంలో ఓషన్ అన్నాను. ఆయన అగాధమనడం ఎంతరైటో నేను దాన్ని ఒమిట్ చేయటం కూడా కరక్టే నేమో! అయితే ఇదీ మళ్ళీ సర్దిచెప్పుకోవడ ం, సమర్థించుకోవడం అవుతుందేతప్ప ఆ సమయంలో ఆ ఆలోచన రాలేదన్న నిజాన్ని కప్పిపుచ్చలేదు. Partha garu I know I have not answered all your questions maybe. But this is the best I can do. I am enjoying this discussion immensely. There is a facelessness and a namelessness in this conversation. As my credentials are given by the editors maybe you are at greater advantage. I hope I have communicated myself without causing any offense.
Few observations are as under:
Song 1 – I feel that the translation for వేణుగానలోలుని as “The one who loves his flute” is not as apt as the Telugu word. లోల means one who is desirous and not ‘loving’. There is a Himalayan difference between these two expressions.
Song 2 – While translating అగాధమౌ జలనిధిలోన adjective is missing (అగాధ – unfathomable). And, survivor seems to be not befitting with ధీర (brave or steadfast).
Song 3, 4, 5 – Simply superb.
Song 6 – I think there are subtle differences between నిక్వణ, నినాద & నిస్వన.
As per my knowledge, నిక్వణ = sound; నినాద = humming; నిస్వన = noise.
Why I feel so is the way in which Sri Sri arranged them in line with other similes that he associated with them.
The sound of bracelet is equal to the humming of Veena.
The noise of anklets is equal to the roaring waves of an ocean.
We all know that sound is distinctive from noise and generally ocean is associated with noise than sound!
Please do not mind my above mavericks seriously. They are my random observations only.
Thanks Partha garu for giving these inputs
Thanks Raghu garu for your comment, translations if well done can give life to a bhasha writer like Ramanujam has given new life to Anantha Murthy and his Samskara. One needs all the comments that one can think of to do a better job.