kaRRu kaRavai cows that are with calves (milk cows), or young cows
pala kaNangaL many herds
kaRandhu milked
ceRRaar enemies'
thiRal strength
azhiya that wipes out, destroys
cenRu by going
ceru ceyyum doing battle
kuRRam fault
onRu illaadha without a single
kOvalar tham of the cowherds
pon kodiyE O you (who are like a) golden creeper!
puRRu nest, a mound that is a resting place for a snake
aravu snake (that is just coming out of the mound)
alkul waist
puna mayilE O you (who is like a) forest peacock!
pOdharaay Come out!
cuRRaththu relatives (near and dear)
thOzhimaar girlfriends
ellaarum all
vandhu are here
nin your
muRRam inner courtyard, living space of a house
pugundhu have entered
mugil vaNNan the One who is colored like a dark raincloud
pEr paada singing (his divine) names
siRRaadhE without stirring
pEsaadhE without speaking
celvap peNdaatti fortunate girl
nee you
eRRukku for what reason
uRangum poruL your goal of sleeping
nORRu performing (the paavai) vow
cuvarkkam heaven (Sanskrit: svarga)
puguginra entering
ammanaay! O dear girl!
maaRRamum Even a reply
thaaraarO? shouldn't give?
vaasal doors
thiRavaadhaar those who don't open
naaRRa fragrant
thuzhaay Tulasi
mudi (bearing on his) head
naaraayaNan Narayana
nammaal by us
pORRa praised
paRai tharum gives the drum
puNNiyanaal by He who is virtue itself
paNdu oru naaL One day, long ago
kooRRaththin into Death's
vaay mouth
veezhndha fell
kumbakarNanum Kumbhakarna
thORRum having been defeated
unakkE just to you
perun^ thuyil deep sleep
thaan indeed
thandhaanO? has he given it?
aaRRa utterly
anandhal udaiyaay! one who is overcome with sleep
arum kalamE! you who are the jewel among us!
thERRamaay having understood
vandhu come
thiRa open
thoo maNi wonderfully ornamented
maadaththu hall
cuRRum viLakku eriya with lamps burning all around
thoopam (thoomam) incense
kamazha wafting
thuyil aNai mEl on your sleeping bed
kaN vaLarum asleep (lit. your eyes asleep)
maamaan magaLE O daughter of our uncle!
maNi jewelled
kadhavam door's
thaaL latches
thiRavaay open!
maameer Dear Aunty!
avaLai ezhuppeerO please wake her up
un magaL thaan your daughter, indeed
oomaiyO? has she been struck dumb (speechless)?
anRi or,
cevidO? is she deaf?
anandhalO? is she exhausted (and therefore unable to get up)?
Ema curse
perun^ thuyil long sleep
mandira spell (Sanskrit: mantra)
pattaaLO? has she been placed under
maa great
maayan magician (Maayan is a Tamil word for Vishnu)
maadhavan a name of Vishnu meaning consort of Lakshmi
(maa = Lakshmi)
vaikundhan Lord of Vaikuntha, the supreme place
where the liberated live
enRu enRu saying
naamam palavum many names
navinRu we recite (to ward off her spell of sleep
and wake her up)
The sky brightens in the east
The buffaloes, let out for their short graze,
Have already spread out
Look here! The remaining girls who
want to go have not yet gone,
waiting here for you
We've come to call you, dear girl
delightful as you are
Wake up!
We will sing to get the drum
If we go and approach the
God of gods, who
Split the demon's big mouth
And vanquished those wrestlers
"Ah yes, yes!"
is what he will say
As he looks into our concerns
with great compassion and caring
and graces us!
keezh vaanam eastern sky
veL brightening
erumai buffaloes
siRu veedu let go for a short time
(buffaloes and cows are let go to graze
for a short time in the morning before
they are milked)
mEyvaan to graze
parandhana spread
kaaN look
mikkuLLa those who are remaining
piLLaigaLum girls
povaan those who want to go
pOginRaarai who are going
pOgaamal without going
kaaththu waiting
unnai you
koovuvaan to call
vandhu have come
ninROm we are standing
kOdhugalam happy
udaiya with
paavaay O girl!
ezhundhiraay get up!
paadi sing
paRai kondu to get the drum
maavaay big mouth
piLandhaanai he who split
mallarai wrestlers
maattiya vanquished
dhEvaadhi dhEva God of gods
chenRu having gone
naam we
sEviththaal if we serve, worship
aavaavenRu with great compassion, concern
("aa aa" enRu) (saying "Ah, ah!")
aaraayndhu having looked into
aruL grace
``keecu keecu'' enRu chirping sound (an onomatopoeia)
engum everywhere
aanaiccaaththan birds of a particular type, known
as "valiya" in Tamil or "bharadvAja"
in Sanskrit
kalandhu together
pEsina pEccu saying words, talking
aravam sound
kEttilaiyO didn't you hear?
pEy peNNE hey spellbound girl!
kaasum (garlands of) auspicious coins
piRappum cylindrical golden jewelry
(two kinds of wedding necklaces)
kalakalappa the jingling sound of ``kala kala''
(another onomatopoeia)
kai hands
pErththu moving
vaasa naRum very fragrant (lit. "fragrant fragrant")
kuzhal hair
aaycciyar cow girls (gopikas)
maththinaal using the churning rod
Osai paduththa making noise
thayir yogurt
aravam sound
kEttilaiyO don't you hear?
nayaka leader
peN piLLaay! O girl!
naaraayaNan Narayana's
moorththi descent (avatAra) (lit. form)
kEsavanai about Kesava (one of the principal names of Narayana
/ Lord Vishnu)
paadavum singing
nee you
kEttE even while listening
kidaththiyO are you lying down?
dhEsam splendor (Sanskrit: tejas)
udaiyaay you who are with
thiRa open (the door)
puLLum the birds too
silambina are calling
kaaN look!
puL araiyan the king of the birds (Garuda, Lord Vishnu's vehicle)
kOyilil in (Garuda's) palace
veLLai white
viLi calling
sangin conch's
pEr aravam great noise
kEttilaiyO didn't you hear?
piLLaay O girl!
ezhundhiraay get up!
pEy demon
(Putana, the female rAkshasi sent by Kamsa to kill
the baby Krishna by having him drink from her poisoned
breasts)
mulai breast
nancu poison
undu ate
kaLLa evil
cakatam SakaTAsura (lit. wheel), an asura who came in the
form of a cart to kill Krishna
kalakku azhiya destroy
kaal feet
Occi kicked
veLLaththu in the waters (the milk ocean)
aravil on the snake
thuyil asleep
amarndha resting, seated
viththinai the cause, seed (of the universe)
uLLaththu in the heart
kondu keeping
munivargaLum sages, those who think about the Lord all the time
(Sanskrit: muni)
yOgigaLum ascetics, those adept in meditation (Sanskrit: yOgi)
meLLa gently
ezhundhu getting up
ari Hari, a name of Lord Vishnu
enRa saying
pEr aravam great noise
uLLam our hearts
pugundhu entering
kuLirndhu cool
