I’ve recently been asked by one of my friends regarding which Telugu film song is a pioneer and spawned countless others based on its template. I didn’t have to think too hard to give the answer as this song and a second later, I realized how elegantly written its lyrics were (Movie buffs would argue saying ‘Eureka Saka Mika’ was an year earlier, but this debate is for another day). Also worth noting are the people behind this song, who I feel, really represent the 80s Tollywood, with SPB behind the microphone, while Ilayaraja and Veturi, who really viewed themselves as progressive artists, were striving to improve the quality of content along with ensuring box office collections.
Although, I wouldn’t strongly recommend watching the movie ‘Chalange’ (as spelled in English on the original poster), some of the dialogues have been taken verbatim from Yandamuri Veerendranath‘s novel ‘డబ్బు టుది పవరాఫ్ డబ్బు’ (on which the movie was based) and are really inspiring. This song makes a very cheeky entrance and find it not worth the time to comment on it. So, without further ado, let’s begin the deconstruction.
Chiru was one heck of a dancer!
ఇందువదన కుందరదన
మందగమన మధురవచన
Quick grammar recap : Veturi has loaded up on అవ్యయీభావ సమాసములు in the above line. I’ve added a cheatsheet at the bottom. To the ones finding it difficult to identify their occurrence, I will try to point as many as possible in my posts for practice’s sake.
ఇందువదన = Female (A literal translation means ‘Moon faced’, but that’s just a metaphor)
కుందరదన = Teeth like jasmine
మందగమన = One who moves gracefully (మందము + గమనము)
మధురవచన = One who speaks sweetly
గగన జఘన సొగసు లలనవే
Veturi’s prowess is evident in this line. Apart from the obvious alliteration, this line was exceptionally hard to decipher. Probably due to the fact that ‘లలన’ can be the result of a సంధి and I zeroed in on the translation only after listing down probable combinations and checking for if there were a word of that kind. It was quite frustrating and muttered to myself as to who taught Veturi to use this so [annoyingly] well – turns out it was this legend who taught him in college (యథా గురు తథా శిష్య)
గగన = sky (EDIT : SPB himself interprets it as void and IIRC, it is in one of the పాడాలని వుంది episodes. I am unable to find the link and would appreciate if anybody could send it)
జఘన = hips
లలన = a beautiful woman
‘You are a beautiful woman with a hips as wide as the sky (waist almost a void – size zero, indeed!)’
తొలివలపే తెలిపె చిలిపి సిగ్గేలనే
చెలి చిగురు తొడిగె వగల మెగ్గేలనే
I love you ఓ హారికా నీ ప్రేమకే జోహారిక
ఏల = ఎందుకు
‘Why did you mischievously convey the first moment of desire? Why delude me by wearing a fresh flower? I love you and I salute your love’
కవ్వించే కన్నులలో కాటేసే కలలెన్నో
పకపక నవ్వులలో
పండిన వెన్నెలవై నన్నందుకో
కసికసి చూపులతో
కొసకొస మెరుపులతో నన్నల్లుకో
ముకుళించే పెదవుల్లో మురిపాలు
ఋతువుల్లో మధువంతా సగపాలు
సాహోరే భామా హోయ్
కవ్వించు = to chase
పకపక నవ్వు = burst of laughter signified by the onomatopoeia పకపక.
Watch out for కొసకొస and కసికసి. They might seem like sounds but aren’t
కొస = sharp
కసి = anger
ముకుళించు = close (here pout)
మురిపము = grace
సాహో = Behold! A commonly used interjection
‘Your pursuant eyes make their way into so many dreams. Embrace the shine (using moonlight as a metaphor) of your heartfelt laughter and win me’.
‘With your sharp and intense stares, bring me closer to you’.
‘There is so much grace is in your pout. So much that the beauty of the seasons is only half of it. Behold! Here I come’.
మీసంలో మిసమిసలు మోసాలే చేస్తుంటే
బిగిసిన కౌగిలిలో సొగసరి మీగడలే దోచేసుకో
రుసరుస వయసుతో
ఎడదల దరువులతో ముద్దాడుకో
తొలిపొద్దు ఎండల్లో సరసాలు
పగపట్టే పరువంలో ప్రణయాలు
జోహారే ప్రేమ హోయ్
మిస = sparkle
రుసరుస = an onomatopoeia for brimming enthusiasm
ఎడద దరువు = heartbeat
ప్రణయము = affection
‘While your shiny moustache is doing its trickery, steal the cream among women with your tight embrace’.
‘In our energetic youth, kiss me with your heartbeats’.
‘Seduce me in the early hours of the day and fill our youthful days with moments of intense desire’.
‘A salute to love’.
Recovered in Translation 