“Naa Anuragam” is the name of the Title Photo for this post as well as the name of my first full and finished song that I uploaded to my YouTube channel, “HitaRocks! by Samhi C.” today.
Music has never been easier.
Even when speaking became difficult, this song allowed me to communicate.
But I’m not done. One thing I learned from studying T. S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” is that art is never complete without commentary and conversation.
To begin, let’s start with translating from Telugu to English:
1. the “a” ending for (most) nouns can indicate asking if something is that noun or to call out to something. Thus, while in the first stanza, the words translate to questions, in the rest of the poem, instances of nouns which end in “a” indicate calling out to the subject by using these nouns.
2. “rekha” in general just means line. Usually, “rekha” refers to “cheti rekha” or “palm line”. However, I chose to remove the word “cheti” and just use “rekha” because essentially the word “line” in English can refer to a line of a written text which flows into the next two lines of the song that have to do with a written letter.
3. “Lekha” which translates to “letter” refers to a “Dear whoever-whoever” kind of letter not an “ABC” kind of letter.
Now, what does this song mean? I mean, what does it mean? According to a few people who’ve given me their feedback, it doesn’t make grammatical sense. Or much sense in general. In Telugu. And in English. They’re not wrong.
It’s not meant to.
Utilizing grammatically incorrect or incomplete lines and stanzas allows something that full sentences can’t as well: being open to interpretation!
Work with me here… Let’s take for example, the two lines “Swargama | Suryodayam”. One person I talked to told me it must be a comparison of sorts, that I was referring to my subject first as “heaven” then as a “sunrise”. They could be right. Here’s another interpretation, one that relies less on grammar and more on the words themselves and their connotations: A sunrise is essentially the start of a new day. I could very well be saying it’s a “sunrise” for “heaven”, a beginning for “heaven”, a start for “heaven”. Which then blends nicely with “Swagatam | Sangeetama” in which I’m saying “welcome” to “music”.
There’s room for interpretation which makes it a lot more fun. Words are like paint for me. Yes, I can paint still lifes and landscapes but sometimes I love abstract art. Where there a thousand meanings not confined to the space of a few lines.
Who cares if it doesn’t make grammatical sense — it doesn’t need to in order to convey the emotions that lay between the lines. The issue doesn’t arise if it doesn’t make grammatical sense but when you don’t read between the lines.
But even with all these various and beautiful interpretations (and trust me, there are more than I’ve provided), in the end, there’s one overarching concept that ties it altogether and it’s not that difficult: it’s a love song, babes!
It’s a love song inspired by and dedicated to my best friend, my partner in life and love (and procrastinating on homework), the person that’s conquered my heart, given me hope that I can be wise, spontaneous, and happy at the same time.
2 thoughts on “Naa Anuragam”