A Poet Extraordinaire

Some people eat to live. Whatever comes their way, they would eat, mindful of the calories and ensuring their nutritional values. Others live to eat. They do not mind toiling in the blazing sun or braving the heavy traffic to savour his prized street food, flaunting it in his social media page and insisting that his choice of food is to die for.

While some would hum to a tune, listen to it for a while, then forget about it altogether. Then it would be another song and another obsession. Some of us would dissect and analyse its lyrics, musical composition, ragaa, and taala just for the kick of it.

Pandi Durai is one such character. Malaysians first knew him as a Tamil newscaster on Malaysian TV. He was later heard on RTM Channel 6 radio at noon on Sundays, discussing Tamil culture and language through Tamil cinema songs. It came to be quite a hit among Tamil language connoisseurs. He later organised annual conferences to appreciate the compositions of Poet Kannadasan in Tamil cinema. Kannadasan can easily be crowned as the most creative and erudite composer of Tamil. His knowledge of Tamil grammar, vocabulary, and poetry is beyond compare. His ability to pen beautiful, poetic lyrics filled with wordplay and smart innuendoes is undoubtedly genius. 

Juggling between his job as an advocate in the Malaysian Courts, his passion for the Tamil Language and his keen interest in Tamil cinema songs of the yesteryears, he started this function to appreciate the lyrical genius of Poet Kannadasan's songs. These events have been held annually for some time now. I recently attended one such event in a packed auditorium in Kuala Lumpur. Equipped with an excellent sound system, a live band, and three excellent singers and musicians, the function lasted close to five hours on a Sunday afternoon, bringing joy and contentment to people who appreciated the Tamil language and culture, as well as the hidden messages behind Kannadasan's evergreen compositions.

Amidst the song renditions, Paandi Durai interjected with his understanding of what Kanndasan was trying to say in his songs. He went on to unveil some of the cryptic messages Kanadasan may have intended to convey. There were also some innocent-sounding songs that, if decoded, may be X-rated and not suitable for a general audience. Yet, kids of the 60s and 70s were happily singing them away without an iota of clue of their lewd messages that a sex-craved lover would signal to his equally receptive partner.  

Like that, Paandi went on analysing a couple of songs under the categories of love, social message, philosophy and devotion. All in all, it was an evening that left its audience in a state of literary inebriation. They returned to the real world with the comfort that their ancient language has stood another generation of assault from other lingua francas of the world. 

One particular song that intrigued me that evening, that I have been listening to throughout my life without knowing its deeper meanings, was 'Paarthen Sirithen' (பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன்) from the 1965 movie 'Veera Abhimanyu' (வீர அபிமன்யு). The film revolves around the title character, Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son, the teenage warrior extraordinaire of the Kurushtera. When the director summoned Kannadasan to pen a sweet love song for Abhimanyu and his on-screen love interest. Kanadasan decided to be cheeky and composed a love song with the word 'then' mentioned 65 times. 'Then' in Tamil means honey. In it, he used 'then' as honey, the essence in the lover's beauty, the joy of their love, the passion of their union and the ecstasy of their passion. Many things are left to the listeners, but imagination sometimes has no limits. 'Then' is also used as an adverb. Through the programme, I also discovered that the word 'malai' can mean 'stunned' as well as 'mountain'. The poet cleverly uses this wordplay in a verse; the honey from the mountain, she is stunned. 

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கத்தில் அழைத்தேன்

அன்று உனைத் தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இதுவென மலைத்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கத்தில் அழைத்தேன்

உனைத் தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இதுவென மலைத்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கம் வர துடித்தேன்

அன்று உனைத் தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இவரென மலைத்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கம் வர துடித்தேன்

உனைத் தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இவரென மலைத்தேன்

கொடித் தேன் இனியங்கள் குடித்தேன் என

ஒரு படித் தேன் பார்வையில் குடித்தேன்

கொடித் தேன் இனியங்கள் குடித்தேன் என

ஒரு படித் தேன் பார்வையில் குடித்தேன்

துளித் தேன் சிந்தாமல் களித்தேன்

ஒரு துளித் தேன் சிந்தாமல் களித்தேன்

கைகளில் அணைத்தேன் அழகினை இரசித்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கம் வர துடித்தேன்

உனை தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலை தேன் இவரென மலைத்தேன்

மலர்த் தேன் போல் நானும் மலர்ந்தேன்

உனக்கென வளர்ந்தேன் பருவத்தில் மணந்தேன்

மலர்த் தேன் போல் நானும் மலர்ந்தேன்

உனக்கென வளர்ந்தேன் பருவத்தில் மணந்தேன்

எடுத்தேன் கொடுத்தேன் சுவைத்தேன்

எடுத்தேன் கொடுத்தேன் சுவைத்தேன்

இனித் தேன் இல்லாதபடி கதை முடித்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கத்தில் அழைத்தேன்

உனைத் தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இதுவென மலைத்தேன்

நிலவுக்கு நிலவு சுகம் பெற நினைந்தேன்

உலகத்தை நான் இங்கு மறந்தேன்

நிலவுக்கு நிலவு சுகம் பெற நினைந்தேன்

உலகத்தை நான் இங்கு மறந்தேன்

உலகத்தை மறந்தேன் உறக்கத்தை மறந்தேன்

உன்னுடன் நான் ஒன்று கலந்தேன்

பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன் பக்கம் வர துடித்தேன்

உனை தேன் என நான் நினைத்தேன்

அந்த மலைத் தேன் இவரென மலைத்தேன்

It was a time when personal intentions could not be expressed explicitly. Private desires were often spoken in double-speak, hoping that the intended recipient would get the hint. Kannadasan's song lyrics have always been hailed as poetic, revolutionary and of high literary value. His wordplay in Tamil and additions of scriptural teachings are beyond the imagination of an average man.

Many of Kannadasan's songs and poems end with rhythmic cadences. It is said that when a director repeatedly harassed him to write a song by May, he did so. He cooked up a song ending with 'mei' at every verse (அன்பு நடமாடும் கலைக் கூடமே - Anbu Nadamadum kalaikudame in Avanthaan Manithan, 1975 movie).

Kannadasan can also be cheeky at times. Once, his musical director, MS Viswanathan, did not turn up on time for a composition session. MSV had overslept after a late session. Annoyed, Kannadasan wrote something to mean 'why does he care, he is sleeping. I am the person who will be caught!' Somehow, it was appropriate for the scene they were composing. It became a hit without anybody realising the hidden message. (அவனுக்கென்ன தூங்கிவிட்டான் - Avanukku Enna, Thungivittaan in Periya Idathu Penn, 1963)

The most bizarre story about Kannadasan's ingenuity is supposed to be seen in 1961 Paava Manipu. A Muslim family adopted a Hindu boy. He grew up as a devout Muslim man and is active in religious and charity work. He was seen taking part in an Islamic procession singing praises of Allah. This song, composed by Kannadasan, has every verse ending with 'Om'. This was the poet's subtle way of showing that this Muslim man has Hindu roots. Nobody knew till many years later. Imagine an Islamic song with ‘Om’ at every verse. Integration or what?

The event witnessed a tear-evoking moment when the audience was informed that Kanadasan’s son, Annadorai, was in attendance. He was later honoured in the typical Tamilian way, with a silk shawl and a garland. 

A Sunday afternoon well spent. 

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A little self indulgence, maybe?

The Etymologicon: 

A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
Author: Mark Forsyth (2011)


This book will excite you if you were one of those, me included, who gets excited knowing things that add minimal value to your mundane day-to-day life. It gives you a false satiety that you are a bigger being for realising some worthless fact. In no imaginable way is it going to improve your life. Perhaps, a transient warm fuzzy feeling when you sigh and say, "Ha. I see, that's what!"

Well, reading is not about passing examinations. Sometimes, it helps you pass that awkward moment in a boring or break the ice with a total stranger when mysteriously transplanted in the company of a haughty visitor that your wife conveniently pushed to you to entertain. These are moments when you find worthless information, a boon that could morph that awkward silence into lighter moments. The danger in this strategy is that your wife's unsavoury friends could change camp to be yours!

You need to know that Hawaii was almost called Sandwich Island. Its natives called it such long before Captain Cook 'discovered' it and showcased it to the rest of the world. Cook wanted to name Hawaii Sandwich Island to honour the Earl of Sandwich. Luckily, Cook died before it could be official. He was killed by the natives. Well, that is what you get when the Native's kindness is reciprocated with diseases and the instigation of fights.

Now, why is Sandwich named Sandwich? Well, this Earl of Sandwich was once a compulsive gambler. In one instance, we went on a gambling spree for two days. The concerned servants packed his meat, vegetables, and such between two pieces of bread and served them to him to cut unnecessary time for dining and serving. For the record, sliced bread did not come till 1928. People found the idea refreshing, and thus came about 'the sandwich'.

This information may be helpful when you start a conversation at a party where you do not like the attendees and want to make them feel stupid. It may also be a valuable tool to extricate yourself from their friends list.

If you are stuck with a young person, someone young at heart or is into anime, cosplay, manga or even Godzilla Minus One, you could start talking to them about the genesis of Godzilla's name. Godzilla was actually born Gojira in the Japanese imagination in 1954, after being pounded with tonnes of American nukes during WW2. When Gojira grew big and went places, especially to Hollywood, he was christened 'Godzilla' to roll smoothly on an Anglophile's tongue. Pretty soon, Godzilla filled the masses' psyche to mean something gargantuan. Godzilla burger was not made from a mutated Japanese life form but denoted a massive burger. Mozilla Firefox intended to be the most prominent web browser after Netscape at its inception.

This book could be a go-to while waiting for an appointment or boarding a flight rather than just watching each other in the lobby. You may risk being taken for a stalker and told, "I don't feel comfortable you looking at me!" You question the commonly held notion that God is perfect in all His creations. You were wondering what He was thinking when He made her. What was He smoking?

P.S. Thanks, Cousin Joe, for this book. Never a dull moment!

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Beyond strengthening ties?

Under the guise of surveillance, imperial powers went to all four corners of the world. Their true intentions, as was eventually discovered by the locals, were reconnaissance work to ascertain terrains and landscapes for economic potentials and geopolitical purposes, not for the development of mankind. Neither was it to garner scientific facts to explore our civilisation. It was business. The icing on the cake was exploring how natives could eventually be 'civilised' via Western education and the introduction of The Book.

From the 18th century onwards, the Western world was excited, discovering new exotic lands with wealth beyond belief. Pretty soon, no combative teams started scouting new lands in Africa, India, China and various other parts of Asia. Under the guise of doing land surveying, whites were seen around Afghanistan, Siberia, the Middle East and the Far East. When geopolitical turmoils embroiled in these regions, the armies of the imperial forces suddenly found their knowledge of the area useful to usurp lands. Their understanding of the region's economic potential was also instrumental in concentrating their meddling efforts. Think Lawrence of Arabia, the Britishers' strange relationship with the Saud family and finds of petroleum. Think of Alexender Burnes and the subsequent Kabul Expedition.

Hence, there grew a faction of Caucasians who knew more about the Orientals, the Indians or the Aztecs than the natives themselves. They essentially taught the natives who they were and what their ancestors thought and lived. They rewrote their histories to suit the day's narrative, with the imperialists appearing as saviours.

Students at Beijing Foreign Studies University
©tamilculture.com

So naturally, when Tamil-speaking Chinese appeared on the vernacular radio, specifically on the RTM Minnal network, to be interviewed, many Tamil-speaking Malaysian Indians were on cloud nine, proud of their mother tongue, happy seeing it going places. I remained sceptical.

In July 2023, Kuala Lumpur hosted the 11th International Tamil Conference. Tamil scholars from all over the world gathered to sing praises of one of the oldest surviving languages in the world. Delegates immerse themselves in the language's beauty, richness, glitter and exquisiteness. The Tamil language does not stand alone as a mode of communication. Tamil history, ethics, devotion, literature, and recipes for a meaningful life are intertwined with the language.

For many years, TikTok and YouTube have showcased many snippets of Chinese people conversing proficiently in accented Tamil. They show many of their colleagues indulging in Tamil foods, mouthing traditional Tamil poems and recitals, all dressed in traditional Indian costumes. Beijing University even provides space for learning Tamil and other Indian languages at the undergraduate level.  

Is it for the love of the culture, or are they pursuing a tongue-rolling challenge when the Chinese students signed up for these courses? Is there another sinister master plan by the powers that be?

With the regular redrawing of its borders and standing tall, not answerable to international courts, their intentions may be anything but altruistic. History has proven that even gifts-bearing well wishes who turn up at one's land have no noble intentions. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zambia can bear witness to all the business wranglings and hand sleigh movements that got them into a mess.

Take the example of the Spratly Islands in the middle of the South China Sea. Even though for years, that spread of uninhabitable islands was disputed amongst Vietnam, the Philipines, and Malaysia, one starry night, China decided that they wanted to occupy it. And that is how it has been since. China just kept building mammoth structures in the no man's land at its disputed border with India till one day, it was found to have brought its warriors there.

There is no smoke without fire if lessons from past events were anything to go by. The keenness to acquire knowledge in other people's languages and cultures may belie underlying private intentions. It may not be just a foreign diplomacy. Everybody likes to think they have a genuine interest in learning each others' culture and language so that all can hold hands and sing Kumbayah. Maybe that is the truth. On the one hand, we demand that others respect our language, culture, and way of life. In the same breath, we become suspicious when they do. 

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Now you know!

Heard that the word 'hunky' does not only refer to a buff guy with muscles. It could be a derogatory word for a white guy, specifically one from the East European block. 

At the turn of the 19th century US, many Slavic and Hungarian economic and religious refugees from the ailing Austro-Hungarian Empire turned up at Pennsylvania and West Virginia coal mines. As per the norm, many immigrants were hardworking people who were there to earn and go back and lead a better life. A group of young blokes expressed their newly found freedom in the saloons and sin dens. Over time, their alcohol-filled emotions would spiral into street fights and general public nuisance. Many were Hungarians and Pollacks (Polish), collectively called Hunyaks or Honyaks. 

Maybe because these manual labourers were defined with well-endowed physiques and using slur terms against any group became politically incorrect, the word hunky is now exclusively for a buffed person. 

Curiously, the words' hongkies' and 'honkytonk' are not precisely accepted kindly. People originating from Hong Kong rather be referred to as Hongkongers. 'Hongkie' is officially a slur word. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones penned 'Honkytonk Women' after his trip to Portugal. He watched some cowboys at work and imagined probably sexual escapades in hongky-tonk bars. Incidentally, the music played in honky-tonk bars is called hillbilly music, referring to the loud music and bawdy comedy that accompanies it. It is a low-brow establishment with drunken patrons having a jolly good time. Jagger's lyrics do not precisely elevate its status. The music is catchy, nevertheless. 

Incidentally, in urban lingo, hongky-tonk refers to the gluteal region of a female, particularly a cute one. Now you know.

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Between creativity and mechanics?

Kattradhu Thamizh (கற்றது தமிழ், Learnt Tamil; 2007)

To remind ourselves, a line from Dead Poets Society...

John Keating (played by Robin Williams): We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, 'O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?' Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

The society tells you, especially if you are from the developing world, it needs to progress. Material improvement and physical development are viewed as a sure sign of prosperity. Science and technology are paths towards this end. Languages, literature, philosophy and art are frowned upon as a waste of time. It is characterised as the domain of the bourgeoisie; not in line with the advancement but instead of decadence.

In our small discussion group, we often discuss the current trend amongst the millennials who find the traditional science subject like medicine, engineering and core sciences unappealing but instead venture into finance,  banking and management. With all due respect to these fields above, the world actually needs scientists who, in previous generations, propelled the world into the next stage of refrigeration, telecommunication, aviation, construction and breakthroughs in medicine and farming. It does not need managers who excel in re-packaging previously unsold products with re-branding or creative companies which monetise everything. The comfort that we have been having since the Industrial Revolution was sparked by science.

So, is learning languages and the arts still relevant at this age and time? 

To take a cue from Amma, she would say, "Nice to listen to a song and appreciate the arts, but it does not put food on the table." That mentality probably echoed amongst most middle class Malaysian Indian families. The Tamil language was listened to but not spoken by their children. It was reserved only to talk to lowly coolies who cut your grass or cleaned your drains. This language used to be associated with crime, juvenile delinquency and decline. Hence, to emphasis on English and the fixation to converse with it. The richness, the past glory and the plethora of pearls of wisdom imbibed in the Tamil language are lost in the annals of time. This is inevitable. Economic dominance is king.

This film was listed as a must-watch Tamil movie in a post in Quora. One can probably lead a full life even without viewing this one, but nevertheless, the cinematography and the thought-provocation is worth the while. 

Prabakar, a smart student with a Masters in Tamil studies, finds life in Chennai very tough. It was the 21st century and India was drawn into the internet boom. Americanism and computers were the drawing forces. Tamil is ridiculed. He finds out in a hard way that with Tamil, one can only earn a living by writing cheesy poems and penning flirty love letters for fornicators. This, together with his traumatic childhood, the jilting of the love of his life and the frequent brush with the authorities, turns him into a psychopathic killer. 

Mediocre students doing computer studies and able to converse in English, he observed, fit nicely into the job market. Multinational companies pounce upon them for their telecommunication knowledge (read: call centres) and software engineering. Tamil language graduates were sneered and thought to have not reached the mark to qualify for anything 'worthwhile'. 

But then, lest we forget that the initial earth-shattering success of Apple and I-phone was not merely to their technological innovation but in their ability to combine both creativity, marketing as well as software development. In other words, the sciences and the arts combined. 

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Oh deary, silly me!

(...Cont. from Oh deer, my dear!)


I swear I had seen that surname somewhere. But the name Indie? Surely it must be a shortened version of the name Indiana. Indiana for a British? Strange. Anyway, I never understood why someone who name a child after a state. Saying that, Malaysia was the most popular newborn girl’s name in the USA last year among the black community. The only association between England and Indiana that I remember was the riddle when I heard as a young adult about where Prince Charles spent his honeymoon! Go figure.

In the modern age, when in doubt, what does a sane person usually do? Google of course. Within a fraction of a second upon typing the surname, the whole anthroponymy of the said name appeared in full glory. Now, it made sense. I could not have guessed.

When she offered vegetarian food for the dinner as she thought we did not consume beef as she thought venison and beef were from same cattle of fish (pardon the pun), I was wondering why she said ‘deer meat’? My usually dull grey cells went into hyperdrive. I thought that perhaps she was one of those true blue Anglophile, who was trying to restore old glory in the English language. She was attempting to restore the language to its glory days before it was corrupted by foreign words from the self-appointed bourgeois societies like the French or the contaminations of the returning members of the British Raj office who boast of the world knowledge through logorrhoea and perceived gibberish.

“Jungle, bungalow, khaki, juggernaut, loot, shampoo. We have our own words,” they said just like any hardliner would say. “And we need no ham, mutton and no venison.” We need to keep our language clean just like our bloodlines!

Well, well, well, I did not know. My little research revealed that the ‘deer meat’ lady is indeed a descendant of whom the British Raj tried to abandon in 1947. Her surname was a dead give away, originating from the cattle rearers clan of the Punjab Valley. Her pale complexion and her pseudo-accent fooled me. For all you know ‘Indie’ could have been an abbreviation if ‘Indira’. Gone were the head bobbing and the singsong intonation of speech. “My, my, Oh righty!” she said in a typically British manner.

The same way Farrokh Bulsara became Freddy Mercury to be blended well into the society to become a British icon.

I was telling myself, “Here are we, two descendants of the Indian subcontinent, one displaced away to another colony and another deciding to snuggle up to the masters trying to outdo each other thinking that is more British and know more English than the other!” Interesting coolie mentality.

Oh deer, my dear!

........as I was passing...

Like the Sword of Damocles, it hung over his head. There was a constant nagging heaviness over his temples. He knew it was bad, really bad. He had certain arbitrary lines but this one had crossed it all, imaginary or otherwise. But still, life had to go on. And the show too.

He knew it was a bad idea. With all these problems plaguing him, he thought it was inappropriate for him to partake in this event. But then, it was also a lifetime achievement. A success hailed upon by his kinsmen as the epitome of his checkered life. Akin to a water lily, growing wild amongst the filth of marsh, stench and reptiles honoured to glorify the lotus feet of Buddha, an achievement enviable to some but yearned by all, privileged to a few!

Anyway, the problem is not an overnight one. Like a crystal, the lattice had developed over the years slowly but surely to its full wrathful glory. How could he have been so dumb? Or was it beyond his control and was decided by the constellations and the genetic predisposition?

In other people's faces, he saw joy and happiness. Photograph flashes kept blinding periodically, a reminder for achievers to immortalise and digitise the moment. Unfortunately, for Gus, it was only melancholia. With philosophical rationalisation, he decides to forgo everything.

"Professional studio photography, sir?" somebody suggested, pointing enticingly at the display of families of graduates flashing their enamel possessions as if they were advertising for a tooth care product.

"No, thanks," said Gus as he hurried through the main hall. "What is the meaning of all these?" he thought to himself, "is there is no peace of mind?" His mind wandered through his childhood. He recalled all those seemingly hopeless times when sad songs were the flavour of the day. Happiness was an then unattainable feat. It still is. "Oh, how I had longed for this day!" Gus lamented.

Just as his mind was deeply engrossed in the nostalgia of yesteryears, his daydream was interrupted.
"Do you have any food preferences, sir?" the lady at the reception voiced out, appearing slightly irritated, probably as Gus' appearance did not exude cordiality.
"Pardon ma'm?" Gus replied.
"Do you have any preferences for your dinner, vegetarian or vegan?" the receptionist read out mechanically.
"We are okay," Gus replied in unison, with his wife nodding in agreement.
"As long as there is no beef."
"So, can we serve you vegetarian? Since we are serving deer meat tonight," she replied.
"Dear meat?"

Oh dear, it's venison!

"Yes, deer meet!"

Then it hit Gus and his Mrs. "You mean you are serving venison!"
Gus, chuckling inside, just wanted to see the change in the receptionist's face.
She must be some kind of actress or perhaps a good hand at poker as she never flinched a muscle giving away the clue that she might be embarrassed.
Gus had two minds to start his sermon on how words like mutton, venison, beef etcetera came to the English language to give the feel of bourgeois as these words were French in origin, but against his better judgement, he decided to keep it for another occasion another day. After all, Gus was a feted guests and guests ought to behave at the highest decorum so as to honour his host. Maybe sweet revenge may come another day....

To be continued....

With a bit of wit and flare!

Thanks CG for contribution. A good one. Unfortunately, I did not laugh all the way to the bank! Speaker of any language, who can appreciate the subtleties and nuances of the language, if he had spoken it long enough and had spent time mixing with the cultures that use the language, will be able to come out with gems like these. All he needs is a crooked mind, wit and a good sense of humour. Coincidentally, a recent study showed that a person with a 'dirty mind' leads a healthier life.