Ashadam Padumbol - Mazha

Aashadam Padumbol – Mazha

Composition – Raveendran

Lyrics – K Jayakumar

Singers – KJ Yesudas , KS Chitra

Prelude – The song “ Ashadam Padumbol “ is like the opulence which nature gets with the onset of the monsoon season . I noticed this song while thinking about the raag “Amritavarshini “  which is the raag which causes rain . This song is analogous to the movie “Mazha “ which means rain, released in 2000, which was based on eminent writer Kamala Das's collection of stories “ Nashtapetta Neelambari “ . As rain has been romanticised in literature and poetry for evoking emotions of love , this song appears when Ramanuja Shastrigal and Bhadra fall in love with each played by “ Biju Menon “ and “ Samyukhtha Varma “, respectively . 

Ashadam padumbol athmavin ragangal ananda nrittam adumbol

The melodies of the soul dance joyfully when the monsoon sings. 

Vellaram mutthum kond aakasham premathin kai kumbil neetumbol manasilum mridangamam

My heart enraptures on hearing the beats of a two-sided drum ( mridangam ) when the sky lovingly extends its cupped hands dropping,  pearl-like silvery rain .

 

Ee pulnambil mazhayude then sandesham

Eni muthal ee pulnambil mazhayude then sandesham

The raindrops send a sweet message to the tip of the grass blade.

Shrutilaya hridaya mukharita jalatarangam,

The waves of water create melodic music with pitch and rhythm echoing in the heart . 

Amrita taralita navavikaram ,

A new emotion glittering like nectar emerges.

Kusuma bangithan uyiril aliyum

The beauty of the blossom melts into life.

Madan sayaka madhura kadhanam

There is sweetness in the pain when the arrow of Kamadev ( God of desire and love ) strikes, causing intoxication.

Nee meetathe unarum veenanadam

Manasil nee meetathe unarum veena nadam

The sound of “ Veena “ arises without you plucking it in my heart. 

Upavana dala kutuhala swaraparagam

There is the celebrated union of  pollen powder, like musical notes, with the petal of the flower in the grove.

Naruma vitharum nimisha shalabham

The fluttering  butterfly scatters fragrance . 

Mizhivilakkukal ninne uzhiyum

The lamps of my eyes caress you.

Mauna vichikal ninne pothiyum

The waves of silence cover you . 

Postlude – The lyrics of the song are by IAS officer K Jayakumar, who is also a noted poet . I have always noticed the songs of K Jayakumar which come with the speciality of using rare words which catch us by surprise, and we wonder how diverse and rich our mother tongue ,Malayalam, is . A special mention to Raveendran for composing this song and interspersing the voices of KJ Yesudas and KS Chitra, where the lyrical poetry is in the male voice and the akar ( open throated humming ) and sargam ( vocal notes ) are by the female voice . I somewhere feel that a playful sound of beats which sounds like “ Dandiya “ was incorporated in the song to give an ode to the folk dance of Gujarat and Rajasthan, which celebrates the dance of divine love between Lord Krishna and the cowherd women of Vrindavan .