My Father-Daughter Song

What is "magic"?

The word is a trick in itself.

Is it an exhibition of the impossible by using little props?

Or, is it that which leaves your heart yearning for more?

Can it be defined by the little tricks the street magician performs to earn his bread?

Or, is it everything that is inexplicably wonderful?

Magic is, in my humble opinion, what we cannot explain.

It is what our five senses fail to comprehend.

And, it is only when our senses fail that we look deep inside our hearts.

Sorry for the long lecture. I am never good at them.

Anyways, since you were kind and patient enough to read my little philosophy, i am going to cut the intro short and jump to the matter.

Parents are atop the list of those whom we take for granted.

When we are kids, they spray baby cereal on their prized shirts to feed us.

When we are adoloscents, they listen patiently to all our tantrums.

i am not aware of what happens next, (as both my physical and mental capabilities are that of a barely-so-adult), but the most important thing is they dedicate their lives unto you.

So, how much ever you  fight with them, whatever be your differences, you are still bound by a invisible, intangible (magical?) bond.

My father always sings for me.

He has sung for me ever since God brought me to Earth, and he continues to do so.

And, in Radio Dad, the Listener's Choice from my side has been this Tamil song called "Kanne Kalaimaane" from the movie "Moondraam Pirai".

It is this beautiful melody, which always brings a yawn on my mouth.

How much ever i try, i can never disprove my dad that this song is my own magical sleeping pill.

i am snoring before the song is over!

It's a beautiful love song, the second stanza of which  i have roughly translated:

(Context of the actual song: the protagonist falls in love with a mentally retarded girl. He falls hook, line and sinker for her, and cannot help it himself.)

kannae kalaimaanae kanni mayilenak
kandaen unai naanae

In these lines, the protagonist praises his beloved. "Kanne" means eyes, but also it is a sweet form of calling one's beloved. "Kalaimaane" is a kind of deer and "Mayil: refers to a peacock.

andhip pagal unai naan paarkkiraen
I see you day and night
aandavanai idhaiththaan kaetkiraen
I ask of God nothing else!
raariraaroa oaraariroa
raariraaroa oaraariroa


(kannae)

------------

kaadhal kondaen
My heart began to love you
kanavinai valarththaen
It flourished incessantly in my dreams!
kanmani unai naan karuththinnil niraiththaen
O The Apple of My Eyes! i filled my thoughts with You!
unakkae uyiraanaen
My life is now yours!
ennaalum enai nee maravaadhae
Please, never ever forget me!
neeyillaamal edhu nimmadhi
Without you, there is no peace!
needhaanae en sannidhi
You are my sannidhi! (sannidhi refers to the holy sanctum sanctorum)

While most songs that i hear DO get dedicated to my Lord Krishna, this particular song never occured in that list.

It's always been my Dad's song.

But, today, as my dad sung for me in his soothing voice, the words in the second stanza dedicated themselves to His feet.

So, to conclude, what IS magical in this world is "LOVE".

How, we are bound to each other by that Universal Affection.

How, our relationship with Parthasarathy is also defined by that very word.

What is indeed magical is how the Ruler of the Universe sways to little expressions of Love!