Bodhinatha and Arumugaswami are on the move in India, having gone to Pondicherry.

With the indefatigable help of Prof (retired) Manickavel in Chidambaram and Sheela Venkatakrishnan in Chennai our “behind the scenes” Natchintanai songbook work is progressing well. Three goals of the project are to provide an easy transliteration that will still enable fairly good pronunciation for non-Tamil speakers, a literal translation to help visualize as you sing, and eventually, standardized tunes on the web.

For those who have been singing Natchintanai, and not knowing exactly what you are singing, it’s so wonderful to be able to follow along: here is a short sample. Note that we are not attempting to make the literal translation grammatically perfect, but to follow as closely the original order of Tamil words which will also help learn the Tamil and “see it” in the Tamil way…

Sollu Sivamey
Say–Oh Siva!

sollu sivamey sollu sivamey
Say – Oh Siva – say – Oh Siva

sugambera maarkkam ondru sollu sivamey
to get happiness – way – one – say – Oh Siva

vellum pagaiy oliya sollu sivamey
winning – enmity – to destroy – say – Oh Siva

veyru porul illaiyendru sollu sivamey
another – thing – not there, thus – say – Oh Siva

allum pagalumara sollu sivamey
night and – day, to disappear – say – Oh Siva

anbey sivam endru sollu sivamey
Love indeed – Sivam – thus – say – Oh Siva

kallung karaiyak kavi sollu sivamey
stone even – to melt – poem – say – Oh Siva

kaayamey kohyilendru sollu sivamey
body indeed – temple, thus – say – Oh Siva

allalattru vaala vali sollu sivamey
without sorrow – to live – way – say – Oh Siva

agam piramaasmi endru sollu sivamey
I am – Brahman – thus – say – Oh Siva

ellavarkku nallanendru sollu sivamey
to all people – good, thus – say – Oh Siva

ellaam sivan seyalaay sollu sivamey
everything – Siva’s – action only – say – Oh Siva

nillaathiv vaalvendru sollu sivamey
stops not this – life, thus – say – Oh Siva

neeyum naanum ondrendru sollu sivamey
you and – I – one, thus – say – Oh Siva

pollaappu ingillaiyendru sollu sivamey
evil – not here, thus – say – Oh Siva

putthadiyohm naangalendru sollu sivamey
new servitors – are we, thus – say – Oh Siva

kollaamai perithendru sollu sivamey
non-killing – is noble, thus – say – Oh Siva

koosaamal evarmunnum sellu sivamey
without hesitation – before anyone – go – Oh Siva

nallohr naduvirukka sollu sivamey
good people – be among – say – Oh Siva

naamey anaitthumendru sollu sivamey
we indeed – are everything, thus – say – Oh Siva

ullaasamaay engum sellu sivamey
joyfully – everywhere – go – Oh Siva

unmai muluthum endru sollu sivamey
truth – all that is – thus – say – Oh Siva

kallaarkkung gathiyendru sollu sivamey
uneducated people even – refuge, thus – say – Oh Siva

katti manatthaiyaala sollu sivamey
tie up – to rule the mind – say – Oh Siva