• Published : 21 Feb, 2014
  • Comments : 0
  • Rating : 0

Resplendent in her madisaar pattu,
The girl of only iruvatti-aaru
Looks down at her feet with no shoes
Red designs making maps with no clues
She's got the nadaswaram blues!

The maapillai sits in his yellow veshti
Early-morning cold makes him want to pee 
Shivering slightly, deep thoughts does he muse:
From now, his life he has to plan in irendoos
He's got the nadaswaram blues!

"Maatikitaan" the mridangam announces
Through the frills and the flounces
While unknown relatives sit there and snooze
It's a good thing, they won't get any booze
For they've got the nadaswaram blues... 

*Glossary of possibly foreign terms:
madisaar pattu : nine-yard silk sari, traditionally worn by Tamil Brahmin brides
iruvatti-aaru: twenty-six
nadaswaram: a musical intrument that resembles a flute, commonly the main piece played at Tamilian weddings
maapillai: groom (or guy getting hitched at said wedding)
veshti: fancy lungi (A cloth, often of brightly colored silk or cotton, that is used as a piece of clothing, especially the traditional skirtlike garment of India, Pakistan, and Myanmar, says Answers.com) 
irendoo(s): two(s)
Maatikitaan: Hindi translation: "pakda gaya"; English equivalent: trapped/cornered (also refers to the beats played on the mridanagam at weddings)
mridangam: South Indian drum, the other main piece played at Tamilian weddings

About the Author

Marilyn Gore

Member Since: 28 Jan, 2014

I write when the mood strikes me. More often than not, it doesn't. So I edit....

View Profile
Share
Average user rating

0


Kindly login or register to rate the story
Total Vote(s)

0

Total Reads

988

Recent Publication
Nadaswaram Blues
Published on: 21 Feb, 2014
How Miritri Got Her Voice Back
Published on: 08 Sep, 2020

Leave Comments

Please Login or Register to post comments

Comments