This is the second piece on Ganjam-Visakha Telugu. This style rarely
enters books. Credit goes to Balivada Kantarao, ka'ra', ra'vi, and
Ganesh Patro. Sometimes, I wonder about such Telugu about a century ago.
When we used to talk to very old folks in the villages during noorpulu
time - it was fascinating to hear them saying equivalent Telugu words for
so many things. Some of the proverbs even could not make it to books like
Akkiraju's book on Telugu Sametalu.
e.g. jalleDelli soodini soosi navvina'daTa niiku pedda bokkakoTumdani.
jalleDa marisipOyina'di da'ni ollamta' bokkalEnani.
e.g. olE! karpooram vOsanaki mirapaka'ya ga'Tuki tEDa'lEdETE!
e.g. sa'kalODi ga'Dida samdanam mOsina', kullu baTTlu mOsina' da'niki
a' remDoo okEla'gumTa'yE!
e.g. a'Du seppina kaburlu niiTila giitalra'!
Did you ever hear those? I can give you a list of those which should be
preserved. They reflect a lot of culture, the real Telugu culture.
Even people back home don't have time or don't have real motivation to
look at these. These ma'mDaliika's are threatened by extinction.
In my opinion, they represent the very roots of our culture.
They need some rehabilitation.
The following one is a rural death scene. Please read it in RIT.
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Wife cries during the death of her husband (ca'vu gOla)
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wife: nannoggEsi elipOna'va'? na'kETi migilsina'va'? magara'jellipOna'DE!
nEnETi sEtunamma'? na'kETumdamma'? evaDu soosta'DamDii nannu?
OlammO! OlammO! nEnETi sEtunammO? pOyinETa na'ku
bamga'rameData'nanna'vu gada'! adi seyyakumDa' nannoggEsina'va'!
nuvvoggellipOtE nEnu parama'nnamela'ga mekkuta'nu? marETi na'ku
poddubOyina'di. OlammO! amta' ayipOna'di.
(This goes on for 5 minutes. The wife gets tired. Stops crying.
Neighbor comes.)
Next door lady: ayipOna'dE appa'! (She cries loud.)
a'Di diipam peddanna'rpEsina'DE. nii yimTlO
diipama'ripOna'dE. Enugula'gumDEvODu. ii poddu
piinugaipOna'Du. nammakam nEdE. ii pa'nam ii canamumTa'di
siTukula pOta'di. a'Diki nuvvamTE emta pa'nam. a'Diki
nEnanna' goppa idi lE Olappa'! Olappa'! ayipOna'dE! ETi
sEsta'vE ii a'vulu, gEdelu, pola'lu gaTra'? niikETi pilla'
piisu iccina'Da'? pEruki laccanamga' iirabadruDu.
seppukOTa'niki iiruDE. ma' sinnatanamlO mamTibukkaDalni
okka sEttO isnusakramla'ga gira' gira' tippEsi boommiida
koTTEsEvODE. aDikemta daviryamE! a'Du lEkumDa'
ela'gumDagalavE Olappa'?
(Gets tired and stops crying.)
(mamTibukkaDam = nonpoisonous snakes in Eastern India.
Village boys play with these snakes and show their heroism
in front of young girls.)
Wife: (Gets the energy back.)
mariDamma tinEsimdE! asiramma tinEsimdE! peddamma tinEsimdE!
ammOru tinEsimdE! a'Dni. pemdila pOta'nani oka ma'Taina' seppalEdE
mii ba'va. a'romdala roopa'yila yimDiishanu kooDa' Da'TTEru iccina'DE
ii poddu. Dabboo pOna'di. imDiishanu pOna'di. mii ba'va' pOna'Du.
ETi migilsina'Du na'ku. OlammO! Ori na'yanO! Ori bagamamtuDa'!
raccimcu!
Wife's brother: EDa'TTEra'Du?
Wife: sOmEssarra'vu Da'TTaru.
Wife's brother: a'Da'! a'Du seva'la Da'TTarE! a'Di ka'DakeltE ka'Ti kelli
naTTE. a'Du boDDu koyyabOyi b--Da kOsE rakam. a'Di seyyi
paDtE a'mPaTh. mumdokama'Ta na'tO seppina'va'. nuvvamta'
imDipesiDemT rakamE.
(imDipesiDemT = independent)
Wife: E Da'TTaraitE pOyina pa'nam tirigosta'da'? a'Di ka'lam sellimdi.
abuTaipOna'Du. (abuTu = out). na' batuku taitekkalE. Ori na'yanO!
seppura'! ma'Talu seppura'! okapa'li ma'Tala'Dura'! dEmullO!
seppamDii! na' moguDiki ma'Talu seppamDii! ekkaDa appulu sEsina'DO?
karusu manisi. ii appulOlamdaroo ka'booliisa'yiboolla'ga na' gummamlO
rEpoddunumDii kookumTa'ru kada'! nannoggEsina'vura'! nannu kooDa'
komDipOra'! nuvvu lEkapOtE nEnokkartinii siNiima'kela'gelta'nura'?
ja'tarakela'gelta'nu? ika bagamamtuDiki kobbirika'ya, amTipamDu lEvu
ii podduka'DnumDii. pamtuluga'ru Da'bulu seppina'Du nuvvu vamdEllu
batukuta'vanii.
Wife's brother: evaDE? a' pamtulu? a' nalla sa'tturla'? a'Diki pamcE
kaTTam sariiga' ra'dE. pamca'gamETi sootta'Du. nuvvu
attaru sa'yibu bamDii (Moped or Suvega) miidellE patii
pamtuluki daccina ista'vE. a'laki mokkEtta'vu. a'lETi
dEmuDla' nii moguDni raccimcaDaniki? a'lE imkO pamtulu
ka'Dikelta'ru salaha'ki. pemdilE legisi ayyOru oTElukelli
remDu iDli, pacci ullidOSa' tega mekkEsi kOvelakelta'DE
a'Du. a'Di ma'TETimTa'Du paramEskaruDu? ETO! gamja'yi
dammukoTTina sa'duvu ka'Dkelli yEda'mtamu ma'Tlu
nErsinaTTumdi nii yava'ram!
(Meanwhile people carry the dead body to the burial ground.
Wife runs after the procession and falls flat on the ground.
Gets up. Sits down on the road in front of the house.)
Wife: (Cries very loud.)
elipOna'dira'! na' simmam elipOna'di. na' peddapulelipOna'di.
na' yimTlO diipama'ripOna'di. OlammO! na' pasupu pOyina'di.
ETi sEtunrOy bagamamtuDa'?
Wife's brother: a'pE a' DEma'! marii Ovarakshanii sEsEtunna'vE Olappa'!
lOpelikellu. a'Du pallakekkEsina'Du. aipOna'di.
a'Du batikunnamtaka'lamu tinnagunna'va'? a'Dni tinnaga
soosina'va'? a'Di kaccalO kamdulEpEsina'vu kadE.
marii patiivratamu na'Takama'DakE. lOpelikellu.
peraTlOnumDevaDaina lOpalikocci amta' komDipOgalaDu.
(DEma' = drama; overakshanii = overaction)
-----------by PALANA
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POSTED TO NURTURE TELUGU CULTURE AND LITERATURE IN THE NORTH AMERICA.
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PARANANDI LAKSHMI NARASIMHAM
CAS
COLUMBUS
OH 43202
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS.
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