தாலேலோ தாலேலோ !
I stir lightly. I detect something heavy on me. No, it's not my goose-down comforter. Something soft, and cuddly. Insistent too. He doesn't stop. He pokes my ears playfully at first, and when I don't budge, he goes straight for my eyes. As I wake up, I see a two year old, smiling at me. He has big plans for me for the day,none of which involves me sleeping in. I give in, reluctantly at first, as I am dragged to his playpen, or the big king size bed in the master bedroom, depending on his royal highness's mood. There is that little detail of teeth brushing, which we almost skip. I manage to finish up quickly, thanks to the constant pulling of my pyjamas and gesturing to follow him.
His day has begun atleast a couple of hours before sunrise, he cannot wait to include me in it now. He has his little house, a box big enough to fit two of him. He drags me in, and there is barely room to breathe. He needs his mommy in there too, and grandpa, grandma and nanny too. He doesn't get the concept of space yet, adorably so. He has the attention span of, well, a two a year old, and we switch over to the piano. He drives his truck on the keys, and is amused by the music the device produces. He grabs the toy microphone and hands it to me. Before I can use it, he has of course, shifted attention to his toy laptop, his toy cookie jar ,and the basketball hoop, although not necessarily in that order. It's time for his daily breakfast.
After about two hours of running around the house, jumping on the bed, dancing to "No more monkeys jumping on the bed", watching videos, playing peek-a-boo and the like, he is finally done. I take him for a stroll around the block, we decide to stop by the swing for a bit. Not particularly interested in swinging today, he decides to explore the slide, climbing in reverse to get to the landing. A little girl stops by, he barely notices. I smile, knowing that there will be a time in the future I'll miss this stage in his life. She runs upto him, eager to play. He runs aimlessly and stops. He notices she has a big ball. He grabs it and starts playing with it. She runs after him,blowing bubbles, his attention swings between the bubbles and the ball. He quickly loses interest though, opting to watch the grown-ups shoot hoops. A red bumper racecar driven by two eight year old roars into view, and he runs after it. The kids stop by, and offer to drive him around. He is so fascinated , he just wants to watch them drive around instead.
We get home after a tiring day in the sun, and it's time for his afternoon nap. He is at his hyperactive best, opting for a game of ring-around-the-rosies instead. Just when things get out of control, I hum Neelambari softly. He turns around and looks at me. Something sounds familiar. He nods and stops the babble, not a squeak. This means he approves, by the way. I continue, and his eyes are transfixed on me now. I sing louder, in a slow, steady voice. He walks upto me and puts his head on my lap. I am amazed at how music is the only thing that calms this otherwise hyperactive toddler with an average attention span of twenty seconds. I pat him lightly, and I hear deep breathing. I reach , ever so slightly, to grab the pacifier on the desk, lest I disturb the good thing we have going. He lets me sing, he stops all activity now - no running around, no dancing. I continue, I see droopy eyes. My heart swells, my nephew has music in his soul.
I dream of days I'll spend taking him to concerts. I dream of the day we'll discuss Kalyani Vs Sankarabharanam. I hope he'll share my distaste for the former, and sometimes I secretly hope he takes his grandpa's side and we'll argue about it .I hope he loves the Aussie cricket team, like his aunt and grandpa, and I hope we see loud, raucous cheering. I dream of playing ball with him, I see a few angry neighbors and broken windows. I hope I can share my love for Tamil, and I hope I can one day teach him the meaning of the lullabies I sung to him when he was two. Maybe one day he will understand the beauty of this verse, that pictures Lord Rama as a baby and sings Him to sleep.
His day has begun atleast a couple of hours before sunrise, he cannot wait to include me in it now. He has his little house, a box big enough to fit two of him. He drags me in, and there is barely room to breathe. He needs his mommy in there too, and grandpa, grandma and nanny too. He doesn't get the concept of space yet, adorably so. He has the attention span of, well, a two a year old, and we switch over to the piano. He drives his truck on the keys, and is amused by the music the device produces. He grabs the toy microphone and hands it to me. Before I can use it, he has of course, shifted attention to his toy laptop, his toy cookie jar ,and the basketball hoop, although not necessarily in that order. It's time for his daily breakfast.
After about two hours of running around the house, jumping on the bed, dancing to "No more monkeys jumping on the bed", watching videos, playing peek-a-boo and the like, he is finally done. I take him for a stroll around the block, we decide to stop by the swing for a bit. Not particularly interested in swinging today, he decides to explore the slide, climbing in reverse to get to the landing. A little girl stops by, he barely notices. I smile, knowing that there will be a time in the future I'll miss this stage in his life. She runs upto him, eager to play. He runs aimlessly and stops. He notices she has a big ball. He grabs it and starts playing with it. She runs after him,blowing bubbles, his attention swings between the bubbles and the ball. He quickly loses interest though, opting to watch the grown-ups shoot hoops. A red bumper racecar driven by two eight year old roars into view, and he runs after it. The kids stop by, and offer to drive him around. He is so fascinated , he just wants to watch them drive around instead.
We get home after a tiring day in the sun, and it's time for his afternoon nap. He is at his hyperactive best, opting for a game of ring-around-the-rosies instead. Just when things get out of control, I hum Neelambari softly. He turns around and looks at me. Something sounds familiar. He nods and stops the babble, not a squeak. This means he approves, by the way. I continue, and his eyes are transfixed on me now. I sing louder, in a slow, steady voice. He walks upto me and puts his head on my lap. I am amazed at how music is the only thing that calms this otherwise hyperactive toddler with an average attention span of twenty seconds. I pat him lightly, and I hear deep breathing. I reach , ever so slightly, to grab the pacifier on the desk, lest I disturb the good thing we have going. He lets me sing, he stops all activity now - no running around, no dancing. I continue, I see droopy eyes. My heart swells, my nephew has music in his soul.
I dream of days I'll spend taking him to concerts. I dream of the day we'll discuss Kalyani Vs Sankarabharanam. I hope he'll share my distaste for the former, and sometimes I secretly hope he takes his grandpa's side and we'll argue about it .I hope he loves the Aussie cricket team, like his aunt and grandpa, and I hope we see loud, raucous cheering. I dream of playing ball with him, I see a few angry neighbors and broken windows. I hope I can share my love for Tamil, and I hope I can one day teach him the meaning of the lullabies I sung to him when he was two. Maybe one day he will understand the beauty of this verse, that pictures Lord Rama as a baby and sings Him to sleep.
But more importantly, this two-year old is asleep in my arms now, as I softly end my Neelambari. The thought of having one of my own scares the living daylights out of me some days, but this little one in my arms makes that thought ever so possible. Does he know how he has changed my life just by being a part of it ? I wonder. He'll know some day. Maybe he'll stumble on this blog when I am long gone. Afterall he does have music in his soul.
மன்னுபுகழ் கோசலை தன் மணிவயிறு வாய்த்தவனே!
தென்னிலங்கை கோன் முடிகள் சிந்துவித்தாய்! செம்பொன் சேர்
கன்னி நன் மா மதில் புடை சூழ் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
என்னுடைய இன்னமுதே! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
புண்டரிக மலர் அதன் மேல் புவனியெல்லாம் படைத்தவனே!
திண் திறலாள் தாடகை தன் உரம் உருவச் சிலை வளைத்தாய்!
கண்டவர் தம் மனம் வழங்கும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
எண் திசையும் ஆளுடையாய்! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
கொங்கு மலி கருங்குழலாள் கோசலை தன் குலமதலாய்!
தங்கு பெரும் புகழ்ச் சனகன் திருமருகா! தாசரதீ!
கங்கையிலும் தீர்த்த மலி கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
எங்கள் குலத்தின்னமுதே! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
தாமரை மேல் அயன் அவனைப் படைத்தவனே! தசரதன் தன்
மாமதலாய்! மைதிலி தன் மணவாளா! வண்டினங்கள்
காமரங்கள் இசை பாடும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
ஏமருவும் சிலை வலவா! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
பாராளும் படர் செல்வம் பரத நம்பிக்கே அருளி
ஆரா அன்பு இளையவனோடு அருங்கானம் அடைந்தவனே!
சீராளும் வரை மார்பா! திருக்கண்ணபுரத்தரசே!
தாராளும் நீண்முடி என் தாசரதீ! தாலேலோ!
சுற்றம் எல்லாம் பின் தொடரத் தொல் கானம் அடைந்தவனே!
அற்றவர்கட்கு அருமருந்தே! அயோத்தி நகர்க்கு அதிபதியே!
கற்றவர்கள் தாம் வாழும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
சிற்றவை தன் சொல்கொண்ட சீராமா! தாலேலோ!
ஆலின் இலைப் பாலகனாய் அன்றுலகம் உண்டவனே!
வாலியை கொன்று அரசு இளைய வானரத்துக்கு அளித்தவனே!
காலின் மணி கரையலைக்கும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
ஆலிநகர்க்கதிபதியே! அயோத்திமனே! தாலேலோ!
மலையதனால் அணை கட்டி மதிளிலங்கை அழித்தவனே!
அலைகடலைக் கடைந்து அமரர்க்கு அமுதருளிச் செய்தவனே!
கலை வலவர் தாம் வாழும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
சிலை வலவா! சேவகனே! சீராமா! தாலேலோ!
தளை அவிழும் நறுங்குஞ்சித் தயரதன் தன் குலமதலாய்!
வளையவொரு சிலையதனால் மதிளிலங்கை அழித்தவனே!
களை கழுநீர் மருங்கு அலரும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
இளையவர்கட்கு அருளுடையாய்! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
தேவரையும் அசுரரையும் திசைகளையும் படைத்தவனே!
யாவரும் வந்தடி வணங்க அரங்க நகர் துயின்றவனே!
காவிரி நல் நதி பாயும் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே!
ஏவரி செஞ்சிலை வலவா! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ!
கன்னி நன் மா மதிள் புடை சூழ் கணபுரத்தென் காகுத்தன்
தன்னடிமேல் தாலேலோ என்றுரைத்த தமிழ்மாலை
கொல் நவிலும் வேல் வலவன் குடைக்குலசேகரன் சொன்ன
பன்னிய நூல் பத்தும் வல்லார் பாங்காய பத்தர்களே!
