Life of Ram
(Sirivennela Sitaramashastry’ s magic)
‘Life of Ram’ is a Telugu song from a south Indian movie, Jaanu. It was written by Sirivennela Sitaramshastry, a legendary poet and lyricist from Andhra Pradesh, India.
To translate is to rethink the original version in the language you are translating it to. Moving from one world to another. Linguistics shape the way you understand a thought. Keeping my understanding about the original song intact and making sure that the lyric writer’s intention isn’t faded away, I have translated the Telugu lyrics into English. Please read and enjoy.
This song is the heart of the movie. A lone travel photographer, Ram expresses about himself through the song. One can understand and experience his life through this song. Sometimes, we wish to be a question and be in love with that state of living to be an unanswered question. Whenever time gives you an answer, the equilibrium breaks. Some people doesn’t want that because they never asked for it. These people are different from those who wish, ask and seek for answers. These people are special. When you get a lot of memories to live with, you tend to live like a question which comforts you and gives you joy. For them, past is present and thus doesn’t want the present to let you forget past. Give it some time, things will get set. If time gives an answer to the question, that is him, it will destroy his state of being in which doesn’t care to comprehend.
This song lets you travel through the depths of a loner. It is relatable to certain period of everyone’s life during which they face a sheer loneliness which they start to enjoy. You just want to go along with the life enjoying what it reveals rather than penetrating into its depths and ending up in a confused nightmare.
ఏ దారెదురైనా ఎటు వెళుతుందో అడిగానా?
ఏం తోచని పరుగై ప్రవహిస్తూ పోతున్నా..ఏం చూస్తూ ఉన్నా.. నే వెతికానా ఏదైనా?
ఊరికినే చుట్టూ ఏవేవో కనిపిస్తూ ఉన్నా..
Did I ever question the destination to any of the journeys that were welcoming me?
I have flowed along like a thoughtless constant
Did I ever try to contemplate? But instead I kept walking and observed …
The numerous mirages, that kept forming around me and, enjoying them as they were
కదలని ఓ శిలనే అయినా, తృటి లో కరిగే కలనే అయినా
ఏం తేడా ఉందట నువ్వెవరంటూ అడిగితే నన్నెవరైనా?ఇల్లాగే కడ దాకా ఓ ప్రశ్నై ఉంటానంటున్నా..
ఏదో ఒక బదులై నన్ను చెరపొద్దని కాలాన్నడుగుతూ ఉన్నా
I’ve become a permanently unmovable sculpture and an instantly vanishing dream…
Thus an objective conclusion to “Who are you?” cannot exist
I wish to live like this question till the death and
I pray to time not to give an answer and end this desire of mine
నా వెంట పడి నువ్వింత ఒంటరి అనవద్దు అనొద్దు దయుంచి ఎవరూ..
ఇంకొన్ని జన్మాల కి సరిపడు అనేక స్మృతుల్ని ఇతరులు ఎరగరునా ఊపిరిని ఇన్నాళ్లు గా తన వెన్నంటి నడిపిన చేయూత ఎవరిది
నా ఎద లయను కుశలము అడిగిన గుసగుస కబురుల ఘుమఘుమలెవరివి..
Kindly, stop chasing me with your incomplete understanding of my loneliness …
You cannot conceive the giant set of memories that can equip me even for the lives yet to come
Was it not the one who has been a shoulder to rest for my breaths?
Was it not who inquired my wellness in sweet murmurings over the time?
ఉదయం కాగానే తాజాగా పుడుతూ ఉంటా
కాలం ఇప్పుడే నను కనగా
అనగనగా అంటూనే ఉంటా ఎపుడూ పూర్తవనే అవక.. తుది లేని కథ నేను గా..
I would be born-again with tomorrow’s sun …
With which time would give me a re-birth
Every moment,
Being an endless story,
I would go back and retell my story
గాలి వాటం లాగా.. ఆగే అలవాటే లేక
కాలు నిలవదు యే చోటా…
నిలకడ గాయే చిరునామా లేక.. యే బదులు పొందని లేఖ.. ఎందుకు వేస్తోందో కేక.. మౌనం గా
Like the wind flow,
having no habit of pausing,
my feet wouldn’t stay put
Knowing that it is a mail with no address to reply,
Why would it cry out, quietly?
లోలో ఏకాంతం నా చుట్టూ అల్లిన లోకం నాకే సొంతం అంటున్నా..
విన్నారా..
నేనూ నా నీడ ఇద్దరమే చాలంటున్నా
రాకూడదు ఇంకెవరైనా
The world knitted by the depths of my loneliness …
Belongs to me, and only me
Hoping that you understand, I yell out softly…
I prefer no company except me and my shadow
అమ్మ ఒడిలో మొన్న..
అందని ఆశల తో నిన్న..
ఎంతో ఊరిస్తూ ఉంది జాబిల్లి
అంత దూరానున్నా.. వెన్నెల గా చెంతనే ఉన్నా
అంటూ ఊయలలూపింది జోలాలి…
With the moon,
lulling me to sleep in my mother’s lap as a kid,
witnessing my unfulfilled wishes yesterday,
staying so far and yet promising it’s shine alongside
assuring me a sound sleep with the lullaby!
‘How can I be ever be alone?’
The delight of loneliness can only be comprehended by someone who had made peace with numerous underlying thoughts, unanswered questions and a muddled past. That, the delight, can never be questioned nor answered and primarily shouldn’t be judged. It only can be left as it is. After all, life is an alternative shades of loneliness and companionship, every moment.
