Appendix 1. Text of M.G.R.'s Oppari
Eight varieties of rose flower,
eight varieties of rose flower,
I grew fruit for you,
eight varieties of rose flower.
[drumming]
You are going away,
the Yama's world has blossomed,12
my dear parrot!13 Appa! 14
for you, the Yama's world has blossomed,
I reached for ten varieties of rose flower in the land.
[drumming]
For you, for you heaven has blossomed,
ten varieties of rose flower,
ten varieties of rose flower.
you, the rose flower that I brought up,
heaven has blossomed.
[drumming]
Did God call you, my dear parrot, that I brought up?
did God call you?
[drumming]
Beyond the river,15 for you, beyond the river.
you have fertile lands,
five lands.
[drumming]
The flower snake has bitten you,
the flower snake has bitten you,
you who I brought up,
for you is there a place to go?
[drumming]
I traveled in a train of time
and stood in the entrance of this world,
my dear, who I brought up,
because I didn't wave to you,
it's an ill omen.
[drumming]
In this unhappy station
for you, in this unhappy station,
in that inauspicious land,
I brought you black color.16
[drumming]
It is pure black color
it is pure black color
in the entrance of Indra's world,17
for you it is pure black color.
[drumming]
I traveled in the train, Indra's world,
in the entrance of that world, for you
I went to Trichy station.
[drumming]
In Trichy Station, in Trichy
Station,
for you my dear parrot, who I brought up,
for you I brought a blue color car.18
[drumming]
For you it is a pure blue color car,
for you it is a pure blue color car,
for you.
[drumming]
I got in the evening train,
I got in the evening train,
And got off at Aiyaluur,
that is beyond the station steps.
[drumming]
In Aiyaluur station,
for you my dear parrot, who I brought up,
I bought a cloth for which I spent much money,
and ordered them to sew.
[drumming]
I made them sew the way I had ordered,
and bought a piece of silk for your sleep,
[Wail 1] Aaaahahahaha! Aamaaaaaaahahahah!
I paid money, I ordered them to sew
in my pattern,
for you to wear in the entrance of Tarumar,19
for you to sleep.
haven't I bought this for you?
[drumming]
My parrot, who I brought up,
you were affected by evil, so you died.
[drumming]
In the bordered cloth,
in the bordered cloth,
in this unjust land,
my father who produced me,
you are affected by [stomach] disease.
[drumming]
I bought nice bamboo,
I bought nice bamboo for you,
I bought a carnation for you,
how beautifully I cared for you, sir.
in the entrance for you I bought kasaru silk.
[Wail 2] Aaaaaahaha! [Drumming]
I got in the Mayirum [city] train,
in this unjust land, and got off
in Uluntur station,
in Uluntur station.
[Wail 3] Appaaaaahahahaha!
I shopped for you,
at Uluntur station,
at Uluntur station,
for you.
[drumming]
In this unjust land
to whichever side you turn,
it is your land,
it is your land.
[drumming]
You, who I brought up,
is your land,
wherever you turn.
[drumming]
I tied together three hundred bamboo
rods,
I tied together three hundred bamboo rods,
and made the bamboo stretcher 20 for you.
[Wail 4] Appaaaaahahahaha!
Appaaaaahahahaha! Naaah.
Aaaahahahaha!
I tied four hundred bamboo rods for you,
I made the bamboo stretcher for you.
[Wail 5] Appaaaa! Ayaaaahahahah!
I cut the coconut coir
and in the center placed a chain.
[drumming]
In front of this easy-chair, sir,
in this unjust land.
[drumming]
The musical instruments were playing in the
street.
[drumming]
For you the coconut tree will yield like pearls.
[Wail 6] Ammaaaahahahaha! Ammaaaahahahaha!
For you, who I brought up, in the entrance,
the coconut tree that I brought up will
bear coconuts for you like kalkandu [rocks of sugar].
[drumming]
The coconut trees in the entrance
I brought up in clusters.
[Wail 7] Ayamaaaahahahah! Aamaa! Aamaa!
Amaaahahahahahahaha!
Only now people are hitting themselves on the chest,
only now are they noticing.
[Wail 8] Aamaaa! Ayamaaa!
If you are poked by a golden needle,
[Wail 9] Aamaa!
[sobbing:] you are poked by a golden needle!
I'm a woman.
my son, the tears will fall even over the brows.
[drumming]
In the cursed street,
for you the smoke will go away.
for you it will go away.
[drumming]
If I boil over and come out,
for you who I brought up,
the milk will ooze out.21
[Wail 10] Yamaaaaaaa! Yaamaa! Yaamaa!
ahahaha!
[drumming]
The village is sleeping well,
having faith in you.
[drumming]
When sleep comes to me,
the yearning for you comes in
and wakes me up.
[drumming]