Unnikuttan,
I am not sure how long you will let us call you by this name. This song is the lullaby I used to sing to you on most days when you were a baby and you needed some “potti-potti”(That was your toddler talk for kotti-kotti or pat me to sleep). I have sung this song for a lot of little kids I baby-sat along the years, but never had an idea that one day I’ll have my own unni to sing it to.. :).. You are growing up so fast, but even now there are some days when you ask for the potti-potti – and I wish I could just bottle up this time for myself to look back on.
This song is actually talking about a special unni(baby) – Unnikannan or Lord Krishna from Mahabharat. If you want to know more, go read up on his childhood antics. It’s really fun- for starters, he used to love stealing butter to eat. If you feel unfamiliar with some words here, it’s because I didn’t know the whole song myself and used to scramble up the lines/ add new words to it as I saw fit.. 😀
Unni vaavaavo…. ponnunni vaavaavo
[Unni vaavaavo.. dearest unni vaavaavo]
Neela peeli kannum pootti
Pooncheladalo..kayyil pooncheladallo
[With your blue eyelashes closed ..
you swing… in my arms, you swing…]
Mukilamme mazhavillundo…Mayilamme thirumudiyundo
Ponnunni kannanu seemani…Kanikanan melle poru
[Hey cloud, do you have a rainbow?.. Hey peahen, do you have beautiful feathers?
For my little kannan… please come as a kani* offering..]
Alanjoriyum poonkatte…Aramaniyum chaarthivaru
Ennunni kannanurangan vaavaavo paadi varu…vaavaavo paadi varu
[Hey gentle breeze which makes waves…come with your waist chain with bells**
For my unni to sleep, sing vaavavo and come…. sing vaavao and come]
Unni vaavaavo…. ponnunni vaavaavo
[Unni vaavaavo.. dearest unni vaavaavo]
Neela peeli kannum pootti
Pooncheladalo..kayyil pooncheladallo
[With your blue eyelashes closed ..
you swing… in my arms, you swing…]
Oru kannayi sooryanurangu…Maru kannayi thinkalurangu
Thrikkayil venna urangu…Mamooninu bhoomi orungu
[As one eye, let the sun sleep… as the other eye, let the moon sleep
In your little hands,let the butter sleep…for your mealtime,let the earth get ready ***]
Thiru madhuram kanavil urangu…Thirunamam naavil urangu
Ennunni kannanurangan moolokam+ muzhuvan urangu..Moolokam muzhuvan urangu
[Let you have sweet dreams…let the God’s name be on your tongue
For my baby kannan to sleep, let all three worlds sleep… let all three worlds sleep]
Unni vaavaavo…. ponnunni vaavaavo
[Unni vaavaavo.. dearest unni vaavaavo]
Neela peeli kannum pootti
Pooncheladalo..kayyil pooncheladallo
[With your blue eyelashes closed ..
you swing… in my arms, you swing…]
*Kani literally means a sight. Vishu is the new year in Malayalam calendar (yeah, there is a Malayalam calendar..:)) and on Vishu morning, it is auspicious to view a good kani first thing in the morning as per Hindu custom. It consists of fruits and other nice things including a beautiful yellow flower called konna. Vishu usually falls in April and all konna trees will be flowering around that season. It is a beautiful sight by itself.
** Aramani is referring to the rustling sound wind makes.
*** Lord Krishna had a habit of eating soil when he was little.
+Moolokam – Three worlds – heaven, earth and pathalam(underground)
Thumbi vaa... 