One from the Uughs

.
Duum duum duum
Pe pe pe
Kozhikkaattam chammanthy!

And the translation :

( Drum rolls
chicken s--t chutney)

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY

From My Dad's Treasury

Here’s a Malayalam one which my father would recite to our delight:

Enthu? ..................... What?
Chaanthu .................... Chaanthu (a thick paste used to draw a bindi)
Chaantu naarum .............. Chaanthu smells
Naaruna Poovu ............... a flower smells (too)
Poovu choodum ............... a flower is placed on the head(in the hair)
Chooduna Kuda ............... an umbrella is placed on the head (as well)
Kuda kettum ................. an umbrella is bound and fastened
Kettuna Veili ............... a fence is bound and fastened (likewise)
Vaeli polikkum .............. a fence gets trampled on
Polikkana paiyyu ............ a cow tramples
Paiyyu kuthum ............... a cow strikes (butts) with horns
Kuthuna thelu ............... a scorpion strikes
Thelu kadayum ............... a scorpion (sting) chiurns (the flesh)
Kadayana moru ............... buttermilk is churned
Moru pulikkum ............... buttermilk is sour
Pulikkana pulinga ........... and sour is the tamarind
Pulinga thoongum ............ tamarinds hang (from trees)
Thoonguna aaval ............. so hangs the bat
Aaval prakkum ............... the bat flies
Parakkana kaakka ............ so flies the crow
Kaakka kothum ............... the crow pecks
Kothuna malsyam ............. so pecks the fish
Malsyam oadum ............... the fish runs (swims) in water
Oaduna vellam .............. water runs
Vellam kaanum .............. water reflects
Kaanuna kannaadi ............ similarly does the mirror reflect
Kannadi vaarkum ............. a mirror is baked
Vaarkuna appam .............. an appam is baked too
Appam thinnolu .............. now eat this appam

The play of words is too complicated to transcribe and still retain the magic :(

Another one goes like this:
Do note the shock value of the last line.

Achuthan uchakkappamkattu..........Achuthan stole an appam at noon
MaaraarRaaman kandupidichu ........The drummer Raaman found out
Chendakolontonnukoduthu ...........He beat him with the drumstick
Chenda marinjukinattil veenu. .....The drum tumbled and fell into the well

Kumblkottan munggithappi........... The *Kumblakottan dived and searched
Minnaaminunga velicham kaatti ..... The glow worm showed him light
Aattumkutty paattumpaadi .......... The young goat sang a song
Kozhikutty naamam chelli .......... The chick chanted a prayer
Pashu pullaattivaaluthinnu ....... The cow shook the grass and ate her tail.

*Kumblakottan is a smelly insect; you never see it but your nose does.

Caught In Translation

Reading Swati’s post, I learnt about Tulika’s search for kids’ rhymes in the vernacular. My family has some priceless stories and rhymes and I thought these could be saved from extinction since there aren’t too many babies…… or marriages, for that matter happening in the family. (I know that hint is as broad as a multi-lane national highway, but couldn’t resist ) But actually listing them made me realize that most were the ‘ugh’ variety. Hence the list has been reduced to just a few.
1. I don’t know if anyone knows that a Tamil transliteration of Goosie, Goosie Gander exists. It even caries the same tune. I learnt it in KG :

Vaathe, Vaathe, Vaathe ..........Goosie Goosie Gander
Engay poraen Vaathe? ...........Where do you wander?
Maelae, Keelae, .................Upstairs and Downstairs
Dorsaniamma araylei..............In (my ) the lady’s chamber

Angae oru kizhavan ..............There (I met) was an old man
Japam solla maattan .............Who wouldn’t say his prayers
Kaale pudichu izhuthinen ........I pulled his (left) leg and
DHOP enru veezhnthinaan .........He fell down.(Dhop : sound made as he fell)

A parallel of Simple Simon :

Maanga Thalai Murugan ..........Mango-headed( Stupid? Simpleton? ) Murugan
Manja sattai maatti ............Put on yellow clothes
Sendru Kadaykku poenaan ........And went to the shop

Vidha vidhamai mitthai .........Many varieties of sweets
Adukkadukkai kandaan ...........He saw, piled up neatly
Viranthodi poyi ................He ran fast
Laddu mitthai kaettaan..........And asked for a laddu

Laddu Mitthaikaaran ............The ladduwaalah
Thuttu engae enran .............Asked where the cash was
Maangaa Thalai Murugan .........Mango-headed Murugan
Thuttu illaeyenran .............Replied that he had no money
Laddu mitthaikaaran ............The ladduwaalah said
Laddu Illae enran ..............Then, there is no Laddu either

Rather a blunt lesson for kids, that.