Golden
slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles
awake you when you rise
Sleep
pretty darling do not cry
And I
will sing you a Lullaby.
(THE BEATLES)
Lullaby
or a cradle song is a well- known term and almost synonymous with mothers. The
love and care a Mother showers on her baby is immense and cannot be put into
words. There are many Lullabies penned by world famous writers of almost all
world languages. Lullaby in English Literature comes under the genre of poetry.
Sleep
little baby, clean as a nut,
Your
fingers uncurl and your eyes are shut
Your
life was ours, which is with you
Go on
your journey we go too.
The
bat is flying round the house
Like
an umbrella turned into a mouse
The
moon is astonished and so are the sleep
Their
bells have come to send you to sleep
Oh be
our rest, our hopeful start
Turn
your head to my beating heart
Sleep
little baby, clean as a nut
Your fingers uncurl and your eyes are shut
(Lullaby
by John Fuller)
The
definition of a lullaby is a quiet or soothing song intended to get a child to
go to sleep. According to Webster dictionary lullaby derives from the two
earlier English words that were both used to soothe children- “”lulla”” and
“”bye””. They were combined in the late 1500 s to refer specifically to a song
used to calm the children or put them to sleep.
An Article by Nina Perry in January 2013 published
by BBC titled “”THE Universal language of lullabies”” brings forth the origin
and development of lullabies. One of the oldest known lullabies is a 5,000 year
old Babylonian song. It is written in
cuneiform script, one of the first forms of writings. This was written on a
small clay tablet and now it is kept in the British Museum, London. Threatening
themes were also used in the lullabies. I quote “”Rhythmically there are shared
patterns too .Lullabies are usually in Triple metre or 6/8 time, giving them a
“”Characteristic swinging or rocking motion. This is soothing because it mimics
the movement a baby experiences in the womb as a mother moves. Says sally
Goddard Blythe
The purpose of the lullabies varies. In some
societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledge or tradition. Lorca’s
theory- which many researches today would agree with –was that a large part of
the function of the lullaby is to help a Mother vocalise her worries and concerns.
In short, they serve as therapy for the Mother.
Old English lullaby by Eugene Field, Richard Row Lands’s Lullaby, Lullaby, oh, Lullaby! by Christina
Georgina Rossetti, W. H. Auden’s Lullaby
and Mary D. Brine’s “”Mother and baby” are the few best examples of Lullaby
poems. Elizabeth Bishop’s Lullaby for
the cat is Note-worthy.
“”Minnow, go to sleep and dream,
Close your great big eyes;
Round your bed events prepare
The pleasantest surprise.
Darling Minnow, drop that frown,
Just cooperate,
Not a kitten shall be drowned
In the Marxist State.
Joy and love will both be yours,
Minnow, don’t be glum.
Happy days are coming soon…
Sleep, and let them come…
The
above Lullaby proves that Lullaby is not only sung by a mother for her baby,
but also by a master to her pet. One more special Lullaby comes from a poet for
his king. This is evident from the article titled ”Lullaby for a King “by
Charumathi Ramachandran, published in the Friday review of January 2013 in the
daily THE HINDU. In the 18th Century a famous court poet of
Travancore Iraiyammam Thampi wrote a Malayalam song, a lullaby in praise of the
baby prince. The baby prince is none other than the Maharaja Swathi Thirunal.
The song is ‘’Omanathingal Kidavo”.
The
lullaby of the English Literature finds place in Tamil Literature as THALATTU. It is one of the major components of PILLAI
THAMIZH OF CHITTRILAKKIYAM. This can be found in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham
in which Periya alwar being a devotee, treats himself as Yasodha(the mother of
Lord Krishna) and sings THALATTU to Lord Krishna.
Periyaalwar
was the incarnation of Garuda the Lord of birds and divine vehicle of Lord
Vishnu. He was born to his parents Padma and Mukunda at Srivilliputhur. He had
enthralled the divine assembly of Sri Vallabha Deva, the King of Pandya Naadu,
by establishing the Visishtadvaitic concepts. He was an ardent devotee of Lord
Ranganatha who is residing as Vatapathra Saayee at Srivilliputthur. Periyaalwar’ THALATTU titled “Manikkam Katti”,
can be found in the first canto of his Thirumozhi. There are about ten stanzas all describing
about the graceful form of the child Krishna, his cradle, ornaments, weapons
etc.,
Maanikkam
katti vayiram Idai katti
Aanip
ponnaal cheidha vannach chiru thottil
Peni
unakku biraman vidu thandhaan
Maanik
kuralane thaalelo, Vaiyam alandhaane thaalelo.
In
the same way Kulashekar Alawar a devotee of the Lord, treats himself as
Kousalya (The mother of Lord Rama) and sings THALATTU to Lord Rama.
Kulasekhara
Alwar was the incarnation of Vanamaalaa, the divine garland of Lord Vishnu. He
was born to the King DhrudaVratha who ruled the state Vanjikkalam of which
Kolli Nagaram was the capital, the present Kerala. He was an ardent devotee of
Lord Rama. He has composed one hundred and five stanzas titled with Perumal
Thirumozhi. In these, eleven stanzas were THALLATU, titled “Mannu Pugazh”. It deals with the glory of Ramaavathara.
Mannu
pugazhk kausalai than mani vayiru vaaitthavane
Thennilangaik
kon mudigal sindhuvitthai sempon ser
Kanni
nan madhil pudai soozh kanapuratthen kan maniye
Ennudaiya
Innamudhe Iraaghavane thaalelo.
This ensures that THALATTU is sung to make the
loved ones sleep. Many modern poets of Tamil language also wrote THALATTU. Lyricists
too have written numerous film songs on the theme of THALATTU. Almost in all
Indian languages, saint poets have composed krithis on their devoted Lord. The
celebrated Saint Annamayya has composed a Lullaby said to be Jola paata in
Telugu as Jo Achyuthaanantha jo jo Mukundha.
THALATTU
or LULLABY, whatever name is applied, it is inseparable from human lives.
Aaraaro
ariraro
Aaraaro
ariraro
Aaradichu
Nee Azhudaai
Kanmaniye
kann urangu
Maaman
Aditthaano
Mallip
pooch chendaale
Annan
Aditthano
Aavaaram
kombaale
Pacchai
Iluppai vetti
Pavalak
kaal thottil ittu
Pavalak
kaal thottilile
Balakane
Nee urangu
Kattip
pasum ponne – kanne nee
Chitthirap
poon thottilile
Siriyamma
siricchidu –kanne nee
Chitthirap
poon thottilile
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