माडु मेकुम कन्नै (तमिल ) : वेङ्कट कवि

https://youtu.be/fl-J4qyQfC0

Amazing dance performance by 6 years old 

Maya Swaminathan and 8 years old Arshita Murugadoss of Sheela Unni's Sridevi Nrithyalaya

माडु मेकुम कन्नै  (तमिल ) :  वेङ्कट कवि 

This Tamil song composed by Oothukadu Venkatakavi (early 18th Century)  
is an engaging dialogue between child Krishna and Yashoda. 

 As Krishna excitedly asks his mother if he could go and tend to the cattle, 

Yashoda denies him permission. She offers him butter, milk and 

sugar coated sweets and asks him not to go out in the scorching heat. 

However, Krishna rejects all her offers and instead tells her that he will 

happily tend to the cows and come back home in a jiffy. 

Then, mother Yashoda tries to convince him saying that there are 

wild animals in the mountains which might scare him when he 

goes there with his cows. Krishna smartly replies that the animals 

will approach him fondly and assures his mother that he will hunt 

them down if they come in large numbers to attack him. 

As Yashoda gives him more and more reasons to not go out, 

Krishna cooks up intelligent replies to all that. Finally, child Krishna 

manages to convince his mother that he will safely go with his herd of 

cows and come back home quickly. 

Maadu Meikum Kanne

Maadu Meikum Kanne Nee Poga Vendam Sonnen (2)
Kaichina Palum Tharen
Karkandu Cheeni Tharen
Kaiyil Vennai Urutti Tharen
Veiyyilile Poga Vendam
Maadu Meikum Kanne...

Kaichina Paalum Vendam
Karkandu Cheeni Vendam
Ullasamai Maadu Meithu
Oru Nodiyil Thirumbiduven
Poga Vendum Thaye Thadai Solladhe Neeye

Yamuna Nadhi Karayil Eppozhudum Kalvar Bhayam (2)
Kalvar Vandu Unai Adithal Kalangiduvai Kanmaniye
Maadu Meikum Kanne..

Kalvarukku Kalvarundo Kandadhundo Sollum Amma (2)
Kalvar Vandhu Yenai Adithal Kanda Thundam Aakiduven
Poga Vendum Thaye...

Govardhana Giriyil Ghoramana Mrigangal Undu (2)
Singam Puli Karadi Vandhal Kalangiduvai Kanmaniye
Maadu Meikum Kanne..

Kaatu Mrigangal Ellam Ennai Kandal Odi Varum (2)
Kootamaga Odi Vandal Vettai Aadi Venriduven
Poga Vendum Thaye...

Priyamulla Nanda Gopar Baalan Enge Enru Kettal (2)
Ennavenru Solliduven Yekkamudan Thediduvar
Maadu Meikum Kanne...

Veediyile Baalrudan Pandhu Vilayadugiran (2)
Kanne Enru Nee Kural Koduthal
Oodi Vandu Ninriduven
Poga Vendum Thaye Thadai Solladhe Neeye

                          *

This kAvaDi cindu paints a vibrant picture of a conversation between a concerned yaSOdA and a recalcirtant, mischevious, roguish krishNA - you can picture the timing - possibly sometime in the noon or when the sun is high and scorching. yaSOdA doesn't want krishNA to go out to graze the cows in these circumstances, so she tries to dissuade him - first, she tries to bribe him, next she tries to frighten him, and finally, she invokes the other, absent parent - This scene is so captivatingg in it's domesticity - something that all of us as parents have done: we have used/tried to use these tactics at different times, or all at once in an escalating fashion as yaSOdA is forced to, here! But, krishNA being krishNA has a comeback for every one of her arguements and is out the door at the end!

The bribery:
mADu meikkum kaNNE nI pOgavENDAm SonnEn
kA(i)ccina pAlu tarEn, kalnkanDu cIni tarEn, 
kai niraya veNNai tarEn, veyyililE pOgavENDAm

I say (SonnEn) my beloved/precious (kaNNE) cowherd [one who grazes - (meikkum) cows - (mADu)], you (nI) please do not (vENDAm) go (pOga) out. Instead, I will give (tarEn) you your favorite snacks: boiled (kaccina) milk (pAlu), and some granulated sugar crystals (kalkanDu - used to be some thing that as kids, grandmothers used to dish these out very parsimoniously), and it that is not enough, I'll even throw in/give (tarEn) a handful (kai niraiya) of butter (veNNai), but please do not (vENDAm) go (poga) out in this hot sun (veyyililE). 

The bribery doesn't work:
ka(i)ccina pAlum vENDAm, kalakaNDu cIni vENDAm
ullAsamAi oru noDiyil mADu meittu tirumbiDUvEn
pOga vENDum tAyE tadAi SOllAdE nIyE

I don't want boiled milk or some sugar crystals. What I want is to happily (ullAsamAi) set out and graze (meittu) the cows (mADu), and I will be back (tirumbiDuvEn) in just one (oru) second (noDiyil)...
Now, I have to (vENDum) go (pOga), so please do not (vENDAm) say (Solla) anything to prevent (taDai - literally means obstacle/arguement against) it, Oh mother of mine (tAyE)!
{my comment: even here, krishNa/composer takes care to not say that he doesn't care for butter!}

Scare tactics 1:
yamunA nadi karaiyil yeppozhudum kaLvar bhayam
kaLvar vandu unai aDittAl kalangiDuvAi kaNmaNiyE

There is always (yeppozhudum) the scare (bhayam) of theives and rogues (kaLvar) on the banks (karaiyil) of the river (nadi) yamunA. If these rogues (kaLvar) beat you (unai) up (vandu aDittAl), you will be upset (kalangiDuvAi) my darling (kaNmaNi - possibly the closest translation is 'apple of my eye')!

krishNA's 'I don't scare easily' 1:

kaLLanukku oru kaLLan unDO kanDadunDO Sollum ammA
kaLvar vandu yenai aDittAl kanDa tunDam SiediDuvEn

Oh mother (ammA), tell me (Sollum) if have you ever seen (kaNDadu unDO) a (oru) rogue/thief (kaLLan ukku) who will torment another rogue (kaLLan) - if the rogues (kaLvar) do set upon me (vandAl), I will cut them into pieces (kanDa tunDam SeidiDuvEn) - krishNA, the stealer of butter and hearts of people, very cleverly accepts that, and uses it to get out of his mothers request to not go out!

Scare Tactics 2:
gOvardhana giriyil ghOramAna mrigangaL unDu
karaDi puliyai kanDAl kalangiDuvAi kaNmaNiyE

yaSOdA knows it is a losing battle, so she tries to steer him away from the gOvardhan mountain - she says, there are (uNDu) very fearsome (ghOram Ana) animals (mrigangaL) on mount (giriyil) gOvardhan. You will certainly be upset (kalangiDuvAi) if you (kanDAl) see the big and ferocious bears (karaDi) and tigers (puli).

I don't scare easily 2:
kATTu mrigangaL ellAm yennai kanDAl ODi varum
kUTTam kUTTam Aga vandAl, vETTai ADi jeittiDuvEn

All (ellAm) the animals (mrigangaL) in the forrest (kATTu) are my friends - when they see (kaNDAl) me (yennai) they come (varum) running (ODi) to greet me. However, if they gang up on me (kUTTam kUTTam Aga vandAl), I will hunt them (vETTai ADi) and subdue them (jeittiDuvEn).

Final, last ditch attempt - invoke the DAD:
paTSam uLLa nandagOpar bAlan yengE endru kETTAl 
yenna badil SollvEn aDA, yennuDaiya kaNmaNiyE 

When your beloved/partial (paTSam uLLa) dad, nandgOpa returns home from his duties, and asks, 'where (yengE) is my son (bAlan)?' what (yenna) can I say (SolvEn) in reply (badil), my (yennuDaiya) precious one (kaNmaNiyE)

Don't worry, I have that covered as well!

bAlaruDan vIdiyilE pandADurAn yenru SollEn
tEDi yennai varuvardarkkuL ODi vandu ninriDuvEn....

Just tell him (SollEn) that I am out on the street (vIdiyilE), playing (ADurAn) ball (pandu) with (uDan) my friends, the other boys (bAlar)...and even before you come (varuvadarkkuL) searching (tEDi) for me (yennai), I will run back (ODi vandu) and be there (ninriDuvEn - literally means, I will be standing there) with them! - you can imaging the last words being hurled over his shoulder as he is out the door before gOpammA can come up with any more reasons.....