Lyrics of Golconda High School - Sheer Poetry

It has been a while since I have heard lyrics which are like poetry. I loved Billy Joel’s songs or several of the old Hindi or Telugu songs because they say so much, so beautifully and are composed amazingly well. There is a purpose to the whole song and that is what elevates them to another level.

When I first heard the GHS songs I loved the way they sounded. As I heard the songs a few more times I heard the one odd phrase that made sense to me and I burst out with – 'Ah, that exemplifies the spirit of ‘The Men Within’. In fact the songs ‘Jaagore’ and ‘Adugesthey’ totally explain what the book is about. From these songs I can explain the spirit of the book – for days on end - so well are they written and so well have they captured the essence of wanting to take on something big, for a bigger cause than oneself.

Most times with experts, it depends on how well the brief is given. After that they can easily handle delivery and elevate the thought further. Much credit to director Mohana Krishna Indraganti for giving the brief of the songs well, so well that a highly talented poet and lyricist like Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry made some wonderfully poetic and inspiring lyrics for the songs. And the song ‘Yenativo’ written by another heavyweight writer and lyricist Ingraganti Srikanth Sarma garu, Mohana Krishna's accomplished father, are so full of delectable lines and beautifully chosen words.

I called Sagar this morning in all excitement and told him that I would like to translate the songs into English to put up on the blog. Sagar agreed and he came home and we tried our hand at two songs which I will post here. This is an amateurish attempt at getting at the essence of these songs which are far bigger and richer in meaning and composition. So please bear with me while I try for the first time to translate Telugu poetry to English (with Sagar's help of course).

Jaago re (Wake up)
- Original Lyrics in Telugu by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry

 

Let’s look with fresh eyes at how a seed begins its journey

The first lessons in holding one’s head high

Now we’ve grown so tall that we can reach the clouds with our fingertips

There’s no more reason for us to lie in the mud, like infants

Let’s light a resplendent dream in our sleepy eyes

And, let us show the Sun the right path, our path

Jaago, jaago re, jaago, jaago, jaago re, jaago

Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up

The raindrop does not hold itself back fearing for its safety as it leaps to the ground from the skies

And so it grows, drop to river, river to the flood, flood to a limitless ocean

Never doubt if you want to achieve, act before your thought even, the first step to success

 No task is impossible, and that is no secret

There will be challenges at every step, questions will be asked of you

This journey is not one that will end even before it starts

And victory is but but another name of being fully prepared for war

Jaago, jaago re, jaago, jaago, jaago re, jaago

Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up

Adugesthey (Taking a step)

- Original Lyrics in Telugu by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry

So close, just a step away

Is that galaxy of stars

Check out its luminescent glitter

Imagine it landing by your side

Imagine it lighting up your eyes

Maybe it is something that you might have passed by yesterday

Maybe it is something that you will discover tomorrow

Chase it, now, and find out

The heaviest burdens seem like nothing, if your mind is free from doubt

And in the biggest storms and whirlpools, your boat appears to dance, if you hold your nerve

Break on through joyfully, know that nothing can stop you

Don’t stop till the end, and meet tomorrow’s dream, right now

When you work relentlessly, brimming with enthusiasm

The most pleasurable thing is that deep fatigue

If you fight this war as you play a game

The wounds you carry are but commonplace stuff

Go seek your destination, it will not come to you

There’s a turn in every step, a dream in every moment

And there’s a call of victory everywhere, know that

Ah, wonderful stuff! Salutations Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry garu and Ingraganti Srikant Sarma garu. And Mohan of course, for flirting with such depth at such a young age. And the singers, Hemachandra, Anuradha Palakurthi, Sri Krishna and Gita Madhuri for singing these songs so well.  Now for the other songs.