Tamizh Rhymes for Tulika Blogathon

Growing up in a household of aunts and cousins there was never a shortage of rhymes or stories. When we ran out of steam, Thatha just made one up to entertain us. Ever since Maya learnt to gurgle we've been singing Tamizh songs and rhymes to her, some were run-of-the-mill ones that we picked from books but most were specific to what I heard while growing up.

My favourite ofcourse is the song we sing to teach them words. The first sounds we teach the baby(atleast in our home) is "Aakku" and "Ingu". The reason being these sounds are close to the gurgling noises and cries the baby makes.
The song is the kind where you can keep adding to it as your imagination soars...it's all about cuddling up to your baby and making her feel loved.

Ingu ingu-nu solli
Elavan thoppukku sendru
sola maambazham thindru
solli valarntha kiliyo?
chendo? sura kozhuntho?
sotrukku vaartha nei thuliyo? [Thatha's fave line: Are you the drop of ghee in my food?]
kattu karumbo?
kanno? maniyo?
theno? thinayo?
thevittadha thellamudho?
paalo? pazhamo?
paagupadatha sarkkarayo?

I still remember the way Mayalou used to practically chew off Thatha's and Achi's faces as they held her close and sang this to her. Every morning after her bath I would lay Maya down next to Achi and she would just keep talking or singing to her. It never mattered what the topic was, as long as there was someone to talk to her Maya was happy...actually she still is, except now the roles are reversed. She wants someone to listen as she yaps non-stop :)

Around 2 months when the babies start to look around and try to flex their fingers, we sang the following rhyme, making flower gestures with the wrist for the baby to see and maybe learn(eventually).

Thaa poo thamarai poo
thaayar kuduthathu shenbagha poo
maampoo maathulam poo
maatha thoduthathu malligai poo
poo poo, puliyam poo
ponnu mudinjathu pichi poo

Once they've mastered flexing and moving their wrist everytime they hear the song, we move to the next rhyme. Spread your left palm, and then tap it with the right forefinger as if a spoon is tapping a plate.

Athai athai nei oothu
aari pochu naa maaten
Chithi chithi nei oothu
sindhi pochu naa maaten
innum konjam nei oothu
enakku konjam nei oothu

[Loose translation:
Athai athai pour some ghee
(athai answers)It's gone cold, so I won't
Chithi Chithi pour some ghee
(chithi answers)it is spilt, so I won't
Give me more ghee
Give me more ghee]

It's kind of hard to write Tamizh rhymes in English. So once I find time to write in Tamizh, I will add the other songs.