Tuesday, June 28, 2011

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION TEST


HERE'S A POEM THAT THE WELL KNOWN MEDIA PERSON PRANNOY ROY SENT TO ALL HIS TEAM OF NDTV AND ND24X7, WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
 
If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.

SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THIS LONG POEM ALOUD, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, WHEN YOU HAVE TIME.  DO IT AS A FUN EXERCISE, AND NOTE DOWN THE 2 OR 3 NEW WORDS, TO CHECK THEIR PRONUNCIATION LATER.

 
Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.

I will teach you in my verse

Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,

Make your head with heat grow dizzy.

Tear in eye, your dress will tear.

So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,

Dies and diet, lord and word,

Sword and sward, retain and Britain.

(Mind the latter, how it's written.)

Now I surely will not plague you

With such words as plaque and ague.

But be careful how you speak:

Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;

Cloven, oven, how and low,

Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,

Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,

Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,

Exiles, similes, and reviles;

Scholar, vicar, and cigar,

Solar, mica, war and far;

One, anemone, Balmoral,

Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;

Gertrude, German, wind and mind,

Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,

Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.

Blood and flood are not like food,

Nor is mould like should and would.

Viscous, viscount, load and broad,

Toward, to forward, to reward.

And your pronunciation's OK

When you correctly say croquet,

Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,

Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour

And enamour rhyme with hammer.

River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,

Doll and roll and some and home.

Stranger does not rhyme with anger,

Neither does devour with clangour.

Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,

Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,

Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,

And then singer, ginger, linger,

Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,

Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,

Nor does fury sound like bury.

Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.

Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.

Though the differences seem little,

We say actual but victual.

Refer does not rhyme with deafer.

Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.

Mint, pint, senate and sedate;

Dull, bull, and George ate late.

Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,

Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,

Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.

We say hallowed, but allowed,

People, leopard, towed, but vowed.

Mark the differences, moreover,

Between mover, cover, clover;

Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,

Chalice, but police and lice;

Camel, constable, unstable,

Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,

Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.

Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,

Senator, spectator, mayor.

Tour, but our and succour, four.

Gas, alas, and Arkansas.

Sea, idea, Korea, area,

Psalm, Maria, but malaria.

Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.

Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,

Dandelion and battalion.

Sally with ally, yea, ye,

Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.

Say aver, but ever, fever,

Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.

Heron, granary, canary.

Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.

Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.

Large, but target, gin, give, verging,

Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.

Ear, but earn and wear and tear

Do not rhyme with here but ere.

Seven is right, but so is even,

Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,

Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,

Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)

Is a paling stout and spikey?

Won't it make you lose your wits,

Writing groats and saying grits?

It's a dark abyss or tunnel:

Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,

Islington and Isle of Wight,

Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough,

Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?

Hiccough has the sound of cup.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

கவியரசு கண்ணதாசன்



கண்ணதாசன் தமிழ் திரையுலகத்தின் கண் போன்றவர். அழியா புகழ் பெற்ற அவர் மிக சிறந்த பாடல்களை எழுதியிருக்கிறார். அவரது பாடல்களும் அவரது நினைவுகளும் எத்தனை நூற்றாண்டுகள் ஆனாலும் நிலைத்து நிற்க்கும். “எந்த நிலையிலும் எனக்கு மரணம் இல்லை” என்று அவரே பாடிவிட்டார்.



அவர் எழுதிய பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான பாடல்களில் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த சில வரிகளை இங்கே தொகுத்து வழங்குகிறேன்



கண் போன போக்கிலே கால் போகலாமா? கால் போன போக்கிலே மனம் போகலாமா? மனம் போன போக்கிலே மனிதன் போகலாமா? மனிதன் போன பாதையை மறந்து போகலாமா?



கேட்டுக்கொள்வது காதலின் இனிமை. கேட்டால் தருவது காதலி கடமை. இன்பம் என்பது இருவரின் உரிமை. யார் கேட்டாலும் இளமைக்கு பெருமை.



வந்தவரெல்லாம் தங்கிவிட்டால் இந்த மண்ணில் நமக்கே இடம் ஏது.



நான் பிறந்த காரணத்தை நானே அறியும் முன்னே நீயும் வந்து ஏன் பிறந்தாய் செல்வ மகனே.



சென்றவனை கேட்டால் வந்து விடு என்பான் வந்தவனை கேட்டால் சென்றுவிடு என்பான்.



அண்ணார்ந்து பார்கின்ற மாளிகை கட்டி அதன் அருகினில் ஓலை குடிசை கட்டி பொன்னான உலகென்று பெயருமிட்டால் இந்த பூமி சிரிக்கும் அந்த சாமி சிரிக்கும்.



வாழ்க்கை என்றால் ஆயிரம் இருக்கும் வாசல் தோறும் வேதனை இருக்கும். வந்த துன்பம் எதுவென்றாலும் வாடி நின்றால் ஓடுவதில்லை. உனக்கும் கீழே உள்ளவர் கோடி நினைத்துப்பார்த்து நிம்மதி நாடு.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

GAYATRI MANTRA

We all know the Gayatri Mantra and most of us will be chanting it only once in a year on the day immediately following Aavani Avittam.

GAYATRI MANTRA

Om Bhur Bhuva Suvah
Tat Savithur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

I was reading about Guru Peyarchi 2011 and came across the Guru Gayatri Mantra and realised that there are so many other Gayatri Mantra. I have listed below the other Gayatri Mantras:

Sri Ganesa Gayatri

Om Lambhodaraya vidmahe
Mahodaraya deemahi
Thanno danthi prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that god with broad paunch
Oh, God with a big belly, give me higher intellect,
And let the elephant faced one illuminate my mind.

Om Ekadanthaya vidmahe
Vakrathundaya dheemahi
Thanno danthi prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that one tusked God,
Oh, God with broken tusk, give me higher intellect,
And let the elephant faced one illuminate my mind.

Om Thatpurashaya vidhmahe
Vakrathundaya dheemahi
Thanno danthi prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that great male,
Oh, God with broken tusk, give me higher intellect,
And let the elephant faced one illuminate my mind.

Lord Shiva Gayatri

Om Tat Purushaya Vidhmahe
Mahadevaya Dheemahe
Thanno Rudra Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the great Purusha,
Oh, greatest God, give me higher intellect,
And let God Rudra illuminate my mind.

Narayana Gayatri Mantra

Om Narayanaya Vidhmahe
Vasudevaya Dheemahe
Thanno Vishnu Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on Lord Narayana,
Oh, Lord Vasudeva, give me higher intellect,
And let Lord Vishnu illuminate my mind.

Rama Gayatri Mantra

Om Daserathaya Vidhmahe
Sita Vallabhaya Dheemahe
Thanno Rama Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the son of Dasaratha,
Oh, consort of Sita, give me higher intellect,
And let God Rama illuminate my mind.

Krishna Gayatri Mantra

Om Dhamodharaya Vidhmahe
Rukmani Vallabhay Dheemahe
Thanno Krishna Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god whose belly was tied by a rope,
Oh, consort of Rukhmani, give me higher intellect,
And let God Krishna illuminate my mind.

Om Govindaya Vidhmahe
Gopi Vallabhaya Dheemahe
Thanno Krishna Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god who takes care of all beings,
Oh, darling of all gopis, give me higher intellect,
And let God Krishna illuminate my mind.

Venkateswara Gayatri Mantra

Nirnajanaya Vidmahe
Nirapasaya Dheemahe
Thanno Srinivasa Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god who is eternal truth,
Oh, God who does not have attachments, give me higher intellect,
And let God Srinivasa illuminate my mind.

Narasimha Gayatri Mantra

Om Narasimhaya Vidmahe
Vajra Nakhaya Dheemahe
Thanno Narasimha Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god who is the lion man,
Oh, God who has diamond claws, give me higher intellect,
And let God Narasimha illuminate my mind.

Hayagreeva Gayatri Mantra

Om Vaniswaraya Vidmahe
Haya Greevaya Dheemahe
Thanno Hayagreeva Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god of learning,
Oh, God who has a horse face, give me higher intellect,
And let God Hayagreeva illuminate my mind.

Sudharshana Gayatri Mantra

Om Sudharshanaya Vidmahe
Maha Jwalaya Dheemahe
Thanno Chakra Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the holy wheel of Sudharshana,
Oh, Wheel which has great brilliance, give me higher intellect,
And let the wheel illuminate my mind.

Brahma Gayatri Mantra

Om Chathur mukhaya Vidmahe
Hamasaroodaya Dheemahe
Thanno Brahma Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the God with four faces,
Oh, God who rides on the Swan, give me higher intellect,
And let the Lord Brahma illuminate my mind.

Om Vedathmanaya vidmahe,
Hiranya Garbhaya Dheemahi,
Thanno Brahma prachodayath

Om, Let me meditate on The God who is the soul of Vedas,
Oh God, who holds the entire world within you, give me higher intellect,
And let the Lord Brahma illuminate my mind.

Subrahamanya Gayatri Mantra

Om That Purushaya Vidhmahe
Maha Senaya Dheemahe
Thanno Shanmuga Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that great male,
Oh, commander in chief, give me higher intellect,
And let the six faced one illuminate my mind.

Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra

Om Mahadevyaicha Vidhmahe
Vishnu Pathniyaicha Dheemahe
Thanno Lakshmi Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the greatest goddess,
Oh, wife of Lord Vishnu, give me higher intellect,
And let Goddess Lakshmi illuminate my mind.

Saraswathi Gayatri Mantra

Om Vakdeviyai cha Vidhmahe
Virinji Pathniyai cha Dheemahe
Thanno Vani Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the goddess of speech,
Oh, wife of Lord Brahma, give me higher intellect,
And let Goddess Vani illuminate my mind.

Durga Gayatri Mantra

Om Kathyayanaya Vidhmahe
Kanya Kumari cha Dheemahe
Thanno Durgaya Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the goddess who is daughter of Kathyayana,
Oh, maiden Goddess, give me higher intellect,
And let Goddess Durga illuminate my mind.

Radha Gayatri Mantra

Om Vrishabhanujaye Vidhmahe
Krishna priyaya Dheemahe
Thanno Radha Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the daughter of Vrishabhanu,
Oh, darling of Krishna, give me higher intellect,
And let Radha illuminate my mind.

Sita Gayatri Mantra

Om Janaka Nandinye Vidhmahe
Bhumijayai Dheemahe
Thanno Sita Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the daughter of Janaka
Oh, daughter of earth, give me higher intellect,
And let Sita illuminate my mind.

Devendra Gayatri Mantra

Om Sahasra nethrayeVidhmahe
Vajra hasthaya Dheemahe
Thanno Indra Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the thousand eyed one,
Oh, Lord with Vajra as weapon, give me higher intellect,
And let Indra illuminate my mind.

Hanuman Gayatri Mantra

Om Aanjaneya Vidhmahe
Maha balaya Dheemahe
Thanno Hanuman Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the son of Anjana,
Oh, Very strong one, give me higher intellect,
And let Hanuman illuminate my mind.

Aditya Gayatri Mantra

Om Bhaskaraya Vidhmahe
Diva karaya Dheemahe
Thanno Surya Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the Sun God,
Oh, maker of the day, give me higher intellect,
And let Sun God illuminate my mind.

Om Aswadwajaya Vidhmahe
Pasa Hasthaya Dheemahe
Thanno Surya Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the god who has a horse flag,
Oh, God who holds the rope, give me higher intellect,
And let Sun God illuminate my mind.

Chandra Gayatri Mantra

Om Kshira puthraya Vidhmahe
Amrithathvaya Dheemahe
Thanno Chandra Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the son of milk,
Oh, essence of nectar, give me higher intellect,
And let moon God illuminate my mind.

Om Padmadwajaya Vidhmahe
Hema roopaya Dheemahe
Thanno Chandra Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on God who has lotus in his flag,
Oh, God of golden colour, give me higher intellect,
And let moon God illuminate my mind.

Angaaraka Gayatri (Mars)

Om veeradhwajaaya vidmahae
vighna hastaaya dheemahi
tanno bhouma prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has hero in his flag,
Oh, He who has power to solve problems, give me higher intellect,
And let the son of earth God illuminate my mind.

Budha Gayatri (Mercury)

Om gajadhwajaaya vidmahae
sukha hastaaya dheemahi
tanno budha: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has elephant in his flag,
Oh, He who has power to grant pleasure, give me higher intellect,
And let Budha illuminate my mind.

Guru Gayatri (Jupiter)

Om vrishabadhwajaaya vidmahae
kruni hastaaya dheemahi
tanno guru: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has bull in his flag,
Oh, He who has power to get things done, give me higher intellect,
And let Guru illuminate my mind.

Shukra Gayatri (Venus)

Om aswadhwajaaya vidmahae
dhanur hastaaya dheemahi
tanno shukra: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has horse in his flag,
Oh, He who has a bow in his hand, give me higher intellect,
And let Shukra illuminate my mind.

Sanishwara Gayatri (Saturn)

Om kaakadhwajaaya vidmahae
khadga hastaaya dheemahi
tanno mandah: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has crow in his flag,
Oh, He who has a sword in his hand, give me higher intellect,
And let Saneeswara illuminate my mind.

Raahu Gayatri

om naakadhwajaaya vidmahae
padma hastaaya dheemahi
tanno raahu: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has snake in his flag,
Oh, He who has a lotus in his hand, give me higher intellect,
And let Rahu illuminate my mind.

Kethu Gayatri

om aswadhwajaaya vidmahae
soola hastaaya dheemahi
tanno ketu: prachodayaat

Om, Let me meditate on him who has horse in his flag,
Oh, He who has a trident in his hand, give me higher intellect,
And let Kethu illuminate my mind.

Yama Gayatri Mantra

Om Surya puthraya Vidhmahe
Maha Kalaya Dheemahe
Thanno Yama Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the son of Sun God,
Oh, great Lord of time, give me higher intellect,
And let God of death illuminate my mind.

Varuna Gayatri Mantra

Om Jala bimbhaya Vidhmahe
Nila Purushaya Dheemahe
Thanno Varuna Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the reflection of water,
Oh, person of ocean blue, give me higher intellect,
And let the God of water illuminate my mind.

Agni Gayatri Mantra

Om Maha jwalaya Vidhmahe
Agni devaya Dheemahe
Thanno Agni Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the great flame,
Oh, God of fire, give me higher intellect,
And let the Fire God illuminate my mind.

Om Vaiswanaraya Vidhmahe
Laaleelaya Dheemahe
Thanno Agni Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the flame that digests,
Oh, merger of all, give me higher intellect,
And let the Fire God illuminate my mind.

Garuda Gayatri

Om Thathpurushaya Vidhmahe
Suvarna Pakshaya Dheemahe
Thanno Garuda Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that great living being,
Oh, Bird with golden wings, give me higher intellect,
And let the God Garuda illuminate my mind

Nandi Gayatri

Om Thathpurushaya Vidhmahe
Chakrathundaya Dheemahe
Thanno Nandi Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on that great living being,
Oh, Lord of devas, give me higher intellect,
And let the God Nandi illuminate my mind

Prithvi Gayatri Mantra

Om Prithivi devyyaya Vidhmahe
Sahasra murthaye cha Dheemahe
Thanno Prithvi Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the goddess of earth,
Oh, Goddess who has thousand forms, give me higher intellect,
And let Goddess earth illuminate my mind.

Manmatha Gayatri Mantra

Om Kama devaya Vidhmahe
Pushpa vanaya Dheemahe
Thanno Kama Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the God of love,
Oh, God who is the forest of flowers, give me higher intellect,
And let the God of love illuminate my mind.

Tulsi Gayatri Mantra

Om Tulsi devyai cha Vidhmahe
Vishnu priyayai cha Dheemahe
Thanno Brindah Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the Goddess of Ocimum, Oh, Goddess who is dear to Vishnu, give me higher intellect, And let Brindha[1] illuminate my mind.

Shirdi Sai Gayatri Mantra

Om Shirdi vasaya Vidhmahe
Sachithanandaya Dheemahe
Thanno Sai Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the God who lives in Shirdi,
Oh, God who is the ethereal truth and happiness, give me higher intellect,
And let that Sai illuminate my mind.

Sathya Sai Gayatri Mantra

Om Sri Sayeeswaraya Vidhmahe
SAthya Devaya Dheemahe
Thanno Sarva Prachodayath.

Om, Let me meditate on the God Sai,
Oh, God who is the truth, give me higher intellect,
And let the God of everything illuminate my mind