Bharathi's wake-up call

I beckon you dear!
To come here...

With eyes lit so bright,

a strong heart and gleeful words,

with strong shoulders,
and a clear mind.

Rise against smallness of thought,

But feel for those who are humble!
Walk like a might Ox my dear,
I beckon you here!

I beseech you young India,

to show your unmatched skill.
Rise and shine like the morning sun,
on a land that lost it's luster!

I beckon you to esteem,

the culture that seems lost.
With just a gaze of your eyes,
go beyond both fame and infamy!

~ Narayan Srinivasan, 12/12/2014

Note:

As a tribute to the great Tamil poet, Subramanya Bharati: Made an attempt to base this work on one of his motivational classics.

It is not easy to match the original poem, for it's simple but very uplifting rhtym and in the way he called the people of India to come forward with a combination of strength and humility, heart and mind, intellect and emotion!

The original repeats the words "vaa vaa vaa" - an emphatic way of calling someone. The word "vaa" in tamil means "come". Calling thrice shows emphasis to listen to the message. Bharati uses optimistic words to encourage people to awaken to their potential and bring back the forgotten luster - these were times India was under British rule!

The last verse I believe is a reference to Arjuna (the word pArthan is used in the original poem); and connected to the message to go beyond the duality of fame and infamy; as in acting without attachment to fame or fear of infamy.

While those words decades ago had their reason: the voice of reason and tact in his poem are universally appealing and uplifting! 

The original can be found in this link (copied the content in Tamil as well).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/142949820/Bharathiyar-Songs-LYRICS

OLi padaitha kaNNinai vaa vaa vaa

uRudhi konda nenjinaai vaa vaa vaa
kaLi padaiththa mozhiyinaai vaa vaa vaa
kadumai konda thoLinaai vaa vaa vaa

theLivu petra madhiyinaai vaa vaa vaa
siRumai kaNdu ponguvaai vaa vaa vaa
eLimai kaNdiranguvaai vaa vaa vaay
eRu pol nadaiyinaai vaa vaa vaa

iLaya bharadhathinaai vaa vaa vaa

edirila Valathinaai vaa vaa vaa
oLi izhandha naatile nindReRum
udhaya gyayiRoppave vaa vaa vaa

kaLai izhandha naatile mun pole

kaLai siRakka vandhanai vaa vaa vaa
viLayum maNmbu yavaiyum paarththan pol
vizhiyinal viLakkuvai vaa vaa vaa