Saturday, December 26, 2015

Write along!

The writer writes along.
Fame is not a factor,
Nor is the name.
The writer writes along,
For writing is what he likes.

The writer writes along.
Change might come,
Or not.
But she writes along.
For writing is her wont.

The writer writes on.
When the moment arrives,
How can the thought be dammed?
So he writes along.
For what else can he do?

She writes and writes.
Sometimes out of a whim,
Sometimes out of a drive.
She writes along.
For writing is her game!

Friday, December 25, 2015

Knowledge

She resides on a pure lotus,
In the harp's notes,
In endless joy,
And in the poet's heart!

She lights up knowledge,
That is sought and understood.
She's the message of kindness,
Of blemish-less sages.

She lives in maidens' sweet songs,
In a child's babble,
In the song of a cuckoo,
And in the parrot's tongue!

In sincere work and in a painting,
In temples and their towers,
She is in the beauty of these.
Oh, she is bliss personified!

Source: Vellai thAmarai poovil iruppAL
Poet: Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati
Translated on: Dec 17, 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

No fear, no fear, no such thing as fear!

No fear, no fear, no such thing as fear!
Even if the whole world opposes us,
And treats us with disdain and lowly,
Even if we have to eat by begging,
Or lose everything we desire.
No fear, no fear, no such thing as fear!

Even if voluptuous maidens flash their eyes on us,
Or a friend feeds us poison;
If green armies were to march towards us,
Or the sky comes crumbling down on us;
No fear, no fear, no such thing as fear!

Poet:
MahAkavi Subramanya Bharati
Tamil Text Reference: 
Translator: Narayan Srinivasan


~ This poem has motivated so many. One can see the intensity of BharatiAr’s passion for India to be freed from British rule!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Open up!

As we look at the world, with all its walls and lines,
May we also look at it from a really far, far place.
Where are those walls and lines?

As we see another being's differences,
May we also look at what is common.
Where from our breath comes from?

He is this, she is that,
The world is all mayhem - we say.
Let's calm down and work it out.

To view each event by its own light,
To see each zebra by its own stripe.
Ah, the glory of universal vision!