Category: Bharathiyar poem translation

English translation of tamil poems, written by revolutionary poet Mahakavi Bharathiyar

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Prayer to God

Prayer to God

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

How many crores1 of joy You fashioned!
Our Lord! O, Lord! O, Lord!

Spirit with matter – You melded
To forge the Five Elements,
Creating Heaven and Earth,
All those worlds, a treasure of colors –
A profusion of resplendent beauty.

Blissfulness is a state You created,
Where the awakened soul is fully realized,
Piety is a state You created –
Our Supreme! O, Supreme! O, Supreme!

1 – One crore is equal to ten million units. Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Prayer to God” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem Translation- The Heart cannot Endure

National Songs

15. Current State of the People of Bharatham1

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

1.  The heart cannot endure
Dwelling upon fickle minded humans,
Who live in deathly trepidation –
There is nothing in this world that doesn’t frighten them;
‘Wily ghosts’, they claim,
‘Dwells on this tree, lives in that pond,
‘Sleeps on the roof’s crest,’ – distress themselves,
In rumination, frighten themselves.         (The heart…)
Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem Translation- The Heart cannot Endure” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poems – The Victory Drum

The Victory Drum

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

Strike the victory drum – Strike it,
Strike the victory drum.

We vanquished the ghost of trepidation –
We split the serpent of falsehood, drank away its life;
To absorb the entire celestial world like elixir,
We embrace the life of profundity. Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poems – The Victory Drum” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poems – Liberation – Little Sparrow

Liberation – Little Sparrow

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

Stay liberated –
Like this little sparrow

In eight directions, it flies and roams,
Into the air, it ascends; swims rapidly through,
In measureless abundance lay,
The sky awash in light, is the nectar it savors Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poems – Liberation – Little Sparrow” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poems – Nandhalala

Nandhalala

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

On the wings of the raven Nandhalala1 – is manifest
The black of your hue, Nandhalala;

In all the trees that come into vision, Nandhalala – is manifest
The green of your hue, Nandhalala;

In every sound that is audible, Nandhalala – resonates
The music of your song, Nandhalala; Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poems – Nandhalala” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poems – Kannama (3)

Kannamma (3)

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

Permeating wind O, Kannamma1 –
Musing over your love makes me ecstatic
Elixir fount your lips,
Moon soaked brimming eyes,
Smelted to purest gold – your body;
In this world, for as long as I live –
You satiate my mind, precluding distractions
Transforming me into a celestial being, right here (on earth).

You are my jubilant life O, Kannamma –
All of my time, is in your devotion, Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poems – Kannama (3)” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Rendezvous Missed

Rendezvous missed

(Original poem by Bharaithyar)

By banks of the sacred river, on the southern corner,
In the garden of Champaka1 (flowers),
Should I wait, you promised to come in the moon
Accompanied by a friend(chaperone).
You broke your word O, Kannamma!2
My heart is atremble!
Everywhere I look – your semblance
Emerge in everything; Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Rendezvous Missed” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Introduction to, “Bharathiyar Poem Translation”

Subramaniya Bharathi, was a 20th century Indian, Tamil poet. He wrote poems in Tamil language which is rich in literature and like most of its contemporary languages, such as Sanskrit or Greek, only the scholars could savor its richness and beauty, which made it difficult for the ordinary person to read and comprehend.

So he wrote poems in a simplified version of Tamil without compromising the richness of the language. Thus anyone with literacy in Tamil could enjoy these poems, without requiring a degree in Tamil literature.

His poems carried a certain amount of energy because his passion runs through them all vividly, as it spans the spectrum of human experience. Continue reading “Introduction to, “Bharathiyar Poem Translation”” →

Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Besought

Besought

(Original poem by Bharathiyar)

Why build an exquisite veena1,
Only to be heedlessly cast-off into dust?
Tell me O! Sivasakthi2 –
You, (who) created me with a scintillating mind
Grant me fortitude
To devote my life in welfare of this State
Tell me O! Sivasakthi – Would you let me
Become a burden to this land? Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem Translation – Besought” →