Category: Bharathiyar poem translation

English translation of Tamil poems by revolutionary poet Mahakavi Bharathiyar.

Bharathiyar poem translation

Bharathiyar Poem – Victory

Image by Shelly Paul

Victory

May actions embarked upon be victorious,
Everywhere beheld, let there only be triumph,
For the proclamations made, let them be victorious;
I pray that you grant me these, O Kaali!

Come obstacles from God,
The entire human race,  
Vanquish she would, Great, Merciful Kaali – 
So, in this world, victory would be mine.

May every single thought be victorious,
Victory everywhere, in everything,
Like a vision of precious life she stands –
Mother Kaali grant me her blessings.

Won’t earth, wind, water, fire
And heaven stand in salutation?
Won’t celestial beings humbly serve -
Those who pray for victory at Kali’s feet?

Note: The poem is a prayer to Goddess Kaali, asking her to grant success in everything – thoughts, actions, just about in everything and everywhere. Godess Kaali, the great Vanquisher- also the slayer of evil – seems to be the appropriate god to pray to, for overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of success – a success so glorious, that the Five Elements and the celestial beings would bow down in salutation.

வெற்றி

– சுப்ரமணிய பாரதியார்
1. எடுத்த காரியம் யாவினும் வெற்றி 
       எங்கு நோக்கினும் வெற்றிமற் றாங்கே 
  விடுத்த வாய்மொழிக் கெங்கணும் வெற்றி 
       வேண்டி னேனுக் கருளினள் காளி;
  தடுத்து நிற்பது தெய்வத மேனும்
       சாரு மானுட மாயினு மஃதைப் 
  படுத்து மாய்ப்ப ளருட்பெருங் காளி 
       பாரில் வெற்றி யெனக்குறு மாறே.

2. எண்ணு மெண்ணங்கள் யாவினும் வெற்றி 
       எங்கும் வெற்றி யெதனிலும் வெற்றி 
  கண்ணு மாருயி ரும்மென நின்றாள்
       காளி தாயிங் கெனக்கருள் செய்தாள் 
  மண்ணுங் காற்றும் புனலு மனலும் 
       வானும் வந்து வணங்கிநில் லாவோ?
  விண்ணு ளோர்பணிந் தேவல்செய் யாரோ 
       வெல்க காளி பதங்களென் பார்க்கே?
Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem – Spared Coconut Grove

Image by Shelly Paul

Spared Coconut Grove

1.  Among the fields - 
    On the bank of a luxuriant pool 
    Not a soul in sight -
    I came in solitude, seeking comfort;

2.  When a squall blew through -    
    The trees - could they even be counted?
    Like seedlings they scattered,
    All over the land.

3.  On a small embankment
    Stood a tiny coconut grove - 
    Poor man’s property,
    Not pulverized by the storm.

4.  Some were felled – the trees,
    But several remained
    Spared by the God of Wind,
    So, it(grove) should live.

5.  I have seen solitude – 
    In that there is relish,
    Mist extinguishing sunshine –
    Honey treacle’s sweetness,
Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem – Spared Coconut Grove” →
Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem – Needful

Image by Shelly Paul/Flickr

Needful

Steadfast mind is needed,
Sweetness in words are needed,
Goodness in thoughts are needed,

Tantalizing must be attained,
Dreams must be realized,
Swift possession (of such realization) is needed.

Wealth and joy are needed,
Eminence in this world is needed,
(Inner) Eye1 must awaken,
Resolve in action is needed,

Women’s liberation is needed,
The Great God must watch over,
Fruitful Earth is needed,
Heaven should manifest here.

Truth must prevail,
Om, Om, Om, Om
Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem – Needful” →
Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Song – Kannamma – My Sweetheart – 1

Kathakali Dancers
Image by Shelly Paul – Kathakali Dancers
Visual Amazement
Piercing, brilliant eyes – Kannama,
Are they sun or moon?
Round black eyes – Kannama,
Are they the blackness of the sky?
Like the black-blue saree of silk,
Studded with diamonds;
Are the stars that manifest,
In the middle of the night!

Garden flower’s splendor - 
Is that your splendid smile?
The blue waves of the sea – 
Are the waves in your heart!1
Graceful cuckoo’s song – 
The sweetness of your voice!
Tender maiden – Kannamma,
Embracing love, I feel.
Continue reading “Bharathiyar Song – Kannamma – My Sweetheart – 1” →
Bharathiyar poem translation, Poetry

Bharathiyar Poem – Ammakannu Song

Ammakannu Song1

Lock is opened by hand – good
Mind is opened by intellect
Song is opened by melody – joyful
Home is opened by a woman(wife).

Plantain leaf2 is wiped clean by hand – mind’s
Home is wiped clean by truth
Hunting is done by arrow – love’s
Fortress is won by words.

Breath is fastened by mind – the 
Body is protected by this deed,
Rice is consumed by mouth – heart’s
Courage is consumed from mother.
Continue reading “Bharathiyar Poem – Ammakannu Song” →
Bharathiyar poem translation

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

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

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

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

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” →