Vedikkai Manidhar (Tamil - Risible People) by Subramaniya Bharathi
(Assuming we won't have any objections to poems in the vernacular....)Thaedi choru dhinam thindru
pala chinnanchiru kadhaigaL pesi
vaadi thunbam miga uzhandru
pirar vaada pala seigai seidhu
narai koodi kizhapparuvam eidhi
kodum kootrukkirayaagi maayum
sila vedikkai manidharai poLavey
naanum veezhven endru ninaiththaayO?
- Subramania Bharathi
It is very tough to attempt a translation of anything written in pre-1950s Tamil, and infinitely tougher to translate someone like Bharathi. My sincere attempt follows (better translation welcome)
Scavenging for their daily rice,
And wagging chins on various insignificant fibs
Dejected in spirit, and toiling in vain suffering
Performing deeds that scathe fellow-men
Aging with greyed hair (in due course)
Burdened to hear noxious bile (churned of them)
Like these risible people (who live in vain)
Did you think I would fall suit
And be Struck down?
That being the translation in literal, following is the message in spirit....
Did you think, (Oh Time),
that i too would give up and fall ,
like these risible fools who -
in search of food,
in useless gossip,
in suffering,
in speaking ill and while spoken ill of
get older and die ?
I hope that came across - at least half as passionate as how it sounds in Tamil. Bharathi - to beginners - was a fire-brand nationalist poet from Tamil Nadu, who in his 39 years of existence, penned such passionate verses in Tamil - that still reverberate in Tamil consciousness. He was a revolutionary in letter and in spirit, and espoused a unique brand of "Secular-Hindu-Indian-reformist-nationalism" quite contrasting with the latter day secessionist literature. The very fact that Bharathi's verses have survived the onslaught of the Dravidian movement speaks volumes of the depth of his writings. India's own Pablo Neruda.
posted by Woodworm @ 8:14 AM
13 Comments:
Happy to see Bharathi's inspirational poems translated in english.Feel proud to read this.
He proved that he is not one in
flock of such"vedikkai manidhar".
According to me he is a prophet,
a man speaking to men.
good translation.. i liked it..
amazing work ... go thru my blog too http://deadpoetaks.blogspot.com/
You have such a beautiful translation here! I attempted the same and oh, it is so hard to translate him! Hats off to you!
Thanks,
for "thedi thinan choru...."
I got it after a long surch. Thanks again.
Awesome lines penned by Bharathi and an excellent attempt to reproduce it in English. There is a slight deviation actual poem - one word missing and one word modified. Try to make this change if possible.
Honestly I was moved to tears to see a good english translation of those verses that has forever remained on the soft board in front of me and has inspired me for as long as I can remember. Just wanted to say thanks.
It is extremely difficult to bring the bharathi effect in english. infact impossible. Nice attempt though! But "naanum veezhven enru ninaithayo" coming at the end brings in the effect, which is missing in the english translation.
Excellent translation! On a sunday afternoon, I had a craving to read a bharathiyar's poem; I googled these lines and stumbled into your transaltion and the original poem. Words cannot express how thankful I am. You have made me and many others very happy and greatful! Thank you very much :-)
சிறுகதைகள் பேசி - மனம்
வாடித்
kadhaigaL pesi
vaadi thunbam miga
add manam
its very nice........tnxxxxxxxx
if u can get into the real meaning of this poem, it will stir your soul and give you motivation to achieve
revathi
message in spirit- awesome!!! just loved it...
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