Selective Amnesia There was a point to this. But I forgot.

18Jun/103

தீர்த்தக் கரையினிலே: The pain of separation

நானொருவன் மட்டிலும் – பிரி வென்பதோர்
நரகத் துழலுவதோ

Why must I alone
be enveloped by the hell of loneliness,
my precious, my iris?

உன்றன் மேனியை
ஆயிரங்கோடி முறை
நாடித் தழுவி மனக் – குறை தீர்ந்து நான்
நல்ல களி யெய்தியே,
பாடிப் பரவசமாய் – நிற்கவே தவம்
பண்ணிய தில்லை யடி!

blessed will I not be,
by the haven that’s your company?
Will I not hold you, hug you, once, twice, a thousand
fill my heart with your embrace,
and the air with my song
of joy?

பார்த்த விடத்திலெல்லாம் – உன்னைப்போலவே
பாவை தெரியு தடீ!

My precious, my iris
all I see, everywhere
are you

(Also see: Chenthil’s version; my other translations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Comments (3) Trackbacks (0)
  1. You seem to like the word ‘iris’ a lot. For me, it is too technical a word to be used in a poem like this. pupil is almost a synonym, but it could be used as a comparator under some scenarios when you want to do colors.

    Maybe try some archaic forms, ken for example.

  2. wow the font looks so difficult! like the translation!

  3. wonderful! this has been one of my favorite songs too albeit in telugu. i’m really amazed at how different the both verses sound. of course while bharathiar wrote it in tamil, sri sri wrote it in telugu.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgW8AWr3kc0


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