By N. V. Subbaraman from Chennai

Of all the virtues one can possess, I deem ‘optimism’ as the best! As I was brooding over this, some of the quotations of the great on this came to my mind.

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.”
― James Branch Cabell, The Silver Stallion

“Believe in Your Heart
Believe in your heart that you’re meant to live a life full of passion, purpose, magic and miracles.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“Follow your heart, listen to your inner voice, stop caring about what others think.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

“A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds”

Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.

Government is an evil; it is only the thoughtlessness and vices of men that make it a necessary evil. When all men are good and wise, government will of itself decay.

Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.

― P.B. Shelley
I just compared optimism displayed by one of my three mentors from the heaven-the great National Poet Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar who as an embodiment, wrote a song which forms the mainstay of this week’s article.

Barathiyar was born on 11^th December 1882 and made his exit from the world on 11^th September 1921. India got its independence on 15^th AUGUST 1947. Look at the following song of Bharathiyar written a few years before his death:

Original in Tamil:

சுதந்திரப் பள்ளு

பல்லவி

ஆடுவோமே – பள்ளு பாடுவோமே;

ஆனந்த சுதந்திரம் அடைந்து விட்டோமென்று  (ஆடுவோமே)

1

பாப்பானை ஐயரென்ற காலமும் போச்சே-வெள்ளைப்

பரங்கியைத் துரையென்ற காலமும் போச்சே – பிச்சை

ஏற்பாரைப் பணிகின்ற காலமும் போச்சே –நம்மை

ஏய்ப்போருக் கேவல்செய்யும் காலமும் போச்சே (ஆடுவோமே)

2

எங்கும் சுதந்திரம் என்பதே பேச்சு – நாம்

எல்லோரும் சமமென்பது உறுதியாச்சு;

சங்கு கொண்டே வெற்றி ஊதுவோமே – இதைத்

தரணிக்கெல் லாமெடுத்து ஓதுவோமே.     (ஆடுவோமே)

3

எல்லோருக்கும் ஒன்றென்னும் காலம் வந்ததே – பொய்யும்

ஏமாற்றும் தொலைகின்ற காலம் வந்ததே – இனி

நல்லோர் பெரியரென்னும் காலம் வந்ததே – கெட்ட

நயவஞ்சக் காரருக்கு நாசம் வந்ததே.       (ஆடுவோமே)

4

உழவுக்கும் தொழிலுக்கும் வந்தனை செய்வோம் – வீணில்

உண்டுகளித் திருப்போரை நிந்தனை செய்வோம்.

விழலுக்கு நீர்பாய்ச்சி மாய மாட்டோம் – வெறும்

வீணருக்கு உழைத்துடலம் ஓயமாட்டோம்.  (ஆடுவோமே)

5

நாமிருக்கும் நாடு நமது என்ப அறிந்தோம் – இது

நமக்கே உரிமையாம் என்ப தறிந்தோம் – இந்தப்

பூமியில் எவர்க்கும் இனி அடிமை செய்யோம் – பரி

பூரணனுக் கேயடிமை செய்து வாழ்வோம்.  (ஆடுவோமே)

TRANSLITERATION

Aaduvoamae – paLLu paaduvoamae;

Aanandha suthandhiram adaindhu vittoamenru   (aaduvoamae)

1

Paarppaanai aiyarenra kaalamum poacchae – veLLaip

Parangkiyai dhuraiyenra kaalamum poachchae – pichchai

Aerpaaraip paNikinra kaalamum poachchae – nammai

Aeyppoaruk kaevalseyyum kaalamum poachchae     (aaduvoamae)

2

Engkum suthandhiram enbadhae paechchu – naam

Elloarum samamenbadhu urudhiyaachchu;

Sangku koNdae vetri oodhuvoamae – idahith

TharaNikkel laameduththu oadhuvoamae.    (aadunoamae)

3

Elloarukkum onrennum kaalam vandhadhe – poyyum

Aemaatrum tholaikinra kaalam vandhadhae – ini

Nalloar periyarennum kaalam vandhadhae – ketta

Nayavanjak kaararukku naasam vandhadhae.         (aaduvoamae)

4

Uzhavukkum thozhilukkum vandahanai seyvoam  -veeNil

UNdukaLith thiruppoarai nindhanai seyvoam.

Vizhalukku neer paaychchi maaya maattoam – verum

VeeNarukku uzhaiththudalam oayamaattoam.       (aaduvoamae)

5

Naamirukkum naadu namadhu enba dharindhoam – idhu

Namakkae urimaiyaam enba dharindhoam – indhap

Bhoomiyil evarkkum ini adimai seyyoam – pari

PooraNanuk kaeyadimai seydhu vaazhvoam.          (aaduvoamae)

TRANSLATION

FREEDOM FOLK SONG

Come on, let us sing,

As Freedom’s bliss has arrived;

Come on, let us dance,

As liberty we have already achieved.   (Come on)

1

Days of hailing a Brahmin as God are gone-

Days of calling the white as Lord are gone

Days of bowing to those who receive their alms are gone

Days of bending before those who deceive us are gone!  (Come on)

2

Freedom is the talk of the people everywhere

That we are all equal is confirmed

With the conch shells let us beam our success

Let us make the world around us know well!  (Come on)

3

To all it is one and the same- the days have come

Deceit and falsehood leaving the days have come

Good are indeed the great- the days have come

Evil doers to become extinct- the days have come. (Come on)

4

Let us honor the sweat and toil of the labor

Let us mock at those who revel in vain

No more to waste our labor for nothing

No more to serve the greedy drones. (Come on)

5

The land on which we stand we know sure is ours

We are the owners of this land we occupy we know

No more to be slaves for any in this earth-

We bow and revere the Great God the almighty alone!   (Come on)

 

In the above small poem, the poet looks to the future of the free India and sings as if he has already realized the dream!

Boundless optimism displayed by the great poet is seen and felt through this classic poem! This in fact inspired millions to join the journey to Indian freedom under the national leadership. That we won what Bharathiyar optimistically envisaged three decades in advance!