By N.V.Subbaraman from Chennai, India
The great national poet Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar had unbounded patriotism, love for the languages-he was a master of eighteen languages it is said and believed- love for the people and their tradition and culture, infectious ‘optimism’ and fearlessness.
In this issue, we see his beautiful poem on –“FREEDOM- LITTLE SPARROW”
Original in Tamil
விடுதலை – சிட்டுக் குருவி
பல்லவி
விட்டு விடுதலை யாகிநிற் பாயிந்தச்
சிட்டுக் குருவியைப் போலே.
சரணங்கள்
1. எட்டுத் திசையும் பறந்து திரிகுவை
ஏறியக் காற்றில் விரைவொடு நீந்துவை
மட்டுப் படாதெங்கும் கொட்டிக் கிடக்குமிவ்
வானொளி யென்னும் மதுவின் சுவையுண்டு (விட்டு)
2 பெட்டையி னோடின்பம் பேசிக் களிப்புற்றுப்
பீடையி லாததோர் கூடு கட்டிக் கொண்டு
முட்டைதருங் குஞ்சைக் காத்து மகிழ்வெய்தி
முந்த வுணவு கொடுத்தன்பு செய்திங்கு (விட்டு)
3 முற்றத்தி லேயுங் கழனி வெளியிலும்
முன்கண்ட தானியம் தன்னைக் கொணர்ந்துண்டு
மற்றப் பொழுதுகதைசொல்லித் தூங்கிப்பின்
வைகறை யாகுமுன் பாடி விழிப்புற்று (விட்டு)
TRANSLITERATION
Viitu vituthalai yaaginir paayindhach
Cittuk kuruviayaip poalae.
Ettuth thisaiyum parandhu thirikuvai
Eariyak kaatril viraivotu neendhuvai
Mattup padaadhengum kottik kidakkumiv
VaanoLi yennum madhuvin suvaiyuNdu (Vittu)
Pettaiyi noadinbam paesik kaLipputrup
Peedaiyi laadhadhoar koodu kattik koNdu
Muttaitharung kunjaik kaaththu magizveydhi
Mundha vuNavu koduththanbu seydhingu (Vittu)
Mutraththi laeyung kazani veLiyilum
MunkaNda dhaaniyam thannaik koNarndhuNdu
Matrap pozhudhu kadhaisollith thoongippin
Vaigarai yaagumun paadi vizhupputru (Vittu)
TRANSLATION
In English
FREEDOM- LITTLE SPARROW
Leaving slavery, you stand like this
Sparrow in freedom.
Fly all over in the directions eight
Climb up and fastly swim in the high air
Available in plenty boundless light
Enjoying the taste of the nectar right (Leaving)
Freedom to enjoy the company of
Your lady love sparrow-build home yours
The egg you lay be preserved with joy free
Give food of freedom and show your love true! (Leaving)
In the corridor and agriculture lands
Grains you make be brought in freedom-sands
Narrate the tale of freedom and make it sleep
Get up before the dawn next in joy and peace (Leaving)
Yes, Bharathiyar’s dream ever was the nation’s freedom from the foreign yoke and a country of great potentials of the past, present and future. He displayed these sentiments in all his works of verse and prose. Let us enjoy.
( to be continued)
சிட்டுக்குருவி போன்றே அழகான அருமையான கவிதைக்குருவி,
தன் குட்டிச்சிறகை விரித்து
விரிந்து பறந்த வானை அளக்கிறது!
It is only technically we got freedom as the rulers have changed.But the slavery has not left us. The present day exploitation of the poor by the rich, by all sorts of mafia gangs and the willful defaulters of everything and the attitude of the Govt to pass on the burden on to the shoulders of the common man …..the slavery is actually increasing day after day. I really look for the day when Bharathiyar’s dream of leaving slavery, and flying all over in the eight directions like a Sparrow would be become a reality.
What a beautiful comparison of our freedom with the effortless flight of the sparrow unfettered in its daily routine from dawn to the dusk!
Alas, we lack the freedom spirit and want others to be slaves and take care of our exclusive needs!
The way the sparrow behaves shows how we the humans should eulogize the freedom in every activity we engage in!
Mahakavi Bharathi appeals for a world, free of slavery and head towards development in all aspects!
A nice translation!
Freedom! The yearning of the hearts of millions of our forefathers is yet to be a reality. The slavery of the physical and mental is still there. May be, the running after the so called up gradation has in my opinion is leading to the present state, where parents (not all) tale pride in claiming that there progeny are better than many , as they have left the shores of their mother land to seek more and more physical comforts. One of the great speakers of our times says” in seeking the monetary gains, the children often leave their parents to the mercy of old age homes.
As the parent tries to console a crying child by giving a candy or toy, the parents are often given Dollars, Euros and Pounds in lieu of love and attention. The soothing words, the affectionate touch are being replaced by these acts. ” Isn’t true? Ask any parent whose children have settled in other countries.
Hope the Freedom that Sree Bharathiyar yearned for comes in its totallity soon.
Thanks Dr. Bhaskar and TCS Reddy.