Bharathi – Translated

Subramanya Bharathi is a great Tamil poet, who wrote in early 20th century. While, we, Tamils celebrate him as one of the greatest of the modern times, he is not as well-known-or-renowned outside the Tamil community. The reason, I believe, is that he happens to be extremely difficult to translate. Much of his rhyme, rhythm, simplicity,  sublime choice of words, and impact, is lost in translation. Nevertheless, I have been doing a modest attempt, sporadically, over the last few years, to give glimpses of Bharati to the uninitiated. There are already numerous translations available but considering that none of us have been entirely successful, I am also trying to translate Bharathi, in my style.   In this page, I have created an index to be able to easily locate all Bharathi translations, and related posts, on my blog.

An ode to Maha Shakthi – மோகத்தைக் கொன்றுவிடு

I have no fear – அச்சமில்லை அச்சமில்லை

The day has dawned – பொழுது புலர்ந்தது

Light and darkness – வானமெங்கும் பரிதியின் சோதி

A tiny tract of land – காணி நிலம் வேண்டும்

Ecstasy – காக்கை குருவி எங்கள் ஜாதி

The fire-ling – அஃகினிக் குஞ்சொன்று கண்டேன்

Crafting Bharathi’s veena – நல்லதோர் வீணைசெய்தே

Challenging the God – தேடிச்சோறு நிதந்தின்று

Yadugiri’s biography of Bharathi