by the sea, three notes
1
Rising as
tides high and above
dies as bubbles
Water
2
She walks ashore
me still
within waves
3
Sea swallows sun
Splits bloody red
Spraying the clouds
In the shore
day dries
Slowly
night fritters
waves sorrowful
will be shriller.
***
past tense
a desolate street
in the rain,
under sirissa tree
suddenly
to see you coming
was unbelievable;
yet it happened
after lengthy days,
i saw trembling fingers
holding tight
a book bunch and an umbrella
and battering eyelids
like a butterfly;
you were shocked.
face,
can't look away
rain;
leave,
can't walk away
rain
`let day dawn and rain go'
that heart of yours
prays i think
my little girl
mine,
that day's sun
died that day
itself.
- Urudhiramurthy Cheran.
Note: Cheran is one of the foremost poets of Sri Lanka. These two have been selected from Kalachuvadu's - Nee Ippozhuthu Irangum Aru (You, Now The Downhill River - Cheran's Hundred Poems. Hope I am able to translate many more.
2 comments:
Guess i might need time to go back to Cheran's poems and make a comparison. but as stand alone poems, the translation is outstanding!!!! And i never knew you like Cheran. I am his huge fan! In fact i ve interviewed him but unfortunately not on poems:(
hmmm...the translation needs some tweaking but i love the imagery. and the first poem, i find particularly evocative - i'm reading abandon by pico iyer and they seem to share some soul...fascinating how certain perspectives can cut across language and geography to communicate a common humanity...
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