Lets Relax! And Stay Mentally Young! Happy Pongal!

Most Gracious Ladies,

I presume all of you are rather heavy with my mental ageing post. I think that most of you became heavy by just seeing the title of the thread. And decided not to come a mile near my forum.
I learn from the replies that many of you are going in search of puzzles, sudokus, crosswords etc to sustain your intellectual health.
This Saturday, with the twin objective of

a) lightening your mood on the eve of pongal and

b) providing some food for emotional health
I am posting the first two stanzas of Bharatidasan's poem Azhakin Sirippu. (The Smile of Beauty) as well as my translation.

This poem will be like a breeze to your mind. It will not shake you to the roots of your being. It will just kiss you gently on your forehead and then let you go your way. But that touch is enough to transform you;enough to shed all the ill-feelings unconsciously stored up in our minds.
For should we not shed them on the eve of Bogi? Bogi is only for burning hatred, enmity and all ill-feelings in the ever-burning fire of love.
And being a transformed person you will celebrate this Pongal with pure happiness and love. May you and yours allways remain blessed.
Varalotti



காலையிளம்பருதியிலேஅவளைக்கண்டேன்
கடற்பரப்பில், ஒளிப்புனலில்கண்டேன்! அந்தச்
சோலையிலே, மலர்களிலே, தளிர்கள்தம்மில்,
தொட்டஇடம்எலாம்கண்ணில்தட்டுப்பட்டாள்!
மாலையிலேமேற்றிசையில்இலகுகின்ற
மாணிக்கச்சுடரில்அவள்இருந்தாள்! ஆலஞ்
சாலையிலேகிளைதோறும்கிளியின்கூட்டந்
தனில்அந்தஅழகென்பாள்காட்சிதந்தாள்

சிறுகுழ்ந்தைவிழியினிலேஒளியாய்நின்றாள்;
திருவிளக்கில்சிரிக்கின்றாள்; நாரெடுத்து
நறுமலரைத்தொடுப்பாளின்விரல்வளைவில்
நாடகத்தைச்செய்கின்றாள்: அடடேசெந்தோள்
புறத்தினிலேகலப்பையுடன்உழவன்செல்லும்
புதுநடையில்பூரித்தாள்; விளைந்தநன்செய்
நிலத்தினிலேஎன்விழியைநிறுத்தினாள்; என்
நெஞ்சத்தில்குடியேறிமகிழ்ச்சிதந்தாள்

I saw her in the tender morning sun!
In the light rays reflected in the sea face!
I saw her in the groves, in the flowers and in the sprouts!
Wherever I went she was there for me to see!
In the evening she was present in the melting ruby rays
Shining in the West, as the sun starts its downward journey!
She was there on the road too!
In the trees by the road-side,
In the group of parrots perched on their branches,
Beauty revealed herself to me!

And she is there as the sparkling light in the eyes of the child!
And she smiles as the glow in the sacred lamp!
Behold, she enacts her full drama in the
Fast moving finger tips of the lady, who, is
Stringing the flowers to make a garland!
She is forever present in the sprightly walk
Of the farmer fieldward-bound with his plough!
And she makes my eye stop
In the matured green of the fully grown crops!
And Beauty has entered my heart
To grant me everlasting joy!


Wishing you all a very happy Pongal!


இனிய பொங்கல் நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்
என்றும் அன்புடன்
வரலொட்டி

Dear Sridhar,

That was a beautiful poem and the translation by you was superb. I am already feeling young after excercising all my neurons these past two days. Now after reading this poem, i am feeling even younger .
Thanks for sharing this with us.

Wishing you Iniya pongal nalvazhuthukkal.

Vandhana

Dear Sridhar,

Thanks for the Pongal gift. The poem was lovely and the English translation was a big help and equally lovely. There is no connection...but all the same...I had to think of the old song.."kalangalil aval vasantham"
It was nice of you to send us this beautiful poem which speaks of the nature's abundant beauty that is all around us at this auspicious time.

L, Kamla

HI IL Ites,

I join hands with Varalotti in wishing you all a very HAPPY PONGAL AND GREAT FUN AND HAPPINESS throughout the year!

Regards,
Purnima
(Varalotti, you poem is awesome, a ideal start for POngal celebrations! thank you for posting it)

Hello Sridhar,

Just reading your peom brings so much calm & peace to my mind. I could just smell the flowers across the fields, the sounds of the flowing streams, birds singing the song of love, ........It was like a gentle caress of the morning breeze flowing thru my hair, it was like the soft gentle warming kisses on a cold, cold morning, - (Oh, my, my, this song is tranferring me to a diff world and I'm getting into a diff mood altogether, I think I need to stop here.....)

thanks for the wonderful poem & wish You and all friends here A Very Happy Pongal!!!

Dear Varalotti,
All poemsonnatureare very appealing.I am fond of wordsworth. The poem relaxes a person and we are now readyfor bhogi. My greetings to all friends for makar sankranthi and pongal.
Regards,
Meenu

Hi Sridhar,

Very nice poem and good translation. I enjoied it very much. Thank you for wishing Pongal. I want to wish you the same and all IL friends.

HAPPY PONGAL 2007

Dear Varalotti,

That's a very nice post....so refreshing too.....the poetry was so beautiful and your translation of the same in English is just perfect...To maintain the essence of the poem in the translation is not an easy job and you have done that with much ease.....!

Wishing you and all ILites a happy pongal.

Regards,
Preethi

you always come with very nice poems and very very nice translations. Thanks for giving chance to read such wonderful poems..lovely lines,carrying all the beauty of nature. Hope you could share more in future..
Happy Pongal to you , Indu and Preethi.