A Tamil Poem

[GANESANS at cl.uh.edu]

8/19/97

 A Tamil Poem by Kavignar Cirpi
**********************************

The following is a translation of a poem by Sirpi Balasubramaniam.
He is visiting USA.

This avant-garde poem is remarkable. In a quest for his
origins, the poet hints at the physical self's commencement
in flesh and blood, his growth to include immediate
environment, his soul's urges to wear religious
clothes, innate pre-civilizational beginnings and associated
barbarianisms haunting as remainders even now. He concludes with the
origins of Life from sun's speck of light and his connection to it.
Within him is a drop of light from the ancient sun surrounded by
darkness.

Many voices heard and spoken by the poet along his
life's journey are used here effectively as devices 
to answer his own inner conscience's moorings.

This image-laden modern poem has lots of uLLuRai of Tholkaappiyar 
or dhvani aspects. That is one way of looking at it.

Washington, DC Lecture, Aug. 30, 1997, 
(For Details, contact Mr. S. Krishnan, 301-869-8202
or Mr. Sundar Chockalingam 301-926-9278)

New Jersey Tamil sangam function, Sep. 6, 1997
(For venue and time, contact Mr. N. Muruganandham, 908-281-6078
or Mr. R. Kumaraswamy of NJ Tamil sangam, 908-549-8937)


Enjoy,
N. Ganesan
nas_ng at lms420.jsc.nasa.gov

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         The Sun's Shadow
     
            SIRPI BALASUBRAMANIAM


    A voice
    stumbled out
    of my interior universe ...

    O
    Whose shadow 
    am I?

    Father.. Grandfather?
    My great-grandfather?
    This unbroken chain
    of my countless
    dead ancestors
 
         ".. he has the ear
          of an elephant
          taking after his grandfather!"

         ".. even now he has turned bald
          a hereditary trait.."

    O
    Whose shadow 
    am I?


    The dust of my village?
    The lonely portia tree
    performing a solitary penance?
    The foam-flecked river
    running wild?

          ".. where has he gone..
          Look around the portia tree.
          will be playing marbles.."
      
          ".. Hey.. whom do you take me for?
          I'm one who grew up
          drinking Aliyar's water"

    O
    Whose shadow 
    am I?

    The earthen lamp
    shining faintly
    in the Mariamman temple?
    The temple tower at Palani
    going high up
    step by step?
    The continuous run
    of the Jain, the Buddhist,
    the Vaishnavaite?

          "The priest is possessed..
          I'm sacred.."

          "I'm carrying files added to files
          as though I'm taking a kavadi for Murugan.."
         
          "Always
          I'm a vegetarian."

    O
    Whose shadow 
    am I?

    The primeval forests
    where the cricket buzzes?
    The cheetah? The ape?
    The cascades -
    the music of the woods?
 
          ".. Look at his face..
          a barbarian in truth."

          "If only he has a tail
          verily would he be a monkry.."

          "Speech.. It is that ..
          It's a cascade, hey.. a veritable cascade!"

    O
    .. Whose, whose,
    whose shadow am I?

       Am I an insignificant worm
       covered by the clinging smear
       of universal darkness?
       On me the brush strokes
       of darkness.. Yet
       within me.. always
       the drops of light (the beams)
       of the ancient sun
       like the gleaming smile
       of a black child.

(Translated by M. S. Ramaswami)    

***********************************************************************

           

Kavignar Dr. Sirpi Balasubramaniam, former Head of Dept, Tamil,
Bharatiyar university, Coimbatore is visiting USA.
Well-known poet and Winner of many awards, like Bharatidasan Parisu
from Govt. of Tamil Nadu.

Once Bharatidasan sang of him:

     naaTTuth thiRam ennE!
      naavuuRip pOnEn naan!

Also, He has translated many poems from Malayalam.
Wrote comparing the poetry of Bharatiyar and VallaththOL.
Wrote poetry using themes from science.
He has graduated many students who are into
Tamil literature research or creative writing.

#########################################
Some of Kavignar Sirpi's Publications
#########################################
1)
Cirpi, 1936-
  Alaiyum cuvatum / Pi. Palacuppiramaniyan (Cirpi).  1. patippu.
Civakankai : Annam, 1994.  125 p. ; 23 cm.
 
SUBJECTS:
  Tamil literature--History and criticism.
 

2) 
Cirpi, 1936-
  Atirai / Cirpi.  2. patippu.  Kovai: Kolam Veliyitu, 1993.  102
p. ; 19 cm.
 
SUBJECTS:
  Verse drama, Tamil.
 
3) 
Cirpi, 1936-
  A comparative study of Bharati and Vallathol / Sirpi Balasubramaniam.  1st
ed.  Tamil Nadu : Kolam Veliyeedu, 1991.  320 p. ; 22 cm.
 
SUBJECTS:
  Paratiyar, 1882-1921--Criticism and interpretation.
  Vallattol, 1878-1958--Criticism and interpretation.
  Study of the works of Paratiyar, 1882-1921, Tamil poet, and Vallattol,
    1878-1958, Malayalam poet.
 
4) 
Cirpi, 1936-
  Curiya nilal / Cirpi.  1. patippu.  Civakankai : Annam, 1990.  96 p. ;
19 cm.
 
NOTES:
  Poems with Scientific themes

5) 
Cirpi, 1936-
  Ilakkiyac cintanai / Cirpi. Kolam Veliyitu ;
Civakankai : Virpanai urimai, Annam, 1989.  124 p. ; 22 cm.

  Critical articles on Tamil literature.
  Includes bibliographical references.

6) 
Cirpi, 1936-
  Mauna mayakkankal / Cirpi.  1st ed.  Kolam Veliyeedu, 1982.
109 p. ; 19 cm.
 
7) 
Cirpi
  Punnakai pukkum punaikal / Cirpi.  1. patippu.  Civakankai : Annam,
1982.  123 p. ; 20 cm.

8)
Cirpi
Makakavi Parati matippitukal : ayvuk katturaikal / tokuppu, Cirpi.
1. patippu.  Civakankai : Virpanai
urimai, Annam, 1981.  ca. 150 p. ; 22 cm.

  Paratiyar, 1882-1921--Criticism and interpretation--Addresses, essays,
    lectures.


9) Kavignar Cirpi manivila malar, 1996
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