Poet Kalaimathiyan is one among the poets who belong to
I just wish to present two of his poems to understand his caliber, style and creativity.
Of course these translations will not give enough justice. But even after my translation the poems powerfully speak to the readers about the poet’s merit ands deep insight.
The first poem titled as “The Unending Quests” describe the poet’s place ion the world. The poet has an intellectual thirst unquenched forever, and this thirst urges him to create poems. From the poem we get an idea of the quests and pursuits every poet should have and many lack. The quest of the poet inspires the readers to have such one for his soul’s satisfaction. The inward journey of the poet surpasses the outer exploration of the scientist. The poem gives many answers about the spiritual pursuits and at the same time suggests many riddles about the literary theory we have to adopt.
The never -ending quests
Short-lived dreams
Woven by
The Looms of thought In myriad designs;
In that process
Arise
Innumerable questions
Which are in search of
Suitable answers
Endlessly;
The galaxy
Which occupies the sky
Aggressively
Accelerates
The intellectual pursuit;
The quest
Continues;
Papers
With various answers
Try to quench our intellectual thirst;
Poems in search of the omnipresent
Try to find out
His innovation in creation
The poet’s
Explorations
Transcend time and place;
Those who were
Deeply delving
In material pursuits,
When intend to
Search the Truth,
Get gleaming light of
Metaphysical insights;
The songs are
First tied by the threads of
Affection and attachment;
Afterwards they probe
The whereabouts of reconciliation and peace.
The quests of persons
Who pretend to have found delight
Are nothing
But the mirage found by thirsty deer.
What then is life
Which begins with birth and ends after death?
Nothing but the
Serial of puzzles
For which
We are still in
Search of the key;
I am in intense thirst
Unable to quench, yet.
I drown myself in the pond of truth.
In search of myself
In search of me
To find out whom I am.
The poet considers writing poetry as a penance. The material pursuits and desires drive the poet to find a suitable salvation. Again this process of finding an amicable redemption is distracted by day to day needs and desires. The poet with a full concentration of mind and deep involvement conducts a penance. That penance is his creativity. The resulting yield is his poem, he tells.
Poetry is my Penance
The eternity
Questions my inner mind
And mock at my inability
To find suitable answers;
Sometimes the Time aims at me sharp weapons
Sometimes it offers me with Honey;
The tiny seed of the Banyan tree
Grows as a huge Banyan tree;
The thoughts of the almighty
Always yield me poems.
The ‘Gentlemen’
Who deviate from the righteous path
Targeting only to acquire money
Pretend to be honest
With innocent looking
And wicked minds
They cheat the society
As if they are seers;
I happen to be their neighbor
And involve my self in poetry
My reflections result in poems
The poetry never obliges me in time
If .I am after it
It leaves me laughing;
If in disgust I drive it
It dances like a peacock
Sings like a cuckoo
And abundantly favors me with
Amazing poems
And it is my penance.
Many desires
Unfulfilled wishes
Disturb my peace;
In the world, which is
Just like a noisy market,
Pollute the mind
With unwanted cravings;
Not caring this turmoil
The prayer which I am conducting
The penance which I am doing
Is poetry.
Amidst all sorts of evils
Ignoring the difficulties
Which paralyze my life
I walk like an elephant;
My soul is a fire and
The offering is my poetry.
Now after reading these poems I surely hope that you would have got an understanding of the poet and his creative genius.
