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English translation of Nalladhor veenai seidhen

English translation of Nalladhor veenai seidhen

Here we go, this is a response to the blog: Most favourite Bharathiyar Kavithai

This is the best I could do, Hope I have conveyed the meaning in a understandable manner.

Made a good Veena, will I throw it for waste?
Please tell me oh goddess siva sakthi – you have created me with this bright wisdom.
Will you give me strength, to live my life useful to this world?
Oh Goddess please tell me, or will you let me become a burden to this earth on which I stand upon.
Please give me a body which can sing in praise of you even when it is hurt with burnt.
Give me a faultless mind, and a life that will light up every day.
I asked for a steady confidence, and do you have any objection in granting me this.

There is another famous saying from Bharathiyar Poems.

“Thani oru manithanukku unavillai ennil, Jagathinai azhithiduvom…”

It means If a single person does not have food, then we will destroy this world. Here the last two words, Jagathinai azhithiduvom – has two meanings…

1) Jagam – world
2) Jagam – farms

This sentence is often mis-understood, as destroy the world. But I believe bharathiyar simply meant to destroy the farms, and not the world itself when people are in poverty.

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20 responses to “English translation of Nalladhor veenai seidhen”

  1. Bunny Avatar
    Bunny

    The actual meaning of Jagam here is not farm. It refers to forest and the link must have been like this – Clear more forest (not actually destroy) and make way for more farm lands, so that you can overcome hunger… Hope I make sense 🙂

    1. Anu Avatar
      Anu

      Sorry – you are up the wrong track in understanding – what is unsiad is that we should destroy such an unjust world that lets even a single man go hungry – it is not literal and I doubt he wanted to destroy either fams or forests and grow food – poetry is imagination guys

      1. Lara Medha Avatar
        Lara Medha

        I agree, it is imagination and let to the interpretation of the reader. Are there any limitation to human mind.

  2. lara Avatar

    Thank you bunny, I was exactly about to convey the same message. You made it simple…

  3. Nikita Porwal Avatar

    Hey thanks ppl.. i love this one “I asked for a steady confidence, and do you have any objection in granting me this.” 😉

  4. ashok Avatar

    even i thought jagam stands for world, but do you think bharathi was talking about deforestation, ??? i just want to clarify so that i can have a better understanding of his works

  5. lara Avatar

    Yeah I believe he is talking about make way for more farm lands, he does not want to destroy world, because some one is hungry

  6. Saravanakumar Avatar
    Saravanakumar

    I don’t Bharathi meant deforestation. In his song, he is furious about hunger. So he wants to destroy the world if the world cannot feed a person. Its not his style to say “clear the forests”.

  7. lara Avatar

    I don’t agree your point. It’s not a poets style to make a comment like that. He wouldnt encourage the people to be fed but to earn their own food.

  8. cr divya Avatar

    I love very much in bharathiyar kavithai. all are postive approach thanks my bharathiyar not for tell about the words

  9. Ashok Avatar
    Ashok

    If u read his other poems u can sure understand that Bharathi refers JAGAM as WORLD & not just the forest though it makes a very good sense and in the direction of progression.

    But can anyone tell me in which poem those words will come. I have been searching that poem but couldn’t find it yet. Can anyone please?

  10. Vinod Kumar V Avatar
    Vinod Kumar V

    Ashok – The name of the poem is Bharatha Samuthaayam.. The lines are
    “Iniyoru vidhi seivom – adhai
    endha naaLum kaappom
    Thani maniyoruvanuk unavillai enil
    jagathinai azhitthiduvom!”

    One of the most powerful lines by the Mahakavi

    1. M. Santosh Kumsr Avatar
      M. Santosh Kumsr

      Thanks, Vinod, for the reference (Thani maniyoruvanuk unavillai enil jagathinai azhitthiduvom!”) I was desperately looking for.

  11. Mrs. Jay Narayan Avatar
    Mrs. Jay Narayan

    Would someone kindly lend me the words to one Bharathiyar’s song called ‘Varuvai Varuvai Kanna’ . Also I would like the meaning of this song which is rendered by Unni. What ragam does he sing it in?

    thanks so much!

  12. Sudakar Avatar
    Sudakar

    “Thani maniyoruvanuk unavillai enil jagathinai azhitthiduvom!” -Well I agree with thiru Saravanakumar, this is a metaphor which portrait his anger towards poverty. I guess there is no match to this thought of his. No religion, no kings, no philosopher has ever said anything close to this. I often think this line and awe at the mind that that carved this. If any of you find any equilant lines pl share with me. (nowjob@gmail.com)

  13. Indhu.Swamy Pillai Avatar
    Indhu.Swamy Pillai

    This translation seems to b very simple nd understandable..thank u for this…

  14. yogi Avatar
    yogi

    its the world….barathi wont think about killing even a creature or tree since india have plenty of space for farming and its a country rely on farming…so no need to kill the trees…..he mean world = country it self . means if no food for one no need such country to exist…..

  15. Kritika Avatar
    Kritika

    There is no way that Subramanya Bharathi was talking about deforestation. This poem was written somewhere between 1900 – 1921 when Poverty and Famines were at its peek in Bharat (now India). Bharathi himself has been through such a crisis which obviously led him to write this poem . . .
    ” Iniyoru vidhi seivom
    Adhai endha naalum kaappom
    Thani maniyoruvanuk unavillai enil
    Jagathinai azhitthiduvom! ”

    Lets decide on a fate Today !
    And lets follow it forever
    When there is a time where a Man does not have food to eat
    Lets destroy the place!

  16. Kritika Avatar
    Kritika

    சாதிகள் இல்லையடி பாப்பா!
    குலத் தாழ்ச்சி உயர்ச்சி சொல்லல் பாவம்;
    நீதி உயர்ந்த மதி, கல்வி-அன்பு நிறை உடையவர்கள் மேலோர்.

  17. Kritika Avatar
    Kritika

    Lost in tranlansation ??? Heres the translation for the above quote by Chinnaswami Subramanya Bharathi.

    There is no caste system, child!
    It is a sin to discriminate people on based on Caste.
    The one who belongs to a superior class is the one who excels in being JUST, INTELLIGENT, EDUCATED and LOVING.

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