The talent in our class is brilliant. Just another example of great poetry, this time in Tamil by Poet Kaveri. Since sending the poem via Email , I have one english translation by Kumaran. And what a great job by Kumaran.
This blog will entertain poetry or writings in any language Indian or foriegn- Hindi, Telugu , Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri or Malay, French and Espanyol.
Kaveri’s Poetry- Share and care through the wires and waves of the web
By Kaveri
English Translation by Kumaran
Title by Prabhakar
KMC
Our student days….
Emerging from the warmth of our parent’s care
We sought out friends to love and share
The exciting years of learning and training
Between eighty four and eighty nine
We strove through praise and our stars were shining
It had to end with gloom descending
Birds of the KMC nest had flown all over
Taking pride and fortune world over
No time to meet, no time to talk
We flew away in distance and lived away in silence
Where was the time to stop and search?
For the long lost friend of the distant past
New friendships, new relationships took up our space
The old ones sank to the background
We were so busy, caught up in our work-position-fame-service race
We couldn’t keep our ears very much to the ground
Twenty five years went by
The world has become smaller
The distances have been bridged
Relationships rekindled
We are back together
Through the enormous efforts of friends
My heart goes out for them….
Time to rejoice – time to pour your heart out
Lots of flowers have blossomed
Lots of promises kept
It is time to take stock
It is time to take note
Time is the healer
And
There is pure innocence still…..
Twenty five years ago…we were not even twenty five
But now
We are closer to forty five
Lots of water has flown
Lots of hairs have been dyed
Lots of hearts withered
Lots of lives lived
Just a day of reunion - enough to share it all…?
Let us share and care through the wires and waves of the web
The faces may have changed but the heart still goes lub-dub-J
As long as the heart is with us let us strive to keep in touch
And may god help us with his much…
Kaveri
Hi folks,
ReplyDeleteWhoever has read Kaveri's poetry would understand what I am saying. It was beautiful and very difficult to do justice largely because of my limitations.
The wordplay and the art of expression in tamil really was so exquisite that it was difficult for me to match - lots of beauty gor lost in translation.
But still it was too tempting and I had to give it a go.
If there is beauty the credit goes to Kaveri, if it is found wanting that is because of me.....
Atleast some of us who couldnt read tamil will hopefully get a gist of what she wanted to say...Or some of us can attempt a better translation..go ahead guys and girls...
Hi Kumaran,
ReplyDeleteAmazing, amazing translation!!It was truly like an original poem. I still have not read the tamil version from Kaveri, but this one prompts me to do so asap. I was mesmerized by this transaltion of yours and am just eager to read Kaveri's poem. Hats of to both of you! Didn't know we lived for 5 years so close to great poets of our class!Thank you so much.
Premalatha
Awesome job .Suma pinnite. To read , understand , translate and to compose it in English is not a easy task. Job well done. Proud of you man. I opened the attachment of Kaveri's poem that Prabakar sent. It was all Latin. I'm not a computer savvy.Both Kaveri and you deserve an award for you efforts.
ReplyDeleteThe previous posting by Premakumari
ReplyDeleteKumaran
ReplyDeleteYou are rocking dude. Well done. But I am unable to open the tamil version of the mail that Prabhakar sent. How do you open them in Tamil, can anyone help?
Ragu
dear Raghu
ReplyDeleteopen the mangai font first and open the open next. you will be able to read.
dear kumaran
Kumaran has become KM Ramanujan of our class, Ramanujan translated sangathamiz padalagals in english and kumaran is doin for our class pulavargal. one of my friends knows how to convert typing in english to tamil. iwill ask and inform in the blog.
Ravi
Hello Kaveri
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely kavithai and I enjoyed reading them. last time I read tamil poems were in my 12th standard and as Kumaran had said no translation will be able to do the justice.
Hats off to you Kumaran for the wonderful job you had done. I dont think I could have done anything close to what you have done.
our 1984 batch is very talented with poets, poetess and rappers.
Prem
Folks,
ReplyDeleteI've posted "KAVERI's KAVITHAI" in pics at Reminisce2009.blogspot.com blog site (with my hubby's help)
Hope it avoids the font hassles!!!
Kumaran, you've won our hearts all over again by coming up with such a beautiful translation of Kaveri's original version.
ReplyDeletePremalatha, thanks for publishing the tamil version, like others I was having difficulty in reading it & I must say Kumaran has done full justice to her original poem & nothing has been lost in translation.
Kalyani
Abby again... cute bulls
ReplyDeleteive alwaze had a place in my heart for animals
oohh and btw all u old pplz who used to work with my mom! GET YOUR KIDS TO CHAT ON HERE! Its sooo boring, if you dont have any kids ADOpt SUMMMMM
ReplyDeleteKaveri,
ReplyDeleteyour poetry is music to our souls!
Kumaran,
you are quite a revelation!I dont believe I have spoken to you in all of 5 yrs, but through your commentary, i feel i've known you all my life.
What youth and ambition didnt achieve 25 yrs ago, age and wisdom have. We are discovering facets of each others character and it is truly fascinating.
and as the quote goes 'the dream lives on and hope shall never die"
I raise my glass in a toast to my class mates!
Ramzan
Absolutely Brilliant, Kaveri and Kumaran.
ReplyDeleteKaveri, You are so evolved in your thinking and writing.Love your style.Flow of words seem very natural.You truly captured the spirit of reunion,in your poem.
Kumaran, the essence,beauty and the emotions of kaveri's original come through beautifully in your translation. However , yours has its own unique persona and style.No superlatives to describe. You've done it again.
Meenakshi
Premalatha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting Kaveri's Kavithai. I was one of those having difficulties reading it in the original mail.
Meenakshi
I am really happy with all the comment participation, especially kids like Abby commenting. Time for Evangeline to join the blog.
ReplyDeleteRaghu- download the tamil mangai font first and then restart computer before opening the peom.
I was however a little sad because no one commented on my title selection!
what a beautiful and poignant poem,Kaveri you truly have talent. Thanks for sharing with us
ReplyDeletePlease paste the photograph of the two poets
ReplyDeleteKaveri and Kumaran, you have stolen the Thunder
ReplyDeleteWhat other talents have we got, I am beginning to wonder
Prabhakar your title was icing on the cake
Why did this take 25 years to bake?
I have always known Kumaran as a shy guy
But the poem of yours today, oh my oh my !!
I have got to hand it to you both, High Five
I am too choked for words, so Bye-Bye
Hi everybody,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all those nice words. I can take compliments well..:)
Yes Ramzan - it is true that we may not have spoken to at all during those 5 yrs-like I might not have with so many others...many a times I look back at those days and think I was so inhibited those days...but thanks for those kind words..
Shy guy it is Raghu-my MCTM mate..:)
Thanks a lot Meenakshi for your comments..I am happy you thought I wasnt far off the original..
Premalatha thanks for your comments and thnaks for posting Kaveri's poetry up here..
Premakumari, prem and Ravi thanks guys - Ravi how is your radio activities going on...
Kalyani-as always u r a great support..
Pravin - i agree Kaveri has a definite flair for words...
Thnks to prabhakar for posting and thanks to Kaveri for making this poss..
I wonder what she thought of the translation...
Looks like I have spoken to everyone who I might not have spoken to at all..... all these years...:)
hello this is paul writing from plymouth. hello everyone, sorry i missed my dads reunion. I enjoyed the video from Aishwarya. how are you doing?
ReplyDeletelove paul sundaram
prem's son
Premalatha,thanks for posting the kavithai.i could read and enjoy it now. i couldn't open it earlier.
ReplyDeleteHats off to kaveri .it was a poignant one.and kumaran too for the beautiful translation
Ranjani
An Ode to Prabhakar
ReplyDeletePrabhooze,U are the undisputed Patriach!
Who brought us together in Panagal Park
You are the glue that holds our hearts together
To many of us, you are like a long lost brother
Sometimes we need a nudge to remind us what u do
But u know in our hearts, our respect and love is nothing new
Lets not waste another minute-20 yrs have gone by
lets talk by word, song and poetry and renew our ties
Pra - where are the dancing photos?? will it take another 20yrs?
Ramzan
hi this Rekha, Premalatha's daughter.... I agree.... we need some more youth to liven this blog up a lil'
ReplyDeleteThanks Ramzan. It made me feel better. I have 3 more files to send and will in the coming week.
ReplyDeleteYes , we need more youth. If the young ones want to email me their view on the reunion, in what way do they look at their mother or father differently since we all met, I will post it in the blog.
Elegant Poetry, thoughtful translation. Great work Kaveri and Kumaran. I hope to see more to come.
ReplyDeleteNatesh
Rekha
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "you need more Youth"?
I am still a youth until I lose my tooth
Many of the kids are still tiny tots
Who still have not developed facial spots
So stop making us all feel very old
Or I will ask your mum to keep your dinner cold
(just a joke)
Raghu
Prabhakar (re- your comments on the youth)
ReplyDeleteSpeak for yourself my dear mate
Retract your comments before its too late
Are you buttering up the kids for the rainy day
When you need a retirement home and they will have to pay
Most of us have not reached that stage yet
when we feel like a cranky old nut
If infusion is what you want, so will you get
Don't need the kids for that,we can still do it, don't you forget
(Ps- No offense meant)
Reminisce 2009 has reinfused youth into our life
ReplyDeleteBlessed is our beloved Raghu's wife
To deliver us a poem so very nostalgic,
That walked us through five years-
so fantastic
Not once did I know,was engulfed by great poets
Or did they become one after years of family's
duets
Whatever it may be,we salute to your talent,
It truly brings out memories -so very fervent
Oh my God!!!!. Everyone should be conversing in poetic verses. Well done premalatha.
ReplyDeletePremalatha,
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!Awesome work.Come up with more.
Raghuram,
You are such a natural.Super.Keep it going.
Is it "Poets-special edition" this week?
Meenakshi
Reminisce Roast – Part one
ReplyDelete“In every truth, the opposite is equally true”
Hermann Hesse
Sweltering heat, sweat like aboriginal armpit
Dirt and Pee smell like San Francisco sidewalk
Ancient gates, not really Athenian Arches
Ain’t but trashes to shame Angela’s Ashes
Sobering headache, As I wander
Hey! C block is gone. It’s fubar.
August assembly in an ancient hall
Reborn freedom, a moment to pause…
Reminisce, Rum for senses
Beer for parched, herbs to heal
Great musings at KMC teachings
Fool’s Gold, A load of s..t!!!
Dignitas for dying, poetry for the soul!
Randevu to remember, Ah it is September!
Back to sewer, race like rats
Slice and Tube, Cath and Scope
Styling gels, Jack Black fumes
Jacket and Tie, or Scrubs and Caps.
Paki in Saks, sipping sake and soy.
Mimosas and Samosas. What Roses and Godiva?!
Gals and Pals, We live in cuckoo’s nest
Why all these accolades and toast?
How about some rubbing roast?!
Zen Pen
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePrabakar uncle,thanks for the invite.
ReplyDeleteCan we have a kids blog please??? (kids of kmc1984 batch)
Then we can post r own pics and chat with each other.
A big hello to all :)
-Evangeline
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNO problem with starting a blog for kids of kmc1984 batch. But before that, we need a core group of children who would like to be part of this and create some interest.
ReplyDeleteKids will have to have full control of the blog; and the username and password should be accessible only to the kids.
The present blog is also an open blog, meaning anyone can post comments on the topic. You should have control over comment moderation in a kids blog, which is not difficult to set up.
I will circulate this information in a blog posting and once we have sufficient interest will be happy to create the Kids blog. If you are interested I can show you how to create the blog, with this I will not have access to your username and password as well.
Prabhakar
ReplyDeleteYou had initially opened the top of the can of worms with the chores issue and now you have opened the bottom one with the kids blog. Thanks man, I really appreciate it. Now all my secrets will be out in the public (most of it are anyway). And THE WORMS WILL BE CRAWLING ALL OVER YOU. I see you are keeping yourselves busy in Madras
I will ask my kids to join the blog.
Regards
Raghu
Am I the only one who is offended by Zen Pen's Reminisce roast or is every one else just ignoring it? Agreed the ancient gates are not really Athenian arches, but those were the gates that opened wide to let us in back in '84 & saw us through our triumphs & tribulations of our adolescent & early adult years and then opened again in '89 to let us out into the wide world as medical graduates to take wings & fly in whatever direction we wanted to. San Fransisco sewer, fubar, trashes to shame Angela's ashes ? Come on, how can you throw insults at our Alma mater like this? Finally, we may live in a cuckoo's nest, but it is upto us to separate the craziness that surrounds us & realise our dreams.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see such good poetic & literary skills being used to portray so much negativity!
p.s : I see this is only part 1 & wonder what roast 2 has in store!
Kalyani
I totally agree with you Kalyani.
ReplyDeleteOne cannot expect the cleanliness of the western world back there, but we see Godliness in our Motherland and that is where we opted to be moulded into what we are today. So whatever the shortcomings may be, it is still so close to our heart and anything or anyplace related to our early 20 plus years should be very near and dear to our soul.
All said and done, people's opinion may differ, and we opt to either take it or leave it, or as you said, just ignore it.
prabakhar uncle,
ReplyDeleteI would be interested in joining a kids blog....
- Rekha (Premalatha's daughter)
It is a satire, look at it in that perspective.
ReplyDeleteI think it was meant to be sarcastic and funny,probably went overboard with black humor,it's a different style of his writing. There are a lot of negative words about the west too. I dont think he meant to sound disrespectful about the college in particular.
The tone is irreverent overall. See it as a satire.
Meenakshi
I just want to echo Kalyani's sentiments...
ReplyDeleteNever forget where you come from.
You can choose to make your life beautiful.
Positivity is always a good thing.
Banu.
Abby says:
ReplyDeleteThnx PrabhakarJi! (Ji was shorter than writing uncle!) I highly appreciate it. And the privacy thing too. Cuz sommmee ppl *cough*amma*cough* don't give me alot of that... jk jk jk (just kidding)
thnx for the efforts!
Kalyani and Meenakshi
ReplyDeleteI thought about the Zen Pen lyrics on the same lines and I finally chose not to comment on this. It did make me furious and probably blurt out things only to regret having done this.
There are few issues here,
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but what our friend Zen has chosen to do is to hide behind a fictitious name and come out with his experience of the reunion. Unless he/she is courageous enough to come out with whoever they are, we should choose to ignore them and carry on with our comemnts on the blog.
Forgetting the roots of our origin will never get you anywhere. History has shown us this with several people who rose to fame and fell as steeply. So he/she should know better.
Negativity has a place in a team. When you are in a "group thinking mode" (i.e everybody seeing the same things, praising each other etc), you sometimes get blinded to reality. The cuban affair in Kennedy's regime is the classic example of this. Now US is still paying the price for it. So we will have to accept genuine criticisms and see the reality in it. But in this case, I fail to see what the criticisms are. Is he (I assume its a he)criticising the way we live or the way we praise each other, I do not know. A bit of clarification would be nice.
But whatever it is,
We shall retaliate in style. Come on guys, let the fun begin. Zen pen you are ONE DMF (for expansion of this acronym CONTACT ME IN PERSON)
REGARDS
Raghu
My dear friend Zen Pen
ReplyDeleteYou are really heading for a gun in your den
Your comments on the blog really proved a point
You were probably high due the herbal joint
By making your comments, you have stirred the hornet’s nest
The girls are out to shoot you, all the best
Why don’t you come out of the closet and reveal your name
Voicing your opinion through a fake name is really a shame
You are entitled to say what you want to say
But beware they may come back to bite you some other day
Remember, it was at KMC that your roots started sprouting,
Did you forget that in your recent reunion outing
Although far from perfect, we accept the place for what it really is
From your comments, do you accept this or R you taking the piss?
For most of us, we feel KMC is a monumental pike
If you do not agree with us, then bloody take a hike
Regards
Raghu
Thanks Raghu for answering Zen Pen in his style. I was also suprised by cynical comments. How can we forget our undergraduate days in KMC which provided us the foundation to reach the present stage.
ReplyDeleteWe are indebted to each one of the patients in KMC and Royapettah hospital from whom we learnt our clinical skills.
Thanks Kalyani, Meenakshi and Premalatha for your comments.
Zen Pen this blog is also read by many of our children and this will provide them with wrong notion about almamater.
Prem
A few of us are in the 'honey money phase" a month after the Re-Union, still basking in the glory!
ReplyDeleteA few others , like Zen Pen, chose to see the cracks and crevices in the facade that housed us for 5 long years.
However cliched, it may sound, Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!
You can see only what you chose to see
You can imbibe only what you want to
You can cherish only, what you treasure
Each to their own .
We can't crucify Zen Pen for his opinions, we can however agree to disagree and move on.
Ramzan
Somebody said "The starting point of every trouble is forming a group". Once you have a group then it becomes "US" and "Them". Everything about that group must be reverred and irreverence is not tolerated...
ReplyDeleteNations/hypernations/sects and groups have grown because they cant tolerate irreverence...
This is how we have evolved. That is how we function...
"God" is not the problem but "religion" is...:)
Let us not get religious about it...
Religion and patriotism can be tricky tools. You have to walk the thin line. If you step a bit onthe sides you become either "right wing" or "separatist"
Can we still be in a group without being "in" the group....? question to ponder...
KMC had both beauty and the warts (or sewer as Zenpen says)...just like anything in this world....Why get offended....
World exists in our minds...we all live in our own worlds...If we choose the world exists if we choose it doesnt...:)
It is all in the mind...:)
I also think it shouldnt matter "who" says a thing...
Most of us dont know "any" of us in reality...we dont even know our spouses/mums/dads very well...
The reality is there are atleast 4 people in a family of two...the husband not only lives with his wife but also her image he has formed in his mind and the viceversa...When all the time we are living the images in a virtual world why a name here for Zenpen should matter...
It'll only create another image of him/her to complicate things...
let us keep it simple....live the moment...accept the names...what is in a name...
a rose is a rose is a rose...:)
AMEN ! WELL SAID KUMARAN
ReplyDeletemissed you in chennai
Dear guys, my comments were made in a lighter vain
ReplyDeleteApologies if it caused a lot of pain
Zen pen, if you let me know who you are
we will make up and I'l take you to cocktail bar
If not there will be a banana in the tailpipe of your car
Then it will be a case of FUBAR
(No offence meant- I agree with all the moderators' comments)
Apology
ReplyDelete“Do not forsake me O my darlin'
Although you're grievin', I can't be leavin'”
High Noon
I flapped my wings in south china seas
Blew a hurricane of trouble in still waters
I bowled a ball, thought it was googly
Oh No! It was No ball. The team is pissed
I thought it was a ROAST, silly Parody
I didn’t mean a thing. Didn’t mean to hurt
Irreverence and barbs are the game in ROAST
But, Insults went too far in this roast
Thought, I could have twisted fun with my mates
Didn’t see I was offending their tastes
Blind sided, I could only see my bad humor
Didn’t see how it could ruffle feathers
I Roast master has lost my mind, lost my thought,
It is weightless. No calculations. No explanations.
My dear friends, my sincere apologies
To one group, one spirit, one moment
No matter the distance, time or space
I wish you the best, my very best.
Adios.
Signing Off for good,
Zen Pen
Whoever this Zen Pen is....we seem to be giving IT a lot of importance....
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely not Ram!! (last person to be so negative in his outlook)....moreover, Zen Pen's pen lacked finesse!!
IT is probably a complete outsider who has hacked into our blog site!!
One who has been a part of KMC 1984 could never have written that crap....
Anyways seems like IT is off for good and that is positive!!
Suma
Roast, satire, parody, dark humor - how many more genre are we going to include to explain your writing, Zen Pen? It was difficult to know if the Roastee was KMC,the reunion or us the attendees. Or was it all of the above? Anyway, it looks like you've been deeply hurt by our comments. You, who had criticised accolades & applause should be able to handle criticisms much better than this?We didn't mean for you to exit the blog.
ReplyDeleteSo I hope you'll make a comeback like Michael Jordan, Brett Favre & Lance Armstrong to continue to amaze us with your poetic skills.
Kalyani