Kanneerin Chamuththiram / Ocean of Tears
Posted: June 30, 2011 Filed under: Bavan Sribalan, English, Tamil Comments Off on Kanneerin Chamuththiram / Ocean of Tears_____
ENGAL THAAI NAADDIL IRUNTHU VALLIKIRATHU
ORU KANNEERCH CHAMUTHTHIRAM
UDAINTHU POHNA ULLANKALLAI SUGAP PADUTHTHA
KANAVUKAL ETHUVUM UTHAVAP POHVATHILLAI
ORU THESAM PILLAVUNDATHU, OHR IRAVIL
NAANGAL ELLORUM ANAHTHAIGALAHNOHM
NAANGAL MARAKKAPPADDA ORU ULAGAM
OHRAM KADDAP PADDU THANITHTHU ULDAPPADDAVARKAL
KOODDILLULLA VILANGU KAADCHI VILANGUGALPOHL
NAANGAL ALAVUKKU ATHIGAMAAGAVE ILANTHUVIDDOHM
NAANGAL EPPOTHUM SUTHANTHIRAMAHGA IRUNTHATHILLAI
ENGAL NEENDA NINAIVUGALIL
ANGAE SILA VETRU KUDISAIKAL
PULLUTHIYIL ENJI YULLANA
ORU NAAL VARUM
NAANGAL MEENDUM ELLUVOEM
ATHUVARAI
NAANGAL NAADKALAI KADATHTHI CHELUOEM.
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OCEAN OF TEARS
THERE IS AN OCEAN OF TEARS
FLOWING FROM OUR HOMELAND.
THERE ARE BROKEN HEARTS,
NO DREAMS CAN HEAL THEM.
A NATION TORN APART
( WE WERE ORPHANED THAT NIGHT… )
WE ARE A WORLD FORGOTTEN,
PUSHED ASIDE – ALONE.
LIKE ZOO ANIMALS IN CAGES,
WE HAVE LOST MUCH
– NEVER BEEN FREE –
IN OUR MEMORY.
EMPTY HUTS STAND IN THE DUST.
THERE WILL COME A TIME
– WE WILL RISE AGAIN.
UNTIL THEN,
WE’LL CARRY ON !
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Translation from Tamil into English by the author:
Bavan Sribalan
*
Editor’s note:
Bavan Sribalan’s poem is a reflection upon the civil war in Sri Lanka.
Zócalo Poets 