Friday, December 09, 2005

My view - a poem by Kamalhassan


Tamil original by Kamalhassan published in Kumudam.

My Translation:

My window view
made Galileo's world
look square.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would'nt it be better if it is

My window view
made Galileo's world
a square

Chenthil said...

Anon, that's how I first wrote it. Then I thought if it is "a square" then the Tamil version should be "oru sathuramakkiyathu". So decided to go with this. Let's see how others respond

Anonymous said...

Chen

That is a pretty neat piece written by kamalahassan. I dont know what he wanted to convey. But it is well done.

What is your interpretation of the poem?

Anonymous said...

Chenthil:
Nice try.

I like simply "Square"

My window
Made Galileo's World
Square

Anonymous said...

Wow thats a neat one from Kamal.

@arvind:
I think it means,
He is gazing at his lady love through his (square) windows, and that became his whole world...

if thats what he meant, its very nice indeed...

ram

Anonymous said...

"Galileo's round world,
became square
when I look at her
thro my windows"

Nilu said...

I do not have a translation ready. But that original verse/poem/few words together had a sense of naivette to it which was kinda lovable.

Am not sure the translations do. I think it has to do with the sense of pleonasm that the word "world" induces, in the translated version.

I can translate this into prose though : "My window negates Galileo".

D LordLabak said...

I applaud anything Kamal does.:-) Clap clap....But seriously what does it mean or does it try to convey anything?
En kaliedoscope paarvai ulagai colour aaakkiyadhu.
En camera paarvai ulagai photo aakkiyadhu.
You can choose a thing like window, camera, k.scope and add the view at the end and substitute the corresponding words in that statement.
I am not being cynical but do you see my point?

Nilu said...

Deepa,
Your argument can be extended to everything, including your own comment.

And, this was not some breaking the ground poetry, but just a scribbling that had a sense of naivette to it. It is that we enjoy, not what he sees or conveys.

Chenthil said...

Ok. Each one can interpret it his way. What I understood was that my parochial/narrow view makes me think that the world is square even though Galileo proved it is round.

Ram, I never thought that this was about his lady love.

Deepa, if he had tried that as a full song then you can blame him for algorithmic verse :-). But he has just captured a slice of life moment, so can't accuse him. It is more like a haiku

D LordLabak said...

True Chenthil. But did you have "Kannukku Mai azhagu" song in mind when you sent that reply? :-) Isn't that song funny?
Nilu, I see what you enjoyed. En comment unnai rasanai atravan aakka villai.:-)

D LordLabak said...

Chenthil I forgot to add. I love tamizh articles/verses with no spelling mistakes. The "ch" at the end of ulagai made tamizh-lovers like me happy. Once again, Kamal is a perfectionist (albeit narcissistic ;-))

ashok said...

chen,
Your translation is perfect. But whats poetical in Tamil fails to give poetic satisfaction in its translation...May be it should retain its 4 lines and maybe it could be 'poetised' into english like this:

"Thro' my Window,
I see and there-
Galileo's World
just a Square!"

Chenthil said...

Ashok, it does sound good.