Aathmaanaam: Translations from Heaven and Hell

Movement One Amidst the movement of the society the scattered people run breathless climbing up and down Opposing filled with breath when a plight arrives with a feeling that was the past overturned with an unknown form with disorganized faces shy by looking at their own self clinging solidly Shattered with the Iguana's clutch they row ahead the God Your name Your form Your Governance As if we were slaves Trees flowering smile with the hug of the wind

Tents on the playgrounds Tents on the playgrounds With machine guns Military soldiers on the street We need now discipline and peace A note Communication Ministers announce in their congregation Another seventy percent of people need to get television and radio           for what news Amidst the green bushes there are shadows the movements strengthen These will be subdued without a sound With the villages that burn with fire the lifeline is cut Disorder and panic enhance the pulse beats Not very far are the villages and cities When the discrepancies mature and mature similar ideologies unite The society wears a mask The faces of the burnt look similar without differences New new faces One by one they start expressing Amidst the smoky environment the news are being read Discipline and peace is what we need now Tents on the playgrounds Note : I am reminded of the movie Soylent Green ...

To burn this City To burn this City is so simple a matchbox is enough The price of a matchbox is cheap Cheaper and cheaper than a loaf of bread A litre of kerosene is also needed that will also be available in the government's regulated distribution In low noised midnight we can start anywhere Hanuman burnt Lanka When the tail was lit with fire the fire that touched the sky softened A new Lanka rose Did Ravan get destructed He fought for days He died in a flood of blood Even today Hanumans exist without tails Ravanas too exist Fire consumed Cities exist If an individual burns then it is violence If a government burns then it is warfare Note : Why does this poem written ages ago is still relevant ... Aaathmaanaam is the answer

Walking Hands One among the people who question what to do today Where is he going in this crowd Leg and hand are his assets from his home Head and Stomach are his assets from the house where he was bred Where is he going with a hand on his head The hand on his head is not his it is his hand from the house where he was bred Where is he going Oho to vote To perform his duty for his country of birth Oh another hand on his back pushes him which hand is that That's the hand of the power of the nation The hand that violates to perform the duty of the leader He is going where Where is he going It is not his hands that walk His hands through their legs kick the donkey Note : எட்டி? Another tough poem to translate

Here is a poem Here is a poem Now in this room in conversation are you and me If we are the two then the room gets angered this room's secrets recorded and only we hear that voice That's our voice Don't ask why Explanations will not be comprehensible Explanations will not give clarity Even if  there exist several eons For a eon how many ciphers is a knowledge only our ancestor knows After this where will I be However the hope that there will be some who remain Is this poetry What's in it Without searching anything just read it The words that break your spectacles Now throw them away Soon only then you will see The Tamil Teacher who is hanging Continuing still Tomorrow is our's This is gent's toilet the lady's toilet is adjacent In the city in the four road junctions these buildings are there with pictures The cleaner Veerappan is here from eight to five The city council that constructed this building has an income of ten paise ...

Telex To the capital the news flew This morning until 9 1,75,843 heads have fell Excellent great achievement is there space to bury these heads No more and more heads keep falling We will send a new imported machine to burn the heads for the grape gardens they will make a good fertilizer keep your heads safe They will be useful as tomorrow's exhibits To cut down more heads do you have a minimum viable plan If two more police stations ten thousand food corps are there then our plan will get motivated We grant you that you have full freedom Note : A rebellious political parody

The Rush In that city if two assemble then it is crowd if four assemble then it is rally On the street you should not walk as a crowd In the house anybody can walk Every house is bond by a tarred street There are no hideouts there People taking bath should do so in masses and only at those midnights when the water is available Also there is a ban on smoking there If the officer sees the ashtray He will be sent to the Sahara of the city And there with the person who is already there he should make it green The city's anticipated hurry Domestic mental clarity The only tonic of the city's people is hardwork There are no advertisements in magazines that say buy this buy that We got a lot for cheap the mayor's mottoes Everyone praised him Ministers praised him Government officalis praised him People existed in prosperity peeing time and then in a hurry