Shakti - by Subramaniya Bharati

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The sorrowless state is Shakti

The sleepless eye open is Shakti

The ripe love's ripeness is Shakti

The plenteous vigor's plenitude is Shakti

The matured bliss's maturity is Shakti

The thought's glow is Shakti

The task awaiting one is Shakti

The end of endless births is Shakti

To dare to destroy sloth is Shakti

The word's brilliant flame is Shakti

The sweet fruit's sweetness is Shakti

The God-contemplating thought is Shakti

The serpent-destroying tool is Shakti

Ash-smeared and living on a mountain

Shankara's love's ardor is Shakti

The life-enlarging spirit is Shakti

The vast earth-sustaining vigor is Shakti

The grandeur to forbid vileness is Shakti

The penance to banish inquietude is Shakti

The virtue forbidding a fall is Shakti

The sweep to measure the heavens is Shakti

The emininence to measure past deeds is Shakti

The self-illumninating lamp is Shakti.

 

tunpam ilâta nilaiyê çakti.

tûkkam ilâkkaN vizhippê çakti;

anpu kaninta kaLivê çakti;

âNmai niRainta niRaivê çakti;

inpam utirntam utirvê çakti;

eNNat tirukkum eriyê çakti,

munpaniR kinRa tozhilê çakti;

mukti nilayin muTivê çakti.

çômpar keTukkum tuNivê çakti,

çollil viLankum çuTarê çakti;

tîmpazhan tannil çuvaiyê çakti,

teyvattai eNNum ninaivê çakti;

pâmpai aTikkum paTaiyê çakti,

pâTTinil vanta kaLiyê çakti;

çâmparaip pûçi malaimiçai vâzhum,

çankaran anput tazhalê çakti.

vâzhvu perukkum matiyê çakti,

mânilang kâkkum matiyê çakti;

tâzhvu taTukkuñ çatirê çakti,

çañçalam nîkkun tavamê çakti;

vîzhvu taTukkum viRalê çakti,

viNNai yaLakkum virivê çakti;

ûzhvinai nîkkum uyarvê çakti,

uLLat toLirum viLakkê çakti.

 

Translated by A. J. Louis

Petals of Beauty: Randon Selections from Bharati's Poems (Madras:

Manivachagar Pathipagam, 1994), p. 27-28.

 

In Tamil poetry, the rhyme is on the second syllable of each line.