This is the second part of the book review entitled ‘The Poetic Works of Tiruloka Sitaram with Translation and Notes’. This book consists of 55 poems by the great Tamil poet Tiruloka Sitaram duly translated into English by Sekkizhar Adi-p-podi Dr TNRamachandran.
Gandharva Ganam, The Lord-Owner, The Nest of Sparrows, The Canopy of Renown, An Aubade, The Impish Boy, The Riddle of Eriodendum are some of the titles of the poems.
Tiruloka Sitraram has also written essays in Tamil in a lucid style.
Ring in the New Year with an appropriate song like this:
The morning star strikes the East;
The Wheel of Fire brushes the sea;
The gentle Notus Eke drifts
Above the rippling stream.

The first line could be compared to Shakespeare’s line “As bright, as dear, as yonder Venus in her shining sphere.” The second line denotes the chariot of Apollo as ‘The Wheel of Fire’.

As he is very attracted to the great English poets, he has translated some of the interesting poems into Tamil language. Worth mentioning are Longfellow’s ‘The Arrow and the Song’, T. Hood, ‘The Bridge of Sighs’, GMHopin’s, ‘A Sonnet’.

How do you create the poems? This question was answered by Professor TRKuppuswami.
Prof Kuppuswami narrates his experience with Tiruloka Sitaram thus:

“Poetry is at your beck and call. Between dressing betel leaves, proofreading, answering phone calls, or talking to clients and friends, you scribble a few lines. The poem builds in fits and starts and never gets a touch up. Once I had the audacity to ask him if the continuity was not spoiled by his breaks: “None of that. I pick up the pen when I want and the poem takes shape.”

He also observes thus about his translation of poems into the Tamil language:
“His genius has another brilliant facet. Translation, particularly of poetry, is an impossible job. Faithful translation into a different language with all the spirit and beauty of the original intact is a utopian dream. But he is an exception. For him It’s child’s play”.

Mr. TN Ramachandran who translated all the Tamil poems into English has done a commendable job. The extensive knowledge of him gained from him over the years has helped shape this book.

It was Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe who said: “Every day we should listen to at least a little song, read a good poem, see an exquisite picture and, if possible, utter a few sensible words.”

Here is a book that gives you many good poems, if you want to follow Goethe’s advice.