“The way you pour
Affection on people
I don’t like
Sharing love
Like the holy bread
Too, I don’t like.-said he—
And afterwards
They too said the same
To love all
Means
Utter foolishness
“It will never
take you anywhere!
Like the sun that burns
for the whole world
and the Western wind that
blows for all,
you will be there
for everyone
but nobody’s own.
That is love
Showered on many—
Like a fragrant rose
That has passed
From hand to hand—
A mediocrity
With all the novelty already gone”
Is love a solid mass
That decreases when shared ?
Is it gold pledged at the pawn shop ?
My love is a spring that comes down from the mountain mist—
A never ending flow !
It is like a lamp that burns for ever
Nothing is lost
How can it go out
When passed to new wicks ?
I don’t believe in a love that is protected
And cared for all the time
Why should I protect and protect my love
Like a fungus-discoloured bronze vessel
Thus making a worthless thing of it ?
Translated from Malayalam by Sudha Warrier
Contributor:
ROSE MARY. Popular poet in Malayalam. Writes poems on a variety of themes. Her style is simple, pleasing and her poems are thought provoking.
Translator:
SUDHA WARRIER. Freelance journalist and film critic. Her doctorate was on the topic ‘Comparative Study of Film Adaptations Russian and Malayalam.’ She has published five books in Malayalam and a number of research papers on literature, film and allied subjects. Well versed in Malayalam, English and Russian.
