Kids’ Corner: Poem 08
August 7, 2009 · Print This Article
TSUNAMI
by
Varsha Gurumurthy
(age 11)
A poem in Japanese
with an English translation by the poet…
Tsunami
(The Original Poem in Japanese).
Sono chi-sana nami wa
Umi no doko kara kuru no?
Doushite anna ni o-kiku natte
Hito o korosu no?
Ano o-kina nami wa tsunami to iu
Daisuki na hitotachi o takusan shinaseru
Itte goran
Tsunami ga dore dake no hito o shinaseta ka
Dare ga shinde shimatta ka?
Anata ni wa kazoeru?
Tsunami no ato ni
Watashi wa sunahama ni kita
Kame ga sono sunahama o aruitekita
Kanashisou ni
Kame ga naita
Tomodachi ga takusan shinda
Nokotta no wa
Watashi dake
Watashi wa kame ni kou itta
Itsu shindeshimauka wakaranai
Dakara shinu toki ga kuru mae ni
Waratte sugoshita hou ga ii
Hito wa yoku
Shinu no ga kowaii to iu
Demo mou shinitai to iu hito mo iru
– Varsha Gurumurthy
….
Tsunami
(The English Translation).
That small wave
Where from the sea does it come?
Why does it become so big?
And kill people?
That big wave is called tsunami
It kills many of our beloveds
Go and see
How many people tsunami has killed?
Who all died?
Can you count?
After the tsunami
I came to the sand beach
A turtle came walking to the sand beach
Sadly
The turtle cried
Many of my friends died
Left out is
Only me (should I also die?)
I told the turtle
We don’t know when we will die
So before our death comes
Its better we spend our time always smiling
People often say
Death is scary
But there are people willing to die, (why?)
– Varsha Gurumurthy
….
.
To comment please, type in the form given below…
To read other Poems in the Kids’ Corner please click Here
Dear Varsha
In this world of big waves… allow us to welcome you and the little turtle and your beautiful smile… to sadho.
ah!…..
wise at 11.
god bless….
or shall i say blessed.
You have written a beautiful and inspiring poem Varsha.
We are all like the little turtle and your wise words are our comfort and solace.
Thank you for your simple, innocent, graceful and compassionate poem.
Rajiv
Marvelous grammer and sense in Japnanese. I will recommend to ariticulate freely what you found world, people, nature withour caring the schematic structure of Japanese poem. I also recommend to access the Tanka and Haiku to feel the flavour of the Japanese poet rhysm, 5-7-5, 5-7-5-7-7 and refrains.
Very thoughtful poem varsha.
Thanks and good luck
Wonderful!
Beautiful poem Varsha!!!!!!! with the tsunami theme i felt little VARSHA had grown too big,but was i glad to find her ,with her turtle ..very creative..i enjoyed your peom,keep wriitng and dont forget your childlike creative inputs..they bring colour into your poem… …….BEST WISHES!!!!!!!!
A great beginning, Varsha. At your age, putting together your thoughts so nicely on a life-altering event like the tsunami is truly admirable. Plotting this succession of several waves, occurring in retreat and rise cycles, both as we see and as we feel, is no easy task. That you have been able to do it in 2 totally different languages only adds to your credit. I am sure as you grow up, the long and difficult process of reconstruction of the individual’s mind, in particular, and life, in general, after such a tumultous event would find more and more such beautiful evocation in your poems. All the best.
Dear Varsha, After Tsunami, when I visited the Car Nicobar Island, I, too, mused to myself: how can such tranquil, aquamarine blue sea, rise into such giant killer waves…your poem brought it all back to me.
Through your simple words shines forth the message of hope..And just like you put it so beautifully: it’s better that we spend our time always smiling, the people of Nicobar too have learned to live and smile once again!
I shall ask my friends there to read your poem…
hey
I love the poem
it starts off with a tsunami …smthing we rarely experience…. ( thank God)nd ends at death, the absolute reality we all await…so uniqe nd beautiful…btw… varsha… do u knw tsunamis r quite a spectacle,,,, at times…, the sea waves rise up to several meters,,,, nd the sea-bed cn become visible,,, u cn actually see wats at the bottom of the sea.!!.. nd then sm people end up riding the waves as they cm…or have their boats trapped… funny….
nd turtles r my favourite…. sadly, tsunamis kill far few of em as compared to humans,,, who hav a chronic habbit of egg stealing… nd marine polluting….
as u grow up make sure u dnt loose this sponteniety nd the quality of smoothly adding different ideas like tsunamis, turtles, life and death into one piece…..
Bless u
A beautiful poem – the sad turtle evokes a melancholy image in the mind, and your advise to him is wise!
It is truly amazing to see a very tender heart at 11 carry so many humane feelings towards life. I wish the chlid kindled and nurtured the poetic activity in her and snowballed into a bigger Tsunami of poems. May God bless Varsha, the Blessed.
Dear Varsha,
A great poem. At such a small age you have understood the great meaning and philosophy of life. You certainly have inherited it from your father. My salutes to you.
Regards,
Ashutosh Raravikar
27.8.2009
Dear Varsha,
I have been your fan since you started walking before me. I knew at that point of time that you are going to be a great philosopher and guide for the future generation. Philosophy is in your gene and wisdom gave birth of intellect through you and it shows that you are not only intelligent but you will grow as a great personality with display of humility where alone one can shine and you will prove this word.
Varsha, your every inch of elevation in the hill of fame will bear a name for not only you but also to the parents who gave you to this world so worthy enough a gem which will be priceless in the near future!
Keep it up and may GOD bless you with best of health and I wil see you as an icon in this world. My blessings and prayers are for ever to you and to your progress!
Kudos!
Sridharan Uncle
quite thoughtful!…I am amazed to see philosophical tendencies in such a young mind and ability to pen them….pls keep it up!….it reminds me of what Peruvian Philosopher Haya Torre once said “questing student, cherish your hope”……
Dear Varsha,
As always, you have exhibited great sensitivity and indepth meaning in your poem.Your character turtle is fascinating.
Your japanese writing especially the poetry is something new and has a lot of scope of work in this direction.
Please keep it up and share your lovely work again.
Best wishes,
Inderjeet
I REALLY FEEL PROUD OF YOU DEAR VARSHA.
I KNOW ONE DAY YOU WILL BECOME LIKE
J.K ROWLING..
WITH BEST WISHES AND REGARDS
FROM CHECHU
Dear Varsha,
Truely wonderful! Keep all this up…
Somebody someday said–
“Khudi ko kar buland itnaa ki har takdir sey pahley khuda khud bande se puchhey bol teri razaa kyaa hai!”
Zindagi mein hamesha paanw zameen par aur hausley buland rakhnaa–in short jaisi tum aaj ho vaisa hei thought process hamesha banaye rakhnaa and victory will always be yours!
Vah!!! bade hi bakhoobi ke saat aap ne zindagi ke iss bhayanak roop ko dikhaya hai, vahi bade hi sahaj roop mei isse jeene ka dhang bhi bata diya.
hame tho aap ki kavita bahut pasand aayi……
A wonderful thought on a calamity, fellow human beings and on life itself. You have a wonderful world, ahead of you, waiting to show it your talents and excel. We await to hear more from you!