Her bangles jingling, she stood kicking at a crab, her head lowered, her face hidden by her hair. But soon as evening with its loneliness has gone, she will give her breasts with all her loveliness.
Thinai - Neytal
Poet - Ammuvanar
Translated by George L.Hart
......
....
..
My love whose bangles
glitter,jingle,
as she chases crabs,
suddenly stands shy,
head lowered,
Hair hiding her face:
but only till the misery of the evening
passes,when she'll give me
the full pleasure
of her breasts.
Translated by A.K.Ramanujan
Gorge L Hart has tried to be as close to the original as possible with his translation, whereas A.K.Ramanujan's translation tries to bring the exact feeling the poet wanted to describe. No wonder A.K.Ramanujan is considered one of the best Translators in the world !(surely I am not questioning the greatness of Gorge L Hart...but even Mr. Hart will accept how great a translator A.K.Ramanujan is!). Infact as Mr.Hart quotes 'I have been helped immeasurably by A.K.Ramanujan, who was not only my first Tamil teacher,but who has provided invaluable insights and suggestions.'
'A.K.Ramanujan,my first Tamil teacher,whose wonderful translations and insights first led me to realize the profoundity and importance of Tamil anthologies.' in preface of his two books.