சுப்ரபாரதி மணியன்

The Mystic River (Mayaru)/ Subrabharathimanian 0 The Irualas are a tribal community living in Coimbatore district and some parts of Kerala. They are found in the Mudumalai forests in Coimbatore district. These poems are about them. Mayaru is a small stream passing through their settlements. The Mystic River (Mayaru)/ Subrabharathimanian - Tamil The songs of a tribe 1. Mayaru overflows Whenever Mayaru overflows There is joy The joy of seeing floods. 2. The kiluvai fence can be moved by anyone Crushed by anyone So gentle The line of my determination Can never be moved by any hero Does chastity depend on a mere line. ** Kiluvai – a wild bushy tree used for fencing 3. To prevent fire from spreading In the forest There is the fire line. We have drawn our own lines Around us To protect our dignity. 4. For eight children I am the mother I am Bommakka In number eight I am at the head In number eight inside the tail is my husband However lustfully your eyes feed on me Stand far away you supervisor 5. Among the wild animals Grazing in our forest is the mouse deer But what kind of deer you are? Your are only commodities Goods to be traded Liquor Greed are you. 6. I am sitting with a few gooseberries Guavas spread on an old tray in front of me That youth runs off teasing me Touching my head The king cobra will rise three feet to the thigh Any snake will sting the foot. I rise like a cobra and thrash my hands. You have escaped A snake does not take revenge Will not forget so easily 7. The Game Hut Princes and Englishmen Used to stay after hunting Stands majestically still. Nobody goes near it Nobody goes as it is feared ghosts haunt it Did they hunt only deer tiger other animals How many tribal women Like Bommakka Numerous We were born from the ancient tree of the tribe You boast You were all born From the body, from the shoulder, head and foot Then we should have been only from the tree It is our pride. 8. Water from Mayaru is for everything To bathe to wash clothes to drink Infected we suffer from cold fever cough Crocodile of Mayaru, come Grap our leg and drag us somewhere Elephants, come hurl us with your trunk Or kick us Enough is this life Fever never leaves us Disease never leaves us 9. Sadayandi Eezhu Kannimaru deities of our clan After worshipping our gods if we stand with folded hands Even the elephant will retreat Nobody knows the age of this vengi tree Whatever be the ailment Vengi leaf is our medicine The vengi tree is axed Our grandfather, great grandfather and his father are in rage To appease them To boil rice give us a piece of land, sami. *vengai tree – Indian kino tree. It has medicinal properties Sami- a term of respect used by the so called ‘low-caste’ people Cooking rice specially for an occasion in a designated place is a kind of ritual. - Subrabarathimanian Translated by Prof Vincent