Veena Poovu (fallen flower) Veena Poovu (fallen flower) was written in 1907 by Mahakavi Kumaran Asan and

first published in the 'Mithavadi' in December 1907. On the surface it is an ode to a fallen flower, but the poem embodies a deeper Advaitic 'view of life' - as the inevitable transient manifestation of the Universe. Translation by Santha Bhaskaran included here is not verbatim, but conveys the meaning of each stanza, as a guide. Click this link for the audio file to listen to the track. (Recital by poet Madhusoodanan Nair). 1 , , ? Ha! flower, high among the boughs You must have reigned once like a queen Now look at your pitiable state Truly all happiness is transient. 2 , ; , , Fondly brought to life by your mother Safe among the bushy boughs, your childhood passed Soft breezes gently rocked your cradle And the murmur of leaves became your lullaby 3 -

Bathed in the silvery moon at night Warmed by the early morning sun You swayed together with other opening buds And your childhood passed in this way.

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You nodded your head in time to the music Of the early morning birds and Gazing up at the stars at night You learned the philosophy of the world. 5 , ! In this way you grew up and then Came some changes to your body, Cheeks became tinted with colour Your looks had the soft tender smile of youth. 6 , , , , , .

Beauty, grace, tenderness, purity and a special glow Were all embodied in you. Incomparable you were And with the first flush of youth on you You were a beautiful vision to behold. 7 , , Be it a holy man all intent on his devotions, Or a coward, running away without fighting his enemy, Whoever had eyes to see, would have stopped

To gaze at you, holding your head high in full bloom. 8 , Gently your fragrance spread through the air, And its allure brought you admirers T'is not a wonder that you were sought after, For you had beauty and also nectar within you 9 -

Other flowers there were too of your own kind And they were equally beautiful But you had that something special Which set you apart from them. 10 " " . It's a pity. Your present condition proclaims That you have passed the spring of youth. How quickly time passes and with it The joys and sorrows of life. 11 -

In those days assuming you would fall for their beauty,

A great many butterflies may have come a-wooing. And , maybe from far away, a black bee Might have come, proclaiming his love for you. 12

There's no doubt about it, you accepted him Not at all repulsed by his dark looks, Otherwise, why is he circling around you Bewailing in anguish above you. 13 ? ? "I 've given myself to one, you told your other suitors And send them away. Today, my love, Do not forsake me," is'nt that what The bee is bemoaning to you ? 14 ! , , ; ! Alas ! Attracted by your many virtues, This bee enjoyed himself with you. Now what's the point of continuing with life T'is better to die with you than live bereft. 15 -

Surely he wants to die , he's so full of grief. Look at him, hurling himself head-on At trees and nearby rocks- a sure sign Of uncontrollable grief. 16 -

; The bee and the flower - their love Must have deepened and they Might have laid plans for their wedding But a cruel fate snatched the flower away in death! 17

Or is it that the bee became Infatuated with another flower And the grief over this betrayal Brought about your untimely death. 18 ! ! ; . If this is what really happened, Bee , you have come by your just deserts. In all dangerous laisons, there is always A time for deep regrets. 19 -

? Let that be! Who knows what the young Go through in their private world ! False rumours wound even an eloquent man, What more, if we condemn these dumb creatures. 20

? There goes the bee,away from here, Flying off into the clear blue sky. Blinded by his grief, is'nt he following by instinct The way the soul of the flower went ? 21 !

? Oh ! What a pity! Flower, you too have been taken By a cruel untimely death. The hunter shows no distinction Whether his prey is a vulture or a dove. 22

? ! Beauty and grace have faded from you. Your face has lost its former glow. You are like a wick flickering out With no more oil to burn. 23

When in the last hours of the night, You softly dropped down from your stem, Those who saw you falling may have Thought a star or some heavenly soul had fallen. 24 -

The sight of your beautiful form falling Must have shocked the ground below The grass and the tiny plants there May have trembled with anticipation . 25 -

Now you lie there motionless Like an oyster shell without its pearl. But even in this stillness, there seems To be a brightness around you. 26 ,

Look what the small spiders are doing. They have woven a silvery web around you. That becomes your shroud, and dawn Has bejewelled you with drops oftones.

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The stars above are shedding their tears, The birds are leaving the tall trees And flapping their wings around you Wailing over your passing away. 28 , ? You were blessed with gentle traits There was no vice in you and never Did you hurt anyone. So your passing Brings grief to all who knew you. 29 ! , The sight of you lying lifeless Melts even the rocks and stones, The rising sun turns pale and The wind sighs sadly. 30 ? ? , , Why did fate endow you with these virtues And then snatch you away in this untimely way ? . .

Who can fathom the mystery of creation It 's sad that good souls do not live long 31

? Maybe they fulfill their life's aim early And so are called back soon Such fleeting lives serve better than that Of rough stones leading long lives but doing only harm. 32

But still , I'm sad that we have to part And more so to see you in this pitiable state, For flower, are'nt we all brothers and sisters It's the same hand that created you and me! 33 ! . Today you have to go away in death, And one by one, all of us will follow the same way. Nothing is constant in life - the highest mountains And even the seas will vanish one day. 34 -

The sun is extending its rays to take What is left of your earthly remains. The wind is taking in your fragrance So goes the distribution of your wealth. 35 ,

Whatever is born will die - the molucles Will disperse and the soul from the dead Will be born once more as fate decrees Thus say our age-old scriptures. 36 , -

It's of no use to grieve, moreover All joys do come to an end If God wills, body and soul will Rejoin in some form somewhere in the world 37 ! . When the stars that have set in the west now Appear once more in their brilliance in the east, By that time, flower, you may be in paradise Blooming on a bough of a paradise tree. 38 -

Some heavenly maiden may take you To adorn herself and in that way You may give joy to the young men Who pass by to see the sight. 39

Or you may end up as a sacrificial flower That the sages offer in their prayers And in that way you will trancend all worlds And end up in the presence of the Almighty. 40 ! , ! Alas! Peace will only come with the wisdom of the ages, To grieve and question is only self-torturing Put desire aside and accept the truth That whatever happens is what God decrees. 41 , ! ? Eyes, turn back, this flower will dry And dissolve into the earth - it will be forgotten. This is the fate for each one of us Nothing can be gained by tears - life is a sad dream! ! -