மனிதா, உன் நிலை?

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மனிதா, உன் நிலை?
    -- கா. காந்திமதி

மனிதா, நீ
சூல் நிலைக் கைதியாய்த் தொடங்கி
மரபுக் கைதியாய் வளர்ந்து
சூழ்நிலைக் கைதியாய் முடிவாயா?

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The beauty of the Tamil language lies in its brevity. Dense ideas can be expressed with just a handful of words by a skilled writer. The above poem by Dr. Kanthimathi is one such creation. In just eleven words, it postulates the ultimate futility of human existence by tracing its progress through life's beginning, development and end. Here is an attempt at a translation that tries to do justice to the word play and the brevity:

O Human! Will you...
Begin as a captive in the womb,
Grow as a captive of convention,
And end as a captive of circumstance?