பக்கம்:திருவாசகம்-ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு-1.pdf/11

noblest ideals of divine life and the most pathetic appeals to God, are awe-inspiring, heart-melting and soul-stirring when they are set to music,they simply charge the air with the stateliness and fragrance of the Tamil tongue expressing the deepest feeling, and the saddest thoughts with grandest ideas that strike the inner most chords of human hearts and paving the way for the communion of “man-soul” with “God-Soul" and for eliciting His Grace arousing ecstatic delight and enrapturing exultation. -- Already English translations of Thirvachakam have been made available (apart from its rendering into a numbe of languages of the world) by ev. G.U.Pope (1900); K.M.Balasubramanian ((1965); and G. Vanmikanathan (1971). Though the rendering is good, the interpretations could not satisfy my quest. Thus was bon, the idea to translate the Thiruvaahakam more for the benefit of those who do not understand the significance of the Tamil text and who sincerely desire to enjoy the extra- ordinary force of devotion that it inculcates. In rendering this book of devotional poems from an oriental language in to English language I am fully aware of the fact that there is an obvious loss in it, of the strength rhythem and beauty of the Tamil language. Hundreds of memorable phrases could not stand the strain of being translated. Though I ventured with great treidation and caution to take up the holy task of translating suh a great prayer book of universal wisdom sung by this mystic theologist exposing his trials and transcendent experiences in lyrical Tamil poetry into English prose, with my limited knowledge it would have been almost impossible but for the fact that I have all along guided by His Grace. VII