A Requiem to Mother Earth

The poem begins with an epigraph saying that it is a song of praise for this earth, for its surge(rush) of life and for the essence of beauty of poetry.

Line by Line Summary of the Poem.

The poem "A Requiem to Mother Earth" (ഭൂമിക്കൊരു ചരമഗീതം) discusses the various ways in which people destroy earth for selfish motives. The speaker is the poet himself and it is addressed to the mother earth.

Stanza1:  

The death of earth is very close. It is not yet dead, but the poet wishes that the soul of earth may rest in peace. This is a lament that he inscribe in his heart for the death of earth in future. It is not only to earth but also to his death that will happen(happened) before the death of earth. 

Stanza 2 :

In future earth will be lie dead under the shadow of the "dark poison-flower of death". There will be no one then, to mourn the death of earth. No one will be able to moisten earth's lips with our tears. So the poet is inscribing this lament on his heart before the death of earth, the mother. He hopes that the soul of Mother Earth will rest in peace.

Stanza 3 : 

Earth is the mother even to Parayi ( There is a belief that all castes in Kerala is born to Parayi പറയി പെറ്റ പന്തിരുകുലം). Parayi gave birth twelve children who became the twelve clans. Her children are unable to live in unity. The earth saw them, killing one another. The Mother Earth was helpless. She shed tears by seeing her children fighting with each other. After eating each other, they started eating earth. But she stood as the unprotesting, all-suffering mother earth.

Stanza 4 :

Mother Earth nourished her children by the resources in her (suckled them at your breast). But after they became stronger they found out that earth can be exploited and they started drinking blood (a reference to death of Poothana) from her sacred heart. 

Stanza 5:

The poet addresses earth as the favourite bride of sun. He says that the children of earth tore her bridal finery (ചിത്രപടകഞ്ചുകം) given by sun into pieces. They were like beasts who "clawed" at her body and feasted on her blood. As the dances on her, we can feel the rhythm of death everywhere. 

Stanza 6: 

Here we can see a reference to Oedipus, the Greek who married his mother unknowingly. His story is outdated. Now the children of mother earth strips her naked, and sell her in market for a drink. The strip earth with axes.

Stanza 7:

Because of cruelty done by humans, the stability of ecosystem is lost. The sun shines brightly and its rays are fiery. June clouds search for water. The month of December is not cold. There is no flower in April. The climate have changed and so the seasons. June is believed to be rainy season and there is no rain. In the winter season there is no coolness and in spring, no flower. Rivers in the forest are in search of swirling currents and the rhythm of creation is lost. Poet compares life to a person, whose chariot wheels are stuck on their course (reference to warrior Karna). As long as he has sense, it is the sweet memories that remains in him. He took shape and life from earth (1. Earth as mother who gave birth to humans.  2. Reference to creation of mankind in Genesis. God made man out of mud).From the first drop of honey and herb on his tongue to the last drop of water at the time of death, everything is taken from earth. 

Stanza 8 :

The poet wonders at the beauty of nature. The earth is able to capture the beaty of sun in a dewdrop on karuga leaves. His fantasies are grown in the shades of trees and the wind that trods upon sea.

Stanza 9 :

The poet describes different forms of earth the poet has seen. The earth make cradles and sings lullabies for thousands of tender fruits. She swings in several orchards (In Malayalam word kavu is used instead of orchards). She leaps on the tip of the leaves of banyan tree. She calls with hands like five-pettaled leaves and coo like temple doves. The earth set rhythm for the soul of poet like waves in streams. She decorate poovaka, ilanji and konna with flowers. She frightens him like an owl and and soothes him like a cuckoo. She arranges different colours to draw various figures in our mind ( beauty of nature ) and make the evenings appear golden. Her beauty disappear into the woods every evening and returns every morning. She gives life to humans and feeds us with nectar. She crafts poems from the eggs of birds in the heart of dense forest. (കദളിവന ഹൃദയ നീഡത്തിലൊരു കിളിമുട്ട

അടവച്ചു കവിതയായ് നീ വിരിയിപ്പതും / There is a change in meaning while it was translated). She carries the poet (humans) so gently like lotus leaf carries a drop of water. The poet knows all these things.

Stanza 10 :

Those that remains immortal in the poet is the sweet memories (mentioned in stanzas 7 & 8)  of earth. Earth is compared to a swan that holds music in her wings and the poets glory shines from the tips of her beautiful wings. But her death is near and the crow of death drank even the nectar of her truth.

Stanza 11 :

The Mother Earth must walk along the solar highway (earth's orbit) with tonsured head and bundles of shame on her shoulder . She became an outcast because she gave birth to children who raped her. She has to face death.

Stanza 12 :

The earth is not yet dead. But this is a requiem to the upcoming death. The poet will not be there to mourn the death of earth. He won't be able to moisten earth's lips with his tears. So the poet is inscribing this lament on his heart before the death of earth, the mother. He hopes that the soul of Mother Earth will rest in peace.

NB: Sorry for all the spelling and grammar mistake. There are lot of difference between the Malayalam poem and its translation. The summary of translation by S Velayudhan is given here.

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