Yearning

A sonnet on yearning:

Some yearn for everlasting fame,
Yet more yearn for beauty and wealth.
Power unbounded, so many yearn to claim,
All but a few yearn for better health.

Countless many yearn for career success,
Uncovering hidden truths is one for some.
A beloved, almost all yearn to possess,
Far fewer, deeper knowledge and wisdom.

Yearning for justice is a noble cause,
As is kindness and spreading joy around.
Yearning for equanimity is another because,
Only then can true peace ever be found.

To yearn is to live, for a life sans it is humdrum,
Verily, what all you yearn for defines who you become.

Perungadal (The Ocean)

ஈடில்லா அழகு உந்தன் ஆழ்ந்த நீல வண்ணம்,
ஓய்வில்லா உழைப்பிற்கு உன் அலைகள் சிறந்த சின்னம்.

எண்ண முடியாத உயிர்களுக்கு இல்லம் அளிப்பதும் நீயே,
உன்னை ஆள நினைப்பவர்களை அழிப்பதும் நீயே.

உருவகம் நீதான் எங்கள் அறியாமையின் அளவிற்கு,
ஆனால் அதுவே ஊக்கம் அறிந்து கொண்டே வளர்வதற்கு.

உன் மேன்மையை கண்டால் ஓடி விடும் அஹங்காரம்,
உன் நீரில் நின்றாள் களைந்து விடும் மனதின் பாரம்.

இவ்வுலகத்தின் கண்டங்களை பிரித்து வைப்பது உன் பணி,
ஆனால் இந்த நீல கிரகத்தை ஒரு உலகமாய் இணைப்பதும் நீ!

Transliteration

Eedillaa azhagu undhan aazhndha neela vannam,
Oyvillaa uzhaippirku un alaigal sirandha chinnam.

Enna mudiyaadha uyirgalukku illam alippadhum neeye,
Unnai aala ninaippavargalai azhippadhum neeye.

Uruvagam needhan engal ariyaamaiyin alavirku,
Aanal adhuve ookkam arindhu konde valarvadharku.

Un menmaiyai kandaal odi vidum ahangaaram,
Un neeril nindral kalaindhu vidum manadhin baaram.

Ivvulagatthin kandangalai piritthu veippadhu un pani,
Aanal indha neela grahatthai oru ulagamaai inaippadhum nee!

Interpretation in English

Matchless is the beauty of your deep blue,
Your waves are the perfect symbol of persistent effort.

For countless creatures, you are the refuge,
Those who try to conquer you incur your wrath.

You are a metaphor for the extent of our ignorance,
Yet, that is what encourages us to keep on learning.

A sight of your majestic vastness destroys our ego,
While standing in your waters dissolves our worries.

Keeping this world’s continents apart is part of your job,
And yet, you are the grand unifier of this one blue planet!

Torrey Pines

A sonnet on my favorite spot in town:

The sheer cliffs and fantastic folds of the land,
Can inspire awe for hours on end.
Smooth pebbles and soothingly soft sand,
And so many trails to wend!

Blankets of blossoms on sheets of green,
Adorn its head as if a crown.
In the sky, gliders aplenty do careen,
A gentle breeze takes them up and down.

The majestic blue of the mighty Pacific,
And her unending waves of lore.
The fiery orange of a sunset so terrific,
An infinite loop of beauty on this shore.

What splendor the earth, sky, and sea have wrought!
A more mesmerizing place around here, I know not.

Envy

A sonnet on envy:

The world is not really small,
Nor is it a grand zero sum game.
Even if you do not have it all,
You grew from what you overcame.

Why frown at another's delights,
When their struggles, you know not?
Forging your path to new heights,
Requires giving it your best shot.

Yes, there is enough to go around,
If you would but change your view.
As far-fetched as this may sound,
It is more often than not true.

Watching on from the sidelines and going green will never cease the pain.
As they say, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.

Equanimity

A poem on equanimity:

Running towards many a pleasure,
We try to avoid pain at any cost.
But each brings its own treasure,
Yet, on us, this seems often lost.

The stepping stone is such a cliche,
But forget it, we do, when we fail,
To succeed, there is more than one way,
Embracing this does lift the veil.

Paralyzing ourselves with so much fear,
When the winds of change bring the unknown.
Letting the water settle makes it clear,
Transforming that unknown into a known.

Letting our vagaries push us to rage,
We grasp many a piece of hot coal.
The burns on our hands, we can't guage,
But they will certainly take their toll.

One day we enjoy a warm sunny sky,
But the next might bring cold, dark rain.
The desire to control is hard to deny,
But reality, we face, again and again.

From joy to sorrow, sorrow to joy,
We swing like a pendulum sans rest.
Of circumstances, we needn't be a toy,
Realizing this is the ultimate test.

Adieu to Jeff

One of my PhD thesis advisors at UW-Madison, Prof. Jeff Naughton, is retiring this week and joining Google in Madison. This sonnet pays tribute to his incredible career as one of the most respected academic researchers in computer science and his renown as a spectacular guide for his students (including me!). I wish him the very best in his new role.

In understanding a student,
None I've seen surpasses you.
Patient, placable, prudent,
And unbelievably witty too!

Your mark on UW is indelible,
You will be missed for sure.
A career so long and incredible,
Many a storm you did endure.

I wish you the best of luck,
As you move on to a new career.
Given your remarkable pluck,
I think you will own this veer.

It is indeed an honor to be advised by you,
With heavy hearts, we the students bid adieu.

Randomness

A sonnet on randomness:

You are serendipity, you are luck,
Is there a life untouched by you?
Directing us to raise our pluck,
You enable us to break through.

Time after time, we crave control,
Deluding ourselves beyond measure.
Letting go may avoid this toll,
'Tis a skill we truly treasure!

Is the Universe a friend or foe?
Is that really the key question?
Sans an answer with what we know,
We bias ourselves to an obsession!

You bring joy, you bring pain,
Seeing through you brings peace.
Repeating this again and again,
Illusions of control do cease.

You are abhorred, and you are praised,
But you never fail to leave us amazed!