Bharathiyar and Translation

Abstract

Subramania Bharathiyar emerged as a remarkable translator and poet, bridging Tamil literature with global literary traditions. A polyglot, he mastered Tamil, English, Sanskrit, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, French, and Chinese. Bharathiyar translated literary works from other languages into Tamil and his own Tamil poems into English and French, making them accessible to a wider audience. His translations are marked by literary finesse, clarity, and cultural sensitivity, reflecting themes such as Tamil welfare, Indian freedom, women’s liberation, and the rejection of caste discrimination. Through his translation work, Bharathiyar enriched Tamil literary expression while fostering cross-cultural literary exchange, establishing himself not only as a poet but also as an outstanding translator and social thinker.