CORPSES OF TOMORROW

Staying in the mother’s womb

for ten months at a stretch,

he arrived in this world

and lived in flamboyance,

decked in silken finery

and pearls and coral.

And having played his role,

he is now dead and gone,

while his body is lying there

awaiting cremation!

How strange is it, my Lord,

that the corpses of tomorrow

should weep aloud and mourn

around the corpse of today!

[Tamil poem by PATTINATHAR (10^th century A.D) rendered into English by Sage TGN]