ONV Kurup (Ottaplackal Neelakandan Velukurup) was born on May 27 1931. He won the national award for best lyricist and Kerala state film awards 13 times. ONV is considered one of the best lyrists Kerala has ever produced.
Those who have lost the nectar is a simple poem that narrates the thoughts of a father and his son on a rainy day. This poem reveals a child’s curiosity who finds happiness in the little things of life.
It rains, and the courtyard has turned into a stream, and a little boy makes some paper boats. He leaves the paper boat on the small stream and closely observes its voyage.
The poet uses the beautiful image in his next lines” as you sit like a legendary god leading a fleet of ships to far off lands in good weather”
The poet attributes divine qualities to his little son who is focused on his little boats. God is considered the creator and preserver of the world; in a similar way the boy turns as a creator and preserver of those little boats.
The poet then leads the boy to his ancestral roots. The poet indicates the Hindu philosophy of detachment where the father reminds the kid that these raindrops are the joyful tears of the ancestors. The poet also narrates about the rain drops which draw circles in the water. The poet feels that his son’s face is shadowed. Poet depicts his apprehensions about his son’s emotions. The poet feels that if he cries, then his tears could easily sink those paper boats.
In the poem’s last two lines, the poet advises his son not to worry about things have no control over. The poet feels that he lost the nectar of his life to his grievances. So he reminds his son to enjoy the goodness of his age and not to worry about life.
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Read the full poem below
It has rained my son,
the courtyard has turned into a stream and your joy, into paper boats.
You launch them one by one. delighted as you look at them intently.
As you sit like a legendary god leading a fleet of ships to far off lands in good weather
your father sits behind you and enjoys the sight more.
Your ancestors
you haven’t known, see it from afar.
Like their tears of joy, fall
the rain drops here and there. The droplets of fresh rain
draw circles like flowers in the water…
In an instant, son, your face is shadowed:
Will it rain again, will the boats sink?
We are those who have lost
the nectar of pure joy; we grieve over things that might or might not come to pass.
