பார்வை
ஷிவ்ராம் கோபிநாத்
பறவைகள் பறக்குது
பலமுகம் திரும்புது
பழைய பார்வைகள்
பழமென பழுக்குது
பணியுடன் கலந்த
களமொன்று கலக்குது
பயிரைப் போற்றிய பரம்பரை
பிறப்புடன் இறந்தது
பச்சை பிச்சை போட்ட
பாசி பளபளவென
பரவுது
Look
Written & Translated by Shivram Gopinath
Birds fly
Faces turn
Old looks
Ripen like fruit
A labour-drenched land flourishes
A crop-loving lineage, still-born
Moss, alms from green
spreads shiny.
Born in Chennai, India, Shivram Gopinath is a poet who has called Singapore a home for more than two decades, picking up a disdain for the typical, and a never-ending appetite for thosai along the way. His work has been heard at literary festivals, dingy bars and living rooms across the Asia Pacific. He often teaches workshops structured around poetic identity, and is co-founder of Mama Magnet, a cultural co-creator with a network of independent artists. Shivram is a twice-winning Singapore National Poetry Slam champion. Dey (Ethos Books, 2025) is his upcoming debut collection.
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A Severed Mind
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Better Alone
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Edge of One’s Heel
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Lalang Flower
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Letter To My Wife (For Su)
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Love is a Blessing
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My Conversation With The Grass
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Pleas of Romance
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Pelangi
Rainbow
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Sailing Steadfastly to the Pinnacle of Success
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Tebrau Straits
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Ini Nasi Yang Ku Suap
This Rice I Eat
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Towards the Shore of Happiness
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Tuk, Tuk, Tuk
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温柔的城市
A Gentle City
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书香
Book Fragrance
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云
Clouds
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醉
Drunk
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对角戏
Duologue
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青木恋人
Lover of Verdant Trees
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莫兰迪色系
Morandi Hues
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夜调
Nocturne
by 孤星子 (Ang Lai Sheng)
安静不因我们离去更安静
Silence that is no more silent
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慢
Slowly
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彩窗
Stained Glass Window
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石头
Stone
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走进图书馆的树：前身是树，今生是书本
The Tree at the Library Entrance
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二老走植物园
Two Elders Stroll in the Botanic Gardens
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伞内·伞外
Within/ Without
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அழகு
Beauty
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பாடம்
Lesson
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முதுமையின் அரவணைப்பில்
Life's Journey
by சுலோசனா கார்த்திகேசு (Sulosana Karthigasu)
பார்வை
Look
By ஷிவ்ராம் கோபிநாத் (Shivram Gopinath)
ஞாபகத் தடங்கள்
Memory Lanes
By எம். சேகர் (M. Segar)
போகப் போக புதியன காணல்
New Meanings
By வை.சுதர்மன் (V. Sutherman)
சன்னலில் வெளியே அமர்ந்திருந்த கவிதை
Poem Outside My Window
By சித்துராஜ் பொன்ராஜ் (Sithuraj Ponraj)
அன்பருக்குக் கவிதை
Poetry's Charm
By சிவமாலா (Sivamala)
நரை வெளிச்சம்
Twilight
By க.து.மு. இக்பால் (KTM Iqbal)
Poems on the MRT is an initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT and Stellar Ace. Produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary non-profit organisation, this collaboration displays excerpts of Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, integrating local literature into the daily experience of commuters. Look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines, as well as videos created by local artists and featuring local poets in stations and on trains. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. To enjoy the full poems, commuters may read them on go.gov.sg/potm.