Sri Sri's "Jayabheri": An English Rendition

by Crazyfinger

I thought we'd start off this new blog with a poem from Telugu poet Sri Sri's Mahaprasthanam.  I wouldn't exactly call any of these attempts on this blog as "translations," as I think one can call them translations only when they are done right.  I will stick to a somewhat loosy term "rendition."  Here we go then...Comments are open and are not moderated beforehand.  

Link to Telugu original: Click here for a collection over at Scribd and turn to page 5.

I too

offered a fuel

of firewood 

to the world's fire:

I too

poured a tear

for the world's rain:

I too

yelled with a

mad throat

for the earth's roar:

When summer scorched

did I not 

swelter like a bat?

When rainy season

gathered all around

did I not 

melt at the fathom's height?

When winter's cold

cut, frozen, numb

I even let cries of hunger:

If I alone am 

left standing

fiery winds, rainclouds, snowdrizzles

will break the earth:

Color colored stars

peering down from the sky

will fall, explode, vomiting blood:

Days breaking

nights withering

the great deluge will 

engulf this world over:

Those moments will arrive

when I alone

fill the whole earth

the sighs of my moaning cries 

soaking the world in a rainstorm:

I too

will sprout

as the white petal

of the lotus of the universe:

I too 

will swoon

as the string

of the lute of the universe:

I too

will rise up

as the flag

on the palace of the earth:

Comments

[Tim Buck]

Really liked "Jayabheri". Beautiful and subtly rendered. Ghalib could have learned some style points from Sri Sri.