Sparks-Dews Poem by Ch J Satyananda Kumar

(Spulingalu-Tusharalu)

Telugu original: Dr. Bezawada Gopala Reddy
English translation: Ch J Satyananda Kumar

(1)
prEma gulAbee theevalO
yenni mettani rEkulunnayO
anni moraTu mulloo unnaayi
yenni kavvimpulO, anni nishEdhaalu

On a branch of love rose plant,
As many soft petals,
Those much crude prickles.
As many provocations, those much proscriptions

(2)
kOtla cheekatlu
nallani mrOkulatO
suryuni tErunu
venukaku lAgalEvu
lakshala chali kaalaalu
Amani rAkanu ApalEvu

Trillions of dark shadows
Holding black ropes
Can’t pull back
Chariots of Sun.
Millions of winter seasons
Can’t stop the advent of spring

(3)
astamiMchadaanikE udayistAdu suryuDu
vaadi pODAnikE poostAyi poolu
samasipOvadaanikE lEstuMdi ala
chacchuTakE pudtAdu manishi

Only to set in dusk, rises Sun
To wither only, blossom flowers
To plummet only, rises wave
To die only, takes birth a man

(4)
yEnugulu yekkina yElikalu
pallakeelu yekkina pattapu raaNulu
kaarulalO kekkina kOteeswarulu
nara bhujAlu yekki aMtima yAtra chEstunnAru

Emperors saddled on elephants
Queens journeyed on palanquins
Millionaires traveled in cars
Are at last, climbing men’s shoulders for their funeral procession!


(Dr.Bezawada Gopala Reddy (August 5,1907– March 9,1997) was a politician and poet. He was Chief Minister of Andhra State (28 March 1955–1 November 1956) and Governor of Uttar Pradesh (1 May 1967–1 July 1972) . These poems are from his ‘Sphulingaalu-Tushaaraalu’ [Sparks-dews], published by Andhra Saraswatha Parishat, Tilak Road, Hyderabad-1 [1984])