Kaka’s Song of the Woods *
Dr. MASTI VENKATESA IVENGAR
In the heart of the forest,
atop of the hill,
Where Kapini’s stream
starts as a rill
Where even as you see,
as at a word,
The black clouds gather
horde upon horde
Where the elephant tusker,
with females and young,
Steps in the moonlight
majestic along
Where the deer flocks
see the tiger’s eyes
And helter skelter
in terror fly
Where the royal back
unashamed flaunter
Stands gazing steady
Like a lion with an antler
Where parrot and mina
and large birds and small
Fly garland past starland
Sweet singers all
Where the peacock’s cry
in shrill high note
Echoes a-sudden
from the rock it has smote
Where the large honey-bee
in hungry hour
is filled with the juice
of one nearby flower
Where jasmine and champak
and jaji their sister
Blossom daily
in cluster on cluster
Where puring its heart
the Jalari spray
Sends fragrant message
“Come, come this way”
Where the forest jack tree
stands decked in fruit
as in wristlet and anklet
right from the root
Where the black sandal
of sweet scented heart wood
Grows for Madesvara
and He finds it good
–Translated by the author from
the original in Kannada.
* Invocation in the
opening scene of his play “Kakana Kote”