A Poem
BY D. V. KRISHNA SASTRI, B.A.
[We give below two translations of the same TELUGU poem]
SHALL I - ?
Becoming
A leaf among the leaves,
A flower among the flowers,
A bough among the boughs,
A blooming blossom,
Shall I here hide myself,
And somehow abide
In this woodland home?
Becoming
A gentle wave of the blowing wind,
A silent song of the flowing stream,
Shall I here hide myself,
And somehow abide
In this woodland home?
Becoming
A bee behind the blossom's coral curtain,
A grown-up flower-maid's lovely blush,
Shall I here hide myself,
And somehow abide
In this woodland home?
Ascending
Tree tops and blue hill-cliffs and still higher skies,
Become a passing cloud's shining, blue,
Shall I here hide myself,
And somehow abide
In this woodland home?
Wandering
Thus lone, melancholy, slow,
Sans appetite or thirst or pain or sorrow,
Shall I here hide myself,
And somehow abide
In this woodland home?
Translated by
V. N. BHUSHAN.
SHALL I-?
A leaf among the leaves, a flower among the flowers,
A branch among the branches, into the tenderest downy
stemlet turned,
Shall I hide myself within this forest deep?
Somehow, shall I here for ever stop?
A ripple within the sweetly, sweetly, rustling wind,
The sad burden of the falling, falling, waters' endless rhyme,
Shall I hide myself within this forest deep?
Somehow, shall I here forever stop?
A lone butterfly, hidden behind coral veils of yet unfolding
leaves,
The maiden bashfulness of virgin flowers sweet,
Shall I hide myself within this forest deep?
Somehow, shall I here for ever stop?
High o'er green tree-tops climbing,
Far above purple mountains rising,
Into the blue wonder of a rain-cloud turned,
Shall I hide myself within this forest deep?
Somehow, shall I here for ever stop?
Of hunger and thirst, no more; sadness and vain regrets, no
more;
Thus lonely like a mad man wander,
Shall I hide myself within this forest deep?
Somehow, shall I here for ever stop?
Translated by
ACHANTA JANAKI RAM, B.Sc.