FIRDAUSI
GURRAM
JOSHUA
[Among
the Telugu poets of this century the late Gurrarn
Joshua has earned a worthy place for himself. “Firdausi”
is considered to be the best of his works. Here are some verses rendered into
English by B. Theodore.
–Editor]
Blessed
is the womb that conceives the poet,
Immortal
is the patron that receives his work;
But
the so-called eminent people on earth
Consider
the poet as a worthless person. 1-12
The
deftness that lies in the Creator’s hand
Lies
in the quill of the poet too;
He
alone can exercise power divine;
Really
he’s worthy reverence by all. 1-13
The
clustering of words, and the rhythm of the poem
That
matches the movement of horses’ hooves.
The
richness of thought and the natural flow
Moved the hearts of the poets in the court.
1-42
O
Sultan Mahmud! the spurious lightnings
I
trusted and a
Which
now has become a firmament void,
Usurping
my all, collapsed in hell;
In
vain I stand in a world of grief. 1-47
The
sin of offering my poetic nectar
To
the Sultans that possess stony hearts
Who
offer humans as a prey to their swords
Verily
has smitten me; how can I get
The
money already has gone destroyed
By the fire of wilful sin of mine?
1-48
Ink
in my quill has remained to write
Mournful
ditties dull and insipid;
Hapless
I am, my strength declined,
The
demon of Age has enveloped my body;
These
tears of despair have become the fruit
Of my literary service of thirty years.
1-49
Each
of the couplets a drop of blood
Consumed
from me; in vain I have written;
Will
the noblest king thus utter lies?
Will
he not pay my gold he owes?
Alas!
this fact I knew not before,
O
Sultan of Ghazni! Mahmud
the Great! 1-50
After
promising by Allah, O knave! you tried
To
pay me in silver for my poesy of gold:
Will
Allah be pleased with your worship, O king?
He
that breaks not his promise, O Sultan!
He
alone is human and blest on earth. 1–51
As
a tiger my poesy has devoured my strength;
My
skeleton half-dead has remained shaky;
Can
the goddess of Mahmud’s sword relish
Flesh
of the old man living but dead?
Can
the shame incurred be wiped out by that? 1-62
In
the sea for pearls many a time
I
dived but alas! unlucky I was;
Obtain
I could not a single pearl
But
the sea did gape to swallow me. 1-63
The
tops of eastern hills were suffused
With
saffron; the Sun, his crimson rays
Did
spread; the Moon in the sky, crestfallen,
Clambered
the plains of the western hills
Along
with the man and headlong fell;
And
the darkness changed into crows and cawed. 2-9
Tickling
the garlands of flirting waves
Of
this river that flows with untiring roar,
And
nodding your head for the charming dance
Of
the rows of foam, and laughing merrily,
Why
not you look at me when I bow? 2-12
At
dawn and dusk on the objects of Nature
Your
hallowed and lovely hand inscribes
Something and passes, which sometimes I find.
But
comprehend I can’t, I’m slow to grasp;
Why
have you thus created me, God! 2-17
By
your grace does this Universe merrily sing
And
knows not a little either good or bad;
Where
have you learned this long-suffering. My Lord!
If
anger you have, can the Sun in his course
In
the firmament abide, or the day ever dawn? 2-19
On
the lovely couches of the clouds on the peak
Of
the western hill the Moon like an infant
Does
sleep, and building cradles for him
In
the water of this lake and singing lullabies
Why
don’t you look towards me, O God!
Why
in the welkin have you bent your rainbow?
The
Sun has hidden behind the clouds;
What
treason has he done and brought this trouble?
Can
the worlds withstand if you were enraged? 2-31
For
sport you twirled the earth as a top
Some
ages ago with all your might;
If
the speed of rotation would slow down a little,
Will
the course of life on earth survive?
Which
side will it tilt? What’ll be the consequence?
I
surmise like this sometimes as a madman. 2-32
Destructive
sin that men have hoarded
Makes
this earth abhor and groan;
But
the wrath of God does fear to kindle
Perhaps because of men like you.
3-26
O
Ingrate! sink in the sea of shame!
You’ve
lost for ever the bliss of heaven
With
Firdausi, the most distinguished poet
Who
with his rapturous and luscious poesy
Delighted
the whole of the Afghan nation;
Now
roam as a living corse for ever. 4-33
Poets
there are hundreds of epics beautiful,
And
scholars profound that display their scholarship;
But
can there be sweetness as in Firdausi’s poesy?
Will
there be a fool that spurns a diamond? 4-35