Saturday, June 9, 2018

Lovely ladies

Chilakamarti Lakshminarasimham was a poet par excellence in Telugu, he lived in late 1800s and early 1900s. Here is my translation of one of his famous poems...the last line in the original is beauty personified.

చదువన్నేర్తురు పూరుషుల్ బలెనె శాస్త్రంబుల్ పఠింపించుచో
నదుమన్నేర్తురు శత్రుసేనల ధనుర్వ్యాపారముల్ నేర్పుచో
నుదితోత్సాహము తోడ నేలగల రీ యుర్విన్ బ్రతిష్ఠించుచో
ముదితల్ నేర్వగరాని విద్యగలదే ముద్దార నేర్పింపగన్
They can learn to study
equalling men in every field
given a chance,  their ability
shines and will be revealed

They can defeat anyone easily
in a battlefield
a chance to learn archery
given would serve the need

They can rule this Earth
to match any great ruler
their valor has no dearth
like them there's no other

is there anything
that lovely ladies
taught love abounding
cannot ace with ease?