beLagu

mUDala maneyA muttina nIrina
erakAva hoydA
nuNNannerakAva  hoydA
bAgila teredU beLaku haridU
jagavellA toydA
hOytO -- jagavellA toydA


ratnada rasadA kAranjIyU
puTapuTanE puTidu
tAnE -- puTapuTanE puTidu
maghamaghisuvA mugida moggI
paTapaTanE oDedu
tAnE -- paTapaTanE oDedu


elegaLa mElE hUgaLa oLagE
amritada bindu
kandavu  -- amritada bindu
yAririsiruvaru mugila mElin-
  - dilliE tandu
Iga -- illigE tandu


tangALIyA kaiyoLagirisI
esaLInA  chavari
hUvina -- esaLInA  chavari
hArisibiTTaru tumbiya danDu
maiyellA savari
gandA -- maiyellA savari


giDaganTeyA koraLoLaginda
hakkigaLA hAdu
horaTitu -- hakkigaLA hAdu
gandharvarA sImeyAyitu
kADinA nAdu
kshaNadoLu -- kADinA nAdu


kanditu kaNNu saviditu nAlage
paDedItI deha
sparshA -- paDedItI deha
kELitu kiviyu mUsitu mUgu
tanmayavI gehA
devara -- dI manasina gehA


ariyadu ALavu tiLiyadu manavu
kANadO baNNA
kaNNige -- kANadO baNNA
shAntIrasavE prItIyindA
maidOrItaNNA
idu bari -- beLagallO aNNA

Dawn
(Translated by G.S. Amur)
The Eastern house shone with pearl-water
Gilded smoothly all over:
Flooding through the open doors
Light drenched the entire earth.



The liquid diamond rushed through the fountain
Rushed of it's own accord;
The sweet-scented buds opened up,
Opened of their own accord.




On the leaves, inside the flowers, appeared
Drops of amrita, amrita drops.
Who brought them here from above the sky,
Who put them here, now?




They placed the petal brush
In the hands of the cool breeze
And smeared with scented pollen,
The bees are let loose in the sky.




From the throats of trees and bushes
Rose the songs of birds,
And the wild earth was transformed
In an instant, into the land of Gandharvas.




The eye saw, the tongue tasted,
This my body experienced touch,
The ear heard, the nose smelt,
My mind, temple of God, forgot itself in ecstasy.




Immeasurable is space, beyond the grasp of the mind,
The colour, unseen, is hidden from the eye,
Only the rasa of peace bodies forth in love,
This, my brother, is no mere dawn.


Bisilugudure
(olavE namma baduku)

Naanu baDavi, aatha baDava
Olave namma baduku
BaLasikonDevadane naavu
Adaku idaku edaku              ||Pa ||

Haththirirali dooravirali
Avane rangasaale
KaNNu kattuvantha moorthi
Kivige muththinole              (1)

ChaLige bisiligonde hadana
Avana maiya mutte
Ade gaLige maiya thumba 
Nanage naviru batte             (2)

Aatha kotta vasthu vaDave
Nanage avage goththu
ThoLugaLige thoLa bandi
Kenne thumba muththu            (3)

Kundu korathe thoralilla
Beku hechchigenu?
Hottegiththa jeevaPhalava
Thutige haalu jenu              (4)

Love is our life
(Translated by C.P. Ravikumar)

        Me, a poor girl, and he, a poor fella,
        Love is our life
        Is love that comes in handy
        On the road of joy n' strife
        
        Be he near or be he far, 
        The apple of mine eyes is he! 
        I melt when I see his darling face,
        He's my precious jewelry!
        
        Winter days or summer,
        His body is warm to touch,
        When I have him near me
        I wear *him* like robes n' such
        
        The gifts he has bestowed on me
        Are secrets we two share:
        Crimson roses for my cheeks,
        And my lips, a sweet eclair!
        
        What more could I ask for?
        He's given me all I need.
        His gift of life grows in my womb,
        To ask for more is greed!