హిమబిందు - Snowdrop

హిమబిందు himabiMdu

ఏ దూర సాగరపు వారికణాలో E dUra sAgarapu vArikaNAlO

ఆవిరై ఒక మేఘమాలికన aavirai oka mEghamAlikana

తూలికై tUlikai

గాలిలో తేలుతూ gAlilO tElutU

గాలితో తూలుతూ gAlitO tUlutU

ఏ ప్రత్యేక లిప్తలో E pratyEka liptalO

ఘనీభవించాయో ghanIbhaviMchAyO

హిమస్ఫటికమణిగణనికరాలై himasphaTikamaNigaNanikarAlai

చల్లగా మెల్ల callagA mella

మెల్లగా తెల్ల mellagA tella

తెల్లగా ధరకు దిగి tellagA dharaku digi

పగడాల పెదవులపై pagaDAla pedavulapai

ఆరురేకుల పారిజాతాలై aaru rEkula pArijAtAlai

అర విరిసి ara virisi

అంతలోనే కరిగి aMtalOnE karigi

హేమంతసంధ్యలో hEmaMta saMdhyalO

భూమికి రాలాయి bhUmiki rAlAyi

మళ్లీ maLlI

ఏ జలాశయంలో నీటిముత్యాలై E jalASyamulO nITimutyAlai

ఎవరి చెక్కిళ్లను evari chekkiLlanu

చక్కగా నొక్కుతాయో cakakgA nokkutAyO

Snowdrop

Know not I

when the waters of which far away sea

vaporised into a cloud

and that cloud

like a light feather

floated willy-nilly in the wind

and suddenly

in an opportune moment

froze as gem-like white snow crystals

and dropped cooly, gently

to the earth

and touched the coral lips

like a half open six petalled flower

and almost immediately melted into droplets

and fell to the floor in the wintry dusk

Know not I

when and where

those pearl-like drops of water

are again going to touch the cheeks of

which unknown stranger

J K Mohana Rao

poem
హిమబిందు - Snowdrop  - snow cryst.jpg

Comments

Lata's picture

This is like an icicle. I'm tempted to hold it, break it, and crunch... Smile
Nice to know that you become extra creative on a day like this. I don't suppose you watch Super bowl?

lakshmiraghu's picture

mOhanaji,lively & lovely write up!!

jkmrao's picture

Just a note - In the original Telugu, I used the word aaru rEkula pArijAtAlai (like the six petalled pArijAtAs). It is impossible to bring out the nuance of this in English. As you know, the pArijAta flowers have varying number of petals including six. I used six to remind the symmetry of the snow crystals. Also pArijAta means that was born from water, like the snow crystal. Also as all of you know, the pArijAta flower has white petals with red ends (sepals?). So are the white snow crystals on red lips. This is where translations and transcreations are not successful.

Regards! - mOhana

jkmrao's picture

Very good super bowl game. Nice to see the underdogs win. The long suffering New Orleans deserve a moment of happiness!

Regards! - mOhana

sudhabalakrishnan's picture

Excellent poem, good similies and also the snow kolam is as good as the poem