When words shatter and melt
Purports scatter, scare and wilt
And thoughts vanish into distant horizons
A habitation is needed
To learn words anew

When desires disappear, making body a lean stick
Rarefied reflections render heart an empty shell
And every route is shut
Leaving pitch darkness all around
A sprinkle of greeting is needed
To sprout anew

A veritable life of your own
To enter at your will is needed.
Not as a mere figure carrying lungi and banian
In the present, oscillating into past and future
Should one live.
From the sickening payments of monthly bills
And the senseless smiles of sham stratagems
Should one sail smoothly into pithy life

Like a fluttering finch
Entering its nest at least
Should one embrace life with finesse.
Quench we should, our thirst
By parting the water of a flowing rivulet.
Rise we should, from the relics of a bee
Waiting on the lump of wax
Thrown after squeezing [...]]]> A place, a native town
Or an acquaintance at least
Is needed to frequent on and off

When words shatter and melt
Purports scatter, scare and wilt
And thoughts vanish into distant horizons
A habitation is needed
To learn words anew

When desires disappear, making body a lean stick
Rarefied reflections render heart an empty shell
And every route is shut
Leaving pitch darkness all around
A sprinkle of greeting is needed
To sprout anew

A veritable life of your own
To enter at your will is needed.
Not as a mere figure carrying lungi and banian
In the present, oscillating into past and future
Should one live.
From the sickening payments of monthly bills
And the senseless smiles of sham stratagems
Should one sail smoothly into pithy life

Like a fluttering finch
Entering its nest at least
Should one embrace life with finesse.
Quench we should, our thirst
By parting the water of a flowing rivulet.
Rise we should, from the relics of a bee
Waiting on the lump of wax
Thrown after squeezing the oozing honeycomb.
To sink into yourself
To smoulder and be left as yourself
A man should at least be available to you.

Original (Telugu): Yakoob
Translated by: Elanaaga

Yes I have seen it and noted
The true and lovely way of eating food
Of that poor peasant’s wife
And learn the twin values
The proper way of eating food
The great value of Food, God !

That eating—
Wasn’t like
Mechanical lip movement of a modern man
Not the gentle taking of one or two morsels
Not even that
Not like eating with much care so as to keep
Fingers clean
Unlike the civilized one
Who doesn’t move lips
Does never turn the jaws
And that the teeth are within, not shown.

Like a great sage
Teaching the noble aspect of food
It’s true definition for sure
Mixing,holding in palm in rounds
The morsel gets [...]]]> Have been a silent observer for ages
Of her manner of eating food, from childhood days
On the previous day, just
Closely watched all the system of her eating
Careful and very cautious I was
That she could never get my feel
I have recorded all her movements
And watched with a new and queer eye !

Yes I have seen it and noted
The true and lovely way of eating food
Of that poor peasant’s wife
And learn the twin values
The proper way of eating food
The great value of Food, God !

That eating—
Wasn’t like
Mechanical lip movement of a modern man
Not the gentle taking of one or two morsels
Not even that
Not like eating with much care so as to keep
Fingers clean
Unlike the civilized one
Who doesn’t move lips
Does never turn the jaws
And that the teeth are within, not shown.

Like a great sage
Teaching the noble aspect of food
It’s true definition for sure
Mixing,holding in palm in rounds
The morsel gets good respect
In its very way of reaching the mouth
Whether a pickle
Whether a sort of poor porridge in vegetables
The morsel of food in her hand
Just as the endless glow
Of a mother’s eyes
Really shining, really shining
A great lesson !

She respects hunger
And values the vital bond
between food and hunger
It could be a reason
It was all piety and serenity
When she is taking food
The mother’s blessings are showered
On her children
We are blessed !

Unable to stop myself
When she has washed her
Two hands after food
I admiringly kissed her
Two heavenly hands.
A mother , a mother !!!

Telugu: Yakoob (అమ్మ అన్నంముద్ద)
Translated by: Naresh Mandagondi