Sunday, January 15, 2006

More from Lalla "A fool carpenter"     [transcreations]

My boat I tow   with a rope whose threads look dubious
O can't the Lord heed my prayer   & impel me o'er?
like water in cups of unfired clay   I'm tenuous
I but hope to God I can make it yon   to the shore

A fine bow   with a rush-sprig for its arrow!
a fool carpenter won the bid   to build a chateau!
an unlocked shop smack in the midst   of a busy mall
unbaptised body   Jeez!   how'd I get to be so?

I've no idea from where I came   nor how
I cannot say   toward where I go at death
if I were to grasp the end   & gain the truth --
else everything   is nothing but empty breath

I've seen an erudite scholar   famished & perishing
seen a withered leaf drop down   in the wintry breeze
I've seen an incapable fool   lambast his competent cook
still Lalla waits   for the lure of the world to cease

Now I beheld   the stream where water flows
now I beheld   nor bridge nor bank in view
now I beheld in bloom   the noble rose
now I beheld   nor flower nor thorn   just you

Now I beheld   the little kiln ablaze
now I beheld   nor smoke nor any flame
now I saw the very mother   of the Pandavas
& now she were but   the potter's aunt again!

A Mercedes-Benz   some Gucci shades   a night on the town
a little mansion   with its bed of comfy down
which of these   exactly   will you carry away?
& which will manage to tone the dread of dying down?



[vakh #1]:
Ami pana so'dras nAvi ches lamAn
Kati bozi Day myon meyti diyi tAr
Ameyn tAkeyn poniy zan shemAn
Zuv chum bramAn gara gatshaha.
[vakh #4]:
hacivi haa'rinji pyatsuv kaan gom
abahak chaan pyom yath raazdhaana
alanjz bhag bazaras kuluph rous vaan gom
tirith rous paan goam kus maali zaana
[vakh #8]:
aayas kami dishi ta kami vate
Gatsha kami deyshi kava zaana vath;
antidaay lagimay tate,
Chanis phookas kanh ti no sath.
[vakh #9]:
gaattulah akh vuchum bwachi suu'ty maraan
Pan zan haraan Pohani vaava laah
Neyshibodh akh vuchum vaazas maaraan
Tana Lalla bha praaraan tseyneym-na praah.
[vakh 10]:
da'mi dithu'm nad vahavu'ni
da'mi dyuthum suum na'th tar
da'mi dithu'm thr fuwalwani
da'mi dyuthum gul na'th khaar
[vakh 11]:
da'mii dhitthu'm ga'j dazu'vu'nii
da'mii dyuthum dh'ha na'th naar
da'mii dhitthu'm Pandavan hu'unz ma'ji
da'mii dhitthu'm kraji mass
[vakh #12]:
tsAmar cha'tu'r rath siihAsan
aahlad nAtiya-ras tuula-paryankh,
KyAh mAnith yeti sthir Aswani?
Kawa zana kAsiy maranann shaenkh



This is a second installment of verses "transcreated" from Lalla's pithy vakhs. The first was here: "Even the shadows" (which, kindly see for some bit of background info).

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