Feminist Poems Again! - muktaayakka & jayaprabha

Rao Veluri (rveluri@smtpgate.anl.gov)
Thu, 13 Mar 97 14:52:27 CST 

     
     Here is a poem by a H. S. Muktayakka, a kannada 'feminist' poet.
     It has been translated into Telugu by Sree sa. Raghunatha and
     Sree B. R. Lakshmana Rao. They have recently published(1996) a 
     collection of translations from kannada into telugu, entitled 
     "aathunika kannada kavita." Sree Addepalli Ramamohana Rao 
     wrote a prefactory note to this collection.
     
     It represents 85 modern poets from Karnataka, and has over 100
     pieces in all. One can find poems of all flavors, colors,
     and odors,-- from neo-romanticism to daLita kavita--; and some 
     'translations' can easily pass of as non-poems too! A little
     care in proof-reading would have avoided the unwanted
     recurrence of migraines for readers!  
     
     You can get a copy of this 242 page volume from Visalandhra
     Publishing House, 4-1-435 Vignyana Bhavan, Bank Street,
     Hyderabad - 500 027 for 95 rupees. 
     
     The poem I am going to post, I believe, should be read along
     with one of Jayaprabha's earlier poems. I would reproduce 
     Jayaprabha's poem too!
     
     ______________
     
     mEm pativratalalam kaamu
     
                                - h. s. muktaayakka
     
     mee agni gumDaaniki
     maa Seelaanni bali icci kaapaDEmduku
     mee numDE patvratala peeThamekki
     praat@h kaala smaraNalO
     nETikee kaali pOyi mamDutunna
     mEm pativratalam kaamu.
     
     nippulO kaali avamaanimcabaDDa seetalam
     silallO silpaalamai
     aakali nimDina kaLLaku aahaaramaina
     saala bhamjikalam.
     
     yugayugaala numDi ceera laagimcukumToo
     asahyaayu raaLLaina draupadulam.
     
     manuvu guppiTlO paDi
     sagam caccina bamdeelam
     patitO paaTu citi yekki
     koopa, taTaakaalakOsam
     batukunE arpimci amarulaina vaLLam.
     
     mEm patvratalam kaamu, dEvatalamoo kaamu,
     'maatRdEvObhava' anE
     birudaamkitulamoo kaamu.
     
     mEm evaramoo kaamu
     kEvalam sajeeva Savaalam!
     kEvalam
     sajeeva Savaalam!
     
     ___________
     
     Here we go with Jayaprabha's poem.

     This is from her 1991 collection, "ikkaDa kurisina
     varshaM ekkaDi mEghaanidi?"

     ___________

     nEnu eenaaTi daanni!

                                - Jayaprabha


     naaku saugaMdhikaa pushpaM vaddu
     nEnu draupadini kaanu
     naaku satyavaMtuDi praaNamoo vaddu
     nEnu saavitrini kaanu
     nEnu sairaMdhrinee kaanu
     avakaaSaalabaTTi marugujjulaipOE
     naluLLa kOsaM
     marOsaari varamaala paTTukunE
     damayaMtinee kaanu

     pavuraai gooLLallO
     paDikaTTUgaa kukkEsina
     raaNeeni daasinee saaninee kaanu
     nEnu rekkalu mukkalu cEsukoni
     SramiMci batukutunnadaanni
     nEnoka kooleeni tallini
     kaMrEDnee mEdhaavini
     iMTaa bayaTaa niraMtaraM
     pOraaTaMlO nimagna mainadaanni
     naligina daarilOnE naDicipOkuMDaa
     tala vaMcipOkuMDaa
     kutaMtraalani gurtistoo heccaristoo
     muMduku pOtunnadaanni
     nanu nEnu jaiMcukunna daanni!
     nEnu eenaaTi daanni!

     __________________

     Regards.

     Venkateswara Rao Veluri