Poems of Aduri Satyavathi Devi
Poem-19
Touch of a Melody
Telugu Original: Aduri Satyavathi Devi
English Translation: J Bhagyalakshmi
Sometimes all words jumble up
And break into pieces
Like flowers dropped on a rock
They get hurt and faint
They are in agony like a struggling fawn
Which struggles to reach the stretched-out hand
But slips into a valley.
Any number of months may pass
Any number of seasons may melt away
Since there is no magnet
That can draw the fawn up from the valley
To be enfolded in your arms
Your heart weeps endlessly
Silence accumulates like massive hills
Time binds inner strings of melody
With her strong hands
And fills you with inertia
As the hold tightens, strength weakens
Mind is devoid of essence
But the eye looks for the script of light afar
That is covered with warmth of the language
Some vision unmanifested
Awaits with deep affection
In the morning’s softness
Like a beautiful child’s smile
You faintly hear
Certainly, the touch of a song
Gradually revealing itself
Raising you from the bonds of
Endless life of incognito
Hugging you warmly…. as a letter.
*****
Telugu Original :‘Oka Raaga Sparsa’
Aduri Satyavathi Devi was born in Guntur in the year 1948 and settled in Visakhapatnam after marriage in 1969. She began her literary career as a lyricist at the age of 13. She wrote a variety of lyrics numbering about 300 — light, classical, devotional, patriotic, children’s and others. More than 50 songs of Satyavati Devi were broadcast over All India Radio. Eventually she made forays into various other literary genres like Poetry, Short story, Essay, Radio Play, Musical Feature, Books, Film reviews, Forewords etc..She created a substantial corpus of poetry with more than 180 poems included in 4 anthologies of poetry. She received accolades from readers, scholars, critics and litterateurs for her sensitive rendering of poems. She participated in many Poetry Meets, Festivals conducted by All India Radio, Doordarshan and the Sahitya Akademi. She was widely translated into English and Hindi. Some of the translations appeared in renowned journals like Indian Literature (English), and Samakaaleen Bharateeya Saahitya (Hindi).
She published her first volume of lyrics Vennello Venugaanam in 1988. Her first volume of poetry Rekkamudavani Raagam was published in 1992 followed by Jalapaata Geetam in 1997 and Veyirangula Velugu Raagam in 2006. Hindi translation of Rekkamudavani Raagam came out in 2008 as “Pankh an Modnevaalaa Raag” and a miscellany of various facets of her literary endeavour Vennela Paarijaataalu was published posthumously in Dec 2008. She received many prizes and awards for her literary pursuits and accomplishments like STVD Kalasamithi Award for Rekkamudavani Raagam in 1993, and Telugu University’s “Pratibha Puraskaram” as “Best Poet” in 1994, “Krishna Sastry Award” from Andhra Lalita Kala Samithi (Secunderabad) in 1998, UNESCO Literary Award in 2000, and “Ramavruksha Benipuri Janma Sataabdi Sammaan” from Jaimuni Academy (Panipat) in 2002. An English translation of her poem, “Veyirekkala Pavuram” (Myriad Winged Bird) has been included in the syllabus of English texts in the poetry section of Degree year students by the Common Core syllabus Committee in AP from 2008.