
Peacock of the Rain (poem)
Telugu Original: Mandarapu Hymavati
EnglishTranslation: Syamala Kallury
As when a poem that has not taken shape
In the mind since long, emerges suddenly
Opening the fan of raindrops,
The peacock of the rain, breaks into a dance.
As when some unseen goddesses
Rain jasmines with cupped hands,
Like the pearls of blessed rice
The bridegroom, the sky
Showers on the head of the bride, the Earth,
Like the silk threads woven with moonlight
Like silver threads
Rains pours down on the earth like
A bridge of raindrops
The fear of catching cold,
Of getting fever,
Of sprouting plants as on wet soil
You close all the windows
Away from nature in an AC room
Why do you lock yourself up?
Open the closed windows and
Half-closed eyelashes,
And just look out
The drop that falls on your forehead
Like the painted tilak,
The drop that falls on the tip of your nose
Like a beautiful nosepin
The drop that falls on your lip
Like a fresh jasmine, just blossomed.
Heart like a Sahara
Life like an oasis
Everyone to one’s own loneliness
Without any feelings, a closed pitcher
Like a machine that earns, constantly
Like a spring that never sings
On days moisture less and dry
Getting drenched
Somewhere, sometime
In the sea of tears
On the waves of romance
In the flood of emotions
Is what makes life complete!
Swaying in the winds of rain
Leaning through the window
The hibiscus plants a cool kiss
Like a heart lightened
After unburdening
The years of sorrows
Like the clouds that spread across
After the rain the clear sky
White jasminecarpet-covered.
*****

Syamala Kallury taught for over a decade and a half in the AP Govt colleges in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam as Lecturer in English She moved to Delhi after marriage where she taught in Delhi University, and in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Delhi till 2011 She has two daughters Ahana and Kruttika, who live in UK and Dubai respectively. Currently she lives in Visakhapatman with her dog Subbu, a cocker spaniel. A bilingual writer and translator, Syamala authored many books. 1. Telugu Short Stories women’s Voices: An Inner Voyage(1930-2000) Asian Publication House (2001)2. Twentieth Century Telugu Poetry (2006) 3. Godavari Tales Viveka Foundation (2006) 4.స్వగతాలు (2009) 5. If you Want To be a Poet, Patridge India (2018) 6. కంచికి వెళ్లకూడని కథలు navachetana పబ్లిషర్స్ (2019) 7.భావవిహంగాలు Telugu translation of Tagore’ s Stray Birds (1988, 2019)8. Rajanigandha, translation of Papineni Sivasankar’s award winning poetry collection with the same title published by Sahitya Academy New Delare ఆ few of her పబ్లికేషన్స్ in addition to a number of academic articles
