apūrvaracanā

nīlanīradanicolakojjhite vyomadarpaṇatale śaradvadhūḥ | candram ānanam iva vyalokayat tatkṣaṇonmiṣitakairavekṣaṇā ||

Autumn’s bride stared at her face, the moon, in the mirror of the sky plucked from its blue-cloud case. Her eyes, a white lily, bloomed at once.

Chandni Raat

ekatra nāsya ratir ity avadhūyamānaḥ kopād iva śvasanakampanighūrṇitāyāḥ | raktacchadaṃ madhusugandhi saroruhiṇyā bhṛṅgaś cucumba kamalānanam ādareṇa || (āryabhaṭṭasya)

"He doesn't just love me," she huffed, shaking with the force of her sigh, and what seemed like anger.

Advance repelled, the bumblebee placed a careful peck on her red lotus lips that smelled like honey.

--by Āryabhaṭṭa

Vaakapoomaram Choodum

daive parāgvadanaśālini hanta jāte yāte ca samprati divaṃ prati bandhuratne | kasmai manaḥ kathayitāsi nijām avasthāṃ kaḥ śītalaiḥ śamayitā vacanais tavādhim ||

Now that fate has turned its face, and heaven has taken this jewel of a woman, in whom will you confide, my heart, what’s going on inside? Who will relieve your pain with soothing words?

Pranaya Sarovara Theeram

gītasūktir atikrānte stotā deśāntarasthite | pratyakṣe tu kavau loke sāvajñaḥ sumahaty api ||

They sing songs about you if you're dead. They praise you on high if you're out of town. But if you stick around, no matter how good you are, they'll hate you anyway.

Main Shayar Badnaam

tasmāt pramāṇaṃ na vayo na vaṃśaḥ kaścit kvacic chraiṣṭhyam upaiti loke |

Thus, neither age nor pedigree are appropriate measures. Anyone, anywhere, can achieve excellence in the world.

Pauli Murray Papers

kṛṣataḥ puruṣāṃś ca vīkṣamāṇaḥ pavanārkāṃśurajovibhinnavarṇān | vahanaklamaviklavāṃś ca dhuryān paramāryaḥ paramāṃ kṛpāṃ cakāra ||

Seeing the workers plow the fields, discolored by the wind, by the dust, by the rays of the sun, and the oxen heaving with the toil of the plough, the great man felt great compassion.

vṛddhāṅganeva vijahau sarid uddhatatvaṃ vedāntinām iva manaḥ śuci nīram āsīt | candre prabhā yuvativaktra ivādbhutābhūt vidvatkavitvam iva kekirutaṃ na reje ||

the river as subdued as a woman past her prime.

the water crystal clear as a philosopher’s mind.

the glow as wondrous in the moon as in a young beauty’s face.

kṛto dūrād eva smitamadhuram abhyudgamavidhiḥ śirasy ājñā nyastā prativacanavaty ānatimati | na dṛṣṭeḥ śaithilyaṃ milana iti ceto dahati me nigūḍhāntaḥkopā kaṭhinahṛdaye saṃvṛtir iyam ||

You welcome me from far away, a smile that is too sweet. You take my words to head (not heart): reply, assent, bow down. Your gaze, unslackened, meets with mine; it's torturing my thoughts. Your heart has frozen over, but the rage burns deep within.

Be Sabab Baat

bhabhabhramati kiṃ mahī lalalalambate candramāḥ kṛkṛṣṇa vavada drutaṃ hahahasanti kiṃ vṛṣṇayaḥ | śiśīdhu mumumuñca me vavavavaktram ityādikaṃ madaskhalitam ālapan haladharaḥ śriyaṃ vaḥ kriyāt || (puruṣottamadevasya)

"W-w-why's the earth sh-shaking? Why's the moon fa-falling down? Hey Kri-kri-shna t-tell me quick, is everyone ha-ha-ha-ing at me? Rum-rum, yum-yum, loo-loo-loo-loo- loosen my t-t-tongue!"

May the wielder of the plow, stuttering syllables totally trashed, bestow riches on you all!

--by Puruṣottamadeva

navasamāgamalajjitamānasāṃ praṇayakautukajṛmbhitamanmathām | aramayaḥ khalu nātha yathāsukhaṃ rahasi tāṃ hasitāṃśulasanmukhīm ||

This new coming together placed a shyness in her heart but also love, in leaps and bounds, eager to be loved back.

You had good times, didn't you, lord, in secret, as you pleased, you and that girl, her face bathed in the afterglow of a laugh.

Hum Dono Do Premi

yaḥ kṛtvā viśvaraṅgaṃ rajaniyavanikaṃ projjvaladbhānudīpaṃ śaśvatsantuṣṭasamprekṣakam akhilajagad bhrāntināṭyaṃ vitatya | karmaughoccaṇḍamārdaṅgikalayavaśagān vāsanāgānasaktān jīvacchātrān mukundas svayam abhiramate krīḍayan so 'stu bhūtyai ||

All the world's a stage to him, With sun as the lighting, And night as the curtains, With humanity a captive audience, He weaves a drama of confusion.

Mukunda himself deigns to entertain The soul as student, swept away by the songs Of past experiences perfuming the present, By the thunderous drumming of karma's waves. May his playfulness lead you to prosper!

Creating and Destroying the University in Twenty-Nine Nights

kīkīti nāmadheyas te kṛṣṇapakṣatvaśaṅkayā | kathaṃ tarhi mayā dṛṣṭaḥ pūrṇacandras tavānane ||

They say your name is Kiki For your blue feather wrap :: (For the waning fortnight) So how come I can see The full moon in your face?

In My Feelings

tena vyadhīyatatarām iva vellitāgra- dordaṇḍabhasmakaṇarājibhir ujjvalābhiḥ | nirmitsyamānanijanṛttabharābhiyoga- yogyāntarālabhuvanāntarasūtrapātaḥ ||

It was as if the glowing specks of ash That floated down from his gyrating arms Arranged themselves, by his divine intent, Into the blueprint of another world, A world that would, finally, be designed To reckon with the power of his dance.

Ananda Natam Aduvar

yaśasaḥ śṛṅgam āruhya dagdhavanto jagad yataḥ | tasmād anumitir yuktā parvato vahnimān iti ||

Because they climbed the peak of fame And set the world ablaze, The inference is justified: There's fire on the mountain.

Grateful Dead - Fire on the Mountain

darpaṇe dṛśyamānaṃ svam ātmānam avijānataḥ | yad raktaśikhino yuddham asmākam iva tad vṛthā ||

anena sārdhaṃ viharāmburāśes tīreṣu tāḍīvanamarmareṣu | dvīpāntarānītalavaṅgapuṣpair apākṛtasvedalavā marudbhiḥ ||

Walk with him along the beach, Where palm trees murmur in the breeze That lifts away your drops of sweat With cloves from islands far away.

Vaishaka Sandhye

ekasya tiṣṭhati kaver gṛha eva kāvyam anyasya gacchati suhṛdbhavanāni yāvat | nyasyad vidagdhavadaneṣu padāni śaśvat kasyāpi sañcarati viśvakutūhalīva ||