A snake-charmer and his nose-less wife,
snake in hand, walk carefully
trying to read omens
for a son's wedding,
but they meet head-on
a nose-less woman
and her snake-charming husband,
and cry 'The omens are bad!
His own wife has no nose;
there's a snake in his hand.
What shall I call such fools
who do not know themselves
and see only the others,
0 lord of the meeting rivers!
snake in hand, walk carefully
trying to read omens
for a son's wedding,
but they meet head-on
a nose-less woman
and her snake-charming husband,
and cry 'The omens are bad!
His own wife has no nose;
there's a snake in his hand.
What shall I call such fools
who do not know themselves
and see only the others,
0 lord of the meeting rivers!
-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]
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