Poems Of India - XXVII

Before

the grey reaches the cheek,

the wrinkle the rounded chin

and the body becomes a cage of bones:

before

with fallen teeth

and bent back

you are someone else's ward:

before.

you drop your hand to the knee

and clutch a staff:

before

age corrodes

your form:

before

death touches you:

worship

our lord

of the meeting rivers!

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

When a whore with a child

takes on a customer for money,

neither child. nor lecher

will get enough of her.

She'll go pat the child once,

then go lie with the man once,

neither here nor there.

Love of money is relentless,

my lord of the meeting rivers.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]