ev:ej:üen:y:aev:Sv:ev:½al:y:H

SAST 255: The Languages of South Asia

Nominal Style in Poetry of the "Classical" Period:
A short poem by Yogeshvara, from Vidyâkara's Treasury.

      1a.  Aas:arant:-m:àdØ-)v:à¶:-m:,t:að m:ðG:aðp:el:pt:amb:ra
                        1b.  ev:½Øt:Î-p:at:-m:ØhÜt:ü-dà\X-kkÙB:H s:Øpt:ðndØ-t:ara-g:ÒhaH .
      2a.  D:ara-eVl:nn:-kdmb:-s:mB:àt:-s:Øra-m:aðdað¾haH )aðe\:t:òrÎ
                        2b.  en:Hs:mp:at:-ev:s:ari-ddØür-rv:a n:it:aH kT:m:Î ra*:y:H ?
The metre is Šârdulavikrîdita:   –  –  –  U  U  –  U  –  U  U  U  –  caesura  –  –  U  –  –  U  –

Six of the ten syntactic units are bahuvrîhis modifying the subject râtrayah 'nights' while the predicate (in the passive voice) is 'how are-x-spent by-travelers?'

        – – – U U – U – U U U –                           – – U – – U –

1a. âsârânta-mrdu-pravrtta-maruto                 meghopaliptâmbarâ
      shower.end-gentle-moving-breeze.Nompl cloud.covered.sky.Nompl

1a.

1b. vidyut-pâta-muhûrta-drsta-kakubhah       suptendu-târâ-grahâh
      lightning-fall-instant-seen-horizon.Nompl slept.moon-star-planet.Nompl

1b.

2a. dhârâ-klinna-kadamba-sambhrta-surâ-mododvahâh                   prositair
      downpour-wet-kadamba-carried-wine-pleasure.bringing.Nompl traveler.Instrpl

2a.

2b. nihsampâta-visâri-dardura-ravâ             nîtâh               katham râtrayah
      midnight-spreading-frog-sound.Nompl borne.Nompl how nights.Nompl

2b.

Translation from Sanskrit poetry from Vidyâkara's "Treasury" (Daniel H.H. Ingalls, 1968:12)

  220                After the rain a gentle breeze springs up
                        while the sky is overlaid with clouds;
                        one sees the horizon suddenly in a flash of lightning;
                        moon and stars and planets are asleep;
                        a heady scent is borne from kadambas wet with rain
                        and the sound of frogs spreads out in utter darkness.
                        How can the lonely lover spend these nights?
                                                                                                                [Yogeshvara]

 

 

 

 

 

Return to index of Sanskrit pages.

Encoded and posted 11 Sep 2004.