00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page i Classical Telugu Poetry 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page ii VOICES FROM ASIA 1. Of Women, Outcastes, Peasants, and Rebels: A Selection of Bengali Short Stories, edited and translated by Kalpana Bardhan 2. Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature,translated and edited by Michael James Hutt 3. Shoshaman: A Tale of Corporate Japan,by Arai Shinya, translated by Chieko Mulhern 4. Rainbow,by Mao Dun, translated by Madeleine Zelin 5. Encounter: A Novel of Nineteenth-Century Korea,by Hahn Moo-Sook, translated by Ok Young Kim Chang 6. The Autobiography of O¯sugi Sakae,translated with annotations by Byron K. Marshall 7. A River Called Titash,by Adwaita Mallabarman, translated with an introduction, an afterword, and notes by Kaplana Bardhan 8. The Soil: A Portrait of Rural Life in Meji Japan,by Nagatsuka Takashi, translated and with an introduction by Ann Waswo 9. The Lioness in Bloom: Modern Thai Fiction About Women,translated, edited, and with an introduction by Susan Fulop Kepner 10. A Poem at the Right Moment: Remembered Verses from Premodern South India, collected and translated by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman 11. Harukor: An Ainu Woman’s Tale,by Honda Katsuichi, translated by Kyoko Selden, with a foreword by David L. Howell 12. Tokyo: A Literary Stroll,by Lawrence Rogers 13. Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology,translated, edited, and with an introduction by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page iii Classical Telugu Poetry An Anthology TRANSLATED, EDITED, AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page iv University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2002 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Classical Telugu poetry / translated, edited and with an introduction by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman. p. cm. ISBN0-520-22598-8 1. Telugu poetry—To 1500—Translations into English. 2.Telugu poetry—1500–1800—Translations into English. I.Narayana Rao, Velcheru, 1932– II.Shulman, David, 1949– PL4780.65.E5 .C53 2002 894.8(cid:2)271008—dc21 2002068451 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Thepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).(cid:2)(cid:3) 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page v We dedicate this book to our mothers Velcheru Venkubayamma Deana Krantman Shulman 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page vi 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page vii contents acknowledgments / xi note on pronunciation / xiii Introduction / 1 1. Nannaya / 55 Entering the Maha¯bha¯rata / 56 Udan˙ka and the Snakes / 61 2. Nanne˘cod.a / 67 On Poetry in Telugu / 68 How to Make God Fall in Love / 71 3. Pa¯lkuriki Somana¯tha / 76 The Brahmin Widow and the Untouchable God / 77 4. Tikkana / 82 The Slaying of K¯ıcaka / 83 5. Man˜cana / 102 The Brahmin Who Kept His Wife in the Basement / 102 Quick Wit / 104 The Obliging Husband / 104 6. E˘rra¯pragad.a / 106 ¯¯ Vena and Pr.thu / 107 7. Na¯cana Somana¯tha / 112 Naraka and U¯rvas´i / 113 8. S´r¯ina¯tha / 118 A Definition of Poetry / 119 Burning the Three Cities / 120 The Birth of Sukuma¯ra / 127 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page viii 9. Bamme˘ra Potana / 133 Vis.n.u the Dwarf / 135 The Rescue of Gajendra / 143 10. Annamayya / 147 Songs for the Lord of the Hills / 148 11. Allasa¯ni Pe˘ddana / 156 The Brahmin Meets the Courtesan / 158 Sanskrit and Telugu / 164 12. Kr.s.n.adevara¯ya / 166 The King’s Dream / 168 Vis.n.u-citta of Villiputtu¯r / 170 13. Nandi Timmanna / 178 Satyabha¯ma Kicks Kr.s.n.a / 179 14. Dhu¯rjat.i / 191 The Story of Natk¯ıra / 192 15. Te˘na¯li Ra¯makr.s.n.a / 201 On Becoming a Frog / 202 16. Nu¯tana-kavi Su¯ranna / 216 Beauty or Wealth? / 216 17. Pin˙gal.i Su¯ranna / 222 Beauty Unadorned / 223 18. Appakavi / 230 On Poetry and Grammar / 231 On Good Books / 235 19. Ks.etrayya / 239 Courtesan Songs / 240 20. S´atakas / 245 Dhu¯rjat.i. Ka¯l.ahast¯ıs´vara-s´atakamu / 246 Kan˜carla Gopanna [Ra¯mada¯su]. Da¯s´arathi s´atakamu / 247 Ka¯sula Purus.ottamakavi. A¯ndhra-na¯yaka-s´atakamu / 248 21. Ca¯t.uVerses / 251 22. S´a¯ha¯ji / 256 Take My Wife / 257 23. Samukhamu Ven˙kat.akr.s.n.appa Na¯yaka / 279 The Love of Indra and Ahalya¯ / 279 24. Muddupal.ani / 293 How to Read a Book / 294 Ra¯dha Instructs I.la, Kr.s.n.a’s New Bride, in the Arts of Love / 294 00-C2162-FM 9/19/02 1:32 PM Page ix 25. Tya¯gara¯ja / 297 I Can’t See You Smile / 298 Take Me for Your Guard / 298 What Did You Give Them? / 299 Reach Him Through Music / 299 Won’t You Remove the Screen? / 300 bibliography / 301 index / 305