ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 2

JK/NKK 2
lalith lalith vaday bà va:y,
tsyata: muhàc pyayiy ma:y     |
roziy nà patà loh-langaràc tsha:y,
niza svaru:p kya: môThuy ha:y     ||

Lalit, Lalit, I will weep for you.
O Mind, you have fallen under the spell
of maya.
Even the shadow of worldly possessions
will desert you.
You have forgotten
your own nature.
Why this foolishness?

Note: "lalith" is a double meaning, and can also be translated as "slowly" or "gently." But these meanings can only be considered to be secondary; the first meaning is her own name, by which she addresses herself. (Of all the other authors who have written on Lalla's poems, only Shambhu Nath Bhatt and Janki Nath Bhan, authors of the 1971 Köshur Sama:cha:r collection, have gotten this right.) In her poems, Lalla generally calls herself "Lali," which is a short form of "Lalita," a name of Parvati, consort of Shiva. Here she uses a slightly fuller form of that name. Other theories, such as that "lal" referred to a big belly that hung over her pudenda, thus protecting her modesty, are imaginative and creative, but lack any evidence in her poems or elsewhere.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 23

JK/NKK 23
na:bàdy bö:ras aTàganD Dyôl gom,
diha-ka:n hôl gom hyakà kàhyo     |
gvarà sund vatsun ra:van-tyôl pyom,
pahali-rôs khyôl gom hyakà kahyo     ||

The knot of my candy load (of worldly pleasures) has come loose,
my backbone is bent, how will I manage?
The guru's word has been a painful loss,
I am a shepherdless flock, how will I go on?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 1

JK/NKK 1

a:mi panà södàras na:vi chès lama:n,
kati bozi day myon myati diyi ta:r     |
a:myan Ta:kyan pony zan Sama:n,
zuv chum brama:n garà gatshàha:     ||

I am towing my boat on the ocean (of embodied eistence)
with a rope of untwisted yarn.
May God hear my prayer and
carry me across safely.
Like water in unbaked clay,
my efforts are all for naught.
How I wish I would arrive home!

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

WORKING WITH DAD

Mentally, Dad was vanishing fast. Incipient Alzheimer's. Sandy and I were there on a visit. I think he still knew us, but you couldn't be sure. After breakfast, he wanted to cut back some tree branches from the eaves. He showed me where the long-handled pruner was. At the side of the house, I did the cutting and he did the directing.

Working from the ground, trimming the branches back was hard and uncomfortable. I knew I could do it better from the roof. So I got the ladder and climbed up. From there, I made rapid progress. "You should come down," he said. "Why?" I asked. "Because it's dangerous."

Back on the ground, I helped him to cut the branches into small pieces, filling a 32-gallon trash can. As we neared the end of the job, I remarked that it was almost done. "All good things come to an end," he said.

21 December 2016

Some of my readers have mentioned that there does not seem to be any way provided to follow my poetry blog. So far as I can see, the only way Google has given us is to follow me (Don Traxler) on Google Plus. That will work, as long as I share every new entry on Google+, and I will try to do this, as appropriate. So, add me to your G+ circles. It won't notify you of every post, but you will get 90% of them. Other social media will also work, and some, such as Twitter, will work even better.

RED WING

1959, sold some "ham" gear to buy them. Red Wing boots, tan, split leather, size 10. I was 17, feet still growing. Needed them for long hikes in Hollenbeck Canyon with Dave and Mike, encounters with rattlesnakes, .22 rifles, male bonding.

That was then, and this is now. Brought another pair with me from the US. Black, leather not split, couple sizes bigger. Six thousand miles and more than half a century away, when I slip my feet into them, I'm back in Hollenbeck Canyon. Funny how things go in circles. No rifle, more likely a dog leash in my hand. But when the hot, December sun bakes the eucalyptus leaves and the pine needles are fragrant, I'm there.

The tag inside says "Made in USA Red Wing Shoes since 1905." They still have the original, overbuilt heels and soles, too. Quality that's a thing of the past. But then, I'm a thing of the past. Don't reckon I'll be needing another pair, but I can wear these boots when I can't wear anything else. Ha! There's an image for you!

20 December 2016

TESTAMENTOS DO INFERNO

II.
O portón se abrirá pa dentro
y se feshará pa fora.
O país "do meio" otrora
É agora mui longe do centro.

The Gate will open toward the inside
and will be closed without.
The country that was once "of the middle"
is now very far out.

19 dezembro 2016