O beautiful, moon-faced maiden with swift, restless eyes, Your speech is full of playful wit and flattering charms. Like a clever, artful woman with a whimsical, dancing heart, You walk ahead, counting the colorful patterns on your path. At the moment you gather the golden champa flowers, When your moon-like countenance beams with a radiant glow, The restless bumblebees, along with their entire swarming army, Are startled and scatter away in sudden fright. As your curly locks of hair gently kiss your soft chin, Your face, framed by beautifully arched eyebrows, looks like a perfect painting. Draped in finest garments of pure Chinese silk, Your entire form is gracefully anointed with fragrant sandalwood paste. The four-faced Creator, Lord Brahma, toiled across all the four cosmic eras To sit and meticulously sculpt your exquisite beauty. Being so deceptive, why do you come to ensnare This lifelong celibate youth into the web of your circular trap? — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Ratnamaya Tripathy now presents a poem showcasing "Cha-Anuprasa" (Alliteration of the letter 'Cha' / ଚ-ଅନୁପ୍ରାସ). Every single word in this verse begins with the letter "Cha" (ଚ), pulling from highly sophisticated, classical Odia vocabulary to describe the mesmerizing, almost divine beauty of a woman and the sweet entrapment of her love. Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

After causing the incident and leaving me deeply wounded, You have now come to mend the breach. With a sweat-drenched body, you are shaping an earthen pot, Disguising yourself as a humble potter. Throughout the entire monsoon season, instead of becoming close to me, You only maintained a distant, heavy pride. Harboring feelings of hatred and visiting repeatedly, You orchestrated a plot that brought ruin upon my home. Searching for your anklets (Ghungroo) on the steps of the bathing ghat, While suffering from the trauma of these open wounds today, Look at me—smearing camphor over my body, I am enduring fatal blows inside my own house. O woman with thick, dark hair! Holding a water pitcher in your hands, Come to me in the divine avatar of Goddess Ghatakali. Pouring the dense, soothing nectar of love over this battered body, Destroy all these agonizing pains and wounds. — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Continuing his astonishing sequence of classical alliterative compositions (Anuprasa), Ratnamaya Tripathy now presents a poem featuring "Gha-Anuprasa" (Alliteration of the letter 'Gha' / ଘ-ଅନୁପ୍ରାସ). Every single word in this piece begins with the letter "Gha" (ଘ), utilizing heavy, classical Odia vocabulary to portray a dramatic story of betrayal, pain, and a plea for healing. Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

A floral wreath (Gajra) adorns your hair bun, and a marigold garland rests on your neck; Saffron-colored robes drape your body. A deep, sacred mark (Tilak) sits gracefully upon your cheeks, And your gait is full of solemn dignity. Singing in the exquisite style of the celestial Gandharvas, chant for me The glorious and sacred teachings of Lord Chaitanya (Gauranga). Bringing down the celestial waters from the heavens into the local stream, Recount the sacred legends of devotion to Mother Ganga. Yesterday, opening the window of my room, As I sat down to compose a lyrical song, The image of a heavenly nymph flashed across my mind, Moving with the majestic, slow gait of an elephant (Gajagamini). You are the precious, preserved treasure of our rural princely states; Your beauty is as fragrant as the earth itself. O moon-faced one, flowing pure like the sacred Gandaki river, What is this divine, mystic attire that you have fashioned? — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy This is Ratnamaya Tripathy's another master piece. this time showcasing "Ga-Anuprasa" (Alliteration of the letter 'Ga' / ଗ-ଅନୁପ୍ରାସ). Every single word in this piece begins with the letter "Ga" (ଗ), weaving classical vocabulary to describe a divine, graceful woman adorned like a saintly devotee. Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

Thinking you would escape after spreading the rumor, And fashioning a plaything of joy, You have spent a great deal of effort In dividing my heart and digging a pit for my fall. Becoming angry over a baseless news that is like a flower in the sky, You thought I would not notice your flaws. But even when driven mad like a wild spirit, I have never been impatient or cruel in forgiving you. If I am but a tiny firefly, you are the radiant sun itself! Ending all heartbreaks, spread your bright, unfolding laughter. O bird-eyed beauty, adorned in your sacred Khandua attire, Come to me now and take away all my grief. — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy This Poem is another masterful showcase of classical stylistic composition of Ratnamaya Tripathy. This poem features "Kha-Anuprasa" (Alliteration of the letter 'Kha' / ଖ-ଅନୁପ୍ରାସ), where every single word begins with the letter "Kha" (ଖ). It utilizes rich, traditional Odia vocabulary to express a lover's playful plea and realization. Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

The hours spent in waiting Did not rot, wither, and go to waste. The number of candles Upon the birthday table Did not increase on their own accord. The bumblebee did not lose its way intentionally, Nor did the flowers in the garden change With the turning cycle of seasons. These poems would never have overflowed like this Into the pages of the diary; The fugitive, runaway words Would never have submitted or obeyed. The deadly venom would never have transformed Into sweet nectar. Never had the bud of a rose withered away In the intoxicating fragrance of night-flowering jasmine (Gangasiuli). Even after the distant birds flew back, The nest did not fall into disarray. Abhimanyu, too, returned From the depths of the Chakravyuh. Yayati, detaching himself from desires by his own will, Returned the borrowed youth. Even when rivers lost their way And failed to merge into the sea, The ocean's loving waves never diminished. Even after the footprints on the quicksand Were completely erased, The path remained visible. Look, only because you had said so, Even spring has not deserted the courtyard. If promises are forgotten, Who here is truly known, and who is a stranger? — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

I will no longer give you the seven colors of the rainbow, I have saved only the color of love for you now. Upon this withered body that had shed all its leaves, Fresh green foliage has sprouted once again. Look!!! See how I am evergreen now. The bumblebee that had lost its way for many days, I have called it back into the garden. At your slightest gesture, it will wander From this flower to that flower. To welcome you, I have kept A thornless rose. I have perfumed the courtyard with the scent of jasmine, And amidst the thick canopy of the mango tree that has just blossomed, I have told the cuckoo to sing a song of welcome for you. The Krishnachuda (Gulmohar) trees will look Even more vibrant this time. When you come this time, I will absolutely never say that I am too busy. I will write poetry just for you. If you so wish, I will bring love songs From the enchanted poet of romance And sing them to you, staying awake all night long. The morning will break only after you wake up, And the night will fall the moment you go to sleep. Whatever you desire shall happen, I will accept everything with a bowed head. I have drenched you in the Phagu (Holi) colors of spring many times, But this time, I will drench you purely in the color of love. Winter has departed, and spring has arrived now; May our…

Sow the seeds of memory In the soil drenched by the rains of Shravana (monsoon). Whether they sprout or not, Nourish them with the fertilizer of hope and faith, And weed out the wild, unwanted grass of despair. Wait… Just wait… But do not harbor the blind belief That a tree planted during an auspicious hour (Amruta Kala) Will only bear nectar-sweet fruits. From the rainbow visible on the distant horizon, Pick the color that suits you best. Play politics with those colors, Create your own gods, Or else, declare yourself a messenger of God! A new history has already been written; Now, keep your mouth shut and support it. Stand on the grand royal street (Rajadanda), And loudly proclaim your caste, your lineage, Your history, and your birthplace! Do not hide your stained, tarnished body Among the Kashatandi (white thatch grass) of the riverbanks. With your mind drenched in the colors of the Parijata flower, In which river's water will you wash yourself? At which bathing ghat (Tutha) will you bathe To purify your soul? To which mountain peak will you climb To proclaim your nationalism? Wait… Those sown seeds of memory Will pierce right through the hard rocky floor and rise. Gathering the harvest of success, This nation, this race, will smile once again. —————– — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————– Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi…

Just now, into the five elements, A body dissolved and merged. Along with that body, burned away All the sorrows of her life, Her grievances and silent hurts (Abhimana), And the stories of the Puranas she had gathered. That joyful smile visible from a distance, And the hand of affection over my head—all are gone. The sweet cry of "Mausi" (Aunt) Has been lost from the lips forever. To recall a passage from the scriptures, I can no longer make a loving demand of her. If I pass by the road near her house And alter my path to avoid her, There is no one left to scold me anymore. Above and beyond all earthly honors, Where shall I find a place worthy of you, Mausi...? In the lamp I have lit for you, I will pour my deepest offerings of reverence and respect. — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

Now, for some time again, One has to remain in complete silence. The tsunami that rose from the ripples Of a single pebble thrown into the water— Must now be faced. Who knew that a strike from a crab, Floating down with the rushing current, Would dissolve and destroy An age-old relationship? Now, without forging any new bonds, One has to remain in silence. Sometimes, even the mirror lies, And one's own shadow commits a mistake In all the mathematics of life. Who knew that the newly planted trees Would bear poisonous fruits so soon? Now, swallowing all that venom, One has to become Nilakantha (Lord Shiva). Do not show the way to a lost traveler, Do not give even a drop of rice-water (Torani) to the hungry. For who knows, the hand extended to help Might end up being bound in iron chains. In this game of dice between truth and lies, The lie always wins. Truth does not even get the chance To prove itself as the truth. Absorbing the ticking sound of time within oneself, Now, for many days to come, One has to remain in silence... —————– — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here

In a river that is slowly drying up, Becoming a tributary And wishing to keep it forever flowing; To a loosening, weakening grip of the hand, Extending their own hand To make that hold even stronger; Covering up every falsehood, And providing the immense courage To look the absolute truth in the eye; Piercing through the hard rocky floor to rise above, Becoming both the anchoring root and the nourishing fertilizer... All such noble souls... are indeed true friends. — Ratnamaya Tripathy Adhyayana, Balangir —————–Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy Want to read this poem in Odia ? Click Here Want to read this poem in Hindi ? Click Here