I (ನಾನು)

It seems fitting to start this blog with Bendre’s own estimation of himself as the poetic-power Ambikaatanayadatta – the son of five mothers (aidu aideyaru: ಐದು ಐದೆಯರು).

Here is a video of Bendre reciting this poem. Incidentally, this is perhaps the only video recording available of Bendre reading out his poetry.

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To read and listen to more (including the entire translation), please buy my book, The Pollen Waits On Tiptoe. If you are living in India, you can buy the book by going to this page.

THREE IMPORTANT MATTERS:

1. If you are living abroad, you will, unfortunately, not be allowed to buy the book on Amazon India. Therefore, if you would like one or more copies of the book, please write directly to me (mk.ajjampur@gmail.com) with your details.

2. Buying 10 or more books will entitle you an overall discount of 30%. To avail yourself of this discount, contact MUP directly at mup@manipal.edu.

3. The book is also available as an ebook. The app hosting the ebook is called VIVIDLIPI and the book can be purchased at this link. (Since the publisher does not have an agreement with Amazon, I am afraid the book is not available on Kindle.)

Author: MKA

I'm Madhav, from Bangalore. I write my own poetry in English (you can read it at mkajjampur.com) and translate Da Ra Bendre's poetry from Kannada into English. I am the author of "The Pollen Waits On Tiptoe", a book of my English translations of selected poems by Bendre. The book is available on Amazon India and VIVIDLIPI. Besides Bendre, I also translate sundry other Kannada writings into English. My favourite poets include Yeats, Tagore, Bendre, Dylan Thomas, Emily Dickinson, and Gerard Manley Hopkins. If you'd like to get in touch, do write to me at mk.ajjampur@gmail.com. I'd be very happy to hear from you!

6 thoughts on “I (ನಾನು)”

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  4. This is fantastic Madhava!
    Having read through your article for Shathamaana and listened to the video rendering of Bendre himself, I was able to get the full effect of your transcreation. The rythm of your rendering and the clarity of meaning that your words are conveying, I was able to get an essence of the spirit of the man behind this.

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    1. dear vyaasa,

      what a wonderful ರಸಿಕ response. i am very grateful to you for taking the read the transcreation in the context of the article and bendre’s own recitation of it. there aren’t too many people who’ve done that…and if there are, nobody’s been generous enough to write to me and tell me they enjoyed it. so – thanks, ಕಣಾ. 🙂

      by the way, i think you mean “ruthumana” rather than “shathamaana”! 😀

      but tell me – did you actually read the KANNADA article?

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