It seems fitting to start this blog with Bendre’s own estimation of himself as the poetic-power Ambikātanayadatta – the son of five mothers (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.
(ನಾನು)
I am the indivisible pollinic-glory born of the cosmic-mother’s lotus-womb;
I am the upright idol fashioned from a fistful of the earth-mother’s clay;
I am the scintillating light of the million deepāwaḷis of mother-Bhārati;
I am the outspreading wind fed on the fragrance of Kannada’s mother-lotus;
I am the animate compassion drunk on the milk and blood of mine own mother;
these five mothers make up the vital airs of this breathing frame;
the Nārayaṇa of the lotus-heart has himself turned into the mortal Datta;
As Ambikātanaya he mirrors here in Kannada the universe’s inner voice.
(Translated by Madhav K. Ajjampur)
Poem Details: From the collection “ಗಂಗಾವತರಣ,” first published in 1951.
Afterword:
Here is my recitation of the translation.
© Madhav K. Ajjampur
Da Ra Bendre in English 
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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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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I was reading your English translation of course 🙂
And my kannada reading needs improvement 😃
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