The Quintessential Journey

[శ్రీ బండారు ప్రసాదమూర్తి రచించిన ‘అనంత యాత్ర’ అనే కవితని ఆంగ్లంలో ‘The Quintessential Journey’ అనే పేరుతో అందిస్తున్నారు శ్రీ వేదాంతం శ్రీపతిశర్మ. A translated poem titled ‘The Quintessential Journey’ by Mr. Vedantam Sripati Sarma. Original in Telugu by Mr. Bandaru Prasada Murthy.]

The day to day journey from place to place
Sounded a bit like a sojourn into space
All were lives
Strewn into real vibes
Brewing familiar jibes
Sewing human knots
Sounding like beating pots

Bodies born by births
Thrown onto the berths
Baggage of life pushed beneath for a while
Slips of time swept aside like slippers
Souls alone bonding in murmers for ever
Torn apart lives suddenly coming together live
Born again as though in moments four or five

Never was this involvement
We belonged to no place
We longed for no race
No race, no caste, no religion or region
All laced into one
Godly thoughts had no place
Even for the Godly…
The twilight thought of the moment
Was the only light
Short is the journey, take it or leave it
Think however we might!

‘Who entrains and who detrains
Never should you mind…’
Sang the balladeer blind!
Sheer kinship among them without motives what so ever
Moved the train on end like its own motive power!

Hidden mountains inside
Turned into oceans by the side
Swirled into chatting
Churning the love for casual eating…

‘Only animosities were ticketless’
The T.C arrived just then and announced
‘Love and Affection had upper berths confirmed’
He chuckled and stated like a sentence pronounced!
Like the ageless collective Indian Human value He sounded
Inside the great Indian train carrying the timeless sounds he resounded!

Presently entered a few and greeted one and all
Presently left a few saying ‘bye- bye’  to all
The journey was the epitome of the present…
No past, no future, wishing one and all a journey most pleasant!

Life and death are not on record
Soulmates we become on own accord
Half an hour is all that is there
No processes, no permits
Slide a bit for someone here
All thoughts are arrested
On the other’s shoulder is a head well rested!

One station welcomes with both hands
The other wishes you to revisit
Hearty laughs on a meeting
Heartfelt tears on departing
Meeting, greeting and fleeing…
All between two stations fleeting
‘This is life’, I whistled along
The song of the train, me which it was treating

No matter
How many times one might have travelled
This thought never surmised
On a platter
On the laid tracks of time
Two bodies move entangled
Is this the real train journey?

Souls alight and entrain
Inside these bodies…
Inside each moment’s light
Is the engine of awareness
…of give and take you might

This is why
In life’s journey if you are lost
Perform a train journey
Whatever it might just cost
For, there is a song it sings for you
The real sound of life
None can give you born or taught!
~

Original in Telugu: Bandaru Prasada Murthy
English Translation: Vedantam Sripati Sarma

వేదాంతం శ్రీపతిశర్మ

వేదాంతం శ్రీపతిశర్మ కథా రచయిత. నవలా రచయిత. వ్యంగ్య హాస్య రచనలకు పెట్టింది పేరు. “ఆరోగ్య భాగ్యచక్రం” అనే పుస్తకాన్ని వెలువరించారు.