Two from the Sanskrit of Lady Vidya
by Andrew Schelling
Two from the Sanskrit of Lady Vidya
ca. 7th– 9th centuries
Poem 22
Champak tree
who constrained you to this tiny plot
in a shabby
village?
The people are witless —
they try to coax leafy greens
from bad soil
angrily
they snapped off
your branches,
now you’re a stump.
Meter: Vasanta–tilakam
Spring Ornament