Transliteration Poems | Examples

Women on earth, in heaven

Should a pundit disdain women,
He cheats him, all, a man so vain,
He who’s been fooled before,
Now tries to fool some more,
Fruit of virtue’s heaven,
Of heaven nymphs for fun,  
As is on earth, so in heaven.
_________________________  
Translation (Limerick) | 36.08.2025 | women, heaven, nymph  

Note: This is a verse (in Arya meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Men, instead of accepting their limitations, condemn women. The poet gives a humorous turn on this irony. The fruit of virtues is heaven, whose fruit in turn is heavenly nymph.
Below is the transliteration of the Sanskrit verse:

Sva-para prataarakah asau 
nindanti yah aleeka panditah yuvatim |
Yasmaat tapasah api phalam 
svargah tasya api phalam tathaa apsarasah || 24 ||

Monsoon passion when spells

Sky when with dense clouds abound,
Seeing which peacocks dance around
On tender-green-dress-bedecked a hill,
In such a stirring scene, love-bound,  
Which wayfarer wistful would not feel?
_____________________________    
Translation (Quintain) | 34.08.2025 | monsoon, Nature, passion, peacock, nostalgia

Note: Here is a verse (in Arya meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Spring was dealt with in the preceding verse. The poet now paints a picture of monsoon: dark clouds surround; excited, peacocks dance; the earth is bedecked with a lush green dress; a traveller longing for conjugal bliss, feels homesick. Here is the transliteration of the verse in Sanskrit:

Upari ghanam ghana-patalam tiryak 
girayo api nartita mayurah | 
Kshitih api kandala dhavala 
drashtim pathikah kva yapayatu || 47 ||

Spring season when spells

Sweet-scented breeze when wafts around,
A thrilled Koyal breaks into song,  
On tree branches fresh sprouts abound, 
On her face, love-making gone long,
Pearly sweat beads do when alight,
To whom would a scene not delight?
_______________________________  
Translation (sestet*) | 33.08.2025 | spring, night, delight, nightingale, nostalgia
*Wonder, if it can be called a Sestetto Rima-- iambic meter with a rhyme scheme of ABABCC.

Note: Here is a verse (in Harini meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). The poet paints here a picture of a spring season in full spell: when fragrance wafts around, tender sprouts surround, a Koyal sings, sweat beads alight from her face from prolonged coitus, who’d not get delighted? Here is the transliteration of the Sanskrit verse:

Parimala amrtah vatah shakha nava-ankura-kotayo,
Madhura-viruta-utkantha vachah priyah pika pakshinam |
Virala surata sveda-udgara vadhu-vadana-indavah,
Prasarati madhau ratryam jatah na kasya guna-udayah || 37 ||

Only two ways to live

Two ways to live, love:
Dwelling on banks of Ganges
Heavenward to move,
Betwixt breasts where heaven is, 
Forgetting moral judges.
________________________ 
Translation (Tanka, Senryu + couplet) | 32.08.2025 | woman, beautiful 
Note: Here is a verse (in Anushtubh meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Where and how should one live? The poet offers two alternatives: Either on the bank of Ganges for spiritual pursuits or between two breasts of a beautiful woman in pursuit of passion. The verse creates here fine assonance with two pairs of rhyming words-- paapa-vaarini vaarini and mano-haarini haarini. Here is the transliteration:

Avaasah kriyataam gaange, 
            paapa-vaarini vaarini | 
Stana madhye tarunyaa vaa, 
            mano-haarini haarini || 67 ||

Here’s happiness for me

Garland of fragrant buds in my neck, 
Saffron-mixed sandal paste softly smells,
Upon chest cuddles heart-stealing love,
Heaven’s happiness here as if dwells.
___________________________ 
Translation (quatrain, anapaest meter) | 31.08.2025 | heaven, woman  
Note: Here is a verse (in Rathoddhata meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). The poet lapses in imagination: A garland of fragrant buds is in neck, the saffron-mixed sandal paste on body, and she, who abducts your heart, hugs like a garland herself. Ah, it is as if heaven has descended down. Here is the transliteration:

Maalati shirasi jrmbhanot-mukhee
Chandanam vapushi kumkum-anvitam |
Vakshasi priyatamaa manoharaa
Svarga eva parishishta aagatah || 49 ||

To foil peering moon’s prying eyes

Oft resting under wooded trees
Roams she, hides head behind bent knees,
Adjusts her scant bosom rag, tries
To foil peering moon’s prying eyes.  
___________________________
Translation (quatrain) | 30.08.2025 | woman, moon
Note: Here is a verse (in Upajati meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). A woman is separated from her husband and roams looking for him, hiding in shadows of woods, adjusting her meagre bosom cloth, sparing it as if from peering moon’s prying eyes. Here is the transliteration of the Sanskrit verse:

Vishramya vishramya vana-drumaanaam
Chaayaasu tanvi vichachaar kaachit |
Stana-uttareeyena karot dhrtena 
Nivaarayanti shashinah mayookhaan || 56 ||

This world is gloomy night sans thee

With lamps, fiery skies,
Pearls and spires all so many,
Sans thy light of eyes
O thou doe-eyed young beauty,
This world’s gloomy night to me.
_______________________
Translation (Tanka) | 29.08.2025 | beauty, dark, world
Note: Here is a verse (in Anushtubh meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Here the poet imagines world without his doe-eyed beauty-- dark even with sun, moon, and brilliant jewels. Here is the transliteration of the original Sanskrit:

Sati pradeepe sati agnau,
Satsu naana manishu api |
Vinaa me mrga-shaava-akshyaa,
Tamah bhootam idam jagat || 16 ||

INIT

The brits most popular surname 
Is varying each year
In 50s popular was Jones
Our time it is Patel 

Nguen will soon take over Alabama 
New Jersey represents Odessa Mama
Adolf exaggerating slightly bit 
But humor this implies you learn Ivrit 

Ivrit is Hebrew transliteration 
All this the studies serves the healthying the NATION 

System and Nature balance demands 
If we attacked by ANT the servers 
SO they are tasked 
What do we task them with 

Preservation of cultures important 
Diasporas, gardens, 
INDEPENDENCE at least 
Teaches us dropping black white BIPOLAR  
And solve problem
BUMPING OUR CYBER FIST 

If you felt joyful 
Your LIMIT would be met 
The cyber is more clever 

Do and
TAKE PART in OUR INIT

Whence this art to hit heart, no dart

Bewitching Beauty,
Whence hast come this unique skill--
Shooting darts at will--
Thy skill O to hit man’s heart
By sheer merit, not with dart!    
___________________________
Translation (Tanka) | 28.08.2025 | beauty, heart, arrow
Note: Here is a verse (in Anushtubh meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Here the poet wonders from where has she learnt the skill to hit man’s heart, without ever releasing any arrow. Here is the transliteration:

Mugdhe dhanushkata keyam 
Apurva tvayi drshyate |
Yaya vidhyasi chetamsi 
Gunaih eva na sayakaih || 3 ||

To start with she hesitates

To start with she hesitates, if at best, 
Then unwinds, loosens up, forward to move
And begins to show tides like interest,
Immerses then in art of making love,
Not in any hurry to reach the crest,
A dove before, she now gets into groove, 
No mean moist, in mood, looks for privacy
To give immense joy as spouse so happy.
___________________________
Translation (Ottava Rima) | 27.08.2025 | love, passion
Note: Here is a verse (in Shardul-vikridit meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). This verse is about the love-making ways of women-- how from being hesitant initially she becomes so passionate to leave aside all shyness. Here is the transliteration:
   
Pra-angaam eti mana aagana aagata rasam jaata abhilaashaam tatah,
Sa-vridam tat anu shlathi krtat anu pra-dhvasta dhairyam punah |
Prema aardram sprhaneeya nirbhara rahah kridaa pragalbham tatah,
Nihshanka anga vikarshana adhika sukham ramyam kula stree ratam || 60 ||

Far do wend ways of wishes

Till seen, to see her be the sole wish, which
Once fulfilled, to embrace her is the itch,
That done, there’s still no end, 
Ways of wish far do wend,
Never to part then be passion’s new pitch.   
____________________________
Translation (Limerick) | 26.08.2025 | desire, wish, women
Note: Here is a verse (in Upajati meter) from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Once a man is drawn to a beautiful woman, a world of desires unfolds, it says. You satisfy one and soon another one crops up. Here is the transliteration:

a-darshane darshana maatra kaamaa,
drastvaa parishvanga sukha eka lolaa |
aalingitaayaam punah aayata akshyaam,
aashaasmahe vigrahayoh abhedam || 23 ||

What weaponry would she not wield to win

She’d hypnotise, entrance in playful fun,
Annoy, amuse, play-sport, or depress men,
Embrace often as snub, damsel doe-eyed,
Hijacking heart, would show no compassion,
Wonder, what weapons would she leave aside? 
_________________________
Translation (quintain) | 25.08.2025 | woman, weapon, win
Note: Here is a verse from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). Once a woman wins over the heart of a man what all would she not do, the poet wonders (meter: Vasanta-tilakaa). Here is the transliteration:

Sam-mohayanti madayanti vidambayanti,
Nirbhartsayanti  ramayanti vishaadayanti |
Etaah pravishya sa-dayam hrdayam naraanaam,
Kim naama vaama nayanaa  na samaacharanti || 21 ||

O deserve thy desires first

Pining for long, O longing heart,
If smacked art thou by a beauty,
If rocked by her assets thou art,
Should any charming face sway thee,
Earn first good deeds her to deserve,
Desires on their own seldom serve.
__________________________  
Translation (sestet*) | 24.08.2025 | beauty, heart, women
*Wonder, if it can be called a Sestetto Rima-- iambic meter with a rhyme scheme of ABABCC.

Note: Here is a verse from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). This verse is in Vasanta-tilakaa meter. It says: if ye cherish a beauty, she must be deserved first. Here is the transliteration of the verse in Sanskrit:

Tasyaah stanau yadi ghanau jaghanam cha haari,
Vaktram cha chaaru tava chittam kim aakulatvam |
Punyam kurushva yadi teshu tava asti vaañchaa,
Punyaih vinaa na hi bhavanti sam ihita-arthaah || 20 ||

Strange, thou art such a passion pill

Well-groomed ye keep thy ample locks curly,  
Thy tender big eyes stretch nigh up to ears,
O slender heavenly fairy,
Bright teeth on fair countenance endears, 
Thy pearl garland adds to bosom’s beauty, 
Everything ‘pon thee untainted appears  
To cast upon us vibrations tranquil,
Strange, thou art to men such a passion pill.
_______________________    
Translation | 23.08.2025 | beauty, passion, women
Note: Ottava Rima, eight lines in iambic pentameter, rhymed ABABABCC. 
Here is a verse from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). This one is in Shardul-vikridit meter. The verse says: O thou heavenly beauty, everything about thee is fair and fulsome. Ye cast vibrations that are pure and tranquil. All very well, but still, ye prove to us such a passionate pill. Here is the transliteration of the verse in Sanskrit:

Keshah sanyaminah shruteh api param param gate lochane,
Antar vaktram api svabhava shuchibhih kirnam dvijanam ganaih |
Muktanam satata adhivasa ruchirau vakshoja kumbhavima,
Vittham tanvi vapuh prashantam api te kshobham karoti eva nah || 15 ||

Ye seem ill advised, O poets

With just one sharp look she dares and defies,
You still call a woman vulnerable, 
She casts lethal darts with enticing eyes,
And still…, poets you seem inscrutable,
When conquer can she e’en gods heavenly,
How helpless, wonder I can she e’er be.
_____________________________ 
Translation (sestet*) | 22.08.2025 | poets, women 
*Wonder, if it can be called a Sestetto Rima-- iambic meter with a rhyme scheme of ABABCC.

Note: Here is a verse from Bhartrihari’s Shringaara Shatakam (hundred verses on love and romance). This one is in Vasanta-tilaka meter. Here he questions the wisdom of some great poets who call a woman ablaa, helpless one.  She possesses immense power to command over men with the beauty she enjoys. Even gods of heaven are no exception. How can she helpless ever be? Here is the transliteration: 

Noonam hi te kavi-varaa vipareeta-bodhaa
Ye nityam aahuh abalaa iti kaamineeh taah |
Yaabhih vilolatara taaraka drshti paataih
Shakra aadaya api vijitaah tu abalaa katham taah ||

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