I translated these verses of the great Indian poet Kālidāsa as part of my third year Sanskrit Language study. They are a selection from the first few pages of the play Abhijñānaśākuntalam "The recognition of Śākuntala". I have made my original literal translation a little freer here - while still clinging quite closely to the original. I also used the translation by M R Kale as a guide.
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atha abhijñānaśākuntalam
yā sṛṣṭiḥ sraṣṭur ādyā vahati vidhihutaḥ yā havir yā ca hotrī
ye dve kālaṁ
vidhattaḥ srutiviṣayaguṇā yā sthitā vyāpya visvam
yām āhuḥ
sarvabhūtaprakṛtiriti yayā prāṇinaḥ prāṇavantiḥ
[sarvabījpr [vantaḥ
prtyakṣābhiḥ
prapannas tanubhir avatu vas tābhir aṣṭābhir riśiḥ
That water which
was the first creation from the creator,
that fire which
carries the sacrifice
and whoever makes
the sacrifice.
The Sun and
Moon, which apportion time
and that by
which sound has pervaded the universe.
The Earth which
they call the foundation of seeds
and that spirit
by which living creatures possess the breath of life
May the Lord
of these eight sacred forms protect you all.
subhagasalilāvagāhāḥ
pāṭalasaṁsargasurabhivanavātāḥ
pracchayasulabhanidrā
divasāḥ pariṇāmaramaṇīyāḥ ||3||
Those days—
when it is
nice to plunge in the water
whose forest
winds are fragrant
with the scent of trumpet flowers
—those days will be sweet at their end.
īṣadīṣaccumbitāni
bhramaraiḥ sukumārakeśaraśikāni
avataṁsayanti
dayamānāḥ pramadāḥ śirīṣakusumāni
The compassionate
women
make
garlands out of Śirisha blossoms,
whose stamen
tips are tender,
and are gently,
gently kissed by bees.
grīvābhaṇgābhirāmaṁ
muhur anupatati syandane dattadṛṣṭiḥ
paścārddhena
praviṣṭaā śarapatanabhayād bhūuasā pūrvakāyam |
darbhair
arddhāvalīḍhai śramavivṛtamukhabhraṁśibhīḥ kīrṇavartmā
paśyodagraplutatvād
viyati bahutaraṁ stokam urvyā prayāti||
The lovely
deer
bending of his neck
eyes fleeting repeatedly
on the following chariot,
the fore part of his body
seemed to merge
with
the rear
twisted from
fear
of the falling arrow
the darbha-grass
half
licked
dropping
from his panting
mouth
but
see!
with a lofty bound
he
proceeds
more through the air
and less on the ground.
yad āloke
sūkṣmaṁ vrajati sahasā tad viṣulatāṁ
yad arddhe
vicchinnaṁ bhavati kṛtasandhānamiva tat
prakṛtyā yad
vakraṁ tadapi samarekhaṁ nayanayor
na me dūre
kijcit kṣaṇamapi na pārśve rathajavāt
(while riding very fast in the chariot..)
"that which
is minuscule
suddenly
grows large!
that which
is cut in the middle
appears
joined!
that which by nature is crooked
appears straight to the eyes!
"nothing is at a distance from me
for even a moment—nor beside me!"
kva vata
hariṇakānāṁ jīvitaṁ cātilolaṁ
kva ca
niśitanipātāḥ vajnasārāḥ śarās te
tat sādhu kṛtasandhānaṁ
pratisaṁhara sāyakaṁ
ārttatrāṇāra
vaḥ śastraṁ na prahartum anāgasi
What is the fragile
life of fawns
to your
sharp falling adamantine shafts?
Withdraw your
well-aimed arrow—
your weapon
is for your protection,
it is not to
injure the innocent.
13
ramyās
tapodhanānāṁ pratihatavidyāḥ kriyāḥ samavalokya
jñāsyaśi
kiyad bhujo me raksati maurvīkiṇāṇka iti
Having seen
the ascetics' religious austerities,
with all their hindrances removed,
you will think
“how much my arm, scarred by the
bow-string, protects!”
nīvārāḥ
śukagarbhakoṭaramukhabhraṣṭās taruṇām adhaḥ
prasnigdhāḥ
kvacid inggudīphalabhidaḥ sucyanta
evopalāḥ
viścāsopagamād
abhinnagatayaḥ śabdaṁ sahante mṛgās
toyādhārapathāśca
valkalalśikhāniṣyandarekhāngkitāḥ
Grains of
wild rice
lying fallen from the mouth
of the trees
whose interiors
are filled with parrot
and hereabout lie stones
oily from splitting
the fruit of the Ingudi tree
the tame deer
do not vary their gait
at our approach
and the
river paths are marked with lines
of water dripping
from the fringe of bark
garments.
kulyāmbhobhiḥ
pavanacapalaiḥ śākhino dhautamūlā
bhinno rāgaḥ
kisalayarucām ājyadhūmodgamena
ete cārvāg
upavanabhuvi cchnnidarbhāngkurāyāṁ
naṣtaśangkā
hariṇaśiśavo mandamandaṁ caranti
Those trees—
whose roots are washed
by the waters of the canals
rippling in the wind
—the colour
of their brilliant sprouts
is obscured
by the rising smoke
of
sacrificial butter.
and here
in front of us
the young fawns,
whose fear has been lost,
are leisurely grazing
in the grounds of the grove,
the stalks of the darbha grass
have been lopped
off.
18
idaṁ ki
kilāvyajamanoharaṁ vapus
tapaḥkṣamaṁ sādhayituṁ ya icchati
dhuvaṁ sa
nīlotpalapatradhārayā
śamīlatāṁ chettūm ṛṣir vyavasyati
That sage—
who
wishes to put
this truly authentic captivating
beautiful body
capable
of penance
to work
—he surely resolves to cut the Śamī tree
with a blue lotus leaf’s
edge.
19
idam
upahitasūkṣmagranthinā skandhadeśe
stanayugapariṇāhācchadinā valkalena
vapur
abhinavam asyāḥ puṣyati svāṁ na śobhaṁ
kusumam iva pinaddhaṁ pāṇṇgupatrodareṇa
This young
body of hers
the bark garment with slender fastenings upon her shoulder,
covering
around her two breasts,
It modestly hides in dullness,
like a flower wrapped within a shell of brown leaves
20
sarasijam
anuviddhaṁ śaivalonāpi ramyaṁ
malinam api himāṁśor lakṣma lakṣmīm tanoti
iyam
adhikamanojñā valkalenāpi tanvī
kimiva hi madhuraṇām maṇnganaṁ nākṛtīnām
a lotus
even
though permeated all over with slime,
is still nice;
also the tarnished mark
on parts of the moon
actually extends its beauty
so this slender
bodied lady
is surpassingly beautiful even
with her bark cloth
what would not embellish such a shape?
