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Krishnadeva's Lament

O Saluva Timma, Mahamandaleshwara!
Should I ever have trusted you, you who were to me
As great and glorious as the Lord Venkateshwara?

When your dying king bid you blind his infant brother
You deceived him with goat's eyes, what evil treachery,
Saluva Timma, Mahamandaleshwara!

You saved me, you crowned this Krishnadeva emperor
And hold all the Coromandel as your demesne
As great and glorious as the Lord Venkateshwara?

My wealth, my victories, my imperial demeanour
I lay them all at your feet, if you would but ask me.
Saluva Timma, Mahamandaleshwara!

But now my son is poisoned; you stand charged with murder.
If it were proven true, how could you stand before me
As great and glorious as the Lord Venkateshwara?

The law says to blind you, whom I loved as a father
You who gave me glory, will you bear this infamy
Saluva Timma, Mahamandaleshwara,
As great and glorious as the Lord Venkateshwara?

Comments

Unknown said…
Superb! Is this your own or a translation from Kannada/Telugu? If Translation, can you pl share the source?
Ozymandias said…
This is my original.

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