RISING FLAME OF LOVE Tanka with vintage Indian matchboxes Gabriel Rosenstock RISING FLAME OF LOVE Tanka with vintage Indian matchboxes © Copyright tanka in Irish and English: Gabriel Rosenstock 2021 Bilingual Ekphrastic Tanka In Irish and English Artwork: Vintage Indian Matchboxes The artwork in this book is understood by the author to come under the category of Fair Use, that is to say, a) the images are widely available on the internet, and b) the images are not used in this free e-book for commercial gain. A bhakti-scented bouquet of tanka poems in strict syllabic configuration of 5-7-5-7-7. 4 Gabriel Rosenstock is a bilingual poet, tankaist, novelist, haikuist, short story writer, playwright, essayist and translator. Blog | Books | Website Published in association with: Cross-Cultural Communications 239 Wynsum Avenue Merrick, NY 11566-4725/USA Tel: 516/868-5635 Fax: 516/379-1901 Email: cccpoetry@aol.com 5 Acknowledgements The author acknowledges receipt of a bursary from The Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon to pursue his experiments in the field of Irish- language tanka, poems of love, longing and emptiness in the strict syllabic configuration of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables – in this instance, responding to vintage matchbox art from India. Inflammable! 6 7 I canann éan áidh lasmuigh de m’fhuinneog gach lá amhráinín fútsa insíonn sé dom cá bhfuilir deimhníonn gur im’ chroíse ataoi a lucky bird sings outside my window each day songs concerning You telling me where You are now Belovèd, here in my heart 8 9 II cosnóidh sí mé, is glan é mo chroí, a stór Durga, daingean í déanfaidh sí scrios ar an namhaid is slánófar mé. . . duitse she will protect me Belovèd, my heart is pure Durga my fortress will slay all my enemies and keep me safe here. . .for You 10 11 III eitleoidh mé nó tógfad an traein deiridh modh iompair ar bith chun tú a fheiscint, tonga hath! na ceithre boinn más gá i ’ll take the last plane or the last train, Belovèd the last anything to see You, the last tonga hah! shall i crawl on all fours 13 IV i mo rí tamall go tobann i mo bhochtán táim scriosta agat an ag súgradh atá tú níl ionam ach puipéad lag one minute a king then suddenly a pauper sheer havoc it is You’re playing with me, my love i ’m nothing but a puppet 14 15 V tar chugam le haghaidh tae seans gur tháinig tú, cá bhfios a thine ghealáin an do do shamhlú atáim tar i gcomhair tae, a leannáin i said come for tea maybe You came – i don’t know You will-o’-the-wisp are You a mere fantasy come for tea, my Belovèd 16 VI tá constaicí ann sofheicthe is dofheicthe is eol, nach eol dom Sri Ganesh, taispeáin an tslí an chonair go dtí mo ghrá many obstacles visible, invisible both known and unknown Sri Ganesh, show me the way the path to my Belovèd 17 VII thriaileas Andaman tada, Goa, Lakshadweep Deilí is Ladhak Kerala, Karnataka faic, níl sí istigh, ar siad i tried Andaman no luck, Goa, Lakshadweep Delhi and Ladhak Kerala, Karnataka all said ‘no, She is not in’ 18 19 VIII féach ar an scamall borrtha le báisteach theolaí scamall dubh ag teacht treoraigh chuici mé, Krishna le d’fheadaíl tríd an bhfearthainn there is a dark cloud and it is filled with warm rain a dark cloud coming lead me, Krishna, to my love whistle to Her in the rain 20 IX dá mba chamaill sinn stóinsithe diongbháilte i ngaineamhlach mór ach tá an duine difriúil claonadh ionainn dul ar strae were we both camels resolute and determined we’d face a desert but human beings are different we get side-tracked on the way 21 X solas gach réalta is ea d’ainmse, a shearc ní bithbhuan don réalt ach mairfidh d’ainm go deo san fhirmimint is tusa ann Belovèd, Your name is the light of every star a star may perish but Your name is forever this firmament that is You 23 XI nuair nach gcloistear faic ach na luchóga rúnda bím ag smaoineamh ort i nideoga m’aigne. . . gura slán gach luch anocht when nothing is heard but the stealthy little mice my thoughts turn to You in crevices of the mind. . . may all mice be safe tonight 24 25 XII táim ar strae ar fad cad d’imigh orm n’fheadar táim imithe amú ag druidim leis an tSiolóin más é sin is ainm di i am all at sea i missed a turn, Belovèd don’t know where I am drifting towards Ceylon maybe someone says, ‘it ’s changed its name’ 26 XIII ag smiotadh leo mhuis’ tar éis na mblianta fada saoir chloiche Agra an smaoiníd ar bhuairt an ghrá nó an cuma leo sa riach centuries later they still chip away at stones masons of Agra dreaming of love’s old sorrow – or are they all flint-hearted 27 XIV tabhair dom dhá sciathán chun eitilt chugatsa, a shearc á, cad is fiú é tá an phaidir seo i mbéal an mhistigh le míle bliain give me wings to fly to You – ah, what is the use for thousands of years bard and bhakta have uttered this prayer – and what has happened 29 XV lasair gheal an ghrá scairtfidh mé amach ón díon is ó ghleannta é “mo náire!” déarfaidh daoine. . . na lasracha ag éirí rising flame of love let me shout it from the roofs and in the valleys people say i have no shame. . . the rising flame, Belovèd 31 XVI mise an bas inniu ordóidh mé rud ar bith céad rós más mian leat a thaisce, cad atá uait an ré agus na réaltaí? i ’m the boss today i can order anything one hundred roses Belovèd, what do You need a full moon and all the stars? 33 XVII stopadh mé, a chuid ní ciontóir céaduaire mé arsa an garda “aithním thú! tusa an file – hath! Peigeasas ait í sin!” i was stopped and fined it wasn’t my first offence the policeman said “i know you! you’re the poet – huh! odd-looking Pegasus!” 34 35 XVIII bia ar an mbord ola b’fhéidir don lampa ag iascach gan stad tá’s ag an iascaire seo gur éalaigh tú arís uaidh food for the table a drop of oil for the lamp fishing since daylight but this fisherman knows well that You’ve slipped the net again 36 37 XIX ar ais chun suain leat dhúisigh tú as taibhreamh mé a choiligh, led’ thoil! bhíos chun breith ar lámh léi is – a dheabhail! coc-a-dúdal-dú hey, go back to sleep you have roused me from my dreams cockerel, give up i went to take Her hand, then – dear God! cock-a-doodle-doo 38 39 XX las mé an lampa níl leamhan ar bith le feiscint táid ag dul in éag tá gach aon ní ag imeacht is a dteachtaireachtaí uait i have lit the lamp no moths come with messages they are on the wane Belovèd, all reminders of You are disappearing 40 41 XXI fáinne geal an lae agus roimh dhul faoi don ghrian bím ag smaoineamh ort deasghnáth atá ionat níl lá ná oíche i d’éagmais Belovèd, at dawn and before the sun goes down my thoughts turn to You You have become a ritual no night is night without You 43 XXII beidh mé ceanndána seasfaidh mé anseo, a chuid go gcloise mé uait focal amháin nó osna comhartha – aon rud in aon chor i ’ll be stubborn i shall stand here, Belovèd till i hear from You one word will do or a sigh a sign – anything at all 45 XXIII chuaigh mé go Sattur cheannaíos glantóir teanga ann bréag ní chanaimse sceitheann an fhírinne uaim gach siolla dem’ dhán is fíor i went to Sattur there i bought a tongue cleaner truth flows from my tongue Belovèd, i cannot lie each word of this poem is true 46 47 XXIV an tú atá ann d’fhéachas ar dheis is ar chlé faic – mealladh mo chluas mealladh mo shúile chomh maith an féidir aon ní a thrust is it You? Your voice? i looked around – nobody my ears deceive me my eyes deceive me as well i don’t know what to believe 48 49 XXV lasán níor aimsíos in Elayirampannai faic na ngrást, a chuid snáthaid bheag i gcoca féir is miotas atá ionat couldn’t find a match in Elayirampannai found nothing at all a needle in a haystack Belovèd – You are a myth 50 51 XXVI céad amhrán nua dhuit a chuid den saol, thar oíche laoithe úrnua gheal an lá, chan an phearóid gach ceann díobh as Tamailis one hundred new songs i wrote for You, Belovèd only for Your eyes morning broke and the parrot. . . he sang them all – in Tamil 52 53 XXVII in Gudiyattam lorgaíos thú i ngach ball sna pictiúrlanna d’fhéachas ar scata scannán níor fhanas ’dtí an deireadh in Gudiyattam i looked for You everywhere in the cinemas I sat through hundreds of films never staying till the end 54 55 XXVIII ar strae in Madras i leabharlann aisteach atáim buailtear bleid orm: mise an Coirnéal Olcott tá tú san áit cheart, a mhic i ’m lost in Madras in an occult library a gentleman says good day! i ’m Colonel Olcott you have come to the right place 56 57 XXIX níl stáisiún anseo (Ilayarasanendal) ní raibh éinne romham thuirlingíos láithreach den traein bhí na héin ag magadh fúm there’s no station here (Ilayarasanendal) no one to meet me i alighted from the train birds mocked me in their own tongue 59 XXX spéir is muir uaigneach chuas síos síos sa duibheagán ní hann atá tú níl tú ar chlé, a thaisce ná ar dheis ná áit ar bith lonely sea and sky i went down full fathom five You are not below nor above nor to my left nor to my right, Belovèd 60 61 XXXI léimeas den charraig ag snámh romham sa mhuir theolaí San Proinsias Xavier agus Vivekananda i dtreonna difriúla i jumped off the rock swimming in the warm waters St Francis Xavier also Vivekananda in different directions 62 63 XXXII an bhfuil sí tagtha a fhairtheoir, freagair mé níl cur síos uirthi aithneoidh tú cinnte í is bandia í – an Ghainséis! watchman, has She come have you been looking for Her i can’t describe Her but you will know Her, for sure She is the goddess Ganga! 64 65 XXXIII an baile beag seo lán de phléascóga tine pléascfaidh sé go luath san OM sin ón gcéad lá riamh fíorthús mo chuid trioblóidí Belovèd, this town is nothing but firecrackers it could all explode in the OM of the first day when all my troubles began 66 67 XXXIV uch, Thitttankulam ghealladar go mbeifeá ann nach mé an gamal níl ionam ach snámh raice ar mhuir gharbh mo mhianta ah, Thitttankulam they promised me You’d be there what a fool i was i am but flotsam, jetsam on rough seas of wild desire 69 XXXV roghnaigh cruth ar bith bí i d’éinín maidine nó id’ rud aineoil bí faram mar is mian leat ilchruthach mar is dual duit take on any shape be a bird in morning skies be something unknown be with me in any form shape-shifter You always were 70 71 XXXVI Thachanallur – á! bhíos im’ shiúinéir ann tamall is bhogas ar aghaidh ní raibh sa chasúireacht sin ach d’ainm agam á rá Thachanallur – ah! i did some carpentry there then quickly moved on and all of my hammering was the japa of Your name 72 XXXVII an ann duit nó as ag canadh don aer atáim éist liom, a thaisce le laoi na heala dílse is a leathéan ar iarraidh are You flesh and blood or do i sing to the air listen, Belovèd the song of the faithful swan when its mate has flown away 73 XXXVIII do ghoineas mé féin uaim féin a tháinig an nimh taoise gan pheaca ní chuirfinn olc i do leith. . . mo mhianta a nimhigh mé myself i ’ve bitten this poison has come from me You are innocent i shall never accuse You. . . my own desire poisoned me 74 XXXIX in Thayilpatty bhí damhán alla ag fí theitheas ón mbaile damhán alla ceanndána. . . chuir mo laige ag gol mé in Thayilpatty a spider wove all day long i ran from the town spider! so full of purpose i wept at my fecklessness 75 XL tar, a chuid ag siúl tar liom faoin mbáisteach theolaí is geal liom gach braon ag sileadh le do leiceann comhartha an ghrá éagmaise Belovèd, come walk walk with me in the warm rain i love how it streams flowing down Your face like tears for a love You have not found 76 XLI lasair neamh-mhianta lasair nach mbíonn ag preabadh laom mínádúrtha deireadh le mianta, a mhian corraíonn leoithne loiteog flame of non-desire it does not flicker at all defying nature a desire to end desire a breeze touches the lotus 77 XLII bhí mé in Trichur bhí Naomh Tomás ann romhamsa (gan amhras ar bith) stán gadhál ailbíneach orm ar feadh i bhfad ’stigh sa zú i came to Trichur as Doubting Thomas once did (when free of all doubt) a strange albino mithun stared at me long in the zoo 78 XLIII an t-am faoi deara gan solas sinn a shroicheadh ar Meister Eckhart Kali, a chruthaigh an t-am cleatar do sciorta cnámh it ’s because of time that the light does not reach us said Meister Eckhart Kali, creator of time the rattle of your bone skirt 79 XLIV Nandi, a Nandi bí id’ ghúrú, id’ threoraí táim ar an mbóthar ní fios cén treo, i ngach treo is mé sa tóir ar m’ansacht Nandi, oh Nandi be my guru and my guide i set out once more in all directions and none in search of my own true love 80 81 XLV clúmh geal an choiligh dathanna na camhaoire laethanta folmha oíche eile i d’éagmais ag feitheamh leis an gcoileach the cock’s bright plumage is the colour of the dawn my days are empty another night without You waiting for a cock to crow 82 83 XLVI cé a chuala riamh faoi éan nach gcanfadh nóta nó sruth ina stad réaltaí gan loinnir uathu a ansacht – focal amháin! who has ever heard of a bird that does not sing a river that’s still or stars that refuse to shine Belovèd – say but one word! 84 85 XLVII dhiailigh mé uimhir ‘cuir tríd anois mé, led’ thoil’ an uimhir mhícheart! cuireadh síos an fón, a chuid táim ag rith as uimhreacha i dialled a number ‘put me through to Her now, please’ ‘twas the wrong number! Belovèd, i was cut off i ’m running out of numbers 87 XLVIII blúirí thall is abhus blúirí de mo chroí briste comharthaí is ea iad gur ghabhas an chonair seo tráth is níl faic eile le rá bits left here and there tiny shreds of broken heart an indication that i ’ve passed this way before there is nothing else to say 88 89 XLIX do fhliuchas mo bhéal le huisce ón Periyar abhainn fhada fhionnuar anuas ó Chokkampatti ar aghaidh liom is mé buíoch di i stopped for a drink from the Periyar River the waters were cool from the Chokkampatti hills in gratitude i moved on 90 L is rópa teann é an rópa ar a ndamhsaím tar is féach orm duitse amháin an damhsa nó is dom mhuineál an chnáib a tight rope it is the strong rope on which i dance dear one, come see me this dance is for You only come – or the rope’s for my neck 91 LI inis dom, a chuid cé thusa nó cé mise cá bhfuilimid beirt a Bhanríon Vṛndāvana Rādhārāṇī! tusa, ‘bea Belovèd, tell me who are You and who am i where are we two now o Queen of Vṛndāvana Rādhārāṇī is it You 93 LII nach bhfaca tú í Sai Baba, i d’aislingí in eitilt na n-éan lonraíonn sí um thráthnóna nuair a lastar na lampaí surely you’ve seen Her Sai Baba, in a vision heard Her in birdsong Her lustre in the evening when the holy lamp is lit 95 LIII canann sé, a shearc is is eol do na daimh é tá seanamhrán fút i gcroí an treabhdóra chomh glan le mo chroí féinig he sings, Belovèd and the oxen know the song that old song for You it’s deep in the ploughman’s heart as sure as it is in mine 97 LIV tá’s agat an scéal croí na giofóige ionam ní shocróidh sé síos glaonn na sléibhte gorma foraois níos ársa ná am You know it so well this wild gypsy heart of mine it cannot settle the blue mountains are calling and forests older than time 99 LV seolaimis arís cúluiscí glé Kerala i mbáidín éadrom beadsa im’ dhíoltóir lachan is ár n-ál romhainn, a thaisce let us sail once more those backwaters to the south in a flimsy boat and i ’ll be a duckseller our flock swimming before us 101 LVI m’aigne ag teip an cholainn tréithlag, a chuid ach deir m’anam liom: níl sé thart go fóill ná é beidh ort tosnú as an nua my mind’s giving way and my body is crumbling yet my spirit says: no, it is not yet over it may take many more lives