Amidst all this bad news, if it is Ugadi it's time for #vasaṃta #māsa again.

To tide over this lockdown, I will post a verse on vasaṃta māsa every day for the next few days.

विक्षिपन्विविधाः शाखा नगानां कुसुमोत्कचाः ।
मारुतश्चलितस्थानैः षट्पदैरनुगीयते ॥Ramayana 4-1-14

ಹೂಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇರಿಕೊಂಡ ಮರದ ಕೊಂಬೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾರುತನು ಚಾಲಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವನು; ದುಂಬಿಗಳು ಕುಳಿತ ಸ್ಥಳವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹಾರಿ ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿವೆ!
[Translation by N.Ranganatha S]

A beautiful verse from Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava (3rd Canto) where Indra sends forth Kama to usher untimely spring.
Here is one where the poet says that the red Palasa buds (see picture below)suddenly shone and looked like the red marks of nails inflicted by a lover (spring).

"ಕುಮಾರವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹಾಡಿದನೆಂದರೆ ಕಲಿಯುಗ ದ್ವಾಪರವಾಗುವುದು" ಎಂದ ಕುವೆಂಪುರವರ ಮಾತು ಅಕ್ಷರಶಃ ಸತ್ಯ.

ಪಂಡು ರಾಜನನ್ನು ಕಾಮೋನ್ಮತ್ತನಾಗಿಸಿ ಮಾದ್ರಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸೇರುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಮಧುಮಾಸದ ಈ ವರ್ಣನೆ ಅಧಭುತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಅಂಥಾ ಮಧುಮಾಸವನ್ನು ಕುಮಾರವ್ಯಾಸನಿಗಿಂತಲೂ ಮನೋಹರವಾಗಿ ಇನ್ನಾರು ವರ್ಣಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ?

I first read William Wordsworth's 'To the Cuckoo' in 4th grade. After the chill and cold goes away saying Shiva Shiva post-Shivaratri, the Cuckoo, the mango, blossoming flowers and school holidays heralded the arrival of Spring.

This poem reminds me of my schoolboy days again.

This should have been my first verse in this series, but I only remembered it today. Better late than never.

A verse from Shakuntala (Act 6) and Kalidasa like all other poets adores mango flowers!

Basavappa Shastri's Kannada translations are probably the best.

Welcome Spring

Muddana, in his gadya kavya Ramashwamedham, describes Vasanta as a doctor.

The arrival of Vasanta has led to the sweet cuckoo & parrot being heard and several flowers and fruits being seen.

I seem to have lost more in translation than conveying the original's beauty

Mahashweta describes how youth came her, likening it to the arrival of Spring in Bana Bhatta's Kadambari.

Kannada translation by Nagavarma (9th Cent CE) in his Karnataka Kadambari.

[There are more lines on Spring in Kadambari; stay tuned.]

Pampa's descriptions deserve a separate thread.

Here is one on Vasanta from his Vikramaarjuna Vijaya (2nd Ashwasa).

ವಸಂತ ಋತುವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮನ ಜನನ

( ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಾಯಣ ದರ್ಶನಂನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಹಸ್ತಾಕ್ಷರದಲ್ಲಿ )

ತಳಿರು ತೀವಿತ್ತಡವಿ. ಭ್ರಮರ ಸಂಭ್ರಮದಿಂದೆ
ಝೇಂಕರಿಸಿದತ್ತು ಕುಸುಮಿತ ಕಾನನಾಂತರಂ.
ಪೊಣ್ಮಿದುದು ಮೈನವಿರ್ ತಿರೆವೆಣ್ಗಲಂಪಿನಿಂ,
ಪಚ್ಚನೆ ಪಸುರ್ ಗರುಕೆಯಂತೆ. ಕಲಕಂಠನುಲಿ
ಘೋಷಿಸಿತು ಜಗಕೆ, ರಾಮಾಗಮನ ವಾರ್ತೆಯಂ!

#SriRamaNavami

One of the earliest references to seasons and Vasanta is in the 10th Mandala of Rig Veda.Purusha Sukta says-

यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत ।
वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः ||

The creation of the world it itself is compared to a sacrifice with Spring as the ghee.

Though Kalidasa has composed better seasonal verses in his mahakavyas, Rtusamhara is unique since it is the first (and only?) work that is entirely on seasons. There are 6 cantos, each dedicated to a Rtu.

S.V. Parameshwara Bhatta's Kannada translation is one of the finest.

Nashe's 'Spring, the sweet spring'

Spring, the sweet spring, is the year’s pleasant king,
Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,
Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing:
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

B.M.Sri's inspired take in Kannada -

There is no respite to Kalidasa's description of Spring's beauty after Madana enters. The reason is that he is trying to show even such splendor couldn't disturb Shiva's tapas.

[From Kumarasambhavam, 3.30].

Though Bendre has written more on Rains, here is one from - 'ವಸಂತಮುಖ'.

ಉದಿತ ದಿನ! ಮುದಿತ ವನ
ವಿಧವಿಧ ವಿಹಗಸ್ವನ
ಇದುವೇ ಜೀವ, ಇದು ಜೀವನ
ಪವನದಂತೆ ಪಾವನ

ಏನೊ ವಿಧ! ಎನೊ ಹದ
ಗಾಳಿಗೊಡೆದ ಬುದ್ಬುದ
ಬೆಳಕೆ ಬದುಕು ಎಂಬ ಮುದ
ಜೀವ ಹೊಮ್ಮಿ ಚಿಮ್ಮಿದ

ನೂರು ಮರ! ನೂರು ಸ್ವರ
ಒಂದೊಂದು ಅತಿ ಮಧುರ
ಬಂಧವಿರದೆ ಬಂಧುರ
ಸ್ವಚ್ಛಂದ-ಸುಂದರ

Lavanga-lata is probably 'Luvanga-scandens' a fragrant medicinal climber in NE-India, since the clove lavanga(Syzygium aromaticum) is a tree.

Don't just read this verse; listen to Pt.Raghunath Panigrahi's rendition here:

#t=1m59s

#jayadeva #gitagovinda #vasanta

ವಸಂತದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇವಲ ದುಂಬಿ ಪಕ್ಷಿ ಹೂವುಗಳಷ್ಟೇ ನಲಿಯಬೇಕೆ? ಖಂಡಿತ ಇಲ್ಲ!
ಬೆಡಗಿಯರು ಹೇಗೆ ಆನಂದದಿಂದ ನಲಿದಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಅಂತ ಈ 'ವಸಂತ ರಮಣಿಯರ ಹಾಡು' ಪದ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ.

(ಸಂಕಲನ- ಕೊಳಲು )

Song of Spring
by
John Keats

And O and O,
The daisies blow,
And the primroses are wakened;
And the violets white
Sit in silver light,
And in the green buds are long in the spike end.

The taittiriya aranyaka says ऋतुर्ऋतुना नुद्यमानः- one rutu stimulates the next rutu.

That reminds me of this verse by Nagavarma in Karnataka Kadambari -

'When Kama started his antics, Vasanta came tumbling in as if he were the death of the incumbent king called Shishira!'

ಪಂಪನು ವಸಂತವನ್ನೇ ಒಂದು ಆನೆಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ವಸಂತದ ತುಂಬಿಗಳೇ ಆನೆಯ ಘೀಂಕಾರ, ವಸಂತದ ಮಧುಶರಧಿಯೇ ಆನೆಯ ಮದೋದಕ, ಚೂತಾಂಕುರಗಳೇ ಆನೆಯ ದಂತಗಳು, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಯಾಗಿರಲು ಆ ವಸಂತನೆಂಬ ಆನೆಯು ವಿರಹಿಗಳನ್ನು ತಿವಿದು ಹರಿದುಹಾಕುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.

ವಿಕ್ರಮಾರ್ಜುನ ವಿಜಯದ ದ್ವಿತೀಯಾಶ್ವಾಸದಿಂದ, ಉತ್ಪಲಮಾಲ ವೃತ್ತದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ರಮಣೀಯವಾದ ಪದ್ಯ.
#ಪಂಪ

Shelley's allegorical poem 'The Sensitive Plant' was written after his child died. Read the whole poem online.

And the spring arose on the garden fair
Like the spirit of love felt everywhere
And each flower and herb on earth’s dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest

A verse from Malavikagnimitra where the king is appreciating the onset of Spring in the beautiful pramadavana.

I feel SVP's translation is too verbose, but does convey the content in the original (sans the elegance :-( )

Follow this thread for more verses in the same act.