Pushpa Vilapam by Karunasrii 

​Telugu: KARUNASRII 
English Translation: S. Purnachandrarao. 
(translation released in 1993) 
Some gems of Karunasrii were translated into English by Sri S. Purnachandra Rao. These English translations alongwith the original Telugu poems were published in a book form - UDAYASRII (karuNa kavita' kadambamu - A Posy of Compassion). The book was released by Sri Jandhyala Jayakrushna Bapoojii and Jandhyala Venkata Ramana, sons of Dr. Karunasrii (1993).
The translator Sri Purnachandra Rao says " Karunasrii's poetry is highly sensuous, tender, beautiful, exhilerating and thrilling. The poet saw the "tears in things"; his soul throbbed with tenderness and tears, his heart exulted at the valiant and the glorious; his soul cried out agony at evil and injustice, his heart grieved with the underdog and sang with the fulfilled. Karuna is the soul of the poet. He believed in the essential humanity, in mercy that crowns the very Gods, that strengthens the voice of the prophets, sweetens the song of the poets; that conquers the tyrants and ennobles the lowly. Karunasrii is a romanticist, classicist, patriot, seer, humanist, and dreamer rolled in one."

contributed by PALANA
pushpa vila'pamam (1) 
cEtula'ramga ninnu poojimcukoraku 
kODi kooyamganE mElukomTi nEnu; 
gamgalO mungi dhouta valkalamu gaTTi 
poolu konitEra narigiti pushpavaniki 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (1) 
Up at dawn as the cock crew 
finishing ablutions in the Ganges 
donning simple garb white and pure 
I went to the garden to cull blossoms 
to offer Thee, O Lord! 
pushpa vila'pam (2) 
nE noka poolamokka kaDa nilci civa'luna kommavamci gO 
ra'neDu namtalOna viru lanniyu ja'liga nOLLu vippi "ma' 
pr'Namu tiituva'" yanucu ba'vurumannavi; krumgipOti; na' 
ma'nasamam dedO taLuku mannadi pushpavila'pa ka'vyamai. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (2) 
As I stood near a tree, bent a bough 
down and proceeded to set my finger nail--- 
all floweres let out a cry in woeful 
anguish; would you murder us all, 
seemed they to ask. 
I stood crest-fallen, when in my heart sensitive 
there flashed a thought tender and poignant 
taking this form of "floral plaint" 
pushpa vila'pam (3) 
talli yoDilOna talira'ku talpa mamdu 
a'Dukonu mammulanu buTTalamdu cidimi 
ammukomduve mOkshavittammu koraku! 
hRudayamE lEni nii pooja lemdukOyi? 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (3) 
"We are but babes, tender and defenceless, 
bounding and romping in our mother's lap-- 
this leafy arbour. 
Do you pluck us to sell and barter in exchange 
for God's Benediction"? 
O Heartless! 
To what avail your worship? 
pushpa vila'pam (4) 
jaDamatula mEmu; ~na'navamtuDavu niivu; 
budhdhi yunnadi; Ba'va samRuddhi galadu; 
bamDaba'renaTOyi nii gumDeka'ya! 
Sivunakai pooyadE na'lgu cinni poolu? 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (4) 
"We are ignorant; you are wise; 
You can think and are discreet! 
Do you have a heart that turned granite hard? 
Doesn't it bloom a flower or two for your Lord? 
pushpa vila'pam (5) 
a'yuvu galgu na'lgu gaDiyal kanipemcina tiivatalli ja' 
tiiyata diddi tiirtu mu; tadiiya karmmulalOna svEcCamai 
nooyala loogucun muriyucumdumu; a'yuvu diirinamtanE 
ha'yiga kannu moosedamu a'yama callani ka'livrELLapai. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (5) 
"The few hours that are alloted to us, 
we prosper to the immense pleasure 
of our creeper-mother; and in her arms we sing 
in joy celebrating our freedom absolute; and 
when the destined hour approaches, we breathe our 
last uncomplaining, and drop dead at our 
mother's cool feet. 
pushpa vila'pam (6) 
ga'lini gouravimtumu sugamdhamu poosi; sama'Srayimcu BRum 
ga'laku vimdu cEsedamu kammani tEnelu; mimmubOmTla nE 
tra'laku ha'yigoortumu; svatamtrula mammula sva'rdhabuddhitO 
t'Lumu trumpabOvakumu; talliki biDDaku vEru sEtuvE! 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (6) 
"We heartily play hosts to passing breezes 
touching their bodies with our perfume delicate; 
We offer nectar aplenty to the bees 
that round us eagerly gather; 
We present a spectacle pleasant to the eyes 
of an aesthete like you. 
Why do you rob us of our independence, 
so pitilessly, O wretch ? 
--You wish to sever the bond sweet 
'twixt mother and child ? 
pushpa vila'pam (7) 
a'tmasuKammu kOsamayi anyula gomtulu kOsi teccu pu 
Nya'tmuDa! niiku mOksha meTu labbunu? netturu cEtipooja vi 
Sva'tmuDu sviikarimcune? cara'caravarti praBumDu ma' pavi 
tra'tmala namdukODe! naDamamtrapu nii tagula'Ta mETikin? 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (7) 
"O ye virtuous, do you for your selfish 
ends cut the throats of innocents? 
And do you expect Salvation? 
Does the Lord of Creation accept 
the offering from your bloody hands? 
Does not He take unto His lap 
our simple souls? Do we need any 
meddling mischief-monger's mediation? 
pushpa vila'pam (8) 
Uluda'ra'latO gomtu kuri bigimci 
gumDelO numDi soodulu grucci koorci 
muDucukomduru muccaTa muDula mammu 
akaTa! dayalEniva'ru mii ya'Duva'ru 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (8) 
"They tie a silken string round our 
fragile throats and stiffle us; they 
pierce our pulsating hearts with callous needles 
to weave a garland to deck their braids! 
--Alack! How heartless these young women-folk! 
pushpa vila'pam (9) 
gumDetaDi lEka noonelO vamDi pimDi 
attarulu cEsi ma' pEda netturulanu 
kampu dEha'lapai guma'yimpu koraku 
pulumukomduru hamta! mii kolamu va'ru. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (9) 
"You squeeze our hearts dry of the sap 
entire, cook it on flame, prepare 
a fragrant essence out of our life-blood 
and smear your stinking frame 
with our life-breath, Ye selfish 
murders, You and Your like ! 
pushpa vila'pam (10) 
akkaTa! ha'yi mEmu mahisha'suru lemdaro na'lgu prakkalan 
prakkala miida callukoni ma' pasimEnulu pa'Duka'LLatO 
drokkucu dorli - dorli - marurO judya'nane va'Di vattalai 
rekkalu ja'ripOn pariharimturu mammula pemTadibbapai. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (10) 
There are epicures who, wanting to 
squeeze and enjoy life to the full 
sprinkle our deliciou bodies delicate thick 
on their beds, roll on us luxuriously 
like some swine wallowing in the mud, 
crush and kill us under their ponderous 
grossness ! And, on the morrow-- 
aye, the insult upon the injury-- 
they look down on our mortal remains, 
our raped, torn, wilted, stinking bodies, 
mock in derision, gather us callously 
to throw us out on the dung-heap ! 
pushpa vila'pam (11) 
ma' velalEni mugdhasukuma'ra sugamdha maramda ma'dhurii 
jiivita mella miikayi tyajimci kRuSimci naSimcipOye; ma' 
youvana mella kollagoni a' payi ciipurutODa cimmi ma 
mma'vala pa'rabOturu gada'! naraja'tiki niiti yunnada' ! 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (11) 
"Our priceless souls and lives lovely, 
fragrant and delicate, are spent, wasted 
and sacrificed for your sakes -- alas, to no avail 
You loot our youthful essence rich 
and, as though it were not enough, 
sweep us with a broom harsh and 
throw our carcass out in the dreary dust. 
Say, do you men have any values ? 
pushpa vila'pam (12) 
buddha dEvuni BoomilO puTTina'vu 
sahaja magu prEma niilOna caccenEmi? 
amdamunu hatya cEseDi hamtakumDa! 
mailapaDipOye nOyi! nii manuja janma. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (12) 
"Weren't you born in the land of the Buddha? 
Haven't you the love natural to all beings? 
You murder and kill beauty for joy; 
desecrated is your soul - beyond all redemption ! 
pushpa vila'pam (13) 
pooja lEkunna ba'bu nii punne ma'ye! 
kOyabOkumu ma' pEda kuttukalanu 
akaTa! cEsEta mammula hatyacEsi 
ba'pukonabOvu a' maha'Ba'gya mEmi? 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (13) 
"No loss if you do not worship; 
cut not our defenceless throats innocent. 
Alack! What earthly thing do you gain 
committing such genocide?" 
pushpa vila'pam (14) 
iTlu pushpa'lu nannu ciiva'Tlu peTTi 
naTluga'n - poolu kOya cEya'DalEdu; 
Emi tOcaka dEvara keruka sEya 
vaTTi cEtulatO iTu vaccina'nu. 
THE FLORAL PLAINT (14) 
So, my Lord, so did the flowers severely 
chide me. And I have n't plucked a poor 
flower, but come hither to give account 
of what transpired at the Flora's bower ! 
Purnachandra Rao further adds in his preface "To translate any poetry into another language is not only arduous but hazardous. To do so, the translator has to look deep ito the original, grasp the soul, re-live the passion, go through the pangs of giving birth; transmute the original piece and dish it out in a strange tongue sensibilities across strange continents."
The language that Karunasrii used in this poem is not pedantic but is full of that karuna - the feeling of compassion. It is hard for me to judge whether Sri Purnachandra Rao had done an exceptional job in bringing the meaning but the whole meaning with complete feeling of Karunasrii's poetry in his English translation. But needless to say, Sri Rao, is fortunate enough to even translate Karunasrii's poetry into English.

Finally Sri S. Purnachandra Rao adds "I could not dress Karunasrii's delicate poetry in the traditional trappings of color, cadence, rhyme, and rhythm. They were not only beyond me but my prime search was the poet's soul. How much I succeeded in my ernst, humble endeavour is for you to judge. The poet approved and I exult and bask in it. You are most welcome to step into this poetic arbour of Karunasrii...."