Contemprary Tanka Poet Mariko Kitakubo.

These three tanka from INDIGO were translated into Kannada by Mr. Shrikaanth K. Murthy, the editor of Blithe Spirit and a great poet who lives in U.K.
Thank you so much for your translation.

cobalt blue
was my favorite
color...
until I could see it
in atomic waste

ಆ ನೀಲಿ
ನನ್ನ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿನ-
ದಾಗಿತ್ತು
ನೋಡುವವರೆಗೆ
ಅಣುಲಹರಿಯಲಿ

ā nīli
nanna meccina-
dāgittu
nōḍuvavarege
aṅulahariyali

at the market
among the purple grapes
a few
young green ones
thinking about my son

ಸಂತೆಯಲಿ
ಕರಿ ದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿಗಳ
ನಡುನಡುವೆ
ಹೀಚುಗಳಿಷ್ಟು
ಮಗನ ನೆನೆಯುತ 

santeyali
kari drākṣigaḷa
naḍunaḍuve
hīcugaḷiṣṭu
magana neneyuta

remembering
Father's big hand
I'm searching
for the ginkgo-nuts*
in my soft warm pudding

ಅಪ್ಪನ ಕೈ
ನೆನಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ
ಹುಡುಕುತಿಹೆ
ಗೋಡಂಬಿಯನ್ನು
ಪಾಯಸದಲ್ಲಿ

appana kai
nenasi koḷḷuta
huḍukutihe
gōḍambiyanu
pāyasadalli

*Because of the difference in food culture, Kannada translation ueses cashew nuts instead of ginkgo-nuts.

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