She was there, wearing a cotton saree with golden border,
When I went to see Uttara Swayamvaram Kathakali,
On an Uttarashada moonlit night
And she was carrrying arrows of love, aimed at my chest !
Irayimman thambi nalkum sringara padha lahari
Iru swapna vedhikalil alinju chernnu
Karalile kali thattil arupathu thiriyitta
Kadhakali vilakkukal erinju ninnu
The amorous atmosphere created by Irayimman Thampi
Dissolved in both dreamy states
The Sixty wicks of the Kathakali Lamp
Burned in the recesses of the heart !
Kudamaloor Sairandriyayi Mankulam Brihandalayayi
Haripattu Ramakirishnan Valalanayi
Duryodhanan veshamittu guru Chenganooru vannu
Varanassi than chenda unarnnuyarnnu
Kudamaloor donned the garb of Sairandhri
Mankulam became Brihandala
Harippattu Ramakrishnan became Valanan
Guru Chekannur donned the garb of Duryodhana
And Varanasi's Chenda rose to action and fame.
When a thousand poetic imageries took shape
I became Arjuna and she, Uttara !
After that, the Lamp was unlit
And I am continuing my unknown lingerings!
