Two poems by Yashwant Chittal

Sublime poetry from an Indian great

Yashwant Vithoba Chittal was an expert in the field of polymer science who did his masters from the Stevens Institute of Technology, and worked in Bombay in that field. He is also a great Kannada writer whose works unfortunately have not been translated much. I hope it is rectified soon. He wrote novels based on his own experiences working for companies and they often reflect the despair faced by many living and working in large cities. Shikari (The hunt) has been translated into English and is available on Amazon.

Yashwant Chittal’s ‘Sampige Mara’ (Champak flower tree) is read quite well here. Someone more familiar with the nuances of Kannada should translate this fine poem. Robert Frost had an entire book of poems titled ‘A Witness Tree’. I liked how Shri Chittal glided smoothly from a perspective of nostalgia vis-a-vis the backyard tree to a more profound concept of history and permanence. Just lovely.

ಹ್ಯಾಗಿದ್ದೀಯ (How are you?) is another fantastic poem in which he explores the semi-formal greeting and the response as a portal into much more deeper relationship.

Enjoy!