ಒಲಿಸುವೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? Translation ofvAkkaMahadevi's Vachana

ಅಷ್ಟವಿಧಾರ್ಚನೆಯ ಮಾಡಿ ಒಲಿಸುವೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? ನೀನು ಬಹಿರಂಗವ್ಯವಹಾರ ದೂರಸ್ಥನು.

ಅಂತರಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಧ್ಯಾನವ ಮಾಡಿ ಒಲಿಸುವೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? ನೀನು ವಾಙ್ಮನಕ್ಕತೀತನು.

ಜಪಸ್ತೋತ್ರದಿಂದ ಒಲಿಸುವೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? ನೀನು ನಾದಾತೀತನು.

ಭಾವಜ್ಞಾನದಿಂದ ಒಲಿಸುವೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? ನೀನು ಮತಿಗತೀತನು.

ಹೃದಯ ಕಮಲಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಬೆನೆ ಅಯ್ಯಾ? ನೀನು ಸರ್ವಾಂಗ ಪರಿಪೂರ್ಣನು.

ಒಲಿಸಲೆನ್ನಳವಲ್ಲ; ನೀನೊಲಿವುದೆ ಸುಖವಯ್ಯಾ ಚೆನ್ನಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನಯ್ಯಾ.

--- ಅಕ್ಕಮಹಾದೇವಿ

#Literal_Prose_Translation:

Can I win You over, O Lord, by performing the eight-fold worship?

You are beyond all external dealings.

Can I win You over, O Lord, by meditating internally?

You are beyond speech and mind.

Can I win You over, O Lord, with chants and hymns?

You are beyond sound.

Can I win You over, O Lord, with knowledge born of intuition?

You are beyond the intellect.

Can I hold You, O Lord, in the center of my heart-lotus?

You are all-pervading and perfect in every aspect.

It is not within my power to win You; Your own grace is my happiness, O Lord Chennamallikarjuna.

#PoeticTranslation:

With eight-fold rites, can I Your favor find, O Sire?

You dwell beyond the reach of all our world's desire.

With inner meditation, can my soul aspire, O Sire?

You transcend the bounds of speech and mind's own fire.

With chanted hymns, can I Your loving grace acquire, O Sire?

You are beyond all sound, O Lord of cosmic choir.

With intuitive knowledge, can I reach still higher, O Sire?

You are beyond the grasp of intellect's pyre.

Within my heart-lotus, can I hold You entire, O Sire?

You are perfect in all things, ever closer, ever nigher.

To win You is a feat beyond my power's fire;

That You grant Your grace is joy's true empire,

O my Lord Chennamallikarjuna, my soul's desire.