Onasadya

Red fury of inji curry
Tangy ripe yellow pullisheri
A dollop of mellow dal
Over pristine boiled rice

Sombre avial potpourri
Teasing the senses
Subtle sambar
Enflaming them further

A lick of mango pachadi
For some verbotein pleasure

Dash of spice-drenched
Lemons and raw mangoes
To rouse hidden desires

Jaggery-coated chips
Soft moon stuffings
To douse inflamed fires

Only to slow kindle them
To a raging fire
With a lick of sensual prathamam

A warm day; a gladden day
Ushered with flowers
Heralded with deepams
The sangam of sensuality
And kinly solidarity

From a gentle land; of
Devotees and warriors
For a kindly sovereign

A rich banquet
Of coconut blessings
On fresh green leaves

To celebrate nature's bounty
And honour a King banished.