The joy is when a woman or a poem
come to you naturally.
If you force them, they bring you grief.
All the labor you invest in learning metrics and poetics
is a waste – if you are not driven to create
well-wrought poems in pleasing words.
The learning of a man with no ability to compose
never comes to life, like the shape of things at night
in a house without lamps.
The Floating Library 
a contribution:
(via SR)
The joy is when a woman or a poem
come to you naturally.
If you force them, they bring you grief.
All the labor you invest in learning metrics and poetics
is a waste – if you are not driven to create
well-wrought poems in pleasing words.
The learning of a man with no ability to compose
never comes to life, like the shape of things at night
in a house without lamps.
– Appakavi
(17th century, Telugu)
Excellent!
Lovely post. It touched my soul.
It’s nearly impossible to find educated people for this topic, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks