హంసపాదుల రాత, ఆయాసంతో పాట

hamsapadula rata, ayasanto pata

Translation

Writing like swan's feet, singing with exhaustion

Meaning

This expression describes a situation where the quality of work is poor and the effort put into it is tiring or unpleasant. It is used to mock illegible, messy handwriting (resembling bird tracks) and performances that are strained or lack harmony.

Related Phrases

Only the writing on the forehead (fate), but one's own writing does not get recorded.

This expression is used to describe a situation where, despite a person's hard work, efforts, or merit, things only happen according to destiny or luck. It highlights the frustration when personal effort (one's own 'writing') seems ineffective against predetermined fate ('forehead writing'). It is often used when someone faces repeated failure despite being capable.

Like the Satani couple who spent the whole night joking about a mat until daybreak.

This expression is used to describe a situation where people waste an entire night or a significant amount of time arguing or discussing something trivial or insignificant, only to realize at the end that they have achieved nothing or that it is too late.

What! a caret in the commencement ? Said by a man to an ignorant scribe who, in writing the customary invo- cation " Śrī Rāmajaya" at the heading of a letter, omitted a syllable. Blundering at the very beginning of any business. He who begins ill finishes worse. (Italian.)† Well begun is half done.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an obstacle or a mistake occurs at the very beginning of a task or journey. It is similar to the English idiom 'stumbling at the first hurdle' or 'a bad start.'

Narayana along with the four (people), Govinda along with the community.

This proverb is used to describe the tendency of a person to blindly follow the crowd or conform to societal norms regardless of personal opinion or the correctness of the action. It implies going with the flow or following the majority to avoid standing out or facing conflict.

A person without a plan died of fasting.

This proverb highlights the importance of resourcefulness and cleverness. It implies that a person who lacks the wit to find a solution or a way out of a difficult situation will eventually suffer or perish, even when options might be available. It is used to mock someone's lack of practical intelligence in solving problems.

Mahabharata ends with Karna; rains end with the month of Kartika.

This expression is used to signify a definitive conclusion or a final limit. In the epic Mahabharata, the climax and major intensity are often associated with Karna's fall. Similarly, in the traditional Telugu calendar, the monsoon season and heavy rains typically conclude by the end of the Kartika month.

Crop cannot sustain with dairy (cattle) alone.

This proverb highlights the difficulty of managing both agriculture and livestock simultaneously without sufficient resources or labor. It implies that if one is busy looking after the cattle, the fields might be neglected, or vice versa, emphasizing that managing multiple intensive tasks at once requires great effort and coordination.

A blunder at the very beginning for the innocent emperor.

This expression is used when a mistake or an obstacle occurs right at the start of a new venture. 'Hamsapaadu' refers to a caret or a proofreading mark used to insert missed text, symbolizing an error or an interruption at the very inception of a task.

Rice with fine grains, Pulihora with coarse grains.

This expression refers to using the right resources for the right purpose. Just as fine rice is preferred for plain eating while thicker/coarser rice is better suited for dishes like Pulihora (tamarind rice) to maintain texture, it implies that every person or object has a specific situation where they excel or are most appropriate.

An insertion at the very beginning of writing.

Usually said when there is a hurdle, gap or break in the very beginning.