Old Tamil Poetry

Pura Nanooru – 86

Grasping the pillar of my humble home
You question me “Where’s your son?”;
I don’t know where my son is; This is the womb,
like the cave in which a tiger stayed,
that gave birth to him;
He will appear in the battle field!

சிற்றில் நல் தூண் பற்றி, ‘நின் மகன்
யாண்டு உளனோ?’ என வினவுதி; என் மகன்
யாண்டு உளன்ஆயினும் அறியேன்; ஓரும்
புலி சேர்ந்து போகிய கல் அளை போல,
ஈன்ற வயிறோ இதுவே;
தோன்றுவன் மாதோ, போர்க்களத்தானே!

Poem 86 from Pura Nanooru. The 400 poems in Pura nanooru deal with external factors (to put it simply). Valour is an important part of Pura Nanooru poems. In this poem the soldier’s mother responds to a person who has come in search of her son. “The one born in my womb is like a tiger, he will not shirk his duty. He will appear in the battle field, you can find him there” is her answer to the questioner.