Thirukkural – 1221
மாலையோ அல்லை; மணந்தார் உயிர் உண்ணும்
வேலை நீ;-வாழி, பொழுது!.
Oh sunset! You aren’t the evenings of yore,
but death knell of wedded souls.
She laments the separation from her husband. “When we were together the evenings were pleasant. But now that he is away, these evenings remind me of him and kill me”
வேலை – end of time. Some commentaries take it as வேல் – spear. Both Parimel Alagar and Devaneya Paavanar take ‘time’ as the primary meaning. If taken as spear, it will read
Oh sunset! You are not the evenings of yore,
but a spear, devouring wedded souls.
I prefer to go with death knell – end of time – இறுதிக்காலம்.
Old Tamil Poetry 