Old Tamil Poetry

Translations of Tamil Poetic works that span 2000 years

Archive for the month “June, 2017”

27 Jun 2017

Siddhar – SivaVakkiyar – 13

What am I? What are you? What’s that between(us two)?
O’ materialists who answer what’s a ruler and what’s a guru –
(do you know)What’s created? What’s destroyed? What’s the place
that is beyond the beyond? It’s the name of Rama Rama Rama.

நானதேது நீயதேது நடுவில் நின்றது ஏதடா
கோனதேது குருவதேது கூறிடுங் குலாமரே
ஆனதேது அழிவதேது அப்புறத்தில் அப்புறம்
ஈனதேது ராமராம ராமஎன்ற நாமமே.

What is this thing called you and that is called me? What is that thing between us two. You materialists can answer who is a Guru or who is a King. But can you answer What is created, what is destroyed or what is this place that is beyond the beyond? You can’t. The answer is the name of Rama, who is everything in this world.

I am always worried about interpreting theological verses (especially Siddhar songs) as I do not know much of the philosophy behind these. So regular disclaimer applies. My interpretation might be wrong.

கோன் – King / Chief
குலாமர் – materialists / those who desire wealth
ஈன் – this place

 

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24 Jun 2017

Naaladiyaar – 71

O’ ruler of hills with garland like cool waterfalls!

Never engage in a conversation with a dimwit –

if you engage, he will distort your words;

better to slip away by any means.


கோதை யருவிக் குளிர்வரை நன்னாட
பேதையோ டியாதும் உரையற்க – பேதை
உரைப்பிற் சிதைந்துரைக்கும் வகையான்
வழுக்கிக் கழிதலே நன்று.


Do not engage in a discussion on any topic with an idiot. If you talk to him he will distort your words. So use any means to avoid him and move away from his presence.

கோதை- garland

பேதை – idiot

சிதைத்தல் – distort

வகையான் any means

வழுக்குதல் – to escape

கழிதல் – leave

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
23 Jun 2017

Thirukkural – 1285

Like an eye not seeing the kohl liner while lining,
I don’t see my lover’s faults when I see him.

எழுதுங்கால் கோல் காணாக் கண்ணேபோல், கொண்கன்
பழி காணேன், கண்ட இடத்து.

An eye cannot see the eyeliner pen when it is close to the eye and is used to line. Similarly, when I see my lover, I forget all his faults.

கொண்கன் – Husband / chief of sea shore
கோல் – (eyeliner) pen

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
22 Jun 2017
2 Comments

Pura Naanooru – 358

This worthy world ringed by the sun
will have seven chiefs a day, such is its nature;
If material and spiritual realms are weighed,
material is not even mustard sized
compared to spiritual, so (spiritually) desirous let it go;
Thiru* doesn’t let go those who let it go;
those who don’t let it go, are whom she lets go.

*Thiru – Goddess of Wealth

பருதி சூழ்ந்த இப் பயம் கெழு மா நிலம்
ஒரு பகல் எழுவர் எய்தியற்றே;
வையமும் தவமும் தூக்கின், தவத்துக்கு
ஐயவி அனைத்தும் ஆற்றாது ஆகலின்,
கைவிட்டனரே காதலர்; அதனால்
விட்டோரை விடாஅள், திருவே;
விடாஅதோர் இவள் விடப்பட்டோரே.

“This world is fickle. No one rules it for long, it will have seven people lead it in a day. Such is its nature. If we compare the material world and spiritual world, the material world is not even mustard seed sized when compared to the spiritual world. So those who want to attain spirituality, let go of the material world. Thiru, the gooddess of wealth holds on to those who are not desirous of material world. Those who are desirous of material world, she gives up on them. So don’t hanker behind wealth. It will be elusive. If you take a distant attitude towards it, wealth will come to you by itself”

Wordplay of the last two lines stand out in this poem. I have tried to translate that as close to the original as possible.

பருதி – பரிதி – Sun
பயம் – பயனுடைய – Worthy / useful
கெழு – bright
மா நிலம் – Big land – world
வையம் – (Material) world
தவம் – spiritual
ஐயவி – mustard
காதலர் – desirous one

Posted in Sangam and tagged
20 Jun 2017

Nattrinai – 10

Her friend says :

Even when her perky breasts sag down
and long dark hair draped over
her lustrous body turns white,
never leave her,
Lord of colourful flower adorned town!
Your word is as trusted by her
as the spears of Chief Palayan
– with an army of tuskers – 
was trusted by sweet toddy carrying,
decorated chariot riding
Chola Kings to subdue Kongars*.

*Kongars – Rulers of Kongu Nadu, Western part of present day Tamil Nadu

அண்ணாந்து ஏந்திய வன முலை தளரினும்
பொன் நேர் மேனி மணியின் தாழ்ந்த
நல் நெடுங் கூந்தல் நரையொடு முடிப்பினும்
நீத்தல் ஓம்புமதி பூக் கேழ் ஊர !
இன் கடுங் கள்ளின் இழை அணி நெடுந் தேர்க்
கொற்றச் சோழர் கொங்கர்ப் பணீஇயர்
வெண்கோட்டு யானைப் போஒர் கிழவோன்
பழையன் வேல் வாய்த்தன்ன நின்
பிழையா நல் மொழி தேறிய இவட்கே.

They are eloping at early hours of the day. Her friend has accompanied her to send her off. Friend says to him “She’s abandoning all her relatives and coming with you. You must not leave her even when she grows old, her perky breasts sag and her dark hair turns white. She trusts your word completely, like how the Chola Kings trusted the spears of their allied chieftain (with an army of tuskers) to subdue Kongars*. So keep your promise even when the initial flush of love is gone”

Kongars* may mean Chera Kings who were ruling Kongu Nadu (the area around present day Coimbatore) then. Chola Kings must have used the services of a local Chieftain Palayan to help them in subduing Kongars*

தளர் – sag
மணி – gem / dark color
ஓம்புதல் – to leave
கேழ் – color
இழை – jewel
கொற்றவன் – King
பணித்தல் – subdue
வெண்கோட்டு – white tusk
கிழவோன் – Chief
பிழையா – not false – true – promise
தேறுதல் – believe

Posted in Sangam and tagged | Leave a comment
19 Jun 2017
1 Comment

Naaladiyaar – 395

Thinking her eyes to be fish, behind her
went a young kingfisher!
though it followed her ready to fish,
it didn’t do so,
for it got to know
that the bend of her eyebrow
is the curve of a bow.

கண் கயல் என்னும் கருத்தினால், காதலி
பின் சென்றது அம்ம, சிறு சிரல்! பின் சென்றும்,
ஊக்கி எழுந்தும், எறிகல்லா-ஒண் புருவம்
கோட்டிய வில் வாக்கு அறிந்து.

A rare love poem in Naaladiyaar. Of the 400 poems in Naaladiyaar, only the last 10 deal with love. In this poem, he exclaims to his friend about his lover. “Her sparkling eyes are like fish. An young kingfisher followed her to fish her eyes out. Though it got ready to dive, it didn’t do so as it realised that the bend of her eyebrow is the curve of a bow. Since it was afraid the bow might shoot an arrow at it, the kingfisher didn’t dive to pluck her eyes.”

‘Fish like eyes’ is a common simile used in Tamil literature. Something like ‘almond eyes’ in English.

I broke up the structure of the poem to make it rhyme in English. Not a scholarly thing to do, but this account is to make Tamil fun to read.

கயல் – fish

சிரல் – kingfisher

ஊக்கி – to act

ஒண் – ஒண்மை – graceful

கோட்டு – curve, bend

வாக்கு – curve, bend

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged
16 Jun 2017
2 Comments

Kurunthokai – 312

He tells his heart:

Two faced charlatan, our lover is:
one who comes to us at midnight
like fragrant breeze from the forests
of mighty spear wielding Malayan;
The other, who at day break
gets rid of flowers in her tresses
and plaits her hair with fragrant oil,
goes to her kin and becomes a stranger.

இரண்டு அறி கள்வி நம் காதலோளே:
முரண் கொள் துப்பின் செவ் வேல் மலையன்
முள்ளூர்க் கானம் நாற வந்து,
நள்ளென் கங்குல் நம் ஓரன்னள்;
கூந்தல் வேய்ந்த விரவுமலர் உதிர்த்து,
சாந்து உளர் நறுங் கதுப்பு எண்ணெய் நீவி,
அமரா முகத்தள் ஆகித்
தமர் ஓரன்னள், வைகறையானே.

This is a popular poem in Kurunthokai. She leaves his after their nightly rendezvous. He tells his heart, “This girl, our lover, is a two faced charlatan. She comes like fragrant breeze from the forests of Malayaman and brings joy to us. At day break she gets rid of flowers strewn in her tresses, applies oil to her hair and plaits it like goody two shoes and goes to her relatives. Then she becomes a stranger to us”

Posted in Sangam and tagged
14 Jun 2017
2 Comments

Kambaramayanam – 5387

If sandal and perfume smeared
broad shouldered God’s red mouth
is compared to blooming lotus, lotus will blush;
how can we equate it to coral,
that neither utters sweet pleasant words
nor smiles with sparkling white teeth?

ஆரமும் அகிலும் நீவி
      அகன்ற தோள் அமலன் செவ்வாய்
நாரம் உண்டு அலர்ந்த செங்கேழ்
      நளினம் ‘என்று உரைக்க நாணும்;
ஈரமுண்டு அமுதம் ஊறும் இன்னுரை
      இயம்பாதேனும்,
மூரல் வெண்முறுவல் பூவாப்
     பவழமோ மொழியற்பாற்றே?

This verse from Kamba Ramayanam occurs when Hanuman meets Sita in Lanka. She doubts whether he is one of Ravana’s demons in disguise. She asks him to describe Rama. Hanuman describes Rama in detail, starting from his foot. In this verse he describes luscious red mouth of Rama.

“The faultless one’s shoulders are smeared with Sandal paste and perfume from agar wood. If his red mouth is compared to a blooming lotus in a pond, the lotus will feel inadequate and blush. Then how can we compare it coral? Coral does not utter pleasant words or smile with sparkling white teeth.” If a smiling (blooming) lotus can’t be compared to his red mouth, how can unsmiling coral be compared?

This is an adjective packed verse. I haven’t been able to do full justice to Kamban’s adjectives, just approximately translated to the limit of my abilities.

ஆரம் – Sandal
அகில் – incense/ perfume of Agarwood tree
அமலன் – faultless one / God
செவ்வாய் – செம்மை + வாய் – Red mouth
நாரம் – water
அலர்ந்த – flowered / bloomed
செங்கேழ் – செம்மை + கேழ் – Red colour
நளினம் – Lotus
நாணும் – Ashamed / blushed
இன்னுரை – இனிய + உரை – pleasant words
இயம்பு – speak
மூரல் – teeth
வெண்முறுவல் – white (sparkling) smile
பூவா – doesn’t produce
பவளம் – Coral
மொழி – tell (equate it to)

Posted in Epics and tagged
12 Jun 2017
6 Comments

Puranaanooru – 195

O’ learned wise men, learned wise men!
O’ learned wise men of futile seniority
and wrinkled cheeks with fish bone like grey hairs!
When the mighty one* with sharp battle axe
throws his noose, you’ll feel sorry;
even if you aren’t able to good,
avoid doing bad;
that’s what pleases every one;
also, that’s path of righteousness.

*God of death

பல் சான்றீரே! பல் சான்றீரே!
கயல் முள் அன்ன நரை முதிர் திரை கவுள்,
பயன் இல் மூப்பின், பல் சான்றீரே!
கணிச்சிக் கூர்ம் படைக் கடுந் திறல் ஒருவன்
பிணிக்கும் காலை, இரங்குவிர் மாதோ;
நல்லது செய்தல் ஆற்றீர் ஆயினும்,
அல்லது செய்தல் ஓம்புமின்; அதுதான்
எல்லாரும் உவப்பது; அன்றியும்,
நல் ஆற்றுப் படூஉம் நெறியும்மார் அதுவே.

The poet admonishes the old learned men who advise the ruler. They mislead the ruler on a path of ruin. The poet says to them “O’ learned wise men, of useless old age (with fish bone like grey hair in wrinkled cheeks) and experience! You will feel sorry when the God of death appears with his weapons and throws a noose at you. Even if you aren’t able to do good, at least don’t do bad. That’s what will keep everyone peaceful and happy. Also, that’s the path to righteousness”

கயல் – fish
திரை – wrinkle
கவுள் – cheek
கணிச்சி – battle axe
கூர்ம் படை – sharp weapon
கடுந் திறல் – mighty
பிணி – tie / catch
இரங்கு – sorry
ஆற்றீர் – not able to
ஓம்புமின் – avoid
உவப்பது – pleases
நல் ஆற்று – right way
நெறி – path

Posted in Sangam and tagged
09 Jun 2017

Puranaanooru – 252

His hair’s greyed as he bathes
in noisy white waterfalls,
and is matted like thillai* leaves;
He, who plucks leaves from dense creepers,
was once a hunter who held
naive peahen like woman at home
spell bound with a net of words!

*Thillai – milky mangrove tree

கறங்கு வெள் அருவி ஏற்றலின், நிறம் பெயர்ந்து,
தில்லை அன்ன புல்லென் சடையோடு,
அள் இலைத் தாளி கொய்யுமோனே
இல் வழங்கு மட மயில் பிணிக்கும்
சொல் வலை வேட்டுவன் ஆயினன், முன்னே!

The poet meets a warrior turned ascetic in the forests. The poet has known in him worldly life earlier and is surprised by how he has changed. The poet says to his fellow travelers, “This man is now an ascetic staying in forests. His hair is greyed because of bathing in noisy white water falls. His hair is matted like leaves of thillai (Milky mangrove) tree. You can see him pluck leaves from creepers in this woods. In his previous life he was such a persuasive lover that he used to hold his naive woman spellbound with his words. He was like a hunter with a net of words.”

The phrase “சொல்வலை வேட்டுவன்” – Hunter with a net of words makes this poem special. That’s every story teller’s dream – to hold his audience spell bound with words.

Blind_Your_Eye_Flower_02.jpg

Milky Mangrove tree 

Source : By Vengolis – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26616445

கறங்கு – noisy
வெள் – white
தில்லை -Milky Mangrove tree
அன்ன – like
அள் – dense / close
தாளி – creeper
கொய்தல் – pluck
இல் – home
மட – naive
பிணித்தல் – tie down / bound

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