Old Tamil Poetry

Ainthinai Ezhupathu – 7

She comes back after a tryst with him and suddenly sees her governess. This is her friend to the governess who inquires why her eyes are red.

Don’t get angry, mother! She’s done no wrong;-
frolicking in waterfalls, that cascades down
with glorious red waters of forest river
awash with honey, made her eyes red.

காய்ந்தீயல், அன்னை! இவேளா தவறு இலள்;-
ஓங்கிய செந் நீர் இழிதரும் கான் யாற்றுள்,
தேம் கலந்து வந்த அருவி குடைந்து ஆட,
தாம் சிவப்பு உற்றன, கண்

She goes to meet him beside millet fields, made love and is coming back. Her governess comes in search of her and finds her with reddened eyes and suspects something amiss. Her friend steps in and says “Don’t be angry with her mother. She has done nothing wrong. She was playing in the waterfalls beside our field that flows down with red waters mixed with honey on the way. That’s why her eyes are red”

Ainthinai Ezhupathu (70 poems about five land scapes) is a collection of 70 poems written by Moovaadhiyaar. Some of these poems seem to have been derived from earlier works. This is generally dated to around 5th Century AD.

காய் – angry
ஓங்கு – glorious
செந்நீர் – red water
இழி – flow
கான் – forest
ஆற்றுள் – ஆறு + உள் – in the river
தேம் – honey
குடைந்து – immersed/ burrowed
ஆட – விளையாட – play