Kurunthokai – 37
He has much love for you; will take care of you too;
Male elephant with its long trunk
strips the bark off toddy palm tree
to quench the hunger of its female;
such tender scenes dot the road he took, my friend!
நசை பெரிது உடையர்; நல்கலும் நல்குவர்;
பிடி பசி களைஇய பெருங் கை வேழம்
மென் சினை யாஅம் பொளிக்கும்
அன்பின-தோழி!-அவர் சென்ற ஆறே.
She is pining for him. Her friend consoles her saying “Don’t worry. He has much love for you. He will definitely come back and take care of you. When a female elephant suffers from hunger in the parched way, male elephant strips the bark off toddy palm tree with thin branches and lets the sap flow and quench its partner’s hunger. Such tender scenes dot the road in which he traveled. They will remind him of his duty to you. So he will definitely be back and take care of you”
Toddy Palm Tree / Wine Palm tree (கூந்தப்பனை in Tamil) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryota_urens is a flowering palm tree.
நசை – love
நல்கல் – protect / care
நல்குவர் – will give
பிடி – female elephant
களைஇய – remove / satiate / quench
பெருங்கை – long trunk
வேழம் – male elephant
மென் சினை – thin branch
யாஅம் – யா மரம் – Toddy Palm Tree / Wine Palm Tree
பொளி – strip
அன்பின – affectionate / tender
ஆறு – way / road
Old Tamil Poetry 