Old Tamil Poetry

Translations of Tamil Poetic works that span 2000 years

Archive for the month “April, 2020”

19 Apr 2020
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Kurunthokai – 133

In hilly tracts, golden millet grain stalks
half eaten by parrots sprout fresh leaves
When the skies open up – My friend! Likewise,
After he partook my charms and abandoned me,
I lost my vigor, yet I live!

புனவன் துடவைப் பொன்போல் சிறுதினை
கிளி குறைத்து உண்ட கூழை இருவி
பெரும் பெயல் உண்மையினே இலை ஒலித்தாங்கு, என்
உரம் செத்தும் உளெனே-தோழி!-என்
நலம் புதிது உண்ட புலம்பினானே.

He has seduced her and they have made love. He promised to come back to marry her. But he hasn’t returned so far. She laments to her friend “Hilly tribes plough the land and grow golden yellow millets. Parrots eat the grains and leave the stalks denuded. Yet, when it starts to rain the half eaten stalks sprout fresh leaves. I am in a similar situation. We made love and he partook my feminine charm and left me. I suffer in loneliness and have lost my vigor. Yet I live in the hope that he will come back as promised. Like the rain reviving the half eaten stalks, his arrival shall revive me”
புனவன்  – hill tribes
துடவை – fields
சிறுதினை – short millet
கூழை  – short
இருவி – stalk
பெயல்  – rains
ஒலித்தாங்கு – like how it grows
உரம்  – vigor
புலம்பினானே – suffer in loneliness
உளெனே – still there (alive)
Posted in Sangam and tagged
18 Apr 2020
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Ainkurunooru – 448

As resounding war drums sound at daybreak
Fiery ruler gets ready to face battle;
As jasmine buds bloom on the sides of valley,
Monsoon season faces intense raindrops;
Thinking of my beautiful haired girl,
Sleeplessly I face a spiral of misery.

தழங்குரல் முரசம் காலை இயம்ப,
கடுஞ் சின வேந்தன் தொழில் எதிர்ந்தனனே;
மெல் அவல் மருங்கின் முல்லை பூப்பப்
பொங்கு பெயல் கனை துளி கார் எதிர்ந்தன்றே;
அம் சில் ஓதியை உள்ளுதொறும்,
துஞ்சாது அலமரல் நாம் எதிர்ந்தனமே.

He has gone to be part of the chieftain’s army. The Ruler wants to engage in more battles. But the rainy season has started. He had promised his girl that he will be back before the monsoon. So he says to himself “The wardrums have sounded in the monring. My fiery ruler gets ready to face the battle. I can see jasmine flowers blooming along the sides of the valley. It means the monsoon season is here, getting ready to face intense rain drops. I had prromised to my girl that I will come back before it rains. Thinking of my girl, she of beautiful silky hair, I am sleepless here, facing a whirlpool of misery”

தழங்கு – resounding
முரசம் – drum
இயம்ப – sound
கடுஞ் சின – angry / fiery
வேந்தன் – ruler
தொழில் – work / (battle in this case)
எதிர்ந்த – to face
மெல் – tender
அவல் – low land / valley
மருங்கு  – side
முல்லை – jasmine
பெயல் – rain
கனை – intense
துளி – drops
கார் – rainy season
அம் சில் ஓதி – beautiful tressed girl
உள்ளு – to think
துஞ்சாது  – wihout sleeping
அலமரல் – wallow in misery
Posted in Sangam and tagged
14 Apr 2020
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Naaladiyaar – 32

“Forget virtue, desire wealth and multiply it;
We’ll be here forever”, don’t think so stupid heart!
Though you work tirelessly and live joyfully,
Your days are gone; What’s your plan, tell me?

‘ஆவாம் நாம், ஆக்கம் நசைஇ; அறம் மறந்து,
போவாம் நாம்’ என்னா,-புலை நெஞ்சே!-ஓவாது
நின்று உஞற்றி வாழ்தி எனினும், நின் வாழ்நாள்கள்
சென்றன; செய்வது உரை.

Don’t forget to do good deeds and just desire wealth, spending all your time in increasing it, thinking your days are forever. If you think so, you are stupid my heart. You might work tirelessly without taking a break and live your life as you wish, but your life time is dwindling. What are you going to do in the remaining days (for your afterlife), tell me.

ஆக்கம் – wealth
நசை – desire
அறம்  – virtue, good deeds
ஆவாம் – increase
போவாம் – will not go (die)
புலை – base / stupid
ஓவாது – without giving up
உஞற்றி – vigorous
Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged
06 Apr 2020

Thirukkural – 299

 

All lamps aren’t equally bright lamps; For wise ones
Lamp that dispels falsity is the real lamp.

எல்லா விளக்கும் விளக்கல்ல சான்றோர்க்குப்
பொய்யா விளக்கே விளக்கு.

Lamps that dispel external darkness alone are not considered to be bright lamps. Wise men consider the light of truth that dispels falsity as the real lamp.

 

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02 Apr 2020

Thirukkural 1217

 

The callous one who doesn’t favour us in reality,
Why does he torment us in our dreams?

நனவினா னல்காக் கொடியார் கனவினான்
என்னெம்மைப் பீழிப் பது.

He hasn’t come to meet her for days together, yet she can’t stop dreaming if him She says “He is not concerned about me. He doesn’t favour me with his presence here. Yet he appears in my dreams and torments me. Why does he do this”

நனவு – reality
நல்கு – give / favour (with his presence)
கொடியார் – கொடுமை புரிபவர் – cruel one
கனவு – dream
பீழித்தல் – torment

 

 

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