Old Tamil Poetry

Kurunthokai 126

My friend! Blind to charms of youth,
he went away lured by wealth;
while I worry “He isn’t back yet; where’s he?”,
fragrant jasmine creepers in these woods
watered by cool monsoon rains laugh at me
with their row of buds as sparkling teeth.

இளமை பாரார் வளநசைஇச் சென்றோர்
இவணும் வாரா ரெவண ரோவெனப்
பெயல்புறந் தந்த பூங்கொடி முல்லைத்
தொகுமுகை யிலங்கெயி றாக
நகுமே தோழி நறுந்தண் காரே.

“My friend! Youth is a brief joyful period of one’s life. But he was lured away by wealth and left me here in the prime of my youth. The rainy season has started but he hasn’t come back yet. While I worry about his whereabouts, the fragrant jasmine creeper in these woods has started flowering in cool monsoon rains. The row of jasmine buds seem to be laughing at me mockingly like a row of sparkling teeth.”

The woods are mocking at her because their paramour, the rain, has arrived and nourished them, while her lover hasn’t come yet to meet her. So she feels that the row of jasmine buds are laughing at her. Jasmine buds as metaphor for sparkling teeth is oft repeated in Tamil poetry.

இளமை – Youth
பாரார் – without looking at
வளம் – wealth
நசை – desire / lure
எவணரோ – where is he
பெயல் – rain
நறுந்தண் – cool fragrant
கார் – monsoon
புறம் – forest/ woods
பூங் கொடி – flowering creeper
முல்லை – jasmine
தொகு முகை – row of buds
இலங்கு – shining / sparkling
எயிறு – teeth
நகும் – laugh