Old Tamil Poetry

Kambaramayanam – 14

பம்பி மேகம் பரந்தது, ‘பானுவால்
நம்பன் மாதுலன் வெம்மையை நண்ணினான்;
அம்பின் ஆற்றதும்’ என்று அகன்குன்றின்மேல்
இம்பர் வாரி எழுந்தது போன்றதே.

Clouds crowding to spread over the peak
was like seas rising atop the mountain
saying, “our father-in-law suffers from heat
because of the sun; let’s cool him down”.

In the epics the river was considered as wife and the ocean as husband. Since the river is born in the mountains, the mountains became father in law for the ocean. The poet imagines that the clouds spreading over the mountain are but sea water that has come in aid of its father in law.

Kambaramayanam – 75

Women’s sharp eyes mock comparisons;
their gait mocks female elephants;
pair of breasts mock lotus buds;
their face mocks the flawless moon.

விதியினை நகுவன அயில் விழி; பிடியின்
கதியினை நகுவன அவர்நடை; கமலப்
பொதியினை நகுவன புணர் முலை; கலை வாழ்
மதியினை நகுவன வனிதையர் வதனம்.

Introducing the country and praising it (நாட்டுப் படலம்) before starting an epic is the regular structure in Indian epics. Here Kamban is describing the bounty of Kosala country before telling us the story of Rama.

The women of Kosala are so well formed that their body parts mock the objects they are compared with. Their sharp eyes mock all objects they are compared to. Their graceful walk mocks the walk of the female elephant, their breasts mock the lotus buds and their face mocks the moon that is perfect in all aspects.

Comparing a woman’s walk to the gait of a female elephant is fairly common in classical Indian literature, though it might sound odd for people from other countries.

Kambaramayanam – 1070

As they cause red lips to pale, mouth to drool,
knots on bodice and skirt to unravel,
swaying hair to unbraid, and a smirk to arise –
copulating husband and intoxicating toddy are alike.

இலவு இதழ் துவர் விட. எயிறு தேன் உக.
முலை மிசை. கச்சொடு கலையும் மூட்டு அற.
அலை குழல் சோர்தர. அசதி ஆடலால்.
கலவி செய் கொழுநரும் கள்ளும் ஒத்தவே.

This poem is in Revelry chapter (உண்டாட்டுப் படலம்) in Kamba Ramayanam written in 12th century. These set of poems detail the drunken revelry of women who accompanied Dasaratha as he went to Mithila for the wedding of his son Rama.

Kamban equates copulation and drinking as both make lips go pale, mouth drool, clothes to loosen, plaited hair to come undone and a silly smile to appear.

‘இலவு இதழ்’ – Lips like the petals of Java Cotton / Ceiba tree. In Tamil it is இலவம் பஞ்சு மரம்.

Source: Wikipedia images

‘Intoxicating’ is not explicit in the original. I have added it for better readability.

Kambaramayanam – 1047

Like an abundance of white colored toddy,
like spreading of a tangible melody,
like spilling over of heart’s hidden carnality,
did cool moonlight suffuse the world in entirety.

வெண்ணிற நற நிறை வெள்ளம் என்னவும்,
பண் நிறம் செறிந்து இடை பரந்தது என்னவும்,
உள் நிறை காமம் மிக்கு ஒழுகிற்று என்னவும்,
தண் நிறை நெடு நிலா தழைத்தது எங்குமே.

This is the first verse in Revelry chapter (உண்டாட்டுப் படலம்) in the first part of Kamba Ramayanam. King Dasaratha and his entourage is on their way to Mithila for Rama’s wedding with Sita. This chapter details the merry making of the entourage during their night stay.

In this verse Kamban uses toddy, melody and lust as similes for moonlight. It is a hint of the merrymaking to follow in the next verses. Moon light is like an abundance of toddy, like melody that has taken physical shape and spread across the world, and over-spilling lust hidden in the hearts of all human beings.

Kambaramayanam – 1595

Who can describe the King’s torment
as he collapsed to the ground wallowing in agony?
Singed by intense grief, he breathed feverishly,
like a flame under a blacksmith’s blowpipe.

பூதலம் உற்று அதனில் புரண்ட மன்னன்
மா துயரத்தினை யாவர் சொல்ல வல்லார்?
வேதனை முற்றிட வெந்து வெந்து கொல்லன்
ஊது உலையில் கனல் என்ன வெய்து உயிர்த்தான்.

Kaikeyi has asked King Dasaratha to redeem the two boons he had promised her earlier. Unsuspectingly he agrees. She asks 1) the heir apparent Rama to be exiled to forest and 2) her son Bharatha to be made King. Dasaratha whose life was looking so good till that moment, is felled by her demands.

In this poem Kamban describes how Dasaratha wallowed in agony. Hearing Kaikeyi’s demands he collapsed to the ground and lay thrashing about. His heart could not withstand the grief. The simile Kamban uses is vivid. Dasaratha breathes feverishly. It is like air out of blacksmith’s blowpipe. The flame in his heart doesn’t burn continuously and finish him. As a wave of pain peaks and subsides, he expects this to be a nightmare he can wake out of. Then he realizes it is not so and the next wave starts. Just like the flame in a blacksmith’s foundry burning furiously when the blacksmith blows the blowpipe and cooling down when he stops. “கொல்லன் ஊது உலையில் கனல் என ” – like a flame under a blacksmith’s blowpipe.

Kambaramayanam – 1082

Like seeds of love sown in
a tough furrow
lifting their heads up
after a downpour,
hair follicles on his skin
stood up
as she pouted and kicked him
with soft feet.

விதைத்த மென் காதலின்
வித்து வெஞ் சிறை
இதைப் புனல் நனைத்திட
முளைத்தவே எனப்
பதைத்தனள் ஒருத்தன்மேல்
ஒருத்தி பஞ்சு அடி
உதைத்தலும் பொடித்தன
உரோம ராசியே.

This is from Kambaramayanam. It details the revelry of men and women who accompany Dasaratha to Mithila for Rama’s wedding. These poems celebrate wine and women. He comes to her bed. She pouts in mock anger and kicks him. The feel of her soft foot gives him goosebumps. It was like the seeds on a hard ground sprouting up immediately after rains. Here you can elaborate goosebumps to seeds sprouting, hard landscape as his body and the pleasure of her kick (the first touch) as pouring rain. Rest is up to you to imagine.