Thirukkural – 772
It’s more laudable to carry a spear that missed a tusker,
than an arrow that shot a rabbit.
கான முயல் எய்த அம்பினில், யானை
பிழைத்த வேல் ஏந்தல் இனிது.
To try something big and fail is more laudable than middling success.
Old Tamil Poetry
Translations of Tamil Poetic works that span 2000 years
Archive for the category “Padhinen Keel Kanakku”
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
Nanmanik Kadigai – 6
From spurges* is aromatic agar born;
In deer’s stomach is rich musk** born;
Inside the sea invaluable pearl is born;
Who knows in which clan virtuous will be born?
கள்ளி வயிற்றின் அகில்பிறக்கும் மான்வயிற்றின்
ஒள்ளரி தாரம் பிறக்கும் பெருங்கடலுள்
பல்விலைய முத்தம் பிறக்கும் அறிவார்யார்
நல்லாள் பிறக்குங் குடி.
*Sap of square spurge (cactus like plant) was considered equivalent of agar wood resin from which attar is manufactured.
**Musk gland is inside a male deer’s body, between its genitals and umbilicus.
This poem is about how worth is based on one’s activities and not where he was born. The poet points out that aromatic substance is born in cactus like plants, rich musk is born inside a male deer’s stomach, invaluable pearls are born inside the huge ocean. So who knows in which clan the virtuous will be born. So do not value a person based on where he is born, value him based on his activities.
‘ஒள் அரிதாரம்’ has been interpreted as ‘bright musk’ in Tamil commentaries. Common meaning of ஒள் – ஒண்மை is bright. But it doesn’t make sense to call musk as bright. I have used ‘rich’ one of the other meanings in Madras University Dictionary.
Wikipedia link for
Spurge – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia
Musk deer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_deer
கள்ளி – Square Spurge
அகில் – Agar / aloes (aromatic resin of agarwood. Here an equivalent sap from spurge plant)
ஒள் – luxurious / rich
அரிதாரம் – musk
பல்விலை – highly valued
முத்தம் – pearl
குடி – clan
Kar Naarpathu – 14
My bedecked friend! Imminent return of our lover,
who went in search of wealth, is for sure;
Cool pleasant clouds smile gently
for jasmine shrubs to bloom with shiny teeth.
செல்வம் தரல் வேண்டிச் சென்ற நம் காதலர்
வல்லே வருதல் தெளிந்தாம்;-வயங்கிழாய்!-
முல்லை இலங்கு எயிறு ஈன, நறுந் தண் கார்
மெல்ல இனிய நகும்.
Kar Naarpathu is a collection of 40 poems set during rainy season, written by Madurai Kannan Koothanar. It is generally dated around 5th Century CE.
She is waiting for him to return. Her friend consoles her, showing the change of seasons. “It is monsoon time now. Cool clouds are smiling gently and there is a drizzle. Because of these rains, jasmine shrubs bloom with shiny white buds that are like teeth. It means that our lover is expected to return any time now. Please don’t worry yourself”
‘Clouds smile gently and jasmine shrubs bloom with shiny teeth’ – this is the stand out phrase in this poem for me. The imagery is striking. You can actually smell the first rains, feel the gentle drizzle and see those first jasmine buds.
‘Our lover’ – நம் காதலர் might sound odd for those who are new to Sangam literature. It was the norm for the friend to include herself as part of heroine’s persona. So when she says ‘our lover’ it means ‘your lover’. I decided to keep the original phrase.
தரல் – தருதல் – to get
வல் – quick
தெளி – clear
வயங்கு – shining
இழாய் – இழை உடையாய் – wearing jewels (bedecked)
முல்லை – jasmine
இலங்கு – shining
எயிறு – teeth
ஈன் – give birth to (bloom)
நறு – pleasant
தண் – cool
கார் – clouds
நகும் – smile
Pazha Mozhi 400 – 42
Even Thirumal* who saved cows in distress
is called just a cow herd by this world;
irrespective of whether Gods or humans,
tongue that speaks ill is never at a loss.
*Thirumal – Tamil for Lord Vishnu
ஆவிற் கரும்பனி தாங்கிய மாலையும்
கோவிற்குக் கோவல னென்றுலகம் கூறுமால்
தேவர்க்கு மக்கட் கெனல்வேண்டா தீங்குரைக்கும்
நாவிற்கு நல்குர(வு) இல்
When Indra sent rain and thunder to destroy Brindavan, Lord Krishna (avatar of Vishnu) lifted the hills and saved men and cattle from their distress. Even though standing up to Indra was a praiseworthy feat, still the world calls him but a cow herd. So this world doesn’t differentiate between Gods or humans when it disparagaes them. The tongue is never at a loss to criticize / say bad things about people.
The proverb here is “Tongue that speaks ill is never at a loss” (தீங்குரைக்கும் நாவிற்கு நல்குர(வு) இல்)
Pazhamozhi 400 (Proverbs 400) is one of the 18 post Sangam anthologies. It was written / compiled by முன்றுறை அரையனார் (Mundrurai Arayanar, Chief of Mundrurai) and is generally dated to around 5th Century AD.
ஆ – cow
அரும் – great
பனி – distress
மால் – திருமால் – Thirumal (Tamil for Vishnu)
கோ – cow
கோவலன் – cow herd
தீங்கு உரைக்கும் – speaking ill
நா – tongue
நல்குரவு – poverty / shortage
Naaladiyaar – 4
“What’s ours, ours won’t be forever ours” realize this;
noble, noble deeds you wanted to do, do them immediately; –
down and down dwindles one’s life time; wrathfully
comes here, comes here the god of death!
‘நின்றன நின்றன நில்லா’ என உணர்ந்து,
ஒன்றின ஒன்றின வல்லே, செயின், செய்க-
சென்றன சென்றன, வாழ்நாள்; செறுத்து, உடன்
வந்தது வந்தது, கூற்று!
This Naaladiyaar poem talks about the impermanence of wealth. All the wealth that we think is ours won’t remain forever ours. So use your wealth to do all good deeds you wanted to do and do them immediately. Don’t wait. Because one’s life time is dwindling rapidly and God of death is approaching one day by day.
The Tamil poem uses simple words repeated twice to achieve an inherent rhythm. I can’t bring that flow in the translation. Yet I have used repetitive words to give a sense of the original poem.
ஒன்றின – suitable / good / noble
வல் – quick
செறு – angry
கூற்று – death
Thirukkural – 560
Cow udders will dry up, all six professions will discard their skills –
if the protector fails to protect.
ஆ பயன் குன்றும்; அறுதொழிலோர் நூல் மறப்பர்;-
காவலன் காவான் எனின்.
If the King fails in ruling his country justly, his country’s wealth will dry up and people engaged in professions will discard their skills leading the country to ruin.
Cows will weaken if agriculture fails and their udders will dry up. Six professions are farming, weaving, drawing/painting, education/knowledge, trading and manufacturing. Devaneya Paavaanar comes to this conclusion based on Sendhan Thivakaram, an eighth century thesaurus.
ஆ – cow
பயன் – output
குன்றும் – reduce
அறுதொழிலோர் – six professionals
காவான் – does not protect
Naaladiyaar – 335
Though there’s no real reason, if he doesn’t rage
as if there’s a reason, and in his rage,
rant and rave at those beyond his reach,
a dimwit’s tongue will really itch.
பெறுவது ஒன்று இன்றியும், பெற்றானே போலக்
கறுவுகொண்டு, ஏலாதார்மாட்டும், கறுவினால்
கோத்து இன்னா கூறி உரையாக்கால், பேதைக்கு
நாத் தின்னும், நல்ல சுனைத்து
The reason for one to outrage might not exist in reality. Yet a dumb person will act as if there’s a reason to outrage against those who are beyond his reach, justify his rage to himself and utter harsh words against them. If he does not do so, his tongue will itch (he cannot rein his tongue in).
A dumb person cannot hold his words. He will curse and rave at those who are beyond reach even though there is no obvious reason. Beyond his reach implies that his harsh words will have no effect on them, yet he will rant and rave.
பெறுவது – பெறும் காரணம் – reason to get (angry)
கறுவு – anger
ஏலாதார் – (one whom we) cannot reach
கோத்து – justify
இன்னா – harsh
உரையாக்கால் – உரையாமல் போனால் – if he does not tell
சுனை – itch
Thirukkural – 784
To befriend isn’t to just laugh merrily; it’s to censure
in advance when one strays from virtue.
நகுதற்பொருட்டு அன்று, நட்டல்; மிகுதிக்கண்
மேற்சென்று இடித்தற்பொருட்டு.
Friendship isn’t meant only for laughing heartily and being pleasant. It is meant to warn in advance and admonish a person when he strays from the righteous path.
நகுதல் – to laugh
நட்டல் – நட்பு கொள்ளுதல் – to befriend
மிகுதி – excess (crossing the line of propriety)
மேற்சென்று – before something happens
இடித்தல் – இடித்து உரைத்தல் – admonish / censure
Thirukkural – 1151
Her friend to him:
If you aren’t leaving, tell me; your promise of speedy return,
tell that to those who’ll be alive then.
செல்லாமை உண்டேல், எனக்கு உரை; மற்று நின்
வல்வரவு, வாழ்வார்க்கு உரை
After marriage, he plans to go in search of wealth. He can’t tell her that he is leaving. So he tells her friend to pass on the message that he will return quickly. Her friend refuses saying “If you have decided not to leave, tell that to me. I will go and tell her. But if you have decided to leave and want to tell her that you will return quickly, I can’t pass that message to her. Tell that to those who will be alive when you come back. She won’t be alive She will wither away in your absence.”
Thiruvalluvar packs so much into those seven words that it is impossible to bring out all the nuances in translation.
வல் – quickness / speed
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