When our eyes meet together in love,
words we utter are useless anyhow.
கண்ணொடு கண் இணை நோக்கு ஒக்கின், வாய்ச் சொற்கள்
என்ன பயனும் இல.
When the lovers eyes meet together in love, their eyes convey their feelings for each other. The words uttered are useless as the words come just from their lips. What their hearts think about is conveyed by their eyes.
Those who crushed cane and made cubes out of it early in the day,
won’t lament when it turns to pulp and is set ablaze;-
those who worked hard and used their life to do good,
won’t grieve when death appears.
கரும்பு ஆட்டி, கட்டி சிறுகாலைக் கொண்டார்
துரும்பு எழுந்து வேங்கால் துயர் ஆண்டு உழவார்;-
வருந்தி உடம்பின் பயன் கொண்டார், கூற்றம்
வருங்கால் பரிவது இலர்
Once you have got the sugar out of the cane, you won’t grieve if the pulpy residue is consigned to fire. You have got the best out of it. Similarly one who has used his body/life to the best of his abilities to do good deeds won’t grieve when death appears. Because the purpose of their life is fully achieved and what is left is just the residue. Early morning is to denote that one should start doing good deeds early in life instead of postponing it.
The literal translation of the third line is “those who have strained to get the maximum out of their body”. The literal translation might give a completely different meaning from what was intended by the Jain monks who wrote poems in this anthology. This poem after all appears in the chapter of “Reinforcing Morality” – அறன் வலியுறுத்தல். Hence I took the liberty to replace ‘body’ with ‘life’, to be true to the meaning of the poem.
Her friend says:
As pregnant dark clouds mix with air and rise,
sweating male deer leaps up in joy with its doe;
My fine bosomed friend! – our lover will arrive
now, the weather assures us so.
தோழி கூற்று:
கரு இயல் கார் மழை கால் கலந்து ஏந்த,
உருகு மட மான் பிணையோடு உகளும்;-
உருவ முலையாய்!-நம் காதலர் இன்னே
வருவர்; வலிக்கும் பொழுது.
He has gone to earn money. He promised to her that he will come back by monsoon. He hasn’t come back and she is starting to panic. Her friend assuages her saying, “Look at the dark clouds pregnant with water. It is about to rain. As the temparature cools down, the deer which was sweating in the heat leaps up joyously with its partner. Your lover too will come back now and make you joyous like those deers. The rain clouds assure us about that.”
“Clouds pregnant with water” stands for the monsoon bringing good news. ”உருகு மடமான்” – male deer that was melting(in the heat).
பிணை – female deer / doe
உகளல் – jump
வலித்தல் – tells / assures
The learned men are like gods; the unlearned
are but devils; foolish is one who hasn’t earned
when young; one who says “we were youthful
and worry free then” is a two legged bull.
தேவரே கற்றவர் கல்லாதார் தேருங்காற்
பூதரே முன்பொருள் செய்யாதா-ராதரே
துன்ப மிலேம்பண் டியாமே வனப்புடையே
மென்பா ரிருகா லெருது.
This is from the “Siru Pancha moolam”, a treatise of post Sangam era. Written by “Kaari Aasaan”, it is a collection of 100 poems advising people on how to live. Based on the advisory nature of the poems, the poet is thought to be a Jain. So that dates this book between 200 CE to 600 CE, when Tamil Nadu was predominantly Buddhist and Jain.
The learned men are to be treated like Gods. If you look closely, the unlearned men are like devils. One who hasn’t earned when he is young is a fool. One who in his old age laments that we were youthful and worry free earlier is nothing but a two legged bull who has wasted his youth.
Like darkness that lies in wait for lights to cease,
pallor lies in wait for my lover’s hug to ease.
விளக்கு அற்றம் பார்க்கும் இருளேபோல், கொண்கன்
முயக்கு அற்றம் பார்க்கும், பசப்பு.
Her friend asks her the reason for her pallor. She replies, “just like the darkness that waits to engulf once the lights are put out, this pallor lies in waiting to pounce upon me once his embrace eases off me. He has been away for long and I am losing my color because I miss his embrace.” Women suffering from pallor (பசலை, paleness) when separated from their lovers is a repeated motif in Old Tamil literature.
Sweet words of an attractive lissome courtesan,
toad that’s baited in the hook, excessive civility
of hardened enemies – these three
are like quicksand that sucks in.
காண் தகு மென் தோள் கணிகை வாய் இன் சொல்லும்,
தூண்டிலினுள் பொதிந்த தேரையும், மாண்ட சீர்,
காழ்த்த பகைவர் வணக்கமும்,-இம் மூன்றும்
ஆழ்ச்சிப் படுக்கும், அளறு.
This poem from Thirikadugam talks about things to be careful of. Courtesan’s words, baited toad, civility of enemies – these three look good but have dangers hidden in them. If one accepts them at face value, they will suck in like quicksand and take one’s life.
அளறு – hell / quagmire. The commentary by Punnaivana Natha mudhaliar takes it as hell. The previous phrase ஆழ்ச்சிப் படுக்கும் means to sink into. Considering the examples in the poem, I have taken it as sinking into quicksand instead of sinking into hell.
Like needed amount of salt, is lover’s tiff; like a bit
more than needed, is prolonging it.
உப்பு அமைந்தற்றால், புலவி; அது சிறிது
மிக்கற்றால், நீள விடல்.
Mock anger with one’s lover while making love is like salt added to food. It should be of the right quantity (duration) to spice up the experience. However, if one extends the duration of sulking, then it spoils the love making mood just like how excess salt spoils the food.
Paraphrasing the about couplet
Lover’s tiff is like salt to food;
excess of it is not good.
Axe of passion will break the door
of restraint latched by modesty.
காமக் கணிச்சி உடைக்கும்-நிறை என்னும்
நாணுத் தாழ் வீழ்த்த கதவு.
Thirukkural, written about 100 BCE, has 1330 couplets (133 chapters of 10 couplets each) on all aspects of life. Using just 7 words (சீர்) – 4 in first line and 3 in second line – the poet conveys what he has to. These couplets are known for their brevity and clarity Thirukkural is rightly considered one of the gems of Tamil literature.
In this couplet, she is pining for him to come back. She has to maintain her outward reserve lest the town starts slandering her. But her passion is boundless. She says that the doors of reserve bolted by her modesty stand no chance before the power of passion.
What a man’s heart knows, let him not lie about;
If he does, his heart itself will singe him.
தன்னெஞ் சறிவது பொய்யற்க பொய்த்தபின்
றன்னெஞ்சே தன்னைச் சுடும்.
Though one may not speak or act virtuously,
if he’s known not to slander, he’s praiseworthy.
அறம் கூறான், அல்ல செயினும், ஒருவன்
புறம் கூறான் என்றல் இனிது.
Slandering a person is a worse sin that not being virtuous. Thiruvalluvar said so 2000 years ago.
 | Arunan on Kulasekara Alwar – … |
 | Brindha on Thirukkural 675 |
 | Old Tamil Poetry on Kurunthokai 126 |
 | dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
| dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
Old Tamil Poetry 