Old Tamil Poetry

Kurunthokai – 163

Like herds of small headed white goats
that roam in Poozhi country,
the grove fringed water front
is filled with fish hunting egrets;
At this water front, even at midnight,
-when white screw-pine flower shrubs are swayed by waves-
Your plaintive cry is still heard;
Oh’ Sea! For whom do you pine and suffer?

யார் அணங்குற்றனை-கடலே! பூழியர்
சிறு தலை வெள்ளைத் தோடு பரந்தன்ன
மீன் ஆர் குருகின் கானல்அம் பெருந்துறை.
வெள் வீத் தாழை திரை அலை
நள்ளென் கங்குலும் கேட்கும், நின் குரலே?

She is pining for him. She misses his love and passion, and is awake at midnight. Every one else is asleep. The roar of the sea is her only companion. She asks the sea “Your water front is overrun by white egrets hunting for fish. They look like the white goats found everywhere in Poozhi country. In this water front, where high tide brings the waves to sway white screw pine flower shrubs in shore, you are still awake and I can hear you plaintive cry. I am awake because I miss my lover and suffer on his behalf. On whose account to you suffer, Oh’ Sea?”

Poozhi Country is thought to be present day Kozhikode in Kerala coast. There is another Poozhi country in areas around Tirunelveli, but that is not close to the coast.

அணங்கு – suffer
பூழியர் – Poozhi country
சிறு தலை வெள்ளைத் தோடு – herd of small headed white goats
பரந்து – widespread
மீன் ஆர் குருகு – fish hunting egrets
கானல் – grove
பெருந்துறை – wide water front
வெள் வீத் தாழை – white screw pine flower shrubs
திரை – waves
அலை – அலைக்கின்ற – shake / sway
நள் – mid
கங்குல் – night

Kurunthokai – 325

He kept repeating “I’ll leave, I’ll leave”
Thinking it was his age-old hogwash to leave,
‘Leave my side and go away forever’ I said;
Oh my God! I wonder where my faultless Lord is now?
Like the wide pond inhabited by black legged white Egret,
Valley of my bosom is filled with tears of regret.

‘சேறும் சேறும்’ என்றலின், பண்டைத் தம்
மாயச் செலவாச் செத்து, ‘மருங்கு அற்று
மன்னிக் கழிக’ என்றேனே; அன்னோ!
ஆசு ஆகு எந்தை யாண்டு உளன்கொல்லோ?
கருங் கால் வெண் குருகு மேயும்
பெருங் குளம் ஆயிற்று, என் இடைமுலை நிறைந்தே.

They have had a fight and he has left her. She regrets her actions now and pines for him. She says “He kept repeating that he will leave me. I thought it was nothing but his age-old tactic and said ‘Leave me and go away’. Oh my God, what have I done? I wonder where he is now. It wasn’t his fault. Thinking of him I shed tears that collect in the valley of my bosom like a wide pond where dark legged white egret roams”

சேறும் – Will leave
பண்டை – age old
மாயம் – lie / hogwash
செலவு – leave
செத்து – thinking
மருங்கு – side
அற்று – leave
மன் – permanently / forever
கழிக – go away
ஆசு – fault
எந்தை – my lord
யாண்டு – now
உளன் – (where) is there
கருங் கால் – black legged
வெண் குருகு – white egret
மேயும் – roaming
பெருங் குளம் – wide pond
இடைமுலை – valley between breasts / cleavage

Kurunthokai – 99

He answers her friend who asks him “did you think of her when you were away?”

Did I not think of her? Thinking,
Did I not reminisce? Reminiscing,
Was I not flustered by society’s coventions?
Like the copious flood that wetted branches of the tallest tree
Thinning to a rivulet one scoops out water from, and drying out,
My unbounded passion is slaked once I’m here.

உள்ளினென் அல்லெனோ யானே? உள்ளி,
நினைந்தனென் அல்லெனோ பெரிதே நினைந்து,
மருண்டனென் அல்லெனோ, உலகத்துப் பண்பே?
நீடிய மராஅத்த கோடு தோய் மலிர் நிறை
இறைத்து உணச் சென்று அற்றாங்கு,
அனைப் பெருங் காமம் ஈண்டு கடைக்கொளவே.

He has come back after a long time spent earning wealth. Her friend asks him “Did you think of her when you were away?” He answers her “Was there a moment I did not think of her? No. Thinking of her did I not remember the pleasant times we spent together? I did. Did I not despair of the world’s convention that a man has to go away from his near and dear ones to earn wealth? I did. My unbounded passion was like a copious flood that touches the branches of the tallest tree. Like how the same flood dwindles down to rivulet you can drink from and then ceases to exist, my passion is satiated now that I am one with her again.”

“Flood thinning out into a rivulet and drying out” is a remarkable simile for how passion is satiated once one is with his loved one. When he is away from her, the only thing that keeps him going is his passion towards her. As that is satiated after hecomes home, he is content, and looks back at that burning passion, perplexed.

உள்ளுதல் – thinking
நினைத்தல் – remember
மருளுதல் – bewildered / flustered
உலகத்துப் பண்பு – world’s rules / conventions
நீடிய மரம்  – tall tree
கோடு – branch
தோய் – soak / wet
மலிர்நிறை – huge flood
இறைத்து உ(ண்)ண -scoop out and drink
அற்று – cease to exist / dry out
அனைய – like
பெருங்காமம் – unbounded passion
ஈண்டு – here
கடைக்கொளல் -reaches its end

Kurunthokai – 95

Clamor of pristine white water falls from lofty hills
echo inside caves in the slope dotted with many a flower;
Her dad is chief of a hamlet in those slopes;
His broad shouldered young daughter’s
water like grace doused my fire like vigor.

மால் வரை இழிதரும் தூ வெள் அருவி
கல் முகைத் ததும்பும் பல் மலர்ச் சாரற்
சிறுகுடிக் குறவன் பெருந் தோட் குறுமகள்
நீர் ஓரன்ன சாயல்
தீ ஓரன்ன என் உரன் அவித்தன்றே.

His friend finds him listless and asks him the reason. He says “See that hill slope dotted with many hued flowers.  Pristine white water falls from those hills and sounds noisily inside the caves. I have fallen in love with the daughter of a hill chieftain from that hilly slope. She is graceful and gentle, just like the water that flows in her hills. I was full of vigor before I met her. Her gentleness has doused my vigor. I am besotted with her now and feeling listless”

Description of nature is inherent part of Sangam poetry. He mentions those flower dotted hill slope and caves to indicate that is where they had made love.

The last two lines make this poem. Read them out loud and relish them.
நீர் ஓரன்ன சாயல்
தீ ஓரன்ன என் உரன் அவித்தன்றே

Her water like grace
doused my fire like vigor.

மால் வரை – Lofty hill
இழிதரும் – falls down
தூ வெள் அருவி – pure white water falls
கல் முகை – crack in rocks / caves
ததும்பும் – sounds / echoes
பல் மலர் – many flowers
சாரல் – hill slope
சிறுகுடி – small hamlet
குறவன் – chief
பெருந் தோட் குறுமகள் – broad shouldered young daughter
நீர் ஓரன்ன சாயல் – water like grace
தீ ஓரன்ன என் உரன் – my fire like strength / vigor
அவித்தன்றே – quenched / doused