Old Tamil Poetry

Kurunthokai 166

As cool waves of the sea displace fish in backwaters
Flocks of stork too move where the fish moved;
Such a pleasant town is Marandhai;
But when one is alone, it causes much anguish.

தண் கடற் படு திரை பெயர்த்தலின், வெண் பறை
நாரை நிரை பெயர்ந்து அயிரை ஆரும்,
ஊரோ நன்றுமன், மரந்தை;
ஒரு தனி வைகின், புலம்பு ஆகின்றே.

She is pining for him as her parents keep her home bound and she is unable to meet him in the seashore as planned. Her friend consoles her saying “This town of Marandhai is a pleasant seaside town. When the sea waves push back the fish in back waters, storks that roam the seashore too move to where the fish has gone. Similarly he too will find a way to come and meet you even though you are unable to go to the seashore. This pleasant town causes much anguish when one is alone and separated from their love. He won’t let you suffer but will come and meet you”

தண் – cool
திரை – waves
பெயர்த்தலின் -(as it) moves away / displaces
நாரை – stork
அயிரை – loach fish
வைகின் – (if) passes
புலம்பு – sorrow

Kurunthokai 63

You think of going out and making money
As pleasure and generosity aren’t for those who lack wealth;
But will that dusky girl too come along with me
Or are you pushing me alone, tell me, my heart!

‘ஈதலும் துய்த்தலும் இல்லோர்க்கு இல்’ எனச்
செய் வினை கைம்மிக எண்ணுதி; அவ் வினைக்கு
அம் மா அரிவையும் வருமோ?
எம்மை உய்த்தியோ? உரைத்திசின்- நெஞ்சே!

He has to leave her and go away to earn money. But he is torn between love and duty. So he chides his heart saying ” You say it is the duty of a man to earn money because only then he can be generous to others and also enjoy the pleasures of this life. I agree. But leaving her alone and going away hurts me. If she too comes along with me, it will be good. But you are pushing me to go alone, my heart”

Kurunthokai – 130

(Her friend consoles her)

He can’t have dug up the earth and vanished inside,
Nor can he have climbed up to the sky,
Or walked across the seas;
Country by country, town by town,
House by house if we search,
Can our lover evade us?

நிலந்தொட்டுப் புகாஅர் வான மேறார்
விலங்கிரு முந்நீர் காலிற் செல்லார்
நாட்டி னாட்டி னூரி னூரிற்
குடிமுறை குடிமுறை தேரிற்
கெடுநரு முளரோநங் காத லோரே.

This is a poem by poet Velliveethiyar. He hasn’t come for long. She is pining for him. Her friend consoles her saying “Our lover could not have dug up the earth and vanished inside nor can he have climbed up to the sky. He could not have walked across the ocean that bounds our land. So he must be here in this land only. If we search each country, town and village is there any which way he can evade us? So don’t worry, I will find him for you”

It is the convention in Sangam poetry for the friend to associate herself with the heroine and say “Our lover”.

புகார் – புக மாட்டார் – can’t enter
மேறார் – மேல் ஏறார் – can’t climb
விலங்கு இரு – that lies athwart / on the way
முந்நீர் – Sea (முந்நீர் – மூன்று நீர் – three waters (rain water, spring water, river water) that enter the sea
குடிமுறை – household
கெடு – run away / evade

Kurunthokai – 117

She misses him and her arms wane and bangles fall loose. Her friend tells her:

Your man is from the shores
Where a distressed wet crab fears
The watchful eyes of glistening lily like stork
And rushes to hide in its nest in shrub roots
Like a bull cutting loose of the cowherd’s rope;
If he doesn’t come here, it is fine!
Traders here have even smaller bangles.

மாரி ஆம்பல் அன்ன கொக்கின்
பார்வல் அஞ்சிய பருவரல் ஈர் ஞெண்டு
கண்டல் வேர் அளைச் செலீஇயர், அண்டர்
கயிறு அரி எருத்தின், கதழும் துறைவன்
வாராது அமையினும் அமைக!
சிறியவும் உள ஈண்டு, விலைஞர் கைவளையே.

He meets her on the sly for days but is not proceeding to the next step, asking her parents to wed her. Also he hasn’t come to meet her in a while. All this is making her whither and the bangles in her arm fall loose. So her friend tells her :

Your lover’s from the sea shore where white storks glistening with water droplets like lily flowers in rain look to hunt crabs. Fearing their eyes, the fearful wet crabs rush to hide in their nests in shrub roots. They rush like the bull that cuts loose from cowherd’s rope and running away. Like that you are afraid of the town’s gossip and are pining for him in your house. Don’t worry about the town’s gossip. If he doesn’t come it is fine. Even if your bangles drop loose because you are waning, traders here have smaller bangles that will stay in your arm.

மாரி – Rain
ஆம்பல் – Lily
கொக்கு – Stork
பருவரல் – fearful
ஞெண்டு – நண்டு – crab
கண்டல் – screw pine shrub
வேர் – root
அளை – hole in the ground, nest
அண்டர் – cow herd
கயிறு – rope
அரி – cut
எருது – bull
கதழ் – run fast
துறைவன் – man from the shore
ஈண்டு – here
விலைஞர் – trader
கைவளை – bangle