Dignity to not grieve over one who caused them grief
is not something a love sick person knows.
செற்றார்பின் செல்லாப் பெருந்தகைமை, காம நோய்
உற்றார் அறிவது ஒன்று அன்று.
He has been away from her for long. She is angry with him for making her suffer. Yet, she cannot dismiss him from her thoughts. When her friend asks her to forget him, she says lovesick persons lack such dignity.
For the wise, manliness of not coveting other’s wife
is not only virtue, but moral duty too.
பிறன் மனை நோக்காத பேர் ஆண்மை, சான்றோர்க்கு
அறன் ஒன்றோ?ஆன்ற ஒழுக்கு.
Thriruvalluvar says “To not look at/ covet other man’s wife is not just a virtue for wise men. It is their moral duty too.”
Since this isn’t my man’s town,
since this isn’t my man’s country,
“He won, he won”, say some;
“He didn’t” say some others;
Great, these townsmen talk both ways;
I ran with my anklets tinkling,
stood near the wide palm beside my house,
and saw for myself his victory.
என்னைக்கு ஊர் இஃது அன்மையானும்,
என்னைக்கு நாடு இஃது அன்மையானும்,
‘ஆடு ஆடு’ என்ப, ஒரு சாரோரே;
‘ஆடு அன்று’ என்ப, ஒரு சாரோரே;
நல்ல, பல்லோர் இரு நன் மொழியே;
அம் சிலம்பு ஒலிப்ப ஓடி, எம் இல்,
முழாஅரைப் போந்தை பொருந்தி நின்று,
யான் கண்டனன், அவன் ஆடு ஆகுதலே.
Chola King PeruNarKilli (பெருநற்கிள்ளி) is a stranger to poetess Nakkannayaar’s (நக்கண்ணையார்) country. He is participating in a wrestling match in her town. Since he is a stranger, there are some who support him and some who don’t. She is confused and runs to see what is happening. She is glad to see for herself that he has won.
This is a beautiful slice of life poem, written roughly 2000 years ago. Poems 83-85 are by Nakkannayaar writing about her passion towards PeruNarKilli.
Laugh when misery strikes! there’s no better way
to face and overcome it.
இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக! அதனை
அடுத்து ஊர்வது அஃது ஒப்பது இல்.
When misery strikes, one shouldn’t mope but laugh at its face. That’s the best way to overcome it.
Tribes remember abundance of the hills;
farmers remember riches of fertile fields;
Wise men remember kindness shown to them;
Base men remember scorn heaped on them.
மலைநலம் உள்ளும் குறவன்; பயந்த
விளைநிலம் உள்ளும் உழவன்; சிறந்தொருவர்
செய்தநன் றுள்ளுவர் சான்றோர் : கயந்தன்னை
வைததை உள்ளி விடும்.
The hill tribes remember the bounty provided by the hills and praise them. Farmers remember the riches provided by fertile fields and praise them. Similarly Wise men always remember the kindness shown to them and praise their benefactors. Lowly men only remember the scorn heaped on them and will try to take vengeance.
“They were one with the Virtuous, lived like kith and kin,
hence they’re good too”, saying so none will befriend the inferior;
O’ man from the town where paddy fields are full of cranes!
Can one eat sand mixed with sugar?
தக்காரோடு ஒன்றி, தமராய் ஒழுகினார்;
மிக்காரால்’ என்று, சிறியாரைத் தாம் தேறார்;-
கொக்கு ஆர் வள வயல் ஊர!-தினல் ஆமோ,
அக்காரம் சேர்ந்த மணல்?
This is from பழமொழி நானூறு (Four hundred Proverbs). Since most of its content is similar to Naaladiyaar, this is supposed to have been written after that, possibly around 4th Century AD. These four hundred proverbs were collated and written in verse by Poet Mundrurai Arayanar (முன்றுரை அரையனார்).
“Just because inferior people associate with the virtuous people and live closely with them like their relatives, doesn’t mean that they are good too.Wise men won’t associate with the them.” The proverb is “Can one eat sand mixed with sugar (thinking it is sugar)?”
Cranes reside in paddy fields to hunt for fish. So do the inferior associate with the virtuous.
Weaver bird’s nest, lac’s resin, termite’s mound
or a beehive is hard for anyone else to do –
So do not brag I am the most skillful around,
everyone is good at something too.
வான்குருவி யின்கூடு வல்லரக்கு தொல்கரையான்
தேன்சிலம்பி யாவருக்கும் செய்யரிதால் -யான்பெரிதும்
வல்லோமே என்று வலிமைசொல வேண்டாங்காண்
எல்லார்க்கும் ஒவ்வொன் றெளிது!
This is a popular poem by poet Avvaiyar (the third Avvaiyar of 11th Century possibly). This is part of a collection of independent poems (தனிப் பாடல்), not part of any anthology. The legend is that she sang this when challenged that no one can write an epic like Kamban. Most probably an apocryphal story.
She says Don’t brag that you are the best of all. No one can create a Weaver bird’s nest (தூக்கணாங்குருவிக் கூடு) or a lac insect’s resin (அரக்கு) or a termite mound or a beehive. Every one is good at something, so don’t brag.
I learned about lac insects and their resin while trying to understand this poem. You can read about them here. Ancients can always teach us a lesson or two.
I am sure that this poem is derived from poem no. 26 of Sirupanchamoolam, written by Kari Aasaan before 8th century. That poem has similar structure and compares silk worm’s thread and tent worm’s nest in addition to Weaver bird’s nest, lac insect’s resin and a beehive.
வான் குரீஇக் கூடு, அரக்கு, வால் உலண்டு நூல், புழுக்கோல்,
தேன் புரிந்தது, யார்க்கும் செயல் ஆகா;-தாம் புரீஇ,
வல்லவர் வாய்ப்பன என்னார்; ஒரோ ஒருவர்க்கு
ஒல்காது, ஓரொன்று படும்.
The way he lovingly caressed
and rested on her back,
as she lay cradling her son,
was joyous like spirited music
of the bard’s thrumming lyre, mother!
It was beautiful too.
புதல்வற் கவைஇய தாய் புறம் முயங்கி
நசையினன் வதிந்த கிடக்கை, பாணர்
நரம்பு உளர் முரற்கை போல,
இனிதால்; அம்ம! பண்புமார் உடைத்தே.
Pic source : Pinterest
She is at her husband’s place along with her kid. Her mom sends her Sevili (foster mother) to find out whether she is happy. This set of 10 poems (from 401-410) in Ainkuru Nooru (500 short poems) are the Sevili telling the girl’s mother how blissful she is at her husband’s place. The imagery, the mother laying next to the child cradling him while her husband lies behind her and caresses her back, warms the cockles of one’s heart. It is equated to the joy of the spirited music from the bard’s thrumming lyre. Truly a rich simile.
He’s in you too, he’s in me too
He’s the formless truth.
Those who realize, won’t wander here
but achieve that state themselves.
உன்னுள்ளும் இருப்பான் என்னுள்ளும் இருப்பான்
உருவம் இல்லா உண்மை அவன்.
இதை உணர்ந்தார் இங்கே உலவுவதில்லை
தானும் அடைவார் அந்நிலை தன்னை.
This is a profound Siddhar poem. I can’t find the who the poet is. This is considered as the basic tenet of Siddhars. I interpret it as God is in you and me. He doesn’t have a specific shape, but he is the Truth. Those who realize this won’t waste time in worldly matters but they too become one with the truth.
I am not sure whether the profundity of Tamil has been achieved in English translation.
 | 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 