Old Tamil Poetry

Thiruppavai – 13

He tore open the beak of the demon in bird form;
He battled and removed the barborous demon;
Singing his glory, all young girls have assembled for the rituals;
Morning star is up, midnight’s Jupiter has gone to sleep;
Birds too have started chirping, O’ flower like eyed girl!
Instead of plunging into the cold pond waters and bathing,
You lie asleep like a doll! Give up your pretense
And join us in singing his praise, my friend!

புள்ளின்வாய் கீண்டானைப் பொல்லா அரக்கனைக்
கிள்ளிக் களைந்தானைக் கீர்த்திமை பாடிப்போய்ப்
பிள்ளைகள் எல்லாரும் பாவைக் களம்புக்கார்
வெள்ளி எழுந்து வியாழம் உறங்கிற்று
புள்ளும் சிலம்பினகாண் போதரிக் கண்ணினாய்
குள்ளக் குளிரக் குடைந்துநீ ராடாதே
பள்ளிக் கிடத்தியோ பாவாய்நீ நன்நாளால்
கள்ளம் தவிர்ந்து கலந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

“Our Lord killed the bird shaped demon Bakasura and tore open its beak. He battled the barborous Ravana and felled him in the battle field. Singing the praise of our Lord, all the young girls have assembled at the designated spot for the rituals.

The morning star (Venus) shines in the early morning sky. Midnight’s Jupiter has gone to sleep. All the birds are awake and chirping. O’ Girl, whose eyes are superior to flowers! You are not joining us to enter the pond and take a dip in the cold waters of morning. You are still in your bed, thinking of our Lord all by yourself. Drop this pretense, wake up and join us in singing his praise, my friend!”

Thiruppavai – 12

Young buffalo grunts and thinks of its calf warmly;
The mere thought makes its udders gush with milk
And muddy the cowshed;
O’ girl, Sister of such fortunate cowherd! 
We stand at your doorstep with dew falling on  our head,
Singing the praise of the Lord dear to our heart, who in fitful rage 
destroyed the King of Lanka; yet you don’t reply back;
Wake up now at least; what’s this lingering sleep?
All the neighbours hear us, my friend!

கனைத்துஇளம் கற்றெருமை கன்றுக்கு இரங்கி
நினைத்து முலைவழியே நின்றுபால் சோர
நனைத்துஇல்லம் சேறாக்கும் நற்செல்வன் தங்காய்
பனித்தலை வீழநின் வாசற் கடைபற்றிச்
சினத்தினால் தென்இலங்கைக் கோமானைச் செற்ற
மனத்துக்கு இனியானைப் பாடவும்நீ வாய்திறவாய்
இனித்தான் எழுந்திராய் ஈதென்ன பேர்உறக்கம்
அனைத்துஇல்லத் தாரும் அறிந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Now the girls are in front of the house of a wealthy cowherd’s sister. Andal sings ‘Your brother has buffaloes with overflowing udders. These buffaloes think of their calves and the mere thought makes their udders gush with milk, muddying the cowshed. Such a wealthy cowherd’s sister are you.

We are at your doorstep, trying to wake you up. It is early morning and the dew is slowly dropping on our head. We sing the praise of our favorite Lord, who in his anger destroyed Ravana, the king of Lanka. You hear us, yet you don’t reply back. Wake up atleast now. What sort of long sleep is this? The whole neighbourhood hears us and knows that you are still asleep. Wake up and join us, my friend!”

Thiruppavai – 11

From faultless cowherd clan – that milks hordes
of young cows and destroys enemies in battles –
are you, O’ golden creeper like slender girl;
Come join us, O’ stylish peacock like girl
with waist curved like a snake’s hood;
While all your friends have come to your courtyard
and are singing the praise of dark hued Kannan,
you, a wealthy girl, lie unmoved and silent;
What’s the meaning of this sleep, my friend?

கற்றுக் கறவைக் கணங்கள் பலகறந்து
செற்றார் திறலழியச் சென்று செருச்செய்யும்
குற்றம்ஒன் றில்லாத கோவலர்த்தம் பொற்கொடியே
புற்றுஅரவு அல்குல் புனமயிலே போதராய்
சுற்றத்து தோழிமார் எல்லாரும் வந்துநின்
முற்றம் புகுந்து முகில்வண்ணன் பேர்பாட
சிற்றாதே பேசாதே செல்வபெண் டாட்டிநீ
எற்றுக்கு உறங்கும் பொருளேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

One of her friends is still asleep, not waking up. Andal tells her, “You are from the proud cowherd clan that milks hordes of cows tirelessly, and when it comes to battles, destroys its enemies fearlessly. O’ you slender golden creeper like girl from such a great clan; O’ you stylish beauty like a preening peacock. Your waist is curved like a snake’s hood.

We, your frieds are at your courtyard singing the praise of our dark hued Kannan. But you, a wealthy girl, are lying unmoving and silent. What is the meaning of such a sleep, my friend?”

அல்குல் is a contentious word in Tamil, due to its two different meanings. It is either ‘waist’ or ‘pudendum’ based on context. In this poem, it is interpreted as waist.

Thiruppavai – 10

Oh’ Mamma ascending heavens through these vows!
Won’t you give us a word even if you don’t open the doors!
Narayanan, whose crown is adorned with fragrant basil,
The benefactor who bestows boons when we praise him – 
In days of yore, the ever sleeping Kumbakarna
was felled to death because of Him; did that Kumbakarna
lose to you and hand over his long sleep?
Oh’ rarest of gems, blessed with eternal sleep,
Come quickly and open the doors, my friend!

நோற்றுச் சுவர்க்கம் புகுகின்ற அம்மனாய்
மாற்றமும் தாராரோ வாசல் திறவாதார்
நாற்றத் துழாய்முடி நாராயணன் நம்மால்
போற்றப் பறைதரும் புண்ணியனால்
பண்டுஒருநாள் கூற்றத்தின் வாய்வீழ்ந்த
கும்ப கருணனும் தோற்றும் உனக்கே
பெருந்துயில்தான் தந்தானோ ஆற்ற
அனந்தல் உடையாய் அருங்கலமே
தேற்றமாய் வந்து திறவேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Andal and other girls are still waking up the girl who is asleep. “Yesterday you promised us that we will keep these vows together and ascend to heaven because of this. Oh Mamma. But today you are still asleep. You are not opening your doors. Atleast give us a word saying you will wake up soon. Even that you are not doing.

Our Narayanan wears a fragrant garland made of holy basil in his crown. When we sound our drums and pray to him, he bestows boons on us. Once upon a time, in his avatar as Rama, he felled to death the ever sleeping Kumbakarna. Did that Kumbakarna lose to you instead and give his everlasting sleep? Such eternal sleep you have, you  rarest of gems. Come quickly and open your doors”

Thiruppavai – 9

In jeweled upper storey of your house, with lamps lit all around,
amidst fragrant incense smoke,  you are asleep on a soft bed – 
Oh’ my uncle’s daughter, open the latches of your adorned door;
Oh’ my aunt, will you not wake her up? Is your daughter 
Mute? Or is she deaf? Such eternal sleep she has;
Or is she under a spell? Is anyone guarding her bed?
We chant many of his names – Renowned Enchanter, 
Madhvan, Vaikundhan and so on; does she not hear?

தூமணி மாடத்து சுற்றும் விளக்கெரியத்
தூமம் கமழத் துயிலணைமேல் கண்வளரும்
மாமான் மகளே மணிக்கதவம் தாழ்திறவாய்
மாமீர் அவளை எழுப்பீரோ உன்மகள்தான்
ஊமையோ அன்றி செவிடோ அனந்தலோ
ஏமப் பெருந்துயில் மந்திரப் பட்டாளோ
மாமாயன் மாதவன் வைகுந்தன் என்றென்று
நாமன் பலவும் நவின்றேலோர் என்பாவாய்.

Andal is now at her cousin’s house, trying to wake her up. She sings “Oh’ my uncles daughter, you are asleep in the soft bed amidst fragrant incense smoke in the shining upper storey of your house with lamps lit all around. Wake up and unlatch the adorned doors of your house.

Oh’ my aunt, will you at least wake up your daughter. I have been hollering from here. But she doesn’t reply to me. Is your daughter a mute or a deaf? Such stubborn sleep she has. Is any one standing guard over her bed, forcing her to sleep? Or is she under a spell? We are here chanting our Lord’s many names – The enchanter, Madhavan the consort of Lakshmi, Vaikundhan the resident of Vaikundham and so on. Does she not hear us?”