Old Tamil Poetry

Thiruppavai – 8

Light appears in Eastern sky, setting it ablaze;
Buffaloes amble to small patches of field to graze;
We held back other girls who were itching to go,
And are here to pick you up, at your door;
Oh’ joyous girl, wakeup! If we praise him,
the Lord who broke open the jaw of horse shaped demon,
the Lord who felled wrestlers sent to kill him,
the Lord of Lords, and go worship him,
he will look at us, have pity and bestow his grace, my friend!

கீழ்வானம் வெள்ளென்று எருமை சிறுவீடு
மேய்வான் பரந்தனகாண் மிக்குள்ள பிள்ளைகளும்
போவான்போ கின்றாரைப் போகாமல்காத்துஉன்னைக்
கூவுவான் வந்துநின்றோம் கோதுகலம் உடைய
பாவாய் எழுந்திராய் பாடிப் பறைகொண்டு
மாவாய் பிளந்தானை மல்லரை மாட்டிய
தேவாதி தேவனைச் சென்றுநாம் சேவித்தால்
ஆவாவென்று ஆராய்ந்து அருளேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

“The sky has lightened in the East. Buffaloes are out to graze. All other girls are up and  ready to go to his temple to worship him. We have held them back, saying let’s all go together, and have come to your doorstep to wake you up. You, the joyous girl, are the favourite of Krishna, my friend! Wake up now.

When a demon called Kesi took the form of a horse and attacked him, Krishna broke its jaw open. He felled the wrestlers sent to kill him. He is the Lord of the Lords. If we sound our drums, sing his praise and go worship him, he will look at us, have pity on us and bestow his grace on us. So wake up and join us, my friend”

Thiruppavai – 7

‘Keech Keech’ buzz of black drongo birds talking to each other,
don’t you hear that, you impish girl!
Sound of curd being churned with hand whisk
by fragrant haired cowherd women as their necklaces jingle
don’t you hear that, you Regal damsel!
Hearing us sing the praise of Krishna,
avatar of Narayana, will you still lie asleep;
Oh, radiant beauty, open your door, my friend!

கீசுகீசு என்றுஎங்கும் ஆனைச்சாத் தன்*கலந்து
பேசின பேச்சரவம் கேட்டிலையோ பேய்ப்பெண்ணே
காசும் பிறப்பும் கலகலப்பக் கைபேர்த்து
வாச நறும்குழல் ஆய்ச்சியர் மத்தினால்
ஓசை படுத்த தயிரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ
நாயகப் பெண்பிள்ளாய் நாரா யணன்மூர்த்தி
கேசவனைப் பாடவும்நீ கேட்டே கிடத்தியோ
தேச முடையாய் திறவேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

*ஆனைச்சாத்தன் – வலியன் குருவி / கரிக் குருவி – Black Drongo bird 

Her friends haven’t succeeded in waking up the girl. When they ask her to wake up, she replies to them, “How do I know it is dawn? How can I believe you?”.

They say “Listen to the ‘keech keech’ sound of the black drongo birds talking to each other. Don’t you hear that noise, you impish girl?

Fragrant haired cowherd women wake up early in the morning and churn curd with whisk. Their necklaces jingle as their hand churns the curd. Don’t you hear that noise of curd being churned, your royal highness?

We are here at your doorstep, singing the praise of Krishna, an avatar of Narayana. Even after hearing that, how can you still be asleep? Wake up, you radiant girl, and open the door.”

Thiruppavai – 6

Birds have started chirping; Don’t you hear the booming sound of conch
from the blessed Bird borne Lord’s* temple? Wake up my girl;
He sucked life out of the demoness
who tried to poison him with her breast milk;
He kicked the hexed wagon wheel with his infant feet
to destroy the demon sent to kill him;
He, the primordial seed,
reclines on the five headed snake in Milky Ocean;
Sages and Yogis hold him dear in their heart
and rise gently chanting Hari Hari;
Let that booming sound enter our heart and please us, my friend!

*Lord Vishnu seated on Garuda, the blessed Bird.

புள்ளும் சிலம்பினகாண் புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில்
வெள்ளை விளிசங்கின் பேரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ
பிள்ளாய் எழுந்திராய் பேய்முலை நஞ்சுண்டு
கள்ளச் சகடம் கலக்கழியக் காலோச்சி
வெள்ளத்தரவில் துயிலமர்ந்த வித்தினை
உள்ளத்துக் கொண்டு முனிவர்களும் யோகிகளும்
மெள்ள எழுந்தங் கரிஎன்ற பேரரவம்
உள்ளம் புகுந்து குளிர்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Andal calls out her friend who are still asleep to wake up. She says “My friends! The birds have started chirping.  Don’t you hear the booming sound of the white Conch calling us to the temple of Vishnu, seated on the blessed Garuda? Wake up!

When our lord was young, Kamsa sent a demoness Putana to kill him. She poisoned her nipples and gave milk to the infant Lord. He knew of her plan and sucked the life out of her when she tried to feed him. Similarly another demon Sakatasura is sent by Kamsa to kill infant Krishna. He takes the shape of the cart wheel in the cart where Krishna’s cradle is tied to. Infant Krishna kicks the wheel causing the cart to collapse and kills the demon.

Our Lord is the kernel seed of all in this world. He lies atop the five headed Snake in the milky ocean. Sages and Yogis hold him i n their heart and rise gently (in order not to disturb him) chanting his name ‘Hari, Hari’. Wake up and hear that booming sound. Let it enter our heart and please us, my friend!”

Thiruppavai – 5

The enchanter, son of blessed Northern Mathura,
Lord who rules the banks of pristine Yamuna,
Shining light of the cowherds’ clan,
Jewel of his mother’s womb, that Damodaran –
If we go with a pure heart, worship him with flowers,
Sing his praise with our lips, think of him in our mind,
He’ll forgive all our past mistakes; any lingering blunders too
Will turn to dust like cotton in fire; let’s chant his name, my friend!

மாயனை மன்னு வடமதுரை மைந்தனைத்
தூய பெருநீர் யமுனைத் துறைவனை
ஆயர் குலத்தினில் தோன்றும் அணிவிளக்கைத்
தாயைக் குடல்விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனைத்
தூயோமாய் வந்துநாம் தூமலர்தூ வித்தொழுது
வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப்
போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்
தீயினில் தூசாகும் செப்பேலோர் எம்பாவாய்

Krishna played many a trick when he was a child in the cowherds’ hamlet, so Andal calls him the enchanter or trickster. “He is the son of blessed Mathura. (Since it is North of Tamil Nadu, she calls is Northern Mathura.) He rules over the banks of pristine River Yamuna. He is the shining light that appeared in the cowherds’ clan. His birth blessed the womb of his mother Devaki. If we go to that Damodaran (another name of Lord Vishnu) with a pure heart, shower him with flowers, worship him, sing his praise with our lips and think of him in our mind, he will forgive all our past mistakes. Any inadvertent mistake that is still in us too will vanish like a ball of cotton thrown in fire. When we surrender to him, all our faults will be burnt to a cinder, like cotton in fire. Come. let’s chant his name, my friend.”

மாயன் – enchanter / trickster
மன்னு வடமதுரை – blessed northern city of Mathura
மைந்தன் – son
தூய – pure / pristine
பெருநீர் – river
துறைவன்  – ruler of shore / river bank
ஆயர் – cowherds
அணிவிளக்கு – shining light
குடல் விளக்கம் – make (her) womb glow
தூயோம் – of pure heart
தூமலர் – தூய மலர் – pure flowers
போய பிழை – past mistakes
புகு தருவான் –  will forgive
நின்றனவும் – inadvertent / unintentional
தூசு – cotton
செப்பு – tell / chant

Thiruppavai – 4

Oh’ God of the ocean and rains! Don’t hide any of your powers;
Enter the ocean, scoop up water and noisily ascend the skies;
Darken like the Lord of the Deluge, the Supreme Being;
Shine like the Chakra and roar like the conch
In the arms of the mighty shouldered Padhmanaban;
Like the rain of arrows shot from his bow,
pour down without delay for this earth to thrive;
So we too can bathe joyously in this month of Margazhi.

ஆழி மழைக்கண்ணா ஒன்றுநீ கைகரவேல்
ஆழிஉள் புக்கு முகந்துகொடு ஆர்த்துஏறி
ஊழி முதல்வன் உருவம்போல் மெய்கறுத்துப்
பாழிய்அம் தோளுடைப் பற்பனாபன் கையில்
ஆழி போல்மின்னி வலம்புரி போல் நின்று
அதிர்ந்து தாழாதே சார்ங்க முதைத்த சரமழைபோல்
வாழ உலகினில் பெய்திடாய் நாங்களும்
மார்கழி நீராட மகிழ்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Andal now tells Varuna, the God of Rains to pour down and let the world flourish. “God of the rains, don’t hide any of your powers from us. Bestow all you can on us. Enter the ocean, scoop up the water and ascend the skies noisily. Once you have taken water to the skies, become dark in colour just like the body of our Lord Vishnu, the Lord of the Deluge (Pralaya). His shoulders are majestic and beautiful. Shine like the Chakra in his right hand (lightning) and roar like the conch in his left hand (thunder) and pour down in copious quantities like the rain of arrows shot from his bow. Your rains will help this world to thrive and flourish. Do so without delay. As the rains pour down, we too will bathe joyously in this month of Margazhi”