Old Tamil Poetry

Translations of Tamil Poetic works that span 2000 years

13 Sep 2017
2 Comments

Puranaanooru – 123

It’s easy for anyone to gift a chariot
if he drinks early and stays tipsy through the day;
gilded chariots gifted by sober Malayan
of lasting fame are innumerable
than fruitful rain drops over Mullur peaks.

நாட்கள் ளுண்டு நாண்மகிழ் மகிழின்
யார்க்கு மெளிதே தேரீ தல்லே
தொலையா நல்லிசை விளங்கு மலையன்
மகிழா தீத்த விழையணி நெடுந்தேர்
பயன்கெழு முள்ளூர் மீமிசைப்
பட்ட மாரி யுறையினும் பலவே.

This is a poem written by Kapilar, the premier Sangam era poet, in praise of Malayan (Malayaman Thirumudik Kaari) who ruled over Mullur hills. He was a famous patron to many poets. Kapilar says “Many patrons bestow chariots as gifts when they are drunk and intoxicated through out the day. Those are tainted by the intoxicated nature of the patron. But Malayaman gifts gilded chariots when he is sober. This makes those chariots more valuable, as they are given in good sense. These chariots are more in number than the rain drops that fall over Mullur hills of Malayaman”

Exaggeration is a poetic virtue. Kapilar too is not immune to that.

மகிழ் – Happy / tipsy
எளிது – easy
ஈதல் – to gift / bestow
தொலையா – un decaying / lasting
நல்லிசை – good name / fame
மகிழாது ஈத்த – given when not tipsy / sober
இழையணி – bedecked / gilded
பயன்கெழு – useful / fruitful
மீமிசை – over (peaks)
மாரி – rain
உறை – drops

Posted in Sangam and tagged
12 Sep 2017
1 Comment

Kurunthokai – 113

Her friend says:

Near our hamlet is a pond;
not too far from the pond is a rivulet;
other than white stork in search of prey
nothing else comes to the nearby grove;
we go there to collect clay for our tresses;*
naive girl will come there too.

ஊர்க்கும் அணித்தே, பொய்கை; பொய்கைக்குச்
சேய்த்தும் அன்றே, சிறு கான்யாறே:
இரை தேர் வெண் குருகு அல்லது யாவதும்
துன்னல் போகின்றால், பொழிலே; யாம் எம்
கூழைக்கு எருமண் கொணர்கம் சேறும்;
யாண்டும் வருகுவள் பெரும் பேதையே.

* using clay to wash hair was a prevalent practice till recent times.

He is loitering around their house to meet her. She has decided to change the meeting place. So she asks her friend to convey the message to him. Her friend says “There is a pond near our hamlet. Not far from the pond is a small rivulet that flows from the forest. Near that rivulet is a grove where no one comes except white stork in search of prey. We will come to the banks of that rivulet to collect clay to wash our hair. This naive girl will come there too.”

When she says that ‘we come to the rivulet to collect clay’, she implies others will stay only at the banks of the river, no one else will be in that grove. White stork hunting for fish can be expanded as a metaphor for him trying to meet her. ‘Naive girl’ can be expanded to ‘she is love struck and is naive enough to take such risk to meet you’.

அணித்து – அண்மையில் – near
பொய்கை – natural spring / pond
சிறு கான்யாறு – சிறு கான் ஆறு – small forest river (rivulet)
வெண் – வெண்மை – white
குருகு – stork / crane
துன்னல் – close
பொழில் – grove
கூழை – hair / tress
எருமண் – clay
கொணர்கம் – bring (collect)
சேறும் – செல்வோம் – go there
யாண்டு – there
பேதை – naive (girl)

 

Posted in Sangam and tagged
07 Sep 2017
1 Comment

Thirukkural – 114

Was one fair or unfair will be known
by the legacy one leaves behind.

தக்கார் தகவு இலர் என்பது அவர் அவர்
எச்சத்தால் காணப்படும்.

This Kural is under the chapter நடுவுநிலைமை – Impartiality / Neutrality. In this couplet Valluvar says whether one has been fair or unfair will be known by what he leaves behind. The word எச்சம் means ‘remainder / balance’.

Parimel Alagar and Devaneya Paavaanar interpret it as ‘progeny / children’ and read the Kural as “whether one was fair or unfair will be known by the qualities of his children”. Dr. Mu.Va. on the other hand interprets it as fame or infamy. In that case the Kural will be read as “whether one was fair or unfair will be known by his fame or infamy after his death”

I couldn’t decide either way and felt as if Valluvar was laughing at us across 2 milleniums with his ambiguous choice of words. I settled on legacy which can be read either way, as ambiguous as the original.

தக்கார் தகவில ரென்ப தவரவ
ரெச்சத்தாற் காணப் படும்.

தக்கார் – தகுதி மிக்கவர் – qualified / just person
தகவு – Quality
இலர் – இல்லாதவர் – without
எச்சம் – Balace / remainder / left over

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged
06 Sep 2017
4 Comments

Some questions I have been asked

1. Are you a Tamil scholar/expert/academic?

No, definitely not. I studied in English medium schools in various towns of Tamil Nadu. I learned Tamil only as a language, it wasn’t my medium of education. However, all my initial fiction reading was in Tamil. I read my first English book only when I was 13. My translations are part of my self learning of classical Tamil literature.

I am an Engineer by qualification. I have worked as an Engineer, Ship Chandler and now am a business owner. I have never been a teacher / academic. The beauty of Tamil is it is a living classical language, so it is easily accessible to any Tamil speaking person if he is willing to put in effort.

2. Why have a separate twitter account for translation? Why not post it in your personal account?

A separate account creates a focused brand. If I post in my personal account, it will be diluted with my personal tweets. In the polarized world we live in, my politics (I identify myself as a Liberal atheist) may not be appreciated by those who follow me only for translations. So I thought it is better to keep the accounts separate.

3.How do you choose which poem to translate?

Purely on random basis. Sometimes I select poems in line with current news events. I try to mix and match slice of life poems, aphorisms, epics and so on so that there is no monotony.

4.Why not translate in chronological order, finishing one anthology before moving on to the next?

I tried to translate Kamba Ramayanam in 2013, but couldn’t make much progress because the monotony got to me. I lack the perseverance to stick to one project. By this method of mix and match, I myself don’t know what I will be translating tomorrow. So it keeps the interest going, for me and the readers.

5.Where is your source material from?

The original poems I take from Tamilvu.org site. It is a treasure trove for Tamil literature and one of those instances where a government organization does real good.

The translations are done by me.  (Yes, I still get this query). For commentaries I rely on Tamil commentaries from Tamilvu site as well as blogs. There are many Tamil blogs that have detailed commentaries. For dictionary, again I use the Madras University Tamil lexicon in the Tamilvu site.

6.Do you think your translations are good? Why waste time?

Sangam Poetry has many translations off line and online. Thirukkural has been translated countless times. Other works have been translated in bits and pieces. So it is not like I am the first one to do this. I am my worst critic. I am aware of my drawbacks. I would like to have skills like Vikram Seth and translate metrical Tamil poetry into iambic pentameter verse. But I don’t have such skills.

I read somewhere that “you have to be willing to be bad at something before you become good at it”. That’s what I am doing. I am putting myself out there, warts and all, and trying to improve.

7. How do you find time? 

I don’t watch TV much. That frees up a lot of time. I do steal time from my family, but they have reconciled to that a long time ago. My other reading has suffered a lot since I started this project.

8. Why don’t you include Tamil commentary / audio clip for each poem?

I have a business to run too :-). This is a solo project. My skills are limited and there is only so much time I can spend. I did try recording my voice, but it came out horrible.

There are lot of Tamil commentaries available online –  தினம் ஒரு சங்கத் தமிழ் (KRS blog), 365 பா (Group blog), கற்க நிற்க (Palaniappan Vairam Sarathi), http://learnsangamtamil.com (Vaidehi Herbert), sangacholai (Dr. P Pandiaraja), http://vaiyan.blogspot.in (Sengai Pothuvan) are some I know. You can google and find more.

9. Why do you do reposts in twitter? Why not tweet only new translations?

To keep the readers engaged. This is one tip I got from twitter.com/sentantiq .

Also I am afraid that if I stop posting for one day, then I might drop the project altogether. So I impose a condition on myself that I have to post atleast one translation a day. Sometimes this leads to too much pressure on myself. No one is going to ask me why I didn’t post that day. Yet, I have to do it. In a way this project is a monkey on my back.

10. Are you bringing out a book anytime soon?

No. There is lot more to do before I can compile these into a book. Most of these translations are done last minute, sometimes while traveling in a bus or train. They are like a curate’s egg, good in parts. I need to build up a corpus of translations and clean them up before venturing to publish a book.

Posted in Uncategorized
04 Sep 2017

Maduraik Kanchi – 590-599

On the auspicious day of Onam,
birthday of golden garland wearing *Maayon,
who destroyed groups of Asuras,
in the hamlets of warriors
scarred with sword marks on their faces
and strong arms calloused by riding elephants,
passionate warriors wearing garland of flowers
and wound marks in their foreheads
obtained in fights with other clans,
engage elephants to fight each other;
blue cloth spread over a fence of caltrops
to protect the audience, falls down and pricks them;
people roam around buzzed with pure clarified toddy

*Maayon – Thirumal, Tamil equivalent of Vishnu

கணம் கொள் அவுணர்க் கடந்த பொலந் தார்
மாயோன் மேய ஓண நல் நாள்,
கோணம் தின்ற வடு ஆழ் முகத்த,
சாணம் தின்ற சமம் தாங்கு தடக் கை,    
மறம் கொள் சேரி மாறு பொரு செருவில்,          
மாறாது உற்ற வடுப் படு நெற்றி,    
சுரும்பு ஆர் கண்ணிப் பெரும் புகல் மறவர்  
கடுங் களிறு ஓட்டலின், காணுநர் இட்ட
நெடுங் கரைக் காழகம் நிலம் பரல் உறுப்ப,        
கடுங் கள் தேறல் மகிழ் சிறந்து திரிதர

Onam is today identified solely as the festival of Kerala. It was a festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu too, during th Sangam era and the first millennium. This is a description of Onam celebrated in Madurai during the reign of ‘Thalayalanganathu Cheru Vendra Nedunchezhiyan‘ (Nedunchezhiyan who won the Thalayalanganam battle).

The hamlets around Madurai are getting ready to celebrate the auspicious day of Onam, birthday of Maayon (Thirumal, equivalent of Vishnu). Maayon wears a golden garland and destroyed groups of strong Asuras. In the hamlet of warrior clans, warriors with wound marks on their foreheads and strong calloused arms, wearing flower garlands (that signify that they are ready to battle), engage their elephant to fight each other. The whole town is there to see the spectacle. To protect the audience from elephants, a long fence of spiked caltrops are set up and covered with blue cloth. Due to the rush the fence falls down and the spikes prick the audience. Everyone is pleasantly drunk of pure clarified toddy and happily roaming around.

Posted in Sangam and tagged | Leave a comment
31 Aug 2017

Naaladiyaar – 332

Like people who go to bathe in the ocean saying
“I’ll bathe after the noise (of waves) subsides completely” –
is the shabby conduct of those who wait saying
“I’ll think of virtuous deeds after completing my domestic duties”

பெருங் கடல் ஆடிய சென்றார், ‘ஒருங்கு உடன்
ஓசை அவிந்தபின் ஆடுதும்’ என்றற்றால்-
‘இல் செய் குறைவினை நீக்கி, அறவினை
மற்று அறிவாம்’ என்று இருப்பார் மாண்பு.

One should not wait to complete all his domestic responsibilities before doing good deeds. Because domestic responsibilities never end. It is like those who go to bathe in the ocean and wait for the noise of waves to completely subside before entering the ocean. Only an ignoramus will wait for something that will never happen.

ஒருங்கு – complete
அவிந்த பின் – after it subsides
இல் – home
செய் – to do
குறைவினை – shortage
அறவினை – virtuous deed
மற்று – later
அறிவாம் – will think
இருப்பார் – wait
மாண்பு – glory (used here in opposite meaning – shabby)

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
30 Aug 2017
5 Comments

Nattrinai – 110

Grey haired governesses
carrying golden bowls
of sweet milk mixed with honey
ordered “Eat!” and threatened
to hit her with flowering twigs.
Refusing to eat, she tired them
by running under garden creepers
with her pearl filled golden anklets tinkling,
my playful little girl!
when did she become so mature and wise?
As her husband’s clan fell into poverty,
she doesn’t think of rich food at her dad’s house,
but like finely dispersed sand in running water,
skips a meal and eats, my strong little woman!

பிரசம் கலந்த வெண் சுவைத் தீம்பால்
விரி கதிர்ப் பொற்கலத்து ஒரு கை ஏந்தி,
புடைப்பின் சுற்றும் பூந் தலைச் சிறு கோல்,
”உண்” என்று ஓக்குபு பிழைப்ப, தெண் நீர்
முத்து அரிப் பொற்சிலம்பு ஒலிப்பத் தத்துற்று,
அரி நரைக் கூந்தற் செம் முது செவிலியர்
பரி மெலிந்து ஒழிய, பந்தர் ஓடி,
ஏவல் மறுக்கும் சிறு விளையாட்டி
அறிவும் ஒழுக்கமும் யாண்டு உணர்ந்தனள்கொல்?
கொண்ட கொழுநன் குடி வறன் உற்றென,
கொடுத்த தந்தை கொழுஞ் சோறு உள்ளாள்,
ஒழுகு நீர் நுணங்கு அறல் போல,
பொழுது மறுத்து உண்ணும் சிறு மதுகையளே!

Her governess goes to see her at her in law’s place and finds that they have fallen into poverty. She comes back and tells her mom that her daughter’s household is so poor that they have to skip a meal.

Her mother reminisces about how her daughter was pampered as a young girl. Governesses used to chase her with golden bowls full of milk and honey. She refused to eat and when they threatened to hit her with soft flowering twigs, she used to run under garden creepers with her anklets tinkling. Old governesses were tired by her running around. So playful was she. But now, she has become so mature and wise that she doesn’t think back on her pampered upbringing but has adjusted herself to the new reality of her husband’s place.

Her pampered upbringing is brought out by ‘golden bowls of sweet milk mixed with honey’ and ‘golden anklets filled with pearls’. Finely dispersed sand in running water is a simile for thin gruel, I guess. The previous sentence talks about கொழுஞ் சோறு – thick and rich food, at her father’s house.

If you are a Tamil movie aficionado, you will immediately recall the ‘Idli Upma’ scene from the movie ‘Soorya Vamsam’.

பிரசம் – honey
தீம்பால் – sweet milk
விரிகதிர் – rising sun (shiny)
பொற்கலம் – golden bowl
புடைப்பு – hit
பூந்தலைச் சிறுகோல் – flowering twigs (soft so it won’t hurt the child)
ஓக்குதல் – to raise / throw (threaten)
தெண் நீர் – cool water
முத்து – pearl
பொற்சிலம்பு – golden anklet
அரி நரை – thin grey
கூந்தல் – hair
செவிலியர் – governess
பரி மெலிந்து ஒழிய – tired by running
பந்தர் – (jasmine flower) creeper
ஏவல் – order
யாண்டு – when
கொண்ட – married
கொழுநன் – husband
குடி – clan
வறன் – poverty
கொடுத்த தந்தை – father who gave birth
கொழு – thick
உள்ளாள் – உள்ள (உள்ளுதல்) + மாட்டாள் – does not think
ஒழுகு நீர் – running water
நுணங்கு – fine
அறல் – sand
பொழுது – time
மறுத்து – refuse
மதுகையள் – மதுகை + உடையவள் – Strong girl

Posted in Sangam and tagged
30 Aug 2017
1 Comment

Thirukkural – 772

It’s more laudable to carry a spear that missed a tusker,
than an arrow that shot a rabbit.

கான முயல் எய்த அம்பினில், யானை
பிழைத்த வேல் ஏந்தல் இனிது.

To try something big and fail is more laudable than middling success.

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged
25 Aug 2017
3 Comments

Ainthinai Ezhupathu – 7

She comes back after a tryst with him and suddenly sees her governess. This is her friend to the governess who inquires why her eyes are red.

Don’t get angry, mother! She’s done no wrong;-
frolicking in waterfalls, that cascades down
with glorious red waters of forest river
awash with honey, made her eyes red.

காய்ந்தீயல், அன்னை! இவேளா தவறு இலள்;-
ஓங்கிய செந் நீர் இழிதரும் கான் யாற்றுள்,
தேம் கலந்து வந்த அருவி குடைந்து ஆட,
தாம் சிவப்பு உற்றன, கண்

She goes to meet him beside millet fields, made love and is coming back. Her governess comes in search of her and finds her with reddened eyes and suspects something amiss. Her friend steps in and says “Don’t be angry with her mother. She has done nothing wrong. She was playing in the waterfalls beside our field that flows down with red waters mixed with honey on the way. That’s why her eyes are red”

Ainthinai Ezhupathu (70 poems about five land scapes) is a collection of 70 poems written by Moovaadhiyaar. Some of these poems seem to have been derived from earlier works. This is generally dated to around 5th Century AD.

காய் – angry
ஓங்கு – glorious
செந்நீர் – red water
இழி – flow
கான் – forest
ஆற்றுள் – ஆறு + உள் – in the river
தேம் – honey
குடைந்து – immersed/ burrowed
ஆட – விளையாட – play

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged
24 Aug 2017

Nanmanik Kadigai – 6

From spurges* is aromatic agar born;
In deer’s stomach is rich musk** born;
Inside the sea invaluable pearl is born;
Who knows in which clan virtuous will be born?

கள்ளி வயிற்றின் அகில்பிறக்கும் மான்வயிற்றின்
ஒள்ளரி தாரம் பிறக்கும் பெருங்கடலுள்
பல்விலைய முத்தம் பிறக்கும் அறிவார்யார்
நல்லாள் பிறக்குங் குடி.

*Sap of square spurge (cactus like plant) was considered equivalent of agar wood resin from which attar is manufactured.
**Musk gland is inside a male deer’s body, between its genitals and umbilicus.

This poem is about how worth is based on one’s activities and not where he was born. The poet points out that aromatic substance is born in cactus like plants, rich musk is born inside a male deer’s stomach, invaluable pearls are born inside the huge ocean. So who knows in which clan the virtuous will be born. So do not value a person based on where he is born, value him based on his activities.

‘ஒள் அரிதாரம்’ has been interpreted as ‘bright musk’ in Tamil commentaries. Common meaning of ஒள் – ஒண்மை is bright. But it doesn’t make sense to call musk as bright. I have used ‘rich’ one of the other meanings in Madras University Dictionary.

Wikipedia link for
Spurge – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia
Musk deer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_deer

கள்ளி – Square Spurge
அகில் – Agar / aloes (aromatic resin of agarwood. Here an equivalent sap from spurge plant)
ஒள் – luxurious / rich
அரிதாரம் – musk
பல்விலை – highly valued
முத்தம் – pearl
குடி – clan

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment

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