Old Tamil Poetry

Translations of Tamil Poetic works that span 2000 years

15 Feb 2017
2 Comments

Thanippadal – 57

With mom departs palate; with dad departs learning;
with children departs one’s riches – fine life
departs with kin, strength departs with sibling;
everything departs along with one’s spouse.

தாயோ டறுசுவைபோம் தந்தையொடு கல்விபோம்
சேயோடு தான்பெற்ற செல்வம்போம் – ஆயவாழ்(வு)
உற்றா ருடன்போம் உடற்பிறப்பால் தோள்வலிபோம்
பொற்றாலி யோடெவையும் போம்.

This poem by Avvayar (the 3rd) is about what we lose when we lose people in our life. Mother is one who cares about serving tasty food to you. Father is one from whom we constantly learn. Children are one’s valuable possessions. Kith and kin are needed for fine life. A sibling adds strength. We lose each of these when each one of them departs from our life. Wife embodies all this and more. So when you lose your wife, you loses everything.

With mother goes அறு சுவை – six tastes (sweet, sour, pungent, salt,astringent, bitter). I’ve substituted palate for it.
The word used for wife is பொற்றாலி – பொன் + தாலி meaning Golden bridal chain / Mangalsutra. I used generic spouse to make it easier to understand in English.

Posted in Later works and tagged
14 Feb 2017

Thirukkural – 208

Evil doers’ ruin is like the shadow
that never leaves one’s footsteps.

தீயவை செய்தார் கெடுதல் நிழல் தன்னை
வீயாது அடி உறைந்தற்று.

Ruin of the evil doers is inevitable. It won’t leave them,just like shadow that follows one without leaving him.

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
13 Feb 2017

Kurunthokai – 58

Friends who chide! If I were to stop,
as you advice, it’ll be good for me;
Like butter on a sun burned hot rock,
guarded with eyes by an armless mute,
melting freely, spreads this malady;
it’s hard to bear and uproot!

இடிக்கும் கேளிர்! நும் குறை ஆக
நிறுக்கல் ஆற்றினோ நன்று மன் தில்ல;
ஞாயிறு காயும் வெவ் அறை மருங்கில்
கை இல் ஊமன் கண்ணின் காக்கும்
வெண்ணெய் உணங்கல் போலப்
பரந்தன்று, இந் நோய்; நோன்று கொளற்கு அரிதே!

This is one of my favorite poems in Kurunthokai. His friend chides him to stop pining for her. He says, “I too want to stop pining. If I can do that as you advice, it will be good for me. However I am powerless to stop this love sickness. It spreads across my body like butter on a hot rock guarded by an armless mute. It is hard to bear, and I am powerless to put an end to it”.

The simile “butter on a hot rock, guarded by an armless mute with his eyes” elevates this poem. The armless mute person tries to guard the butter with his eyes. But it melts freely on the hot rock. He can’t call on anyone to come and stop it nor can he stop it himself. He can only watch helplessly as the butter melts. So is the condition of our hero. He watches helplessly as love sickness takes over his life. He is powerless to stop it himself nor can he ask for help from others. It consumes him fully. Even if he wishes to, he can’t uproot it.

Posted in Sangam and tagged , | Leave a comment
11 Feb 2017

PazhaMozhi 400 – 18

“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.

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged | Leave a comment
10 Feb 2017

Thirukkural – 875

One who is without an ally, and has enemies two,
should make an ally of one of those two.

தன் துணை இன்றால்; பகை இரண்டால்; தான் ஒருவன்
இன் துணையாக் கொள்க, அவற்றின் ஒன்று!

When one faces two enemies and has to fight without an ally, he should ally with the more suitable among the two enemies and defeat the other. This couplet is under the chapter Judging the enemy’s strength (பகைத் திறம் தெரிதல்).

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
02 Feb 2017

Moodhurai – 14

Seeing a peacock spread its plume and dance,
a turkey thinks itself to be alike, spreads
its ugly feathers and dances – like that
is a verse learned by the unschooled.

கான மயிலாடக் கண்டிருந்த வான்கோழி
தானு மதுவாகப் பாவித்துத்-தானுந்தன்
பொல்லாச் சிறகைவிரித் தாடினாற் போலுமே
கல்லாதான் கற்ற கவி.

This is a poem by Avvayar in Moodhurai (மூதுரை) , literally meaning “Old advice”. It is a collection of 30 poems, written around 12th Century AD.

An unschooled person may memorize a verse by hearing it from scholars. However he will not know its meaning or nuances. If he tries to act learned based on this, it is like a turkey thinking itself to be a beautiful peacock, spreading its ugly feathers and dancing. It is not possible to imitate a scholar. If one tries to, it will look ungainly.

“Spread its plume” is implied in the original. I have made it explicit in translation.

Posted in Later works and tagged | Leave a comment
31 Jan 2017

Naanmanik Kadigai – 79

Careless tongue breaks a friendship;
A hard squeeze breaks the weak-minded;
Safety net of tomes breaks desires;
urge to revenge breaks oneself.

நாவன்றோ நட்பறுக்குந் தேற்றமில் பேதை
விடுமன்றோ வீங்கிப் பிணிப்பின் அவாஅப்
படுமன்றோ பன்னூல் வலையிற் கெடுமன்றோ
மாறுள் நிறுக்குந் துணிபு.

It is the careless tongue that breaks a friendship. Weak minded people will be broken if squeezed hard, as their moral fibre is not strong. When a student is caught in the safety net of books of wisdom, his sinful desires are broken. When one carries vengeance on an enemy in one’s heart, it breaks him.

Nanmani k Kadigai is a collection of moral aphorisms authored by poet Vilambi Naganar. It is thought that Vilambi is his village and Nagan was his name. There are 101 poems in Nanmani k Kadigai (Literally means 4 slivers of gems). It is generally dated to 4th Century AD.

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
29 Jan 2017

Thirukkural – 1089

She’s blessed with doe like tender eyes and modesty,
what’s the use of external jewelry?

பிணை ஏர் மட நோக்கும், நாணும் உடையாட்கு
அணி எவனோ, ஏதில தந்து?

He says, “She is beautiful with doe like eyes and innate modesty. What is the the use of external jewelry, which cannot add to her natural beauty?”

Posted in Padhinen Keel Kanakku and tagged | Leave a comment
28 Jan 2017

Kambaramayanam – 4

Like a cat trying to lick dry
the glorious milky ocean*,
did I desire to tell this story
of blemish less King Rama.

ஓசை பெற்று உயர் பால் கடல் உற்று ஒரு
பூசை முற்றவும் நக்குபு புக்கு என
ஆசை பற்றி அறையல் உற்றேன்; மற்று இக்
காசு இல் கொற்றத்து அத்து இராமன் கதை அரோ.

*Ocean of milk that was churned by Devas and Asuras together to obtain the nectar of immortality.

Kamban in his foreword to Kambaramayanam says that the task before him is vast. He is trying to write the glorious story of King Rama, which is already a popular myth.

He compares himself to a small cat which on seeing the milky ocean (பாற்கடல், which contains the nectar of immortality) tries to lick it dry. It knows it cannot drink the ocean completely, yet attempts to do so. “The task before me is vast,as it is not possible for a human being to completely extol the virtues of Rama. Yet I have set out to do this because of my love for Rama. So please bear with my mistakes” he says.

Posted in Epics and tagged | Leave a comment
26 Jan 2017

Thirumandhiram – 1.11.1

Shallow men say Love and God differ,
none realizes that Love is God;
once they realize Love is God,
they’re at peace with Love as God.

அன்பும் சிவமும் இரண்டென்பர் அறிவிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரும் அறிகிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரும் அறிந்தபின்
அன்பே சிவமாய் அமர்ந்திருந் தாரே.

This is one of the famous poems of Saivite saint Thirumoolar (5th Century), also considered to be one of the earliest Siddhars (rebel ascetics of Tamil society). It is a straight forward poem, the repetition of words அன்பு & சிவம் (love & God) gives it a cadence in Tamil. I have tried to replicate that in English.

Simpletons say that Love and God are two different entities. They don’t realize that Love itself is God. Once they realize Love is God, they’re at peace with Love as God itself. Love your fellow beings. That is the way to attain oneness with God and be blissful. This is my interpretation based on commentaries I read. There might be nuances I missed too.

Posted in Devotional and tagged | Leave a comment

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →