Old Tamil Poetry

Kurunthokai – 40

My mom and yours, what are they to each other?
My dad and yours, how are they related?
You and I, how do we know each other?
Yet, like rain fall on red earth,
our hearts in love merged into one.
    
யாயும் ஞாயும் யார் ஆகியரோ?
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம் முறைக் கேளிர்?
யானும் நீயும் எவ் வழி அறிதும்?
செம் புலப் பெயல் நீர் போல
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாம் கலந்தனவே.

This is probably the most popular and most translated Sangam poem ever. Beauty of the poem lies in its simplicity and its unmatchable simile. They are from different clans / towns. Somehow they have met each other and fallen in love. He is leaving now after making love. She is afraid that he might not come back again. He drives away her fear with this poem.

“Our mothers aren’t related. Neither is my father related to your father. You and I didn’t know each other before meeting. Yet, we have met each other and fallen in love. Our hearts have now mingled together like rain water in red earth.” He says that despite not being related in anyway, we were destined to meet and fall in love. So there won’t be any separation between us.

The simile rain water on red earth (translated as Red earth and pouring rain by AK Ramanujan) makes this poem stand out. The rain water mixes with red earth and attains its color and characteristic. It cannot be separated back to rain water again. So have our hearts mingled together. Rain water and red earth aren’t related to each other. But their coming together makes the land fertile. Red earth is dry and waiting for the monsoon. Once the rain water falls on earth they become one and bring prosperity  to the land.

AK Ramanujan’s translation is most popular and was even put up as a poster in London Tube as part of Poems on the Underground. AKR as his wont, takes creative liberties with the structure of the poem. I prefer George L Hart’s translation which stays closer to the text. So why do I even translate the most translated Tamil poem. Because.

This poem has been used a lot in Tamil movies, most famously in Maniratnam’s Iruvar. This is my favorite

யாய் – my mother
ஞாய் – your mother
எந்தை – my father
நுந்தை – your father
கேளிர் – relative
செம்புலம் – red earth
பெயல் நீர் – rain fall

Kurunthokai – 131

Town of the the girl with big battling eyes
and swaying bamboo like strong graceful shoulders,
is far away and tough to reach; my heart,
if you rush ahead overcome with desire,
like a farmer with a single plow
rushing to seed the rain fed field, I suffer.

ஆடு அமை புரையும் வனப்பின் பணைத் தோள்
பேர் அமர்க் கண்ணி இருந்த ஊரே
நெடுஞ் சேண் ஆர் இடையதுவே; நெஞ்சே,
ஈரம் பட்ட செவ்விப் பைம் புனத்து
ஓர் ஏர் உழவன் போல,
பெரு விதுப்பு உற்றன்றால்; நோகோ யானே

This is one of the popular Kurunthokai poems. He is in a distant land, far away from his lady love. His job is over and he is about to go back home. His heart rushes ahead of him and wants to reach the girl with beautiful shoulders and lively eyes in double quick time. He admonishes his heart saying, “Her town is far away and tough to reach. Like a farmer with a single plow rushing to seed his wet green field, you are rushing ahead. This will cause me to suffer. So stay quiet”

The simile farmer with a single plow makes this poem stand out. The farmer with a single plow has to plough and seed his wet field before it dries off. So he rushes to plough his field as his time is short. So does our man’s heart rush towards the girl as each moment is precious. He had promised her that he will come back by monsoon. Monsoon has arrived. She will be waiting for him. But he is still far away. There is a long way to go before he meets her. The pain is aggravated by his heart rushing ahead of him and making him suffer.

அமர் – tranquil (or) fight, based on context. U Ve Saa takes it as fighting eyes in his commentary. AK Ramanujan uses eyes full of peace in his translation. I go with U Ve Saa’s commentary.

செவ்வி – fresh / season. I have used it as season to seed.

Kurunthokai – 132

She’s a spirited hugger, an alluring charmer,
with plump soft bosom and flowing tresses.
How can I forget her –  the dusky beauty,
who looks at me,
like a trembling headed calf of a milch cow
turning to look at is mother wistfully.

கவவுக் கடுங்குரையள் காமர் வனப்பினள்
குவவுமென் முலையள் கொடிக்கூந் தலளே
யாங்குமறந் தமைகோ யானே ஞாங்கர்க்
கடுஞ்சுரை நல்லா னடுங்குதலைக் குழவி
தாய்காண் விருப்பி னன்ன்
சாஅய்நோக் கினளே மாஅ யோளே.

His friend admonishes him for being love sick. He responds, “She’s quick to embrace me, she is attractive, with plump soft bosom and flowing tresses. How can I forget the dusky beauty, she who looks at me longingly like a calf looking at its mother” .

He says “she is quick to hug me” implying that she too is in love with him and he is not the only love struck one. He describes her physical beauty implying that their love is already consummated, so he cannot forget her. Her longing look is like that of a calf looking at its mother. He cannot break free of that wistful look.