Old Tamil Poetry

Naaladiyaar – 24

In a dead man’s house, funeral drum is sounded once; 
it’s stopped for a while,  and sounded again; notice that  
before it’s sounded thrice, covering the body,lighting a flame,
the to-be-dead carry away the dead! .

சென்றே எறிப ஒருகால்; சிறு வரை
நின்றே எறிப, பறையினை; நன்றேகாண்,
முக் காலைக் கொட்டினுள், மூடி, தீக் கொண்டு எழுவர்,
செத்தாரைச் சாவார் சுமந்து!

The above Naaladiyaar poem is about impermanence of life (யாக்கை நிலையாமை). In a dead man’s house, funeral drums are sounded once. When it is sounded a second time it indicates to all present that the body is about to be lifted. Before it is sounded the third time, they cover his body, light a funeral torch and carry away the body to the cremation ground. When one is dead, there is not much time left for him even in his house. They take him away quickly. Realize this and do good deeds to make this life worthwhile.

The beauty of the poem is in the last line. Those who carry away the dead too will be dead one day. The poet calls them to-be-dead. “செத்தாரைச் சாவார் சுமந்து – The to-be-dead carry away the dead”. Death is the only constant in this world.

ஒருகால் – once
சிறு வரை – a short time
எறிப – strike
பறை – drum
முக்கால் – third time
கொட்டு – beat
நன்றே காண் – notice carefully ( Tamilvu site commentary interprets this as “Think whether it’s good”)

Naaladiyaar – 285

O’Ruler of hills where clamorous waterfall
washes rock surface! Clan pride will erode;
honour will erode; education too will erode
for those embraced by poverty.

பிறந்த குலம் மாயும்; பேர் ஆண்மை மாயும்;
சிறந்த தம் கல்வியும் மாயும்;-கறங்கு அருவி
கல்மேல் கழூஉம் கண மலை நல் நாட!-
இன்மை தழுவப்பட்டார்க்கு.

The poet advises the ruler about the devastating effort of poverty. A man’s pride, honour and education will be washed away in face of abject poverty. Waterfall washing away the top surface of the rocks can be expanded as a metaphor for relentless poverty washing away the qualities of a man.

Naaladiyaar – 214

Though they live nearby for days together,
one doesn’t warm to those not close to heart;
though they live apart for days together,
does one forego a soul mate’s bond?

பல நாளும் பக்கத்தார் ஆயினும், நெஞ்சில்
சில நாளும் ஒட்டாரோடு ஒட்டார்; பல நாளும்
நீத்தார் என, கைவிடல் உண்டோ-தம் நெஞ்சத்து
யாத்தாரோடு யாத்த தொடர்பு.

Some people might be living with us for a long time, but they will never be close to our heart. When we have friends with whom our bond is strong, will the bond ever unravel even if they live away from us for a long time? No. Friendship depends not on distance but on understanding.

கைவிடல் – give up / forgo
நெஞ்சத்து யாத்தார் -those with whom our hearts are bound
யாத்த – bonded / tied

Naaladiyaar – 219

Enmity is better than friendship of the fickle;
death is better than incurable sickness;
killing is better than cruel ridicule;
criticism is better than false praise.

தெளிவு இலார் நட்பின் பகை நன்று; சாதல்
விளியா அரு நோயின் நன்றால்; அளிய
இகழ்தலின் கோறல் இனிதே; மற்று இல்ல
புகழ்தலின் வைதலே நன்று.

This poem in Naaladiyaar (anthology of poems by Jain monks, dated around 2nd Century CE) is under the chapter “Choosing friends”. Enmity of the fickle minded person is better than their friendship. The next three lines imply why it is so, without explicitly stating it. My interpretation is as follows. A fickle minded friendship is like an incurable sickness. Death is preferable to that. A friend who ridicules heartlessly is worse than one who kills you. A friend who heaps false praise is worse than one who criticises.

Naaladiyaar – 161

Oh ruler of hills where waterfalls roar!
Thinking ‘he’ll bear it’, one shouldn’t upset
flawless men among us; once they’re upset,
it’s hard for anyone to set it right.

‘பொறுப்பர்’ என்று எண்ணி, புரை தீர்ந்தார் மாட்டும்
வெறுப்பன செய்யாமை வேண்டும்; வெறுத்தபின்,-
ஆர்க்கும் அருவி அணி மலை நல் நாட!-
பேர்க்குதல் யார்க்கும் அரிது.

This poem is under the chapter பெரியாரைப் பிழையாமை – ‘Not finding fault with Great men’. Just because a genius / great man bears with it, people shouldn’t upset him by their actions. Once a great man is upset, it is difficult for any one to clear the harm caused by it. Upsetting great men will cause much grief to the country. So the ruler and people should be considerate and not hurt them.

Naaladiyaar – 140

Of all available knowledge, if one learns
just worldly books and not books of wisdom-
it makes meaningless noise but is of no use
in removing confusion.

அலகுசால் கற்பின் அறிவுநூல் கல்லா(து)
உலகநூ லோதுவ தெல்லாங் – கலகல
கூஉந் துணையல்லாற் கொண்டு தடுமாற்றம்
போஒந் துணையறிவா ரில்.

This Naaladiyaar poem talks about learning for wisdom and not just for worldly purposes. Those worldly books will make much noise but are of no use in setting one on the path of righteousness and removing confusion. Since Naaladiyaar is an anthology by Jain monks after the Sangam period, it is tempting to think that they were dissing the earthliness of the previous era.

அலகு – limit, சால் – full. This phrase has been treated either as boundless knowledge or limited knowledge and the previous commentaries are all over the place. I have decided to go with ‘boundless’ – hence used ‘all’.

Naaladiyaar – 2

If your rightfully earned bounty materializes,
share the porridge of plowed grains with multitudes;
wealth never stays steadfast with anyone,
but rolls like wagon wheel on a run.

துகள்தீர் பெருஞ்செல்வம் தோன்றியக்கால் தொட்டுப்
பகடு நடந்தகூழ் பல்லாரோ டுண்க ;
அகடுற யார்மாட்டும் நில்லாது செல்வம்
சகடக்கால் போல வரும்.

This poem in Naaladiyaar talks about the impermanence of wealth. If you earn wealth that is justly due to you, share it with everyone. Because wealth never stays with one person but keeps moving like a wagon wheel. Even if you try to hoard it, you will lose it. So it is better spent sharing with others.

Naaladiyaar – 12

Friendships unraveled, wise men moved away
people’s affection too waned;- think about it;
What did you gain by youthful pleasure? pain
awaits you, like a sinking ship.

நட்புநார் அற்றன நல்லாரும் அஃகினார்
அற்புத் தளையும் அவிழ்ந்தன ;- உட்காணாய் ;
வாழ்தலின் ஊதியம் என்னுண்டாம் ? வந்ததே
ஆழ்கலத் தன்ன கலி.

This poem is about the ephemeral nature of youth. Since you put your pleasures first, your friendships unraveled, wise men moved away from you, affection of your relatives too weakened. Think about it. What did you gain by the so called pleasure. Like a sinking ship, your youthfulness will be lost suddenly and all you will be left with is pain.

Naaladiyaar – 35

Those who crushed cane and made cubes out of it early in the day,
won’t lament when it turns to pulp and is set ablaze;-
those who worked hard and used their life to do good,
won’t grieve when death appears.

கரும்பு ஆட்டி, கட்டி சிறுகாலைக் கொண்டார்
துரும்பு எழுந்து வேங்கால் துயர் ஆண்டு உழவார்;-
வருந்தி உடம்பின் பயன் கொண்டார், கூற்றம்
வருங்கால் பரிவது இலர்

Once you have got the sugar out of the cane, you won’t grieve if the pulpy residue is consigned to fire. You have got the best out of it. Similarly one who has used his body/life to the best of his abilities to do good deeds won’t grieve when death appears.  Because the purpose of their life is fully achieved and what is left is just the residue. Early morning is to denote that one should start doing good deeds early in life instead of postponing it.

The literal translation of the third line is “those who have strained to get the maximum out of their body”. The literal translation might give a completely different meaning from what was intended by the Jain monks who wrote poems in this anthology. This poem after all appears  in the chapter of “Reinforcing Morality” – அறன் வலியுறுத்தல். Hence I took the liberty to replace ‘body’ with ‘life’, to be true to the meaning of the poem.