Old Tamil Poetry

Thirukkural – 1266

My husband will come back one day; when he does,
I’ll relish him and get rid of this miserable sickness.

வருகமன் கொண்கன் ஒருநாள் பருகுவன்
பைதல்நோய் எல்லாம் கெட.

Her husband has been away for long and she is wasting away, pining for him. She says to herself, “One day or the other he will come back. And when he does, I’ll relish and savor his intimacy completely and get rid of this love sickness afflicting me”

கொண்கன் – Husband
பருகுவன் – will consume / relish
பைதல் – sorrowful / miserable

Thirukkural – 592

Possessing a will to achieve is real posession;

material possessions are transient and will depart.

உள்ள முடைமை உடைமை பொருளுடைமை

நில்லாது நீங்கி விடும்.

Thirukkural – 120

Fair trade for a trader is to care
for other’s interest too like his own share.

வாணிகம் செய்வார்க்கு வாணிகம்-பேணிப்
பிறவும் தமபோல் செயின்.

Don’t treat a trade as a zero sum game. Play for a win win situation. Care for the other party as much as your own.

Thirukkural – 66

‘Flute is sweet, Harp is sweet’ they say,
who haven’t heard their child babble away.

குழல்இனிது யாழ்இனிது என்பதம் மக்கள் 
மழலைச்சொல் கேளா தவர்.

Thirukkural – 1110

As learning progresses, past ignorance is realised; So is my love
with this bedecked girl,as I get to know her more.

அறிதோ றறியாமை கண்டற்றால் காமம்
செறிதோறுஞ் சேயிழை மாட்டு.

As one learns more and more, he realises his previous ignorance; similarly as I get to know this bedecked girl more and more, I realise what I have missed so far.

Devaneya Paavaanar inteprets it more erotically “As I make love to this bedecked girl, I realise what I have missed so far”. I have gone with Parimel Azhagar’s commentary.

அறிதோறு அறியாமை கண்டற்றால் – As learning progresses, one realises his past ignorance. The brevity of Tamil hasn’t come out well in translation.

Thirukkural – 1261

Noting the days of his absence, fingers are worn out;
losing their shine, eyes too have dimmed.

வாள் அற்றுப் புற்கென்ற, கண்ணும்; அவர் சென்ற
நாள் ஒற்றித் தேய்ந்த, விரல்.

He has gone away a long time. She has kept count of the days of his absence by noting it on the wall. Counting those again and again, her fingers have worn out. Her eyes too have lost their shine and have dimmed.

In the original verse, ‘eyes too have dimmed’ comes first and ‘worn out fingers’ next. The use of உம் (கண்ணும்) means ‘(eyes) too’. In English using ‘too’ first reads oddly. Hence I have transposed the lines in the translation. Also ‘the wall’ isn’t explicit but implied in ‘ஒற்றி’ – touch.

வாள் – brightness / shine
அற்று – losing
புற்கென்ற – புல்லியவாயின – became dim
ஒற்றி – touch (count marks on the wall)

Thirukkural – 1049

It’s even possible to sleep inside fire; but impossible
any which way to close eyes and sleep in poverty.

நெருப்பினுள் துஞ்சலும் ஆகும்; நிரப்பினுள்
யாது ஒன்றும் கண்பாடு அரிது.

It might even be possible for a person to sleep inside a fire, but it is impossible to sleep peacefully when one is destitute.

துஞ்சல் – sleep
நிரப்பு – poverty
கண் பாடு – close eyes and sleep
அரிது – difficult

Thirukkural – 389

King who tolerates words bitter to his ears,
under his protection does the world abide.

செவிகைப்பச் சொற்பொறுக்கும் பண்புடை வேந்தன்
கவிகைக்கீழ்த் தங்கு முலகு.

When a ruler deviates from justice, his ministers have to advice him and point out his mistakes. If a ruler can tolerate those bitter words and listen to them, then the world will abide by his rule.

A ruler who wants to rule the world should be open to hear harsh words from his advisors. The word கவிகை mean Umbrella / parasol. It was a symbol of royalty. Since this is not so common in English speaking world, I have used protection.

கைத்தல் – bitter
கவிகை – umbrella / parasol / protection

Thirukkural – 1307

There’s a distress in lover’s tiff too – when mind worries
whether love-making will be delayed or not.

ஊடலின் உண்டாங்கோர் துன்பம் புணர்வது
நீடுவ தன்று கொல் என்று.

They are meeting after a long separation. She feigns a tiff with him, to make him wait more. But the tiff comes with its own distress, as her mind worries whether they will start making love soon or will it be delayed further because of the tiff. Implied meaning is feigned tiff shouldn’t extend too much and delay the conjugal union.

Dr. Mu Varadarasan and others take ‘நீடுவது’ as ‘love-making time will be extended’ and interpret the Kural as “Whether love-making time will extend or be cut short because of the tiff”. Devaneya Paavaanar takes it as ‘time to start making love will be lengthened (delayed)’ and interprets the Kural as “Whether love-making will be delayed because of the tiff or start soon”. I have gone with Devaneya Paavaanar’s interpretation.

ஊடல் – lover’s tiff / quarrel / pouting
ஆங்கோர் – ஆங்கு + ஓர் – there (is) a
புணர்வது – making love
நீடுவது – extend
அன்று – not

Thirukkural – 664

It’s easy for any one to declare;
harder to do as declared.

சொல்லுதல் யார்க்கும் எளிய அரியவாம் 
சொல்லிய வண்ணம் செயல்.

It is easy for any one to declare “This is how I am going to do this job”. But much harder for him to do as he claimed he would do.

எளிய – easy
அரிய – difficult / hard