Old Tamil Poetry

Thirukkural – 331

Idiocy of believing ephemeral things as enduring
is the worst of them all.

நில்லா தவற்றை நிலையின வென்றுணரும்
புல்லறி வாண்மை கடை.

This couplet is under the chapter Impermanence. Everything in this world is ephemeral. They will vanish. The idiocy of believing them as enduring is the worst idiocy of them all.

Thirukkural – 1124

She’s like the life-force that keeps me alive;
her departure is like death to me.

வாழ்தல் உயிர்க்கு அன்னள், ஆயிழை; சாதல்
அதற்கு அன்னள், நீங்கும் இடத்து.

This is him feeling sad when his lover leaves him. “When we are hugging each other, she is like the life giving force that keeps me alive. When she leaves me , it is like my life leaving me and I feel dead “.

He describes her as ஆயிழை – jeweled beauty. I have settled for a prosaic ‘she’.

Thirukkural – 1255

Dignity to not pine for one who caused them grief,
is not something a love-sick person knows.

செற்றார்பின் செல்லாப் பெருந்தகைமை, காம நோய்
உற்றார் அறிவது ஒன்று அன்று.

He has been away for long. Her friend advises her to forget him,as he has deserted her. She replies, “I should have the dignity and self-respect to not pine for one who has caused me grief. True. But that dignity is something a  love-sick person doesn’t know. Love tramples all propriety and overwhelms me.”

Thirukkural – 1100

When our eyes meet together in love,
words we utter are useless anyhow.

கண்ணொடு கண் இணை நோக்கு ஒக்கின், வாய்ச் சொற்கள்
என்ன பயனும் இல.

When the lovers eyes meet together in love, their eyes convey their feelings for each other. The words uttered are useless as the words come just from their lips. What their hearts think about is conveyed by their eyes.

Thirukkural – 1186

Like darkness that lies in wait for lights to cease,
pallor lies in wait for my lover’s hug to ease.

விளக்கு அற்றம் பார்க்கும் இருளேபோல், கொண்கன்
முயக்கு அற்றம் பார்க்கும், பசப்பு.

Her friend asks her the reason for her pallor. She replies, “just like the darkness that waits to engulf once the lights are put out, this pallor lies in waiting to pounce upon me once his embrace eases off me. He has been away for long and I am losing my color because I miss his embrace.” Women suffering from pallor (பசலை, paleness) when separated from their lovers is a repeated motif in Old Tamil literature.

Thirukkural -1251

Axe of passion will break the door
of restraint latched by modesty.

காமக் கணிச்சி உடைக்கும்-நிறை என்னும்
நாணுத் தாழ் வீழ்த்த கதவு.

Thirukkural, written about 100 BCE, has 1330 couplets (133 chapters of 10 couplets each) on all aspects of life. Using just 7 words (சீர்) – 4 in first line and 3 in second line – the poet conveys what he has to. These couplets are known for their brevity and clarity  Thirukkural is rightly considered one of the gems of Tamil literature.

In this couplet, she is pining for him to come back. She has to maintain her outward  reserve lest the town starts slandering her. But her passion is boundless. She says that the doors of reserve bolted by her modesty stand no chance before the power of passion.

Thirukkural – 293

What a man’s heart knows, let him not lie about;
If he does, his heart itself will singe him.

தன்னெஞ் சறிவது பொய்யற்க பொய்த்தபின்
றன்னெஞ்சே தன்னைச் சுடும்.

Thirukkural – 181

Though one may not speak or act virtuously,
if he’s known not to slander, he’s praiseworthy.

அறம் கூறான், அல்ல செயினும், ஒருவன்
புறம் கூறான் என்றல் இனிது.

Slandering a person is a worse sin that not being virtuous. Thiruvalluvar said so 2000 years ago.

Thirukkural – 70

A son’s reward to his father is to make others praise
“What penance he must’ve done (to merit such a son)”

மகன் தந்தைக்கு ஆற்றும் உதவி, ‘இவன் தந்தை
என் நோற்றான்கொல்!’ எனும் சொல்.

The best way for a son to reward his father is to do such good deeds that the world praises his father , “What penance he must have done to beget such a son”. The original verse does not state ‘to merit such a son’ explicitly- it is implied. In translation I made it explicit