To rescue your beauty ! Ainkurunuru 499

After a long break coming back to blogging. This one small and beautiful poem I came across. This poem deals with separation of lovers and the pain being caused due to such separation. The seasons here act as the ticking clock which indicates the duration of their separation.  Thalaivan separates from thalaivi either to gather wealth or to help his king in war.  Though Thalaivan loves Thalaivi beyond bearing, the act of either gather wealth or healing the king in war is something which defines a man – the acts which can gives him glory. At what ever cost a man cannot avoid his duties. So with great pain he separates from his wife. He promises his wife/lover to return by the time there are seasonal rains. Thalaivi monitors the climate everyday and hopes it rains soon – which is indication of the time the Thalaivan would return. There are various flowers which blossom only during the rainy season. So when certain flowers blossom Thalaivi understand tha rainy season is coming soon and waits anxiously for her lover to return.

Ainkurunuru 499 – What her friends said to her

பிடவம் மலர, தளவம் நனைய,
கார் கவின் கொண்ட கானம் காணின்,
‘வருந்துவள் பெரிது’ என, அருந் தொழிற்கு அகலாது,
வந்தனரால், நம் காதலர்
அம் தீம் கிளவி! நின் ஆய் நலம் கொண்டே.

அழகிய இனிமையான சொல்லுக்குரிய என் தோழி
‘பிடவ மலர் மலர்ந்து  விட ,தாளை  மலர் அரும்பத் தொடங்கிவிட
மழைத் தந்த அழகைக் கொண்டக் காடுகளைக் கண்டு
என் உயிர் காதலி வருந்துவாள்’ என்று,
பெருமை சேர்க்கும் பணியை தொடராமல்
நீ தொலைத்த உன் அழகையும் பொலிவையும் மீட்ட வந்தார்
உன் அன்புக் காதலர்!

Your lover thought ,
“The Pitavam has blossomed, the Thalavam has started to bud,
the rain has given beauty to the forest – seeing this
my lady love would suffer” and
returned home ceasing to perform
his great duty anymore-
to recover the beauty you had lost,
my lady of sweet beautiful words!
Poet : Peyanar
Translated by me

Thalaivan must have returned from his trade, even though it is monetary loss, just to bring back the happiness the thalaivi has lost. Separation has caused such a  greif that she has lost her beauty. By seeing the thalaivan back she would become happy and hence her beauty would be back.

பிடவம் piṭdavam
குட்டிப்பிடவம் kuṭṭi-p-piṭavam – , n. < குட் டி¹ +. Bedaly emetic-nut, s. tr., Randia malabarica;

வகுளம் vakuḷam :

Pointed-leaved ape flower. மகிழ்³ – n. < makula. l. tr., Mimusaps elangi;

Just think of forest filled with these flowers. Bliss of whiteness – look of divinity in earth!

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Word by word translation

பிடவம்- மலர, தளவம் -நனைய,
Pidavam flower- blossom, talavam flower- bud/get wet
கார் கவின் கொண்ட கானம் காணின்,
rain – beauty – having-forest- seeing
‘வருந்துவள் பெரிது’ என, அருந் தொழிற்கு அகலாது,
(she would)suffer-huge-(thinking so), difficult/great- job- without ending
வந்தனரால், நம் காதலர்
(he) came, our(your) – lover
அம் தீம் கிளவி! நின் ஆய் நலம் கொண்டே.
(lady of)beautiful-sweet-word! your- beauty/softness-along with.

Other available translations

Saying to himself,
“ The white wild jasmine is in flower,
The climbing jasmine is in bud,
The forest has taken on the beauty
Of the rains,
And if my love sees it
She will grieve,”
Our lover has come back,
Not giving himself anymore
To tasks of war,
So that your troubled beauty
may revive.
Translated by A.K.Ramanujan

O lady of sweet words, our beloved one has retuned
Bringing back your wasting charms,
Without setting out on the terrible task
Considering,’she would greatly grieve
If she saw the forest beautified by the kaar
with the pitavam blossoming and the talavam budding.’
Translated by Jyothimuthu

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Reference

Poems of Love and war by A.K.Ramanujan

Ainkurunooru translation by Jyothimuthu

Tamil Lexicon

99 Tamil flowers – https://karkanirka.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/99tamilflowers_index/

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