More than the King’s tax – Muttollaiyram 37


Shades of love moves on love and despair of young girls who see their king on procession (Ula) and fall deeply in love with him!

Muttollaiyaram 37

என்னெஞ்சு நாணு நலனும் இவையெல்லாம்
மன்னன் புனனாடன் வௌவினான் – என்னே
அரவகல் அல்குலாய் ஆறில் ஒன் றன்றோ
புரவலர் கொள்ளும் பொருள். – 37

Oh girl with wide venus monds like snake’s hood

Isn’t the kings tax only one of six parts?

But why The king of the land where Kaviri flows

Has taken away all of my heart, modesty and virtue?

Poet:Unknown

Translated by Palaniappan Vairam Sarathy

பாம்புப்படம் போல விரிந்த அல்குல் கொண்ட என் தோழியே, ஆறில் ஒரு பங்குதானே மன்னனின் வரி?

பின்னர் ஏன் காவிரி பாயும் நாட்டை கொண்ட சோழன் என்னுடைய எண்ணம், நாணம், நலம் ஆகிய அனைத்தையும் பறித்துச்சென்றுவிட்டான்?

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This poem talks about tax paid to the kings probably 1000 years ago.  The girls question is why has King taken away every part of my womanliness with him when he is entitled to only 1/6th. Cheekiness in poetry!

This poem is on a Chola King.


About Muttollaiyiram (Three Times Nine Hundred)

Anthology of poems on on Pandya,Chera, Chola kings. Poet: anonymous

The work should have been 900 poems on each of Chera,Chola,Pandya kings. But only 46 on Chola, 23 on Chera, 60 on  Pandya kings have survived.

The poems are dated tobetween end of 6th-10th c. A.D .According Dr.Kamil Zvelebil the collection ‘Contains some exquisite and delicate verses of high craftsmanship. Some portions showing the king’s procession developed later into ula.  The work must have been very popular and influential since it is often quoted and referred to by commentators. ‘


Reference:

Tamil Literature – Kamil Zvelebil

Lexicon of Tamil Literature – Kamil Zvelebil

Muttollaiyram – Central institute of Classical Language edition

Tamil Lexicon – University of Madras

https://ta.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D

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என்னெஞ்சு நாணு நலனும் இவையெல்லாம்

My heart – modesty – beauty/virtue – all these

மன்னன் புனனாடன் வௌவினான் – என்னே

King – lord of land with water (Chola) – seize – what

அரவு அகல் அல்குலாய் ஆறில் ஒன்று அன்றோ

Snake- wide – one with venus monds-Six-one – is it not

புரவலர் கொள்ளும் பொருள்.

King – take – wealth/goods

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