Akam (111)

Tiṇai:: pālai
Author:: pālai pāṭiya peruṅkatuṅkō
Translation:: V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]
Original MS location:: IFP Library [TA LIT-CL 180 (1)(2)(3)]
Original data entry (VYAPTI format):: Ramya (1999-2000, IFP)
HTML conversion, text revising & editing:: jlc
Date of last revision:: 2004/10/07
Table of contents (by lines):: (1-3) talaivaṉ's object in parting for acquiring wealth.; (4-6) The spider's web on ñemai (ருமைமரம்) tree compared to the flag raised on an elephant; (7-9) Weak male elephants mistake it for a cloud and make a big sound which resembles the music produced by the flute made of bamboo தூம்பு of dancers; (10-11) The red ears of eruvai (எருவை) appear like the lamps which are used to examine the wounds of warriors disabled in a battle-field.
Colophon(s):: The companion pacified and consoled talaimakaḷ during the separation of talaimakaṉ.
Syntactical link:: see below
Difficult words:: see below
Variant readings:: see below
Notes:: see below
:

Friend! May you live long! (3).
Our talaivar who went beyond the mountain which is so tall as to touch the sky, (15)
being ashamed of the conceited words spoken by enemies despising him in their hearts and not satisified with, and not feeling happy, over the amount of wealth he has, (1-2)
will return soon (3).
The spider's web which is woven on the ñemai (ஞெமைமரம்) tree whose top portion has become dried appears like the flag made of white cloth which is held aloft on a state elephant (4-5)
It waves to and fro by the west wind in the hill which is known by the name of ōṭai (ஓடை) (6)
The sorrow-stricken trunks of weak and male elephants are raised high simultaneously mistaking them to be clouds, on account of their ignorance, breathe hard like the music produced in the big flute made of bamboo (தூம்பு) by dancers who praise chiefs gathering their fame, in the forest (7-9)
There male and brown-coloured wild-dog which is capable of catching its prey, kills the male pig, drags it hurriedly and in that act drops of blood fall all along the way (10-11).
The red ears of the eruvai (எருவை பருந்து) which drinks that blood, appears like the lamp that is held in the hand at night to examine the wounds of disabled soldiers in the wide war front where heavy fighting was done.

தோழி! வாழி!(3); உவத்தல் செல்லார்(1) ஏஎச் சொல் நாணி(2) மலை இறந்தோர்(10) வருவர்(3).

ஏஎச்சொல் : may also mean words which wound one's heart like arrows 3-4 (a variant reading)

அரசர்யானை means elephants belonging to kings

ஓடை (6) may also mean a kind of tree with thorns)