AKAM 242
- Tiṇai:
- Kuṟiñci
- Author:
- pēri cāttaṉār
- 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- V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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)
- Date of last revision:
- 2004/10/13
- Table of contents (by lines):
- 1-6) talaivaṉ driving and scaring the parrots that settle on the millet plant.
- 7-12) The mother preparing Veṟi dance.
- 13-15) talaivi thinking of regaining her old beauty.
- 16-22) talaivi longing for embracing the chest of talaivaṉ
- Colophon(s):
- The friend spoke to talaimakal so as to be heard by talaimakaṉ who was standing by the side of the fence.
- Syntactical link:
- see below
- Difficult words:
- see below
- Variant readings:
- see below
- Notes:
- see below
- :
-
TRANSLATION
- Friend (17)!
- The talaivaṉ drove and scared away along with us the parrots with red rings in the neck (6),
- in the extensive upland fields where the curved ears of corn of red millet of green stem grow (3)
- near the garden where the peacocks of glittering spots dance (4)
- with added beauty (3)
- as the exquisite pollen of east indian kino tree resembling gold, fall in drops on their tail resembling sapphire (3),
- which are opened by the bees in the waving, soft branches of the east indian kino tree in which the buds become mature (1).
- Our mother (10)
- without knowing that the disease was caused by the qualities of talaivaṉ (7)
- and wishing ``I should know (9)
- the cause of my daughter's disease, who has beauty with imposing appearance (8)
- resembling tender leaves of (8)
- fine colour (7)'',
- spread out as offerings of several kinds in receptacle of the capacity of one Kuṟunī each
and has brough the vēlaṉ ignorant of our sickness (10)
- and praised gods to make the extensive stage where veṟi was performed appear splendid (11).
- Before the lamb is sacrificed (12)
- we shall go as (12)
- to save from losing our good beauty (15)
- of the forearm (14)
- from which the bright bangles which glitter at a great distance and which have been fixed to rise up
and fall down have become loose (13)
- and the shoulders like bamboo, with joints having become lean, and to regain our old beauty (15).
- It is but proper to embrace many times the chest of the chief of the mountains
on which bamboos grow, and which we had embraced before (12),
- for the young breasts which appear like bud to sink into the chest and hide it (16).
- That mountain has peaks that rise high into the sky, and on which honey-combs hang (21).
- That honey comb is at a great height (20)
- and touches the soft branches of the sandal wood tree (20)
- with small leaves (19)
- which grow high in the cleft of the big mountain (19)
- which has on its sides small rocks with cool caves in which the fragrant creeper naṟai is growing densely (18).
SYNTACTICAL LINK
தோழி(17)! (நமது துன்பம்) கின்னை நம் மொடு கடிந்தோன்(6) பண்பு தரவந்தமை அறியாளாகி(7)
அன்னை(10) தரீஇக்(10), களம் பொலிய ஏத்தி(11), மறி உயிர் வழங்கா அளவை(12) யாம் சென்று(12)
வெற்பன் மணந்தமார்பை(22) முலை மூழ்க(16) முயங்கல் இயைவது(17).
VARIANT READINGS
- .10. தரீஇயென்னை.
- .18. நளிமுகை.
- .22. வரைநகு, மலர்ந்த.
DIFFICULT WORDS
- அரும்பு முதிர்
- - mature buds.
- அலங்கல்
- - waving.
- நுண் தாது
- - fine pollen
- சுரும்பு வாய் திறந்த
- - opened by the bees.
- மணி
- - sapphire.
- உறைப்ப
- - to fall down in particles.
- கொடுங் குரல்
- - curved ears of corn.
- செந்தார்
- - red ring.
- கடிந்தோன்
- - scared and away
- நுண் கேழ் முறி
- - exquisite coloured tender-leaf.
- துயர் மருங்கு
- - the cause of sorrow.
- பிரப்பு
- - food offerings of various kinds placed before a deity in receptacles of the capacity of one kuṟuṇi each.
- மறி உயிர் வழங்கா அளவை
- - before the lamb is sacrified
- செலவரத் துணிந்த
- - won intending them to rise up and fall down.
- தொல் கவின்
- - former beauty.
- எழில் நலம்
- - Beauty with imposing appearance
- நேரிறை
- - lean joints
- முன்கை
- - forearm.
- விடரகம்
- - crevice; cleft
- முகிழ்த்து வரல்
- - to appear like buds.
- மூழ்க
- - to sink, to hide.
NOTES
That talaivaṉ drove and scared parrots means his good quality of easy to approach.
The reason for the sorrow of talaimakaḷ is the good qualities of talaivan;
thereby it is suggested that it is but proper that talaivi fell in love with talaivaṉ.
The veṟiyāttam is described in ll.9-12. ``Talaivi should be together with talaivaṉ without separation.
The mother being doubtful about talaivis sickness and not knowing the real cause invited vēlaṉ to perform veṟi
at the end of which a lamb will be sacrificed. Before it happens we should embrace the chest of talaivaṉ many times
in order to regain our lost beauty,'' are the ideas of talaivi.
If we take செலவர as செலவற. It will mean thus :- bangles not to become loose and fall
மணந்த மார்பு has a variant reading மலர்ந்த மார்பு; then it will mean broad chest.
There are two inner meanings in the description of the forest
The description of the peacock dancing with added beauty as the fine pollen of east indian kino tree falls
on its tail hints that the sandal paste on the chest of talaivaṉ should fall on the breasts of talaivi in embrace.
If that is possible I shall rejoice regaining my former beauty
(2). The description that the honeycomb hangs so as to be touched by the branches of the tall sandal tree
hints that the superior talaivaṉ who is in many ways equal to talaivi should join together in wedlock
and perform householder's duties so as to give pleasure to one and all.