Akam (290)

AKAM 290

Tiṇai:: neytal
Author:: nakkīrar
Translation:: V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:: 2002/10/29
Table of contents (by lines):: (1-4) The young boys catching the male of crane in a net; (5-8) The female, without eating anything, cries in the palmyra tree, out of love towards its mate.; (9-10) talaivaṉ coming alone and having contact with talaimakal; (11) talaivi questioning her friend about the change in the colour of her eyes.; (12-13) Toṇṭi a sea-coast two belonging to kuṭṭuvaṉ.; (14-16) talaivi comparing her eyes with neytal flower blossomed in toṇṭi.
Colophon(s):: Talaimakaḷ spoke to her friend at the appointed secret place at night, when talaimakaṉ was standing near the fence.
Syntactical link:: see below
Difficult words:: see below
Variant readings:: see below
Notes:: see below
:

TRANSLATION

Friend (11)
The chief of the sea shore which has many old small families, (8)
where young boys of ruddy-haired heads having made a meal of kiḻu fish (3)
went angling in the early morning (2).
The male of the crane (4)
in the beautiful net made of fine cords (4),
cast in the field of black quagmire (2)
where the female having green-coloured legs of the male crane having a crest, (1)
did not eat the food it usually chews when it was staying alone at the time (5),
and embracing its suffering young ones (6)
cries (7)
quickly (6)
to express its love, (7)
perched on palmyra of beautiful places (6)
came alone with a mind from which love never leaves (10),
to the sea-shore garden where the mast-wood tree growing in the backwater blossoms profusely, (9)
and had physical contact with me (11).
Even before that (11),
my eyes, having lost the glorious beauty resembling the sapphire colour (15)
of the big and cool white indian water-lily (14)
which blossoms for the bees to drink its honey in the expanse of the ghat of Toṇṭi situated on the sea-coast where there are clear waves, (13)
and which belongs to Kuṭṭuvaṉ of victorious battles and elephants having white tusks (12),
changed into the yellow colour of gold (16).
What is this !

SYNTACTICAL LINK

தோழி(11)! சேர்ப்பன்(8) தமியன் வந்து நம் மணவா முன்னும்(11) என் கண் குட்டுவன்(12) தொண்டி முன்துறை(13) நெய்தல் மாண் நலம் ஒரீஇப்(15) பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்ட(16); எவன்(11)?

VARIANT READINGS

.15. மலரேர் மாணலம்

DIFFICULT WORDS

குடுமிக் கொக்கு: - crane with a crest the female with tender green coloured legs.
பைங்கால் பேடை இருஞ் சேற்று அள்ளல்புலம்,: - field with black quagmire.
நாட் போகி: - having gone in the early morning.
புன்தலைச் சிறா அர்: - young boys with ruddy haired heads.
நுண் ஞாண் வலை: - net made of fine cords.
சேவல் பட்டென: - as the male was caught in the net. அல்குறு பொழுதின்; - at the time it was staying alone. மெல்கு இரை; - the food that is chewed and eaten. னபதற்பிள்ளைதழீஇ; - embracing the suffering young ones. ஒய்யென; - quickly.
அம் கண் பெண்ணை: - in the palmyra tree of beautiful places.
அன்பு உற: -to show its love.
நரலும்: - is making a sound.
சிறுபல் தொலகுடி: - many small old families.
பெருநீர்ச் சேர்ப்பன்: - our chief of the sea-shore.
கழி சேர் புன்னை: - mast-wood tree which grows in the backwaters.
அழி பூங்கானல்: - in the garden of increasing flowers.
தணவா நெர்சலமாடு: - with a heart from which love never leaves.
தமியன் வந்து: - having come alone.
நம்மணவாமுன்னும்: - even before he had physical contact with us.
போர் விறல்: - victory in battles.
தொர்திரைத் தொண்டிமுன்துறை: - in the open space of Toṇṭi which has the attractive colour of the sapphire.
பொன் நோர் வண்ணம் கொண்ட: - they assumed the yellow colour of gold.

NOTES

குடுமிக் கொக்கு

- a special kind of crane that has a crest on its head.

கொழுமின்: a kind of fish; perhaps it got its name by its resemblance to plough share which is called "கொழு' (Koḻu) in tamiḻ;
""கொழு மீ என்பது ஒருசாதி'', (திருச்சிற்றம்பலக் கோவை யார், 188, பேராசிரியர்.)

மெல்கு இரை: food that is well chewed;
""மெல்குபு பெயரா'' (சிறுபாணாற்றுப்படை, 45.)

பைதற்பிள்ளை: young one which cannot fly on account of the suffering; or young one which fears on seeing other things.

அன்பு: the love that it has towards its male;

அன்புஉற - may mean this also; the female crane cries to excite the pity of people who look at it. talaivi was certain that talaivaṉ would come alone to the sea-shore grove and have union with her; so she says "மணவா முன்னும்'

- Talaivi's eyes changed into pale yellow colour out of fear for talaivaṉ's safety thinking, "What obstacles there would be when talaivaṉ comes in the night to meet me at the appointed secret place". This change in the colour of the eyes is called in Kuṟaḷ as "பசப்புறு பருவரல்' The idea of talaivi saying that the eyes changed into pale yellow colour even before talaivaṉ had physical contact with her, is to make talaivaṉ think, "talaivi will not bear our separation even for a short while; therefore we must marry her early"