Akam (294)

AKAM 294

Tiṇai:: mullai
Author:: Kaḻārkkīraṉeyiṟṟiyār
Translation:: V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:
Date of last revision:: 2004/10/09
Table of contents (by lines):: 1-3 The flowers getting filled up with tiny drops of rain at the end of the rainy season.; 4-5 mussel shell creeper blossoming like the eyes of broken hearted women who are separated from their lovers and shed tears.; 6-8 The sprouts of ஈங்கை (a species of sensitive tree) wave like the liver; 9-10 The flowers of field beans blossom abundantly and the ears of corn of paddy bend with the weight on the ridges.; 11 The bees moving in the branches during the first half of the dewy season at midnight.; 12-14 Talaivi doubting the return of talaivaṉ who is in the war-camp.; 15-16 talaivi not able to bear the loneliness on a account of the northern wind
Colophon(s):: Talaimakal replied to the confidente who asseverated at the begining of the season (in which talaimakaṉ promised to return)
Syntactical link:: see below
Difficult words:: see below
Variant readings:: see below
Notes:: see below
:

TRANSLATION

In the first half of the dewy season the bees are moving in the branches (11).
After the very big sable clouds have roared and thundered in the sky (1)
and poured rain as if they are in the act of jumping, (2)
tiny particles of water which are like smoke (2)
fill up the inside of flowers (3);
the mussel shell creeper blossoms (5)
like the eyes of broken-hearted women, parted from their lovers (4)
from which tears are flowing (5).
The beautiful sprouts of (inkai) (ஈங்கை) (a species of sensitive tree) (7)
which spreads on the bush (6)
and which has flowers inside which there are parts like thin cotton fibre, (6)
which are wet and appear like being soaked in oil (7),
wave with wetness like the liver cut into two parts (8).
The beautiful flowers of field beans blossom everywhere in abundance (9)
The long ears of corn of paddy which have become ripe are bent (on the ridges) and are pleasing to the eye, (10)
in the broad fields (9).
At midnight of that season (11),
talaivi (thinking whether our lover who does not realise his duty and does not understand our distemper (13)
and who has stayed for too long a time in the war-camp of the king of burning anger (12),
will return to remove this distressed nature,'' (14)
will say "I am not able to bear my loneliness (16)
on account of the northern wind which blows without stopping (15)

SYNTACTICAL LINK

தோழி(16)!! மங்குல் மாமழை(1) பெயல் கழிந்த பின்றை(2) அற்சிர அரை நாள்(11) வேந்தன் பாசறை நிடி(12) நம் நோய் அறியா அறனிலாள்(13) இந்நிலைலை களைய வருவர் கொல் என(14) வாடை யொடு(15) என் தனிமையான் நோனேன்(16).

VARIANT READINGS

.2. பொழிந்த பின்றை.
.8. இருவகிர் இருளின்.
.9. அகல்வயிற்.
.16. தனிமையனானே.

DIFFICULT WORDS

மாங்குல் மா மழை: - Big sable clouds.
அதிர்பு முழங்கி: - having roared and thundered.
துள்ளுப்பெயல்: - pouring rain like the act of jumping.
கழிந்தபின்: - after it is over.
புகை உற: - like the smoke.
புள்ளி நுண்துவலை: - minute dew drops resemblings dots.
பூவகம் நிறைய: - to fill up the inside of flowers.
கையறு மகளிர்: - broken-hearted women.
நீர் வார் கண்ணின்: - like the eyes that shed tears.
கருவிளை: - mussel shell creeper.
துய்த்தலைப் பூவின்: - flowers having fibres as thin as cotton.
புதல் இவர் ஈங்கை: - a species of sensitive tree spreading on the bush.
நெய்த் தோய்த்தன்ன: - leaves having been dipped in oil.
நீர் நினை அந்தளிர்: - like the liver divided into two.
ஈரிய துயல்வர: - to wave with wetness.
அவரைப் பைம்பூ பயில: - the beautiful flowers of field bean growing crowded.
அகல் வயல்: - broad field.
கதிர்வார் காய் நெல்: - long ears of paddy which have become ripe.
கட்டு இனிது இறைஞ்ச: - bending on the ridge and pleasing to the eye.
சிதர்: - bee.
தூங்கும்: - moving.
அற்சிர அரை நாள்: - in the midnight of the first half of the dewy season.
காய்சின வேந்தன்: - the king with burning anger.
பாசறை: - war-camp.
நீடி: - having stayed long.
அறனிலாளன்: - our lover who does not realise his duty.
இந்நிலை: - this distressed nature.
களைய: - to remove.
ஆனாது: - without stopping.
எறிதரும்: - blowing.
நோனேன்: - I am unable to bear.
தனிமை: - loneliness

NOTES

துள்ளுப் பெயல் - The abuன்dant rains in the rainy season.

துவலை here means drops of dew. As talaivi is shedding tears as she is separated from talaivaṉ, she thinks that all shell creeper which is filled with rain water to the eyes which shed fears.

ஈங்கை has been confounded with இண்டு (iṇṭu) a thorny shrub; according to the 2nd stanza in naṟṟiṇai line 6. ""இண்டிவர் ஈங்கைய சுரனே''; both are different.

ஈங்கை - this has tiny thorns and blossoms red flowers in winter; this can be understood from the following quotations,''
""அட்டரக்கு உருவின் வட்டு முகை ஈங்கைத், துய்த்தலைப் புதுமலர்த் துளிதலைக் கலாவ'',
""படப்பைக், கொடுமுள் ஈங்கை நெடுமா அந்தளிர், நீர்மலி கதழ் பெயல் தலைய''
""பனிப்புதல் ஈங்கை அம்குழை வருட'' (நற்றிணை 193-1-2, 205-9, 312-1);
""நுண் முள் ஈங்கைச் செவ் வரும்பு ஊழத்த, வண்ணத்துயம்மலர் உதிர'',
""ஈங்கைய வண்ணத் துய்ம் மலர் உதிர, முன்னர்த் தோன்றும் பனிக்கடு நாளே''
(குறுந்தொகை, 110-5-6, 380-5-7).

ஈங்கைத் துய்ப் அவிழ் பல்மலர் உதிர வீசித், தொழில் மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,''
""முட்கொம்பீங்கைத்துய்த்தலைப் புதுவீ'', ""கொடுமுள் ஈங்கை'' (அகம். 252-9-10, 306-3-4, 257-1).

ஈருள்-ஈரல்;
""ஈருள் தடிமூடி.'' சீவக சிந்தாமணி, 2791).

The bees would be wandering from place to place in the branches due to the northern wind; so the season is described as "சிதர் சினை தூங்கும் அற்சிர அரை நாள்!

The friend asseverates that talaivar would return, has not only passed away but the autumn and the first half of the dewy season has also arrived but not talaivaṉ. Talaivi doubted very much whether the virtueless talaivar would return understanding her suffering and said disheartened that she could not bear the loneliness due to the chill northern wind.

வருவர் கொல்- here means that talaivaṉ will not return.

Talaivi adds another cause for her inability to bear the chillness of the northern wind.