AKAM 343
- Tiṇai:
- pālai
- Author:
- maturai marutaniḷanākaṉār.
- 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- V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:
- 2005/03/01
- Table of contents (by lines):
- 1-3. The description of the beauty of talaimakaḷ
- 4-7. The wheels of the cart belonging to salt-sellers spoiling the letter inscribed on the memorial tablets.
- 8-10. The spoiled letters giving a different meaning to new travellers who look at them.
- 9-11. The salt-sellers staying under the shade of the yā tree till the heat of the sun decreases.
- 12-15. The mind wishing to be the counselling companion for those salt-sellers
who remove the fatigue of the donkeys which carried the bags of merchandise.
- 16-19. Talaivaṉ admonishing his mind which parted from talaivi of exquisite beauty and many other excellences.
- Colophon(s):
- Talaimakaṉ admonished his mind which thought of returning home, and went on his way
- Syntactical link:
- see below
- Difficult words:
- see below
- Variant readings:
- see below
- Notes:
- see below
TRANSLATION
- My mind ! May you live long ! (16)
- you parted from talaivi who has many excellences (18)
- lips as red as shining coral which speak very few words (18)
- cool, self-conceiting eyes on which are spreading red lines, and who is the cause for rejoicing (17)
- like the intoxication of toddy, (16)
- and came to this place (19).
- In the forest of branching ways where all places are scorched (9),
- the letters which were inscribed with a sharp chisel (1)
- whose lines were worn out on the surface of the memorial tablets (5),
- which have faded chaplets and are unbathed (6),
- which were spoiled by the ugly looking rim of the wheels of the carts in which salt-sellers go from place to place (4),
- are viewed with a different meaning (8).
- The salt-sellers stay in the widening area under the shade of the yā tree (11)
- which is as cool as staying in a house (11),
- and which has big branches and beautiful tender leaves (12),
- till the decreasing heat ceases, (11),
- after having removed the fatigue (13)
- caused to the male donkeys of long ears and short legs (12)
- by the weight of the merchandise which they carried on their backs (13);
- remaining as counselling companion to those people who did not begin their journey again, (14)
- you stayed there desirous of the intense effort; (15);
- (But now) you are desirous of embracing the spotlessly beautiful chest of the talaivi (3)
- having soft breasts wearing many ornaments and a few yellow spots (2),
- big shoulders of big joints which are like the bending bamboos (7);
- Returning (15)
- you thought of giving up this effort (16)
- (Is this proper ?)
SYNTACTICAL LINK
என்நெஞ்சே! வாழி(16); பேதையின் பிரிந் நீ(19) கானத்து ஆங்கண்(9) உயர்ந்த ஆள்வினை புரிந்தோய்(15)
(ஆயினும் இப்போது) மென்முலை(2) ஆகம் புல்லுதல்(3) பெயர்ந்து நின்று(15) உள்ளினை(16); (இது தகுமா?)
VARIANT READINGS
- .4. மரங்கொல்
- .7. கொமரபெழுத்த
- .13-14. களைந்த, படை கோளாளர்
- .18. செவ்வாய்
- .19. பெயர்ந்தத்யே.
DIFFICULT WORDS
- வாங்கு அமை புரையும்
- - resembling the bending bamboo.
- வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத்தோள்
- - big shoulders which have big joints.
- சில் சுணங்கு அணிந்த
- - made beautiful by a few yellow spots.
- பல்பூண்மென்முலை
- - soft breasts wearing many ornaments.
- நல் எழில் ஆகம் புல்லுதல் நயந்து
- - desirous of embracing the body of spotless beauty.
- மரம் கோள் உமண்மகன் பெயரும் பருதி
- - the rotating wheels of the carts of salt-sellers.
- புன் தலை சிதைத்த
- - spoiled by the dim rim.
- வன்தலை நடுகல்
- - of the memorial tablets, set up in the strong rocks.
- கண்ணிவாடிய மண்ணாமருங்குல்
- - having faded chaplets and sides not bathed.
- கூர் உளி குயின்ற கோடு மாய் எழுத்து
- - the letters which were inscribed by the sharp chisel and whose lines were worn out
- அ ஆறுசெல் வம்பலர் வேறு பயன் படுக்கும்
- - is understood by the new people who pass that way as having a different meaning.
- கண்பொரி கவலைய கானத்து ஆங்கண்
- - in that forest having places of parching heat and branching ways.
- நனந்தலை யாஅத்து அம் தளிர்ப் பெருஞ்சினை இல் போல் நீழல்
- - in the shade of the big branches having beautiful tender leaves of the yā tree
in that expansive area, which is like staying inside a house.
- செல் வெயில் ஒழிமார்
- - waiting till the heat in which they travelled ceases.
- நெடுஞ்செவிக் குறுங்கால் கழுதை எற்றை
- - the male donkeys of long ears and short legs.
- புறம் நிறை பண்டத்துப் பொறை அசாஅக் களைந்த
- - who removed the fatigue caused by carrying the weight of heavy merchandise on their back.
- பெயர்பு அடை கொள்ளார்க்கு
- - who did not again start on their journey.
- உயவுத் துணையாகி
- - having become their counselling guide.
- உயர்ந்த ஆள் வினை புரிந்தோய்
- - you desired exalted manly effort; (though it was like that before; now).
- பெயர்ந்து
- - having returned.
- உள்ளினை
- - you thought of giving up the effort. (is it proper ?)
- கள்ளின் மகிழின் மகிழ்ந்த
- - who is the cause for rejocing like the intoxication of liquor
- அரிமதர் மழைக்கண்
- - cool, self-conceiting eyes on which red lines are spreading
- சில் மொழிப் பொலிந்த துவர் வாய்
- - lips resembling shining coral, and speaking very few words.
- பல் மாண் பேதையின் பிரிந்த நீ
- - you who parted from the lady of many excellences.
NOTES
மரம் - here means the cart made of wood just as that word means ship;
this can be understood from the following quotations;
""பெருங்கடன் நீந்திய மரம் வலியுறுக்கும்'' (patiṟṟupattu, 76-4);
மரத்தாரிம், மாணாக் குடிப்பிறந்தார்'' (mālaṭiyār, 145);
""இல்லை, மரம்போக்கிக் கூலி கொண்டார்'' (paḻamoḻi, 60)
பருதி - the wheel of cart.
பெயர் படை - should be split into பெயர்பு அடை; பெயர்பு - is used in the sense of a verbal noun;
it is not an adverbial participle; cf. ""மனம் கவல்பு இன்றி மாழாந்து எழுந்து'' (porunarāṟṟuppaṭai, 95)
For the variant reading படைகோளாளர்க்கு - the meaning is
the salt-sellers who are armed with weapons for defending themselves from highway robbers;
""சாத்தரும் வீரராயிப்ப ரென்று வயவரென்றாள்'' (akam, 89-13, old gloss).
The description of talaivi's beauty in ll 1-3 indicates that talaivaṉ's mind was irresolute
when it thought of talaivi's beauty.
Donkeys were used as beasts of burden; this can be understood from the following quotation
""மரியற், புணர்ப் பொறை தாங்கிய வடு ஆழ் நோன்புறத்து
அணர்ச் செலிக் கழுதைச் சாத்தொடு வழங்கும்'' (perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 78-80).
Talaivaṉ rebuked his mind by saying, "You parted from talaivi to make her suffer without any counselling companion;
you took upon yourself a great effort by becoming the counselling guide of the salt-sellers
who travel in the curam but now, what is the reason for you to think about talaivi and trying to return ?"