Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive the lady’s affection for her son, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 80, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and conveys a hidden message.

நயம் தலை மாறுவார் மாறுக; மாறா,
கயந் தலை மின்னும் கதிர் விடு முக் காழ்,
பயந்த எம் கண் ஆர யாம் காண நல்கி
திகழ் ஒளி முத்து அங்கு அரும்பாகத் தைஇப்
பவழம் புனைந்த பருதி சுமப்ப,
கவழம் அறியா நின் கை புனை வேழம்
புரி புனை பூங் கயிற்றின் பைபய வாங்கி,
அரி புனை புட்டிலின் ஆங்கண் ஈர்த்து, ஈங்கே
வருக! எம் பாக மகன்!

கிளர் மணி ஆர்ப்ப ஆர்ப்பச் சாஅய்ச் சாஅய்ச் செல்லும்
தளர் நடை காண்டல் இனிது; மற்று, இன்னாதே,
‘உளம்’ என்னா நுந்தைமாட்டு எவ்வம் உழப்பார்
வளை நெகிழ்பு யாம் காணுங்கால்

ஐய! காமரு நோக்கினை, ‘அத்தத்தா’ என்னும் நின்
தே மொழி கேட்டல் இனிது; மற்று, இன்னாதே,
உய்வு இன்றி நுந்தை நலன் உணச் சாஅய்ச் சாஅய்மார்
எவ்வ நோய் யாம் காணுங்கால்

ஐய! ‘திங்கட் குழவி, வருக!’ என, யான் நின்னை
அம்புலி காட்டல் இனிது; மற்று, இன்னாதே,
நல்காது நுந்தை புறம் மாறப்பட்டவர்
அல்குல் வரி யாம் காணுங்கால்

ஐய! எம் காதில் கனங் குழை வாங்கி, பெயர்தொறும்,
போது இல் வறுங் கூந்தல், கொள்வதை, நின்னை யாம்
ஏதிலார் கண் சாய நுந்தை வியல் மார்பில்
தாது தேர் வண்டின் கிளை பட, தைஇய
கோதை பரிபு ஆட காண்கும்.

Here, the verse flows in a slightly different format from the usual three-step Kalithogai that we have become familiar with! The words can be translated as follows:

“Let those whose affection has changed remain away! But for these unchanging eyes of mine to see and delight, come here, with the three-stranded, bright and shining ornament upon your soft head, pulling gently your handmade elephant that has never eaten a ball of rice, placed on a coral-studded platform with radiant pearls attached, akin to buds, with a well-etched, soft rope, making the pebbles in your anklets resound, my elephant-tamer son!

Making clear bells resound again and again, your stumbling, faltering toddler walk is sweet to see. But what is unpleasant is to see how another declares that ‘I alone remain in his heart’ and yearns for your father, letting her bangles slip away!

My dear! Seeing me with loving eyes, you mumble words with a lisp. Hearing those honey-sweet words is pleasant! But what is unpleasant is to see the pain of affliction in those, who pretend to suffer, so as to delight in the beauty of your father, without any respite!

My dear! When I show you the moon upon the sky, calling you with love as my moon-child, that is pleasant! But what is unpleasant is to see the fading lines on the loins of those, who have been forsaken without grace by your father!

My dear! I let you take the heavy earrings on my ears and part away, and to hold on to my flowerless, dry tresses, so as to see you pluck and tear the garland, around which bees which seek pollen buzz, upon your father’s wide chest, so that his eyes seek not those strangers!”

Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love quarrel between a man and a lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans. In an unusual rendition, the lady says these words to her toddler son, while the man remains listening nearby. The lady starts by calling her toddler son, who is wearing a bright ornament on his forehead and playing with a toy elephant on a coral and pearl-studded platform. She mentions how the anklets on his baby legs resound aloud as he pulls the soft rope and walks to her. She tells her son that those whose love is changed can remain away but the love in her is unwavering. This is said to take a dig at the listening man, who has been away courting courtesans and just now, enters his home.

The lady then tells her son that his toddling walk, his honey-sweet words with a lisp, and showing that moon-child the moon, are all such sweet things to her, but what is unpleasant is to hear the talk of women who declare they alone inhabit the man’s heart, see the pain of affliction in courtesans who seek her husband without respite and to take in the fading beauty of those who have been abandoned by the boy’s father. Good thing the child can’t understand these words! Any case, these are meant to pierce like arrows in the ears of the listening man.

The lady says to the child that she never minds the little one, plucking away her earrings or pulling her dry, flowerless hair. These are unadorned because the man is not at home. It’s not as if he’s away on a mission to gain wealth or fight a war, but perhaps the lady is simply following the Sangam tradition of not adorning herself, when her man is away, no matter the reason. Returning, we find the lady concluding with the words that she hopes her son would pluck away the garland on his father’s chest as he plays with him, and thereby making the man forget his other women and remain there delighting in the joy of the bliss at home. Yet again, we see the powerful impact of the presence of a little child in the life of this Sangam couple! 

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s words of rebuke to her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 79, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and spotlights moments of affection.

புள் இமிழ் அகல் வயல் ஒலி செந்நெல் இடைப் பூத்த
முள் அரைத் தாமரை முழு முதல் சாய்த்து, அதன்
வள் இதழ் உற நீடி, வயங்கிய ஒரு கதிர்,
அவை புகழ் அரங்கின்மேல் ஆடுவாள் அணி நுதல்
வகை பெறச் செரீஇய வயந்தகம் போல், தோன்றும்
தகை பெறு கழனி அம் தண் துறை ஊர! கேள்:

அணியொடு வந்து ஈங்கு எம் புதல்வனைக் கொள்ளாதி;
மணி புரை செவ் வாய் நின் மார்பு அகலம் நனைப்பதால்;
‘தோய்ந்தாரை அறிகுவேன், யான்’ என, கமழும் நின்
சாந்தினால் குறி கொண்டாள் சாய்குவள் அல்லளோ?

புல்லல் எம் புதல்வனை; புகல் அகல் நின் மார்பில்
பல் காழ் முத்து அணி ஆரம் பற்றினன் பரிவானால்;
மாண் இழை மட நல்லார் முயக்கத்தை நின் மார்பில்
பூணினால் குறி கொண்டாள் புலக்குவள் அல்லளோ?

கண்டே எம் புதல்வனைக் கொள்ளாதி; நின் சென்னி
வண்டு இமிர் வகை இணர் வாங்கினன் பரிவானால்;
‘நண்ணியார்க் காட்டுவது இது’ என, கமழும் நின்
கண்ணியால் குறி கொண்டாள் காய்குவள் அல்லளோ?

என ஆங்கு
பூங் கண் புதல்வனைப் பொய் பல பாராட்டி,
நீங்காய் இகவாய் நெடுங் கடை நில்லாதி;
ஆங்கே அவர் வயின் சென்றீ அணி சிதைப்பான்
ஈங்கு எம் புதல்வனைத் தந்து.

An adorable player enters this oft-repeated scene! The words can be translated as follows:

“In the wide fields, resounding with bird sounds, amidst the luxuriant red paddy, blooms a lotus upon a spiny stem. Bending its entire stem, a paddy stalk touches the thick petals of the lotus, appearing akin to a head-ornament well-set on the beautiful forehead of one, who dances on a famous stage, lauded by many, in the esteemed fields of your beautiful and moist shore, O lord. Listen:

Do not come here, wearing radiant ornaments, to embrace our son! If his red mouth, akin to a precious jewel, moistens your chest, won’t the one, who has declared ‘I will know if someone embraces you’, seeing the imprint upon the fragrant sandalwood on your chest, worry because of that?

Do not hold my son close to you. If he catches hold of the many-stranded pearl necklace on your much-celebrated chest and breaks it, won’t the one, seeing the imprint of an embrace by a beautiful woman wearing well-etched jewels, upon your ornaments, sulk because of that?

Do not carry my son, even if he comes to you with love! If he gets hold of the many flowered clusters upon your head, buzzing with bees, and tears it, won’t the one, who will think ’this shows who has been with him’, seeing the imprint on your head-garland, burn because of that?

And so, saying falsehoods many, do not stand there parting not from my son with flower-like eyes. Our son is sure to mess up your beauty. Go there and be with them, giving my son back to me!”

Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love quarrel between a man and the lady, owing to the man’s seeking courtesans, and these words are said by the lady to the man. The lady, as tradition dictates, begins with a description of the man’s town, and the image she chooses for this one, is of a paddy stalk bending low and touching a lotus that has bloomed in the fields. This makes her think of a dangling head ornament called as ‘vayanthagam’ on the forehead of a dancer on a celebrated stage. After praising the man’s cool river shores, the lady turns to the matter at hand, which is asking the man not to carry their son, hold him or embrace him. She says this because the little fellow might moisten the man’s chest with his drool, pluck and break the man’s pearl necklace, and tear the man’s head garland. What’s the big deal if that happens? The lady answers that saying the courtesan, from whose house the man has arrived, might see the imprints of the little boy’s handiwork and mistake the smudged sandalwood, broken pearls and torn flowers, as caused by the embrace of other maiden wearing radiant jewels! She concludes asking the man not to keep standing there, hugging their little son, but instead hand over that bundle of joy back to her, and asks him to get back to his pretty maiden to continue his adventures with them! A Sangam lady’s ire at her man’s amorous actions with other women are revealed in this scene, but leaving aside the usual quarrelling between them, we can delight in the scenes of bonding between a man and his son!

In this episode, we listen to the lady’s perspective on the man’s thoughts, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 78, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and reflects the lady’s clarity and perception.

பல் மலர்ப் பழனத்த பாசடைத் தாமரை
இன்மலர் இமிர்பு ஊதும் துணை புணர் இருந்தும்பி,
உண்துறை உடைந்த பூப் புனல் சாய்ப்பப் புலந்து ஊடிப்,
பண்பு உடை நல் நாட்டுப் பகை தலைவந்தென,
அது கைவிட்டு அகன்று ஒரீஇக் காக்கிற்பான் குடை நீழல்
பதி படர்ந்து இறைகொள்ளும் குடி போலப், பிறிதும் ஒரு
பொய்கை தேர்ந்து அலமரும் பொழுதினான், மொய் தப
இறை பகை தணிப்ப அக் குடி பதிப் பெயர்ந்தாங்கு
நிறை புனல் நீங்க வந்து அத்தும்பி அம் மலர்ப்
பறை தவிர்பு அசைவிடூஉம் பாய் புனல் நல் ஊர!

நீக்குங்கால் நிறம் சாய்ந்து புணருங்கால் புகழ் பூத்து,
நாம் கொண்ட குறிப்பு இவள் நலம் என்னும் தகையோ தான்,
எரி இதழ் சோர்ந்து உக ஏதிலார்ப் புணர்ந்தமை
கரி கூறும் கண்ணியை ஈங்கு எம் இல் வருவதை?

சுடர் நோக்கி மலர்ந்து ஆங்கே படின் கூம்பும் மலர் போல் என்
தொடர் நீப்பின் தொகும் இவள் நலம் என்னும் தகையோ தான்,
அலர் நாணிக் கரந்த நோய் கைம்மிகப் பிறர் கூந்தல்
மலர் நாறும் மார்பினை ஈங்கு எம் இல் வருவதை?

பெயின் நந்தி வறப்பின் சாம் புலத்திற்குப் பெயல் போல் யான்
செலின் நந்திச் செறின் சாம்பும் இவள் என்னும் தகையோ தான்,
முடி உற்ற கோதை போல் யாம் வாட, ஏதிலார்
தொடி உற்ற வடுக் காட்டி ஈங்கு எம் இல் வருவதை?

ஆங்க,
ஐய அமைந்தன்று அனைத்து ஆகப் புக்கீமோ,
வெய்யாரும் வீழ்வாரும் வேறு ஆகக் கையின்
முகை மலர்ந்தன்ன முயக்கில் தகை இன்றே,
தண் பனி வைகல் எமக்கு.

It’s the lady’s voice that resounds again in these words, which can be translated as follows:

“A black bee that has happily mated with its companion, buzzes around the sweet flower of the lotus, having thick green leaves in the field, filled with many flowers. When there’s a breach in the river banks and waters gush in to ruin the flower-filled pond, leaving that behind, akin to the people of a country, who leave their cultured and good land, owing to an enemy attack, and traverse to live under the protective shade of a king, the bee searches for yet another pond with much suffering. And akin to those people who return to their old country, when their king destroys those enemies, as flood waters recede, that black bee returns to its old lotus flower and rests there, without flying away, in your town with flowing streams, O lord!

Do you come back here to our home, wearing a garland with worn-out petals, bearing testimony to your being with strangers, because you think, ‘When I part away, her radiance is gone, and when I return, it blooms again. Her beauty is mine to command!’?

Do you come here to our home, with your chest, wafting with the fragrance of flowers worn in the tresses of others, as this disease brims over in me, owing to the shame of slander, because you think, ‘Akin to a flower that blooms when the sun rises, and closes its buds when the sun sets, when I part away, I transform that beauty of hers!’?

Do you come here to our home, showing the imprints of the bangles worn by strangers, as I fade akin to a garland removed from the tresses, because you think, ‘Akin to the rain that makes the arid land flourish when it pours down, if I go to her, she will thrive and prosper!’?

And so, let it all remain so. Please don’t stay here, causing distress to whom you love and who love you. Akin to a flower bud that’s pried open with the hands, for me, who has lived apart from you, day after day, in this cold and moist season, there’s no joy in your embraces now!”

Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between a man and a lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans and these words are rendered by the lady to the man. Although it’s the same lotus and bee scenario to depict the town, the lady layers it with an apt and unique simile. She talks about how the bee, which was happily playing on that lotus flower in the pond, seeing it ruined because of the arrival of the flood waters, owing to a breach in the river shore, leaves that pond and goes in search of another pond. To sketch this journey, the lady talks about the people of a country forsaking it, when enemies arrive and migrating to live under the shade of another king. Like those people who return to their old land, with much joy, when those enemies have been vanquished by their king, the bee too returns to its old pond to seek its old flower, when the flood waters recede, the lady connects. Such is the beautiful town of the man, she details.

Then, she asks the man whether he comes home bearing signs of being with other maiden, wearing a garland of faded petals, wafting with the scent of flowers worn by them and bearing the imprints of their bangles, because he thinks with much arrogance that the lady’s beauty is under his command, for it fades when he leaves, and flourishes when he returns. To explain his mind, the lady asks him whether he considers their situation similar to how a flower opens its buds when the sun rises and closes it when it sets, as well as how a parched land thrives when it rains and dries up otherwise. Then, she tells him, ‘Let it be so in your mind. But don’t wait here too long, bringing worry to those women whom you seek and those who seek you’.

In a final poetic simile, she talks about how his embraces are joyless and give the same feeling of forcing open a flower, as she remembers how she was lonely all those days of the cold season. And thus, the lady calls out the man for his attention elsewhere and declares that she is not fooled by his coming there. A verse which yet again echoes the same conflict situation between the man and the lady but one which expands our minds by offering us that bouquet of similes to illustrate the the lay of the land and the mind.

In this episode, we perceive the lady’s loss owing to the man’s actions, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 77, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the lady’s state of despair.

இணை இரண்டு இயைந்து ஒத்த முகை நாப்பண், பிறிது யாதும்
துணை இன்றித் தளை விட்ட தாமரை தனி மலர்;
திரு முகம் இறைஞ்சினள், வீழ்பவற்கு இனைபவள்
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் நீர் அலர் முலை மேல் தெறிப்ப போல்,
தகை மலர்ப் பழனத்த புள் ஒற்ற ஒசிந்து ஒல்கி
மிக நனி சேர்ந்த அம் முகை மிசை அம் மலர்
அக இதழ்த் தண் பனி உறைத்தரும் ஊர! கேள்!

தண் தளிர்த் தகை பூத்த தாது எழில் நலம் செலக்
கொண்டு நீ மாறிய கவின் பெறல் வேண்டேன் மன்
உண்டாதல் சாலா என் உயிர் சாதல் உணர்ந்து நின்
பெண்டு எனப் பிறர் கூறும் பழி மாறப் பெறுகற்பின்;

பொன் எனப் பசந்த கண் போது எழில் நலம் செலத்
தொல் நலம் இழந்த கண் துயில் பெறல் வேண்டேன் மன்
நின் அணங்கு உற்றவர் நீ செய்யும் கொடுமைகள்
என் உழை வந்து நொந்து உரையாமை பெறுகற்பின்;

மாசு அற மண்ணுற்ற மணி ஏசும் இருங்கூந்தல்
வீ சேர்ந்து வண்டு ஆர்க்கும் கவின் பெறல் வேண்டேன் மன்
நோய் சேர்ந்த திறம் பண்ணி நின் பாணன் எம் மனை
நீ சேர்ந்த இல் வினாய் வாராமை பெறுகற்பின்;

ஆங்க,
கடைஇய நின் மார்பு தோயலம் என்னும்,
இடையும் நிறையும் எளிதோ, நின் காணின்
கடவுபு கை தங்கா நெஞ்சு என்னும் தம்மோடு
உடன் வாழ் பகை உடையார்க்கு?

We are back to the farmlands without any confusion to listen to these words of the lady, which can be translated as follows:

“In between two similar flowers, without any other support, a single lotus flower bud sprouts. Attacked by birds in the flower-filled field, it bends down and sheds water drops on those lotus flowers close to it, akin to how the tears from the beautiful, rain-like eyes of a maiden, her pretty face bent down, worrying about her beloved, would splash on her wide breasts. Such are the beautiful flowers with wide petals coated with dew in your town, O lord! Listen to me now:

If only others don’t censure me saying ‘She’s his woman’, a time when I feel my life slipping away, I wouldn’t wish to regain the old beauty of mine, akin to the beauty of pollen on moist leaves, that you stole away!

If only others don’t speak about the atrocities you do to those who are bewitched by you, I wouldn’t wish to attain the lost sweet sleep in my eyes that have taken on a golden pallor, losing its old beauty!

If only your bard does not come to my home and question about the house that you have left to, singing sorrowful tunes many, I wouldn’t wish to attain the old, bee-buzzing beauty of my flower-clad black tresses, shining like a flawless sapphire!

And so, is it easy to stay away from embracing your chest by quarrelling with you, when one has an enemy that lives within them – The one called the heart that leaps to you, out of my control!”

Let’s delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans and these words are rendered by the lady to the man. The lady starts as usual with a description of the man’s town, and in this edition, we see a lush pond and there, specifically, a bent lotus bud shedding its dew on the nearby lotus flowers, which the lady connects to a maiden shedding tears on her bosom, saddened by the actions of her beloved. The lady talks about how the town mocks her calling her the wife of the man who doesn’t stay faithful, how the courtesans the man abandons come complaining to her, and how the man’s bard, wishing to attain the man’s graces, comes seeking to the lady’s home, inquiring to whose house the man has left to. All these make the beauty of her complexion, her eyes and her tresses fade away and the lady is left with no choice but to wish for this beauty to be regained. She concludes by capturing an enemy inside her called her heart, which seems not to let her quarrel and stay away from the man, in spite of all his actions against her. A verse which establishes the havoc the man’s escapades unleash to the health and beauty of the lady, and yet portrays her state of being unable to do anything about it. Helplessness as an emotion is etched clearly in these words from the past!

In this episode, we perceive elements of a different landscape appearing in the farmlands domain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 76, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the lady’s way of revealing her relationship with the man to her friend.

புனை இழை நோக்கியும் புனல் ஆடப் புறம் சூழ்ந்தும்,
அணி வரி தைஇயும், நம் இல் வந்து வணங்கியும்,
நினையுபு வருந்தும் இந்நெடுந்தகை திறத்து இவ் ஊர்
இனையள் என்று எடுத்து ஓதற்கு அனையையோ நீ என
வினவுதி ஆயின், விளங்கு இழாய்! கேள் இனி!

செவ்விரல் சிவப்பு ஊரச் சேண் சென்றாய் என்று அவன்
பௌவ நீர்ச் சாய்க் கொழுதிப் பாவை தந்தனைத்தற்கோ,
கௌவை நோய் உற்றவர் காணாது கடுத்த சொல்
ஒவ்வா என்று உணராய், நீ ஒரு நிலையே உரைத்ததை?

ஒடுங்கி யாம் புகல் ஒல்லேம் பெயர்தர அவன் கண்டு
நெடுங்கய மலர் வாங்கி, நெறித்துத் தந்தனைத்தற்கோ
விடுந்தவர் விரகு இன்றி எடுத்த சொல் பொய் ஆகக்
கடிந்ததும் இலையாய், நீ கழறிய வந்ததை?

வரி தேற்றாய் நீ என வணங்கு இறை அவன் பற்றித்,
தெரி வேய்த் தோள் கரும்பு எழுதித் தொய்யில் செய்தனைத்தற்கோ
புரிபு நம் ஆயத்தார் பொய் ஆக எடுத்த சொல்
உரிது என உணராய், நீ உலமந்தாய் போன்றதை?

என ஆங்கு,
அரிது இனி ஆய் இழாய்! அது தேற்றல் புரிபு ஒருங்கு,
அன்று நம் வதுவையுள் நமர் செய்வது இன்று ஈங்கே,
தான் நயந்து இருந்தது இவ் ஊர் ஆயின் எவன் கொலோ,
நாம் செயற்பாலது இனி?

An instance of what can be described as ‘a confusion of core theme’, meaning that a verse situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ seems to echo elements of the ‘Kurunji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’. The words can be translated as follows:

“‘Gazing at the well-etched ornaments, accompanying when playing in the stream, painting beautiful lines of art, and arriving home and bowing with respect, are the acts of that esteemed man. This town declares with slander that you are his mate. Is this true?’, you ask me, worrying incessantly! Listen to me now:

All he did was, one day, seeing how my red fingers can become redder, because I was working for a long time, he plucked the reeds by the salty waters and rendered me a doll made of it. Yet, without understanding the truth, you too repeat the harsh words of those who have the affliction of gossiping!

All he did was, one day, seeing how I was hesitant to go further and was returning back, leapt into the waters, plucked that flower in the deep pond and gave it to me. Yet, without scolding them and declaring their words as false, you blabber the words of those who slander without kindness!

All he did was, one day, seeing how I didn’t know how to draw the ‘thoyyil’ lines, he held on to my bamboo-like arms and painted a sugarcane on that. Yet, without perceiving that they speak not the truth, you ask full of sorrow about those words rendered by our playmates.

And so, it’s really difficult to make you understand, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments! Whatever should happen, when my family weds him to me with love, if this town decides, has already happened here and now, what should I do?”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage and involves a situation of a friendly quarrel between the lady and the confidante. The confidante repeats the words of the townsfolk, who are spreading gossip about the lady and the man, saying how he was looking at the lady’s jewels, was found in her company in the stream and was even painting lines of art on her, and the confidante asks the lady with much worry and anxiety whether this is true. The lady explains this talk by brushing away the acts of the man as something anyone would do. For instance, because her hands were red trying to cut the reeds, the man helped her cut it and made a doll for her with it. Then because she decided not to pluck the flower far away in the huge pond and was returning back, the man leapt into the pond and brought the flower she had desired. Finally, one day, the lady seems to have been making a mess of the ‘thoyyil’ paintings and the man seems to have stepped in to help her, ending up drawing a sugarcane pattern on her arms. ‘These are normal things, aren’t they?’, the lady seems to ask her confidante and scolds her for repeating the thoughtless words of others. Finally, she gives up trying to make the confidante understand, and concludes saying, all the thoughts that should arise when the man finally marries me with our family’s blessing, the townsfolk seemed to be thinking right away.

In this verse, the elements of ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ appears in the shape of the quarrel and sulking between the lady and the confidante. Other than this, it’s all about the lady revealing her relationship with the man to the confidante. Out of her shyness, she dismisses the actions of the man in his special attention to her. In the final lines, she places her hope that one day, she will be married to the man. Thus, in that roundabout technique of communication between these Sangam maiden, by giving an explanation for past interactions with the man and hinting about the hope for her future with him, in a nutshell, the lady reveals to the confidante, her relationship with the man!

In this episode, we perceive the reasons for the lady’s restraint, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 75, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and highlights the man’s crafty nature.

நீர் ஆர் செறுவில் நெய்தலொடு நீடிய
நேர் இதழ் ஆம்பல் நிரை இதழ் கொண்மார்
சீர் ஆர் சேயிழை ஒலிப்ப, ஓடும்
ஓரை மகளிர் ஓதை வெரீஇ எழுந்து,
ஆரல் ஆர்கை அம் சிறைத் தொழுதி
உயர்ந்த பொங்கர் உயர் மரம் ஏறி,
அமர்க்கண் மகளிர் அலப்பிய அந்நோய்
தமர்க்கு உரைப்பன போல், பல் குரல் பயிற்றும்
உயர்ந்த போரின் ஒலி நல் ஊரன்
புதுவோர் புணர்தல் வெய்யன் ஆயின்
வதுவை நாளால் வைகலும், அஃது யான்
நோவேன் தோழி! நோவாய் நீ என
என் பார்த்து உறுவோய்! கேள் இனித் தெற்றென!

“எல்லினை வருதி, எவன் குறித்தனை? எனச்
சொல்லாதிருப்பேன் ஆயின், ஒல்லென
விரி உளைக் கலி மான் தேரொடு வந்த
விருந்து எதிர்கோடலின் மறப்பல்” என்றும்

“வாடிய பூவொடு வாரல் எம் மனை!” என
ஊடி இருப்பேன் ஆயின், நீடாது
அச்சு ஆறு ஆக உணரிய வருபவன்
பொய்ச் சூள் அஞ்சிப் புலவேன் ஆகுவல்;

“பகல் ஆண்டு அல்கினை பரத்த!” என்று யான்
இகலியிருப்பேன் ஆயின், தான் தன்
முதல்வன் பெரும் பெயர் முறையுளிப் பெற்ற
புதல்வன் புல்லிப் பொய்த் துயில் துஞ்சும்;

ஆங்க,
விருந்து எதிர்கொள்ளவும் பொய்ச் சூள் அஞ்சவும்,
அரும் பெறல் புதல்வனை முயங்கக் காணவும்
ஆங்கு அவிந்து ஒழியும், என் புலவி தாங்காது,
அவ் அவ் இடத்தான் அவை அவை காணப்
பூங்கண் மகளிர் புனை நலம் சிதைக்கும்
மாய மகிழ்நன் பரத்தைமை
நோவென் தோழி, கடன் நமக்கு எனவே.

It’s the lady speaking yet again! The words can be translated as follows:

“‘To pluck the blue lotus and the long-leaved water-lily with perfect petals in the water-filled fields, maiden run around with their well-etched, exquisite jewels resounding. Startled by the noise made by these maiden playing ‘Orai’ games, a herd of birds with beautiful feathers fly high and climb onto the tall branches of a towering tree, and then relay the affliction, caused by those maiden with pretty eyes, to their kin, with repeated resounding calls, akin to the sounds of a war in the lord’s fine town. The lord is one who wishes to keep the company of different women and keeps uniting with them day after day. This brings great grief to me, O friend. How can you be unaffected by this?’ – So you ask me! Listen to me well:

I want to ask him, ‘You are returning in the morning. Where were you?’ But I don’t do that! Why because I forget that when I see the guests he brings home, with much uproar, on his chariot tied with a speedy horse having a thick mane!

I want to sulk with him saying, ‘Do not come to my home with these faded flowers’. But I don’t do that! Why because I’m filled with fear that he who returns will start to swear false oaths many!

I want to rebuke him saying, ‘All day you were with those other women’. But I don’t do that! Why because he would be pretending to be asleep, hugging his son, who, following the illustrious tradition, has gained the great name of his father!

And so, facing new guests, fearing false oaths, seeing him embrace our precious son, this anger of mine remains not firm and melts away instantly. It seems like it’s my fate to see in all those places, all those things showing how he ruins the etched beauty of maiden with flower-like eyes and yet not express my suffering about the deceptive lord’s seeking of courtesans!”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing the man’s seeking of courtesans. These words are said by the lady to her confidante. As custom, the lady starts with a description of the man’s town, and here, we find maiden running around with their jewels jingling, as they pluck the blue lotuses and lilies, and play ‘orai’ games as well. Startled by all the ruckus created by them, birds fly high to the branches of a tall tree and lament about their atrocity to their kin, with the repeated piercing songs. Sound is the defining element of this description. Then, the lady tells us it’s the confidante who has been saying these words about the man’s town to tell the lady how the confidante was very much affected by the man’s actions and asks the lady how come the lady seemed so calm and without anger any, at the man.

To this, the lady replies how she really wants to chide the man about his staying away at other places and coming home with a tattered garland and faded flowers. But she doesn’t do that because the man either comes home with guests many and owing to her innate hospitality, the lady forgets to be angry with the man, or the man starts swearing false oaths, which the lady fears would lead some catastrophe for their family, or the man would pretend to be fast asleep near their son, the claimant of the illustrious family name, belonging to the man’s father. The lady concludes saying because of these reasons, she is not able to hold fast to her anger, and it seems like she has no other way to express her angst about the man’s seeking courtesans. A rather interesting verse, which provides insight into all the ways the man cunningly finds his way back to the lady’s house, without inviting her ire!

In this episode, we listen to the sharp censure of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 74, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and vividly sketches the man’s infidelity.

பொய்கைப் பூ புதிது உண்ட வரி வண்டு கழி பூத்த
நெய்தல் தாது அமர்ந்து ஆடிப், பாசடைச் சேப்பினுள்
செய்து இயற்றியது போல வயல் பூத்த தாமரை
மை தபு கிளர் கொட்டை மாண் பதி படர்தரூஉம்,
கொய்குழை அகை காஞ்சித் துறை அணி நல் ஊர!

அன்பு இலன் அறன் இலன் எனப்படான் என ஏத்தி,
நின் புகழ் பல பாடும் பாணனும் ஏமுற்றான்;

நஞ்சு உயிர் செகுத்தலும் அறிந்து உண்டாங்கு அளி இன்மை
கண்டு நின் மொழி தேறும் பெண்டிரும் ஏமுற்றார்;

முன்பகல் தலைக்கூடி நன்பகல் அவள் நீத்துப்
பின்பகல் பிறர்த் தேரும் நெஞ்சமும் ஏமுற்றாய்;

என ஆங்கு,
கிண்கிணி மணித் தாரொடு ஒலித்து ஆர்ப்ப, ஒண்தொடிப்
பேர் அமர்க் கண்ணார்க்கும் படுவலை இது என,
ஊரவர் உடன் நகத் திரிதரும்
தேர் ஏமுற்றன்று நின்னினும் பெரிதே.

A rather crisp verse in this series of the lady bashing the man. The words can be translated as follows:

“Feeding on the fresh flowers in the pond, the striped bee journeys to the blue lotus blooming in the backwaters. After relishing the pollen of the blue lotus, it takes flight to rest on the glowing centre of a faultless and esteemed pink lotus bud with green leaves, blooming in the field, appearing like an etched sculpture, in the shores filled with Portia trees, which keep sprouting even as maidens pluck ceaselessly, in your picturesque, fine town, O lord!

Upholding you as one, whom no one can say, ‘He is without love, he is without fairness’, the bard who keeps singing your praises is senseless.

Akin to knowing fully well that it’s poison and still drinking it up, even after sensing your lack of grace, those women, who keep trusting your words, are senseless too.

Uniting with one in the forenoon, abandoning her at noon, and seeking another in the afternoon, that heart of yours is senseless too!

And so, resounding with strings of tinkling bells, as a net to trap maiden with shining bangles and big, pretty eyes, the chariot of yours that roams around, inviting the mockery of the townsfolk, is even more senseless than you!”

Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between a man and a lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans. These words are said by the lady to the man. The lady begins by describing a man’s town, and to do that, she trails behind a bee that was relishing the nectar of a flower in the pond, and then flies off to roll in the bed of pollen on a blue lotus, in the backwaters nearby. From there, it then journeys to the exquisite and radiant heart of a pink lotus growing in a field. Such is the lush land of the man’s town, with vibrant shores, where the Portia trees keep rendering their flowers, no matter how many are plucked away. Such praise for the man’s land but he’s not so lucky here! First, the man’s bard, who keeps singing the man’s praises, gets the brickbat, and the lady says he must be crazy to say that the man is so full of love and justice. Next hit are the courtesans the man courts and the lady calls them crazy for accepting the man, inspite of all his falsehoods, just the way someone would drink a thing, knowing fully well that it’s poison. Third in line to get knocked down is the man himself, for being with one woman in the morning, forsaking her at noon, and then searching for another in the afternoon. The lady concludes by sketching a picture of the man’s chariot as a vessel, which roams as a trap for beautiful maiden, inviting the ridicule of the town, and that is even crazier than the man! Starting from the scene of the bee jumping flower to flower, the lady clearly lays the groundwork for this portrait of her promiscuous man, telling the world that she cannot be fooled by his pretences of love!

In this episode, we observe the perceptive eyes of the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 73, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and talks about the deceptive actions of the man.

அகன் துறை அணி பெற, புதலொடு தாழ்ந்த
பகன்றைப் பூ உற நீண்ட பாசடைத் தாமரை,
கண் பொர ஒளி விட்ட வெள்ளிய வள்ளத்தான்,
தண் கமழ் நறுந் தேறல் உண்பவள் முகம் போல,
வண் பிணி தளை விடூஉம் வயல் அணி நல் ஊர!

‘நோதக்காய்’ என நின்னை நொந்தீவார் இல்வழி,
‘தீது இலேன் யான்’ எனத் தேற்றிய வருதிமன்
ஞெகிழ் தொடி இளையவர் இடை முலைத் தாது சோர்ந்து,
இதழ் வனப்பு இழந்த நின் கண்ணி வந்து உரையாக்கால்?

கனற்றி நீ செய்வது கடிந்தீவார் இல்வழி,
‘மனத்தில் தீது இலன்’ என மயக்கிய வருதிமன்
அலமரல் உண்கண்ணார் ஆய் கோதை குழைத்த நின்
மலர் மார்பின் மறுப்பட்ட சாந்தம் வந்து உரையாக்கால்?

என்னை நீ செய்யினும், உரைத்தீவார் இல்வழி,
முன் அடிப் பணிந்து, எம்மை உணர்த்திய வருதிமன்
நிரை தொடி நல்லவர் துணங்கையுள் தலைக் கொள்ள,
கரையிடைக் கிழிந்த நின் காழகம் வந்து உரையாக்கால்?

என ஆங்கு
மண்டு நீர் ஆரா மலி கடல் போலும் நின்
தண்டாப் பரத்தை தலைக்கொள்ள, நாளும்
புலத் தகைப் பெண்டிரைத் தேற்றி; மற்று யாம்எனின்,
தோலாமோ, நின் பொய் மருண்டு?

The lady voices her thoughts with conviction in this one. The words can be translated as follows:

“Adorning the wide shores, near the low-hanging rattle pod flowers on bushes, the lotus flower with huge leaves lets go of its tightness and opens its petals, akin to the face of a maiden, who savours the cool and fragrant toddy from a silver vessel, glowing with a blinding radiance, in the field-filled, fine town of yours, O lord!

There is no one at home to chide you for doing the wrong thing. When you come here trying to console me with the words ‘I have done nothing wrong’, I might have believed that if your garland, which has lost the beauty of its petals, because the flowers therein have shed their pollen on the bosom of maiden wearing bangles that slip away, had not told me otherwise!

There is no one at home to rebuke you for your wrong-doings. When you come here trying to confuse me with the words ‘I have no evil in my heart’, I might have believed that if the sandalwood on your wide chest, which has become smeared, because you had embraced the beautiful garlands of those maiden with dancing, kohl-streaked eyes, had not told me otherwise!

There is no one at home to say the right words whatever you may do. When you come here trying to make me understand with much humility, I might have believed that if the cloth you wear, which has become torn at the edges, because you had danced the ‘thunangai’ with those beautiful maiden wearing rows of bangles, had not told me otherwise!

And so, akin to the brimming ocean that stays the same no matter how many streams pour in their copious waters, your desire to be with courtesans seems to have no end; You may be able to convince and cheer up those courtesans, who are sulking with you. Do you think I can be conquered, after seeing the truth of your lies?”

Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing to the man’s seeking courtesans, and speaks in the voice of the lady to her man. The lady renders a crisp description of the man’s town, talking again about a lotus flower, blooming near the rattlepod bushes, and glowing like the face of a maiden, who has had tasty toddy to drink from a silver bowl. Then, the lady turns to the man and remarks how there was no-one in their home to correct his wrong-doings and set him on the right path. She then narrates how the man tries to convince her with words, claiming that he has done nothing wrong, with so much humility. She piercingly remarks she might have taken these words to be true if the flowers on his garland had not lost their glow, shedding pollen on other women; if the sandalwood on his chest did not appear smeared, owing to his embracing other women, and if his cloth was not torn because he had been dancing with those courtesans. The lady remarks how like an ocean that never gets filled no matter how many rivers pour into it, the man’s want for courtesans seemed to have no end, and she concludes with the sharp message that the man may fool the courtesans with his charming words, but she can look through his deception.

A verse which hints that the seeking of courtesans by the man was not a practice that was accepted as normal and some elders or wise people did indeed advise against that course of action, the absence of whom the lady laments in this verse. Another song where the subtle signs on the man’s exterior reveals his clandestine ways of pleasure-seeking to the piercing eyes of the lady!

In this episode, we listen to an anguished question, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 72, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and provides insight about the prominent workers in a town setting.

இணைபட நிவந்த நீல மென் சேக்கையுள்,
துணை புணர் அன்னத்தின் தூவி மெல் அணை அசைஇ,
சேடு இயல் வள்ளத்துப் பெய்த பால் சில காட்டி,
ஊடும் மென் சிறு கிளி உணர்ப்பவள் முகம் போல,
புது நீர புதல் ஒற்றப் புணர் திரைப் பிதிர் மல்க,
மதி நோக்கி அலர் வீத்த ஆம்பல் வால் மலர் நண்ணி,
கடி கயத் தாமரைக் கமழ் முகை, கரை மாவின்
வடி தீண்ட, வாய் விடூஉம் வயல் அணி நல் ஊர!

கண்ணி, நீ கடி கொண்டார்க் கனைதொறும், யாம் அழ,
பண்ணினால் களிப்பிக்கும் பாணன் காட்டு என்றானோ
‘பேணான்’ என்று உடன்றவர் உகிர் செய்த வடுவினான்,
மேல் நாள், நின் தோள் சேர்ந்தார் நகை சேர்ந்த இதழினை?

நாடி நின் தூது ஆடி, துறை செல்லாள், ஊரவர்
ஆடை கொண்டு ஒலிக்கும், நின் புலைத்தி காட்டு என்றாளோ
கூடியார் புனல் ஆடப் புணை ஆய மார்பினில்
ஊடியார் எறிதர ஒளி விட்ட அரக்கினை?

வெறிது நின் புகழ்களை வேண்டார் இல் எடுத்து ஏத்தும்
அறிவுடை அந்தணன் அவளைக் காட்டு என்றானோ
களி பட்டார் கமழ் கோதை கயம்பட்ட உருவின்மேல்
குறி பெற்றார் குரற் கூந்தற் கோடு உளர்ந்த துகளினை?

என ஆங்கு
செறிவுற்றேம், எம்மை நீ செறிய; அறிவுற்று,
அழிந்து உகு நெஞ்சத்தேம்; அல்லல் உழப்ப;
கழிந்தவை உள்ளாது, கண்ட இடத்தே,
அழிந்து நிற் பேணிக் கொளலின் இழிந்ததோ
இந் நோய் உழத்தல் எமக்கு?

As in the previous song, though some interpreters consider this as the rendition of a concubine, I can only hear the lady’s voice in these words, which can be translated as follows:

“Upon a blue mattress with many layers, filled with the feathers of a swan that had happily united with its mate, placing soft pillows and bringing a well-crafted vessel with little milk, a lady feeds her delicate little parrot that was sulking with her. Akin to her blooming face, with bushes caressed by fresh waters, with the spray showering from the waves, near the flowers of a white water-lily that has bloomed facing the moon, a fragrant lotus bud blooms open, when a swaying tender mango fruit grazes against it, in the field-filled town of yours, O lord!

Did your bard, who delights you with his songs in the houses of those whom you seek, leaving me to cry, ask you to show to me, the wounds made by the nails of those who decided that you don’t care for them anymore and the marks of those whom you united with, the next day, as they smiled and left imprints of their lips on your arms?

Did your washerwoman, who became a messenger for you, shirking her duty of going to the river-shore to wash the clothes of the townsfolk, ask you to show to me, the marks of the glowing red lacquer thrown by those sulking with you, because you let other women in the stream play with your handsome chest as their raft?

Did that wise priest, who sings and upholds your praises needlessly in the homes of those who care not, ask you to show to me, the pollen that had shed from the thick tresses of the maiden, who attained your grace, as you caressed her hair, when she embraced you with delight and mangled her fragrant garland?

And so, I attained your grace when you united with me back then. Now, understanding it all, my heart breaks in sorrow; Even though I suffer so, not thinking about what has happened, whenever I see you, I break down and accept you. Isn’t this more disgraceful than suffering with that pain?”

Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing to the man’s seeking courtesans, and speaks in the voice of the lady to her man. The lady starts as custom, with a description of the man’s town, where she first talks about a woman, who is placing pillows on blue mattress made with the feathers of a swan. The nuanced point I noticed here was the mention that this swan was one, which had happily mated with its companion. This made me think of the advertising tag I have seen: ‘Milk from Happy Cows’, and also about a monitoring device to note the stress levels of pigs, raised for their meat. Like the scientific food researchers of today, the Sangam folks too seem to have believed that one’s sleep would be peaceful if the feathers came from a happy swan!

Returning, we find the lady setting up the pillows on this bed and bringing a bowl of milk so as to feed her pet parrot that had been angry with her for some reason. Imagine how her face would glow with love and care! Just that way, a lotus flower had bloomed open because a tender mango fruit that was hanging low over it, caressed it, the lady says, and connects this scene to the man’s town. Then, she goes on to talk about three different people in this town: the bard, who sings in the houses of the women the man desires; the washerwoman, who sometimes turns a messenger for the man, instead of carrying out her usual duties of washing clothes for the townsfolk; and a priest, who sings praises of the man’s goodness in places they don’t care about it, meaning the lady’s home. She asks the man if the bard, the washerwoman and the priest asked him to show the signs of his being with other women, such as the scars made by courtesans he had angered and the imprints of the ones who has smiled on his arms; the marks of red lacquer thrown by some courtesans angered because the man played with other courtesans in the river stream, and finally, the pollen that had fallen on the man’s shoulders from the tresses of the courtesans he embraced. The lady concludes saying, even though all this is true, and she suffers so, whenever she sees the man, she accepts him and wonders aloud if that isn’t more disgraceful than the pain of suffering the man leaves her with!

Apart from the usual cries of the lady about the man’s infidelity, in this verse, we get a tiny glimpse of the different professions in an agricultural town, such as the bard, the priest and the washerwoman, and how they all seem to be dependant on the grace of the man, for in addition to their professional duties, they seem to take up the additional ones of celebrating the man and acting as his messenger. Another instance of the power, wealth and influence in the hands of this man of the town!

In this episode, we perceive a lady’s fury at her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 71, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the lady’s disappointment in the words of the man’s supporters.

விரி கதிர் மண்டிலம் வியல் விசும்பு ஊர்தர,
புரி தலை தளை அவிழ்ந்த பூ அங்கண் புணர்ந்து ஆடி,
வரி வண்டு வாய் சூழும் வளம் கெழு பொய்கையுள்
துனி சிறந்து இழிதரும் கண்ணின் நீர் அறல் வார,
இனிது அமர் காதலன் இறைஞ்சித் தன் அடி சேர்பு,
நனி விரைந்து அளித்தலின் நகுபவள் முகம் போல
பனி ஒரு திறம் வார, பாசடைத் தாமரைத்
தனி மலர் தளை விடூஉம் தண் துறை நல் ஊர!

‘ஒரு நீ பிறர் இல்லை, அவன் பெண்டிர்’ என உரைத்து,
தேரொடும் தேற்றிய பாகன் வந்தீயான்கொல்
ஓர் இல் தான் கொணர்ந்து உய்த்தார் புலவியுள் பொறித்த புண்
பாரித்துப் புணர்ந்த நின் பரத்தைமை காணிய?

‘மடுத்து அவன் புகுவழி மறையேன்’ என்று யாழொடும்
எடுத்துச் சூள் பல உற்ற பாணன் வந்தீயான்கொல்
அடுத்துத் தன் பொய் உண்டார்ப் புணர்ந்த நின் எருத்தின்கண்
எடுத்துக்கொள்வது போலும் தொடி வடுக் காணிய?

‘தணந்தனை’ எனக் கேட்டு, தவறு ஓராது, எமக்கு நின்
குணங்களைப் பாராட்டும் தோழன் வந்தீயான்கொல்
கணங்குழை நல்லவர் கதுப்பு அறல் அணைத் துஞ்சி,
அணங்கு போல் கமழும் நின் அலர் மார்பு காணிய?

என்று, நின்
தீரா முயக்கம் பெறுநர்ப் புலப்பவர்
யார்? நீ வரு நாள் போல் அமைகுவம் யாம்; புக்கீமோ!
மாரிக்கு அவாவுற்றுப் பீள் வாடும் நெல்லிற்கு, ஆங்கு,
ஆராத் துவலை அளித்தது போலும், நீ
ஓர் யாட்டு ஒரு கால் வரவு.

Many interpreters have chosen to see this verse as said by a concubine or a mistress to the man. However, there is no distinguishing element to say that these words are not spoken by the lady, but rather by another woman, who is angered by the other courtesans the man is seeing. So, I chose to see this as the lady’s rendition to the man. The words can be translated as follows:

“As the sun with its spreading rays soars on the sky, seeing a flower let go of the tightness of its petals, feeding on its nectar, a striped bee buzzes around in that prosperous pond. Akin to the face of a woman, filled with sorrow and shedding tears copiously, which suddenly smiles, when her sweet lover pleads to her and takes refuge at her feet, with dew on one side, a lotus flower with thick leaves, suddenly glows when the rays of the sun fall upon it, in the cool shores of your fine town, O lord!

‘You are the only one! He doesn’t keep the company of any other women’, said that charioteer, swearing on the chariot. Why isn’t he here to see your appearance of having united with a courtesan, whom he brought to the house, as evident from the scars they left on you, when sulking with you?

‘I know all the places he goes to. I will not hide it from you’, said that bard, swearing oaths many on his lute. Why isn’t he here to see the imprints of the bangles on your neck, when embracing those who accept your many lies?

Even when I complained, ‘He has left me’, not seeing your faults, that friend of yours kept praising your good nature. Why isn’t he here to see your wide chest, fragrant like the scent of spirit maiden, because you slept embracing the black tresses of those wearing heavy earrings?

And so, why should I be angry with those, who savour your endless embraces? I will calm myself on that rare day you do come. You may leave now! Upon a crop of paddy that yearns with desire for a downpour, akin to a spray of scarce drizzle that renders, is your once-in-a-year arrival here!”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing to man’s seeking of courtesans, and these words are said by the lady to the man. The lady starts by describing a lush pond in the man’s town, where a lotus flower can be seen with dew drops on its petals, and when the sun soars high in the sky, it shines with a special radiance, inviting the bees around. For this image, the lady renders an apt simile of the crying face of a woman, which lights up into a smile, when her beloved comes back to her, pleading at her feet. Then, the lady goes on to say how the man’s charioteer, bard and friend all swore to her that the man wouldn’t visit other women, wouldn’t go anywhere else and was full of good qualities. She asks the man why they were not there to see the obvious signs of the man being with other women, such as the scars from the wounds they inflicted on him in anger, the imprints of their bangles on his neck, and the fragrance of their tresses on the man’s chest. She concludes saying what’s the use of being angry with those women who enjoy the man’s embraces. Rather, she should learn to be at peace with herself, and says the man’s rare coming and going was just like a little drizzle that falls on a paddy field that’s waiting for a downpour. A verse which illustrates how the man’s friends and helpers rise to his defence, but they can do nothing before the perceptive eyes of the lady, who sees her man for who he is!