"If it is true that liberal education should "liberate" by demonstrating the cultural values and norms foreign to us, by revealing the relativity of our own values, then the "discovery" and enjoyment of Tamil literature, and even its teaching should find its place in the systems of Western training and instruction in the humanities." - Kamil Zvelebil in his book, The Smile of Murugan , The Tamil literature of South India

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Muddied water sweeter than honey


I've introduced the anthologies of sangam poems in the previous post. Ainkurunooru is one of the anthologies and am glad to share a lovely romantic poem from that. This might be another way of saying 'Love is blind', well, love is not only blind, it overrides any taste. True love surpasses all material things. Nothing stands before love, from time immemorial. Lets go to the poem to enjoy the lovely message.
Ainkurunooru 203 Sung by Kapilar, in kurinji thinai 
The heroine's word to her friend, when the foster mother too listens
 
 "அன்னாய் வாழி வேண்டு அன்னை நம் படப்பை
தேன் மயங்கு பாலினும் இனிய அவர் நாட்டு
உவலை கூவல் கீழ
மான் உண்டு எஞ்சிய கலிழி நீரே"
"annaai vaazhi vendu annai nam padappai
thaen mayangu palinum iniya avar naattu
uvalai kooval keezha
maan undu enjiya kalizhi neere"


Word meanings: annaai - mother, vaazhi - long live, vendu annai - listen mother, nam - our, padappai - garden, thaen - honey, mayangu - kalandha, paalinum - than milk, iniya - sweet, avar naattu - his country, uvalai - dried leaves, kooval - pit, keezha - beneath, maan - deer, undu - drunk, enjiya - remaining, kalizhi - muddied, neere - water

Poem meaning: Long live mother! Please listen mother, the muddied water beneath the dried leaves in a pit, that is leftover after the deer drank from it, is more sweeter than the milk mixed with honey from our garden.

Description: The heroine gets married to her lover, the hero. Incidentally the heroine is from a rich family where she used to have delicious food. But now she is living with her husband who is poor, at least less than the heroine's maternal home. Well, in this situation the foster mother of the heroine visits her. The heroine tells her friend about her mind, so that the foster mother would also hear her words. The heroine says that even the muddied water in a pit which is leftover after the deer drank from it, is sweeter than the milk mixed with honey from her garden. She implies that she is happy with whatever is available in her marital home. Wealth doesn't matter to the heroine, its love that matters. Hearing that the foster mother would also be happy. What a lovely poem! How much she loves the hero! Its also a custom to address friend as 'mother', in closeness. And mostly the foster mother's daughter would be the heroine's friend.

My English version:
"Long live mother! Kindly listen
Muddied pit water leftover by the deer
In his country, is sweeter than the milk
Mixed with honey from our garden"


14 comments:

  1. அருமை சகோதரி கிரேஸ்... நாலுவரிக்கு நாலுவரி என்பது சரி. அழகாகவும், அதைவிடச் சரியாகவும் வந்திருப்பதற்கு என் இனிய பாராட்டுதல்கள்.. இனிவரும் மொழியாக்கத்தின் போது ஒன்று மட்டும் சேர்த்து யோசிக்க முடியுமா பாருங்கள்... தமிழில் இயைபு என்றும் ஆங்கிலத்தில் ரைம் என்றும் சொல்லப்படும் (ஈற்றசை ஓசை ஒத்து வரும்) அழகைச் சேர்த்தால் ஆங்கிலேயர் அதிலும மயங்குவார்களே? சிரமம்தான் முயற்சி செய்யுங்கள் உங்களால் முடியும்.

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    1. உளமார்ந்த நன்றி ஐயா. கண்டிப்பாக, முயற்சி செய்கிறேன்.

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  2. very nice translation...unga english poem is also super...

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  3. its indeed a great step dear!!
    really nice, but why there is two milk on that para(MEANING)?
    come out with flying colours dear Grace!!

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    1. Thanks dear Mythily. I removed one milk, thanks for pointing that. :)

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  4. Very nice poems - both old and new. The translation is also neat. Thanks Grace for sharing!

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  5. கலிழி என்பது சேற்றைக் குறிப்பதை தற்போதுதான் கற்றேன். நடைநமது வலைப்பூவின் பின்னூட்டம் வாயிலாக தங்கள் மொழிப் பணியை தெரிந்து கொண்டேன்.
    உங்கள் சங்கத் தமிழ் பதிவுகளை மின்னூலாக தொகுத்து வெளியிடுமாறு அன்புடன் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறேன்.

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    Replies
    1. உங்கள் வருகைக்கும் கருத்திற்கும் மனமார்ந்த நன்றி ராஜ்குமார். உங்கள் ஆலோசனைக்கும் நன்றி, என் மனதிலும் இந்த எண்ணம் இருக்கிறது , கண்டிப்பாகச் செய்வேன்.

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  6. Awesome poem and translation...Thanks a lot!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.

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