Sentinel of rainy hills

Ainkurunooru 206

Sung by poet Kapilar, depicted as the words spoken by the thozhi (heroine's friend) to the 
thalaivi (heroine). It is a Kurinji thinai (click to know more about this) song. 

"annaai vazhi vendu annai uvakkaan

maari kundraththu kaappaal annan

thoovalin nanaindha thodalai olvaal

paasi soozhndha perungazhal

thannpani vaikiya varikkach sinane"

For the original poem in Tamil, please click here to go to my Tamil site.

Poem meaning: Long live my mother! Look there, In the pretense of guarding the rainy mountains, he has come with his bright sword wet with raindrops, his striped belt cold with dew and moss clinging to his anklet of valor.

Description: Thalaivan (the hero) has come for a secret meeting with the thalaivi (heroine). His land is mountaneous and is guarded usually in the night. So pretending to be a sentinel to guard the hills that 
rainy night, the hero has come to meet the heroine. Seeing him, the heroine's friend informs the heroine.
This is refered to as 'varavunarththal' in Tamil, meaning 'letting know about the arrival'.

Its a rainy night and the standing water bodies in the mountains will have moss. The hero has come through 
that without minding the hardship. It was a rough terrain and it would have been very dangerous in the rainy 
night. The hero's bright hanging sword is wet with raindrops, his hip belt is covered with dew and moss has clinged on to his anklets of valor. These anklets are special anklets wore around the ankles of a man, symbolizing his courage and bravery. The heroine's friend understands the love the hero has for her friend, 
the heroine. She cannot be more happier for her friend and proud too. So with happiness and pride, she tells 
the heroine about the arrival of the hero. Here the word 'mother' means 'friend', as it was typical to call so, 
and indeed today too.

Words Meaning: annaai - mother, vaazhi - long live, vendu annai- please listen, uvakkaan - look there, maari - rain, kundraththu - of the hills, kappaal - one who guards, annan - like, thoovalin - raindrops, nanaindha - wet, thodalai - hanging, ol - shining/bright, vaal - sword, paasi - moss, soozhndha - covered by, perungazhal - special war-anklet, thann - cold, pani - dew, vaikiya - tightly, varikkach sinane - man who has worn the cold belt

My English Version:

"Long live my friend! Listen!

Look at him who has come!

Shining sword wet with raindrops,

Striped belt cool with dewdrops;

As a sentinel of the rainy hills,

Anklets of valor covered with moss;"